| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a study by the Public Utility Commission of Texas on the |
|
|
feasibility of constructing certain extra high voltage |
|
|
transmission lines. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 39.1671 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 39.1671. STUDY OF CONSTRUCTION OF 765-KILOVOLT |
|
|
TRANSMISSION LINE. (a) The commission may not approve the |
|
|
construction of a 765-kilovolt transmission line for the execution |
|
|
of the Permian Basin Reliability Plan (Project 55718) as |
|
|
recommended in the Texas 765-kilovolt Strategic Transmission |
|
|
Expansion Plan submitted by the independent organization certified |
|
|
under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region unless the |
|
|
commission first conducts a study to consider: |
|
|
(1) the performance of extra high voltage transmission |
|
|
lines under a variety of dispatch scenarios, including different |
|
|
times of day, times of year, and weather conditions; |
|
|
(2) estimated costs to ratepayers, with a particular |
|
|
emphasis on the estimated costs to residential customers; |
|
|
(3) factors that may contribute to cost overruns and |
|
|
potential mitigation of cost overruns; and |
|
|
(4) supply chain and workforce limitations that may |
|
|
delay project buildout or contribute to cost overruns. |
|
|
(b) Subject to Subsection (c), the commission shall submit |
|
|
the results of the study conducted under Subsection (a) to an |
|
|
independent third party for review. |
|
|
(c) The commission may not submit the results of the study |
|
|
to a third party that conducted a similar study of extra high |
|
|
voltage transmission lines on behalf of the independent |
|
|
organization certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power |
|
|
region or another market participant after January 1, 2020. |
|
|
(d) This section expires September 1, 2029. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |