Bill Text: TX HB613 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the interconnection of the ERCOT power grid to grids outside the ERCOT power region.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [HB613 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB613-Introduced.html
| 89R3501 JXC-D | ||
| By: Rosenthal | H.B. No. 613 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to the interconnection of the ERCOT power grid to grids | ||
| outside the ERCOT power region. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 2, Utilities Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Chapter 39A to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 39A. INTERCONNECTION OF FACILITIES IN ERCOT TO GRIDS | ||
| OUTSIDE ERCOT POWER REGION | ||
| Sec. 39A.0101. UTILITY AND COOPERATIVE AUTHORITY. | ||
| Notwithstanding any other law, a transmission and distribution | ||
| utility, municipally owned utility, or electric cooperative that | ||
| transmits or distributes power purchased at wholesale in the ERCOT | ||
| power region may construct, own, and operate facilities as | ||
| necessary to: | ||
| (1) access transmission service from outside of the | ||
| ERCOT power region; and | ||
| (2) purchase power at wholesale from outside of the | ||
| ERCOT power region. | ||
| Sec. 39A.0102. COMMISSION AUTHORITY. (a) The commission | ||
| may request any federal approval necessary for the interconnection | ||
| of a facility described by Section 39A.0101. | ||
| (b) The commission shall require the independent | ||
| organization certified for the ERCOT power region under Section | ||
| 39.151 to approve the interconnection of a facility described by | ||
| Section 39A.0101 unless otherwise provided by federal law or the | ||
| commission or the independent organization determines that the | ||
| interconnection poses a significant and imminent risk to public | ||
| health and safety. | ||
| (c) The commission may provide technical and administrative | ||
| assistance to a transmission and distribution utility, municipally | ||
| owned utility, or electric cooperative seeking to construct, own, | ||
| or operate a facility described by Section 39A.0101. | ||
| Sec. 39A.0103. SYNCHRONOUS AND NON-SYNCHRONOUS | ||
| INTERCONNECTIONS. (a) This chapter applies to synchronous and | ||
| non-synchronous interconnections. | ||
| (b) Unless otherwise provided by federal law, the | ||
| commission shall approve an application for a certificate of | ||
| convenience and necessity submitted under Section 39A.0104 by a | ||
| transmission and distribution utility, municipally owned utility, | ||
| or electric cooperative for a facility that would synchronously | ||
| interconnect to a facility outside the ERCOT power region if the | ||
| application complies with all applicable provisions of Chapter 37 | ||
| and this chapter. | ||
| (c) Not later than September 1, 2027, the commission shall | ||
| identify transmission facilities in ERCOT that may be synchronously | ||
| interconnected with transmission facilities outside of ERCOT for | ||
| the purpose of allowing federal regulation of transmission service | ||
| and wholesale power sales in ERCOT. Notwithstanding any other law, | ||
| the commission shall require a transmission and distribution | ||
| utility, municipally owned utility, or electric cooperative that | ||
| owns a transmission facility identified by the commission to make | ||
| requests, obtain approvals, enter into contracts, and construct | ||
| facilities as necessary to synchronously interconnect the facility | ||
| with a transmission facility outside of ERCOT. This subsection | ||
| expires August 31, 2031. | ||
| SECTION 2. Sections 37.051(c-1), (c-2), and (c-3), | ||
| Utilities Code, are redesignated as Section 39A.0104, Utilities | ||
| Code, and amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 39A.0104. CERTIFICATES OF CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY. | ||
| (a) A transmission and distribution utility, [ |
||
| electric cooperative may not interconnect a facility described by | ||
| Section 39A.0101 [ |
||
| certificate from the commission in the manner provided by Chapter | ||
| 37 and this chapter stating that the interconnection does not pose a | ||
| significant and imminent risk to public health and safety [ |
||
| (b) In the case of a conflict between Chapter 37 and this | ||
| chapter, this chapter prevails. | ||
| (c) Sections 37.056(c)(1) and (2) and (d) do not apply to an | ||
| application for a certificate described by Subsection (a). | ||
| (d) The commission shall approve an application for a | ||
| certificate described by Subsection (a) unless otherwise provided | ||
| by federal law or the commission determines that granting the | ||
| application poses a significant and imminent risk to public health | ||
| and safety. | ||
| (e) The transmission and distribution utility, municipally | ||
| owned utility, or electric cooperative [ |
||
| commission for a [ |
||
| later than the 180th day before the date the utility or cooperative | ||
| [ |
||
| Commission related to the interconnection. | ||
| (f) [ |
||
| [ |
||
| the date the application is filed, shall approve an application | ||
| [ |
||
| constructed under an interconnection agreement appended to an offer | ||
| of settlement approved in a final order of the Federal Energy | ||
| Regulatory Commission that was issued in Docket No. TX11-01-001 on | ||
| or before December 31, 2014, directing physical connection between | ||
| the ERCOT and SERC regions under Sections 210, 211, and 212 of the | ||
| Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. Sections 824i, 824j, and 824k). In | ||
| approving the application, the commission may prescribe reasonable | ||
| conditions to protect the public interest that are consistent with | ||
| the final order of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. | ||
| (g) [ |
||
| the independent organization certified under Section 39.151 for the | ||
| ERCOT power region to adopt rules or protocols of general | ||
| applicability. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
