Bill Text: TX SB933 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the authority of the Public Utility Commission of Texas to review transmission interconnections that enable imports or exports from the ERCOT power grid.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 3)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-20 - Effective on 9/1/15 [SB933 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB933-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 933 | ||
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| relating to the authority of the Public Utility Commission of Texas | ||
| to review transmission interconnections that enable imports or | ||
| exports from the ERCOT power grid. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 37.051, Utilities Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsections (c-1), (c-2), and (c-3) to read as follows: | ||
| (c-1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title | ||
| except Section 11.009, and except as provided by Subsection (c-2), | ||
| a person, including an electric utility or municipally owned | ||
| utility, may not interconnect a facility to the ERCOT transmission | ||
| grid that enables additional power to be imported into or exported | ||
| out of the ERCOT power grid unless the person obtains a certificate | ||
| from the commission stating that public convenience and necessity | ||
| requires or will require the interconnection. The person must | ||
| apply for the certificate not later than the 180th day before the | ||
| date the person seeks any order from the Federal Energy Regulatory | ||
| Commission related to the interconnection. The commission shall | ||
| apply Section 37.056 in considering an application under this | ||
| subsection. In addition, the commission must determine that the | ||
| application is consistent with the public interest before granting | ||
| the certificate. The commission may adopt rules necessary to | ||
| implement this subsection. This subsection does not apply to a | ||
| facility that is in service on December 31, 2014. | ||
| (c-2) The commission, not later than the 185th day after the | ||
| date the application is filed, shall approve an application filed | ||
| under Subsection (c-1) for a facility that is to be 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. | ||
| (c-3) Nothing in Subsection (c-1) or (c-2) is intended to | ||
| restrict the authority of the commission or the independent | ||
| organization certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power | ||
| region to adopt rules or protocols of general applicability. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 933 passed the Senate on | ||
| April 14, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that | ||
| the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 29, 2015, by the | ||
| following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 933 passed the House, with | ||
| amendment, on May 26, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 146, | ||
| Nays 0, two present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
