Bill Text: TX HB1460 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to electricity service provided by municipally owned utilities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-04-05 - Left pending in committee [HB1460 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB1460-Introduced.html
85R754 JXC-D | ||
By: Workman | H.B. No. 1460 |
|
||
|
||
relating to electricity service provided by municipally owned | ||
utilities. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 33, Utilities Code, is amended by adding | ||
Subchapter F to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER F. REVIEW OF RATES OF CERTAIN MUNICIPAL UTILITIES | ||
Sec. 33.151. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies only | ||
to a municipally owned utility: | ||
(1) that serves at least 400,000 customers; and | ||
(2) whose service area is in the ERCOT power region in | ||
a municipality with a population of less than 1.3 million. | ||
Sec. 33.152. REVIEW OF RATES; CUSTOMER CHOICE. (a) | ||
Notwithstanding any other law, a retail customer or group of | ||
customers with a total usage of more than 25 million kilowatt hours | ||
per year may file a petition for commission review of current or | ||
proposed rates of a municipally owned utility that apply to the | ||
petitioning customers. | ||
(b) Not later than the 90th day after the date a petition is | ||
filed with the commission, the municipally owned utility that is | ||
the subject of the petition shall file a rate application with the | ||
commission that complies in all material respects with the rules | ||
and forms prescribed by the commission. The commission for good | ||
cause may extend the deadline for filing the rate application. | ||
(c) The commission shall conduct a full review of the rates | ||
that apply to the petitioning customers to determine whether the | ||
rates are: | ||
(1) just and reasonable under Chapter 36; and | ||
(2) consistent with rates available to similarly | ||
situated customers in areas of the state that have access to | ||
customer choice. | ||
(d) If the commission finds that the rates are not just and | ||
reasonable or are not consistent with the rates available to | ||
similarly situated customers in areas of the state that have access | ||
to customer choice, the commission shall: | ||
(1) set rates for the petitioning customer or | ||
customers that are just, reasonable, and consistent with the rates | ||
available to similarly situated customers in areas of the state | ||
that have access to customer choice; or | ||
(2) set cost-based transmission and distribution | ||
rates for the municipally owned utility and allow a petitioning | ||
customer or customers to purchase electricity through a retail | ||
electric provider. | ||
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, 2017. |