BILL ANALYSIS

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Texas Legislature mandated the creation of an electricity supply chain map as part of S.B. 3, passed during the 87th Legislature. The map was created by the Texas Electricity Supply Chain Security and Mapping Committee. To continue improving the map and provide decision makers with the information needed to coordinate between electric, gas, and water industries, S.B. 1093 adds roads and water facilities to the Electricity Supply Chain Map. The bill also adds the executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation to the mapping committee to ensure road crews have pertinent information needed during disasters or weather emergencies. Additionally, the bill allows the committee to provide electric utilities, co-ops, MOUs, TDUs, gas facility operators, and gas pipeline operators view-only access to their specific portion of the map. Under S.B. 1093, electric utilities and MOUs are required to provide the Public Utility Commission their service area boundary map in a geographic information system format by September 30, 2023.

As proposed, S.B. 1093 amends current law relating to facilities included in the electricity supply chain.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 37.157, Utilities Code, as follows:

Sec. 37.157.  MAPS. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text.

(b) Requires each electric utility and municipally owned utility to provide the utility's service area boundary map in a geographic information system format to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC). Authorizes the service area boundary map to be provided to the PUC in a geodatabase feature class or shapefile.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 38.201, Utilities Code, by amending Subsections (a), (b), and (c) and adding Subsection (a-1), as follows:

(a) Redefines "electricity supply chain."

(a-1) Provides that a reference in Subchapter F (Texas Electricity Supply Chain Security and Mapping Committee) to the "electricity supply chain" includes water and wastewater treatment plants.

(b)  Provides that the Texas Electricity Supply Chain Security and Mapping Committee (committee) is established to:

(1)-(2) makes no changes to these subdivisions;

(3) establish best practices to prepare facilities in the electricity supply chain, rather than facilities that provide electric service and natural gas service in the electricity supply chain, to maintain service in an extreme weather event and recommend oversight and compliance standards for those facilities; and

(4) makes no changes to this subdivision.

(c) Provides that the committee is composed of:

(1)-(2) makes no changes to these subdivisions;

(3)-(4) makes nonsubstantive changes to these subdivisions; and

(5)  the executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

SECTION 3. Amends Section 38.202(c), Utilities Code, as follows:

(c)  Requires the PUC, the Railroad Commission of Texas, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and TxDOT to provide staff as necessary to assist the committee in carrying out the committee's duties and responsibilities.

SECTION 4. Amends Section 38.203, Utilities Code, by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i), as follows:

(a)  Makes a conforming change to this subsection.

(f) Requires the committee, on request, to provide view-only access to the electricity supply chain map to:

(1)  an electric utility, a transmission and distribution utility, an electric cooperative, or a municipally owned utility;

(2)  an operator of a gas supply chain facility, as defined by Section 86.044 (Weather Emergency Preparedness), Natural Resources Code; or

(3)  an operator of a gas pipeline facility described by Section 121.2015 (Required Safety Rules).

(g)  Provides that access to the electricity supply chain map by an entity described by Subsection (f)(1) is limited to the critical natural gas facilities on the map that are located in the requesting entity's service area.

(h)  Prohibits the committee from providing an entity described by Subsection (f)(1) with access to the electricity supply chain map unless the entity has complied with Section 37.157.

(i)  Provides that access to the electricity supply chain map by an operator described by Subsections (f)(2) and (3) is limited to the critical natural gas facilities owned by the requesting operator.

SECTION 5. Requires the PUC to require each entity to which Section 37.157(b), Utilities Code, as added by this Act, applies to comply with that section not later than September 30, 2023.

SECTION 6. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2023.