Bill Text: TX HB1965 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the authority of the Public Utility Commission of Texas to ensure the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has adequate reserve power to prevent blackout conditions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-15 - Referred to State Affairs [HB1965 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB1965-Introduced.html
By: Beckley | H.B. No. 1965 |
|
||
|
||
relating to the authority of the Public Utility Commission of Texas | ||
to ensure the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has adequate | ||
reserve power to prevent blackout conditions. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 39.159 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 39.159. ENSURING RESERVE POWER CAPACITY. (a) The | ||
commission by rule shall develop a process for obtaining emergency | ||
reserve power generation capacity as appropriate to prevent | ||
blackout conditions caused by shortages of generated power in the | ||
ERCOT power region. The rules must provide parameters for | ||
estimating the amount of emergency reserve power generation | ||
capacity necessary to prevent blackout conditions and mechanisms | ||
for equitably sharing the costs of contracting for the reserve | ||
capacity to be available and the costs of generated power provided | ||
to prevent blackout conditions. | ||
(b) In accordance with rules adopted under Subsection (a), | ||
an independent organization certified under Section 39.151 shall | ||
contract with power generation companies for a defined amount of | ||
emergency reserve power generation capacity the organization may | ||
call on to prevent blackouts caused by shortages of generated | ||
power. | ||
(c) Before the independent organization calls on the | ||
emergency reserve power generation capacity to prevent blackout | ||
conditions, the organization shall undertake to use all market | ||
sources of power and demand reduction available in accordance with | ||
commission rules adopted under this section. | ||
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, 2021. |