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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study and report on burying power lines in the Gulf |
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Coast region. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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(1) "Commission" means the Public Utility Commission |
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of Texas. |
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(2) "Study area" means the area in the state located |
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within 150 miles of the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. |
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SECTION 2. FINDINGS. The legislature finds that: |
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(1) the study area is prone to weather-related power |
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outages; |
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(2) underground power lines are more resistant than |
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overhead power lines to extreme weather conditions; and |
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(3) burying power lines in the study area could reduce |
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the number of weather-related power outages in the study area. |
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SECTION 3. STUDY. The commission shall evaluate for the |
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study area the potential: |
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(1) cost of burying existing overhead power lines; |
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(2) cost of maintaining and repairing underground |
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power lines; |
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(3) cost savings associated with reduced |
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weather-related power outages; and |
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(4) use of technologies developed or tested in the |
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Department of Energy's Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-Speed |
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Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security program |
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in the study area. |
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SECTION 4. REPORT. The commission shall submit a report of |
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the results of the study and any recommendations to the governor, |
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lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives |
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not later than September 1, 2026. |
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SECTION 5. EXPIRATION DATE. This Act expires October 31, |
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2026. |
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SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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1, 2025. |