The commission must run a completion bonus grant program for dispatchable electric generating facilities in the ERCOT power region, with eligibility limits, payment caps, performance-based withholding, confidentiality, and an expiration date.
For expiration of this section, see Subsection (j). Sec. 34.0105. COMPLETION BONUS GRANTS. (a) The commission shall provide, using money available in the fund for the purpose without further appropriation, a completion bonus grant for the construction of dispatchable electric generating facilities in the ERCOT power region. For the purposes of this section, a generating facility is considered to be dispatchable if the facility's output can be controlled primarily by forces under human control. An electric energy storage facility is not eligible for a grant under this section. (b) The amount of a grant under this section must be based on the megawatts of capacity provided to the ERCOT power region by the facility. (c) The commission may provide a grant under this section only for construction of a facility that: (1) will have a generation capacity of at least 100 megawatts; and (2) does not meet the planning model requirements necessary to be included in the Capacity Demand and Reserves Report of the independent organization certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region before June 1, 2023. (d) The commission shall evaluate an application for a grant under this section based on: (1) the applicant's: (A) quality of services and management; (B) efficiency of operations; (C) history of electricity generation operations in this state and this country; (D) resource operation attributes; and (E) ability to address regional and reliability needs; (2) the generation capacity and estimated construction costs of the facility for which the grant is requested; and (3) any other factors the commission considers appropriate. (d-1) Grants provided under this section may not support the construction of more than 10,000 megawatts of generation capacity. (e) Information submitted to the commission at any time for the purpose of enabling the commission to make a determination on the award of a grant under this section is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code. (f) Unless the commission determines that extenuating circumstances justify extending the deadlines provided by this subsection, the commission may not provide a grant under this section of more than: (1) $120,000 per megawatt of capacity provided by a facility that is interconnected in the ERCOT power region before June 1, 2026; or (2) $80,000 per megawatt of capacity provided by a facility that is interconnected in the ERCOT power region on or after June 1, 2026, and before June 1, 2029. (g) Unless the commission determines that extenuating circumstances justify extending the deadline provided by this subsection, the commission may not provide a grant under this section for a facility that is interconnected in the ERCOT power region on or after June 1, 2029. (h) The commission shall provide for the proceeds of each grant awarded under this section to be disbursed to the grant recipient by equal annual payments over a 10-year period that begins on the first anniversary of the commercial operations date of the facility for which the grant is provided. The annual payments are subject to being withheld or discounted in accordance with Subsection (i). The total of the annual disbursements may not exceed the maximum amount as limited by Subsection (f). (i) The commission by rule shall establish performance standards for grant recipients based on reliability metrics, appropriate for the types of facilities for which grants may be provided, for performance during the 100 hours with the least quantity of operating reserves for each year. The commission may not disburse a grant recipient's annual payment under Subsection (h) if the performance of the facility for which the grant was provided is equal to or below the median performance standard established under this subsection during a test period designated by the commission for that year. The commission may disburse a discounted amount of a grant recipient's annual payment under Subsection (h) if the performance of the facility for which the grant was provided is above the median performance standard established under this subsection during a test period designated by the commission for that year but less than an optimal performance standard established by the commission. The commission shall by rule adopt a system for determining the amount by which the commission will discount an annual payment based on facility performance under this subsection. (j) This section expires December 1, 2040. Added by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 465 (S.B. 2627), Sec. 2, eff. November 7, 2023. Amended by: Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 337 (S.B. 2268), Sec. 3, eff. June 12, 2025.