Bill Text: TX HB4952 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the reliability of the electricity supply chain.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-24 - Placed on intent calendar [HB4952 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB4952-Comm_Sub.html
By: Slawson (Senate Sponsor - Paxton) | H.B. No. 4952 | |
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 15, 2023; | ||
May 15, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Business & | ||
Commerce; May 22, 2023, reported adversely, with favorable | ||
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 10, Nays 0; | ||
May 22, 2023, sent to printer.) | ||
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 4952 | By: Campbell |
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relating to the reliability of the electricity supply chain. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 38.077, Utilities Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 38.077. RELIABILITY [ |
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In this section, "critical facility" means a transmission | ||
substation and any associated control centers that, if rendered | ||
inoperable or damaged because of a physical attack, could cause | ||
widespread instability, uncontrolled separation, or cascading | ||
outages within an interconnection. | ||
(b) The commission and the independent organization | ||
certified for the ERCOT power region under Section 39.151 shall | ||
conduct simulated or tabletop load shedding exercises with | ||
providers of electric generation service and transmission and | ||
distribution service in the ERCOT power region. | ||
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one simulated or tabletop load shedding exercise is conducted | ||
during a summer month and one simulated or tabletop load shedding | ||
exercise is conducted during a winter month. | ||
(c) The commission and the independent organization | ||
certified for the ERCOT power region under Section 39.151 shall | ||
conduct simulated or tabletop exercises with providers of electric | ||
generation service and transmission and distribution service in the | ||
ERCOT power region to mitigate and prepare for a threat of an attack | ||
or an actual physical attack on a critical facility. The exercises | ||
required by this subsection are in addition to the exercises | ||
required by Subsection (b) and any requirements of the North | ||
American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure | ||
Protection plan standards. The commission and the independent | ||
organization shall conduct the exercises under this subsection at | ||
least once every two years. | ||
(d) A simulated or tabletop exercise conducted under | ||
Subsection (c) must identify the roles and responsibilities of the | ||
following in the event of a threat of an attack or an actual | ||
physical attack on a critical facility: | ||
(1) transmission and distribution service providers; | ||
(2) providers of electric generation service; | ||
(3) law enforcement; | ||
(4) the independent organization certified for the | ||
ERCOT power region under Section 39.151; and | ||
(5) the commission. | ||
(e) A transmission and distribution service provider is not | ||
required to disclose the specific location of the provider's | ||
critical substations to the commission or the independent | ||
organization certified for the ERCOT power region under Section | ||
39.151 for the purposes of a simulated or tabletop exercise | ||
conducted under Subsection (c). | ||
(f) Each provider of electric generation service and of | ||
transmission and distribution service that participates in a | ||
simulated or tabletop exercise conducted under Subsection (c) shall | ||
provide to the independent organization certified for the ERCOT | ||
power region under Section 39.151 a written attestation that the | ||
provider has coordinated with law enforcement when identifying | ||
roles and responsibilities under Subsection (d). | ||
SECTION 2. Not later than December 31, 2024, the Public | ||
Utility Commission of Texas and the independent organization | ||
certified under Section 39.151, Utilities Code, for the ERCOT power | ||
region shall conduct a simulated or tabletop exercise with each | ||
provider of electric generation service and of transmission and | ||
distribution service as required by Section 38.077(c), Utilities | ||
Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. 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, 2023. | ||
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