Utilities Code § 39.452

Sec. 39.452. REGULATION OF UTILITY AND TRANSITION TO COMPETITION. (a) Until the date on which an electric utility subject to this subchapter is authorized by the commission to implement customer choice under Section 39.453, the rates of the electric utility shall be regulated under traditional cost-of-service regulation and the electric utility is subject to all applicable regulatory authority prescribed by this subtitle and Subtitle A, including Chapters 14, 32, 33, 36, and 37. (b) An electric utility subject to this subchapter shall propose a competitive generation tariff to allow eligible customers the ability to contract for competitive generation. The commission shall approve, reject, or modify the proposed tariff not later than September 1, 2010. The tariffs subject to this subsection may not be considered to offer a discounted rate or rates under Section 36.007, and the utility's rates shall be set, in the proceeding in which the tariff is adopted, to recover any costs unrecovered as a result of the implementation of the tariff. The commission shall ensure that a competitive generation tariff shall not be implemented in a manner that harms the sustainability or competitiveness of manufacturers that choose not to take advantage of competitive generation. Pursuant to the competitive generation tariff, an electric utility subject to this subsection shall purchase competitive generation service, selected by the customer, and provide the generation at retail to the customer. An electric utility subject to this subsection shall provide and price retail transmission service, including necessary ancillary services, to retail customers who choose to take advantage of the competitive generation tariff at a rate that is unbundled from the utility's cost of service. Such customers shall not be considered wholesale transmission customers. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the commission may not issue a decision relating to a competitive generation tariff that is contrary to an applicable decision, rule, or policy statement of a federal regulatory agency having jurisdiction. (c) That portion of any commission order issued before the effective date of this section requiring the electric utility to comply with a provision of this chapter is void. (d) Until the date on which an electric utility subject to this subchapter implements customer choice: (1) the provisions of this chapter do not apply to that electric utility, other than this subchapter, Sections 39.1516 and 39.905, the provisions relating to the duty to obtain a permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for an electric generating facility and to reduce emissions from an electric generating facility, and the provisions of Subchapter G that pertain to the recovery and securitization of hurricane reconstruction costs authorized by Sections 39.458-39.463; and (2) the electric utility is not subject to a rate freeze and, subject to the limitation provided by Subsection (b), may file for rate changes under Chapter 36 and for approval of one or more of the rate rider mechanisms authorized by Sections 39.454 and 39.455. (e) An electric utility subject to this subchapter may proceed with and complete jurisdictional separation to establish two vertically integrated utilities, one of which is solely subject to the retail jurisdiction of the commission and one of which is solely subject to the retail jurisdiction of the Louisiana Public Service Commission. (f) Not later than January 1, 2006, an electric utility subject to this subchapter shall file a plan with the commission for identifying the applicable power region or power regions, enumerating the steps to achieve the certification of a power region in accordance with Section 39.453, and specifying the schedule for achieving the certification of a power region. The utility may amend the plan as appropriate. The commission may, on its own motion or the motion of any affected person, initiate a proceeding to certify a qualified power region under Section 39.152 when the conditions supporting such a proceeding exist. (g) Not later than the earlier of January 1, 2007, or the 90th day after the date the applicable power region is certified in accordance with Section 39.453, the electric utility shall file a transition to competition plan. The transition to competition plan must: (1) identify how the electric utility intends to mitigate market power and to achieve full customer choice, including specific alternatives for constructing additional transmission facilities, auctioning rights to generation capacity, divesting generation capacity, or any other measure that is consistent with the public interest; (2) include a provision to reinstate a customer choice pilot project and to establish a price to beat for residential customers and commercial customers having a peak load of 1,000 kilowatts or less; and (3) include any other additional information or provisions that the commission may require. (h) The commission shall approve, modify, or reject a plan filed under Subsection (g) not later than the 180th day after the date the plan is filed unless a hearing is requested by any party to the proceeding. A modification to the plan by the commission may not be in conflict with the jurisdiction or orders of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or result in significant additional cost without allowing for timely recovery for that cost. If a hearing is requested, the 180-day deadline is extended one day for each day of the hearing. The transition to competition plan shall be updated or amended annually, subject to commission approval, until the initiation of customer choice by an electric utility subject to this subchapter. Consistent with its jurisdiction, the commission shall have the authority in approving or modifying the transition to competition plan to require the electric utility to take reasonable steps to facilitate the development of a wholesale generation market within the boundaries of the electric utility's service territory. (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if the commission has not approved the transition to competition plan under this section before January 1, 2009, an electric utility subject to this subchapter shall cease all activities relating to the transition to competition under this section. The commission may, on its own motion or the motion of any affected person, initiate a proceeding under Section 39.152 to certify a power region to which the utility belongs as a qualified power region when the conditions supporting such a proceeding exist. The commission may not approve a plan under Subsection (g) until the expiration of four years from the time that the commission certifies a power region under Subsection (f). If after the expiration of four years from the time the commission certifies a power region under Subsection (f), and after notice and a hearing, the commission determines consistent with the study required by Section 5, S.B. No. 1492, Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, that the electric utility cannot comply with Section 38.073, it shall consider approving a plan under Subsection (g). (j) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subtitle, in awarding a certificate of convenience and necessity or allowing cost recovery for purchased power by an electric utility subject to this section, the commission shall ensure in its determination that the provisions of Sections 37.056(c)(4)(D) and (E) are met and that the generating facility or the purchased power agreement satisfies the identified reliability needs of the utility. (k) Notwithstanding Subsection (d), an electric utility subject to this subchapter that elects to deploy advanced metering and meter information networks may recover reasonable and necessary costs incurred in deploying advanced metering and meter information networks. An electric utility that elects to deploy advanced metering or meter information networks is subject to commission rules adopted under Sections 39.107(h) and (k). The commission shall ensure that any deployment plan approved under this section and any related customer surcharge: (1) are not applicable to customer accounts that receive service at transmission voltage; and (2) are consistent with commission rules related to advanced metering systems regarding: (A) customer protections; (B) data security, privacy, and ownership; and (C) options given consumers to continue to receive service through a non-advanced meter. (l) An electric utility subject to this subchapter that elects to deploy an advanced meter information network shall deploy the network as rapidly as practicable to allow customers to better manage energy use and control costs. Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1072 (H.B. 1567), Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2005. Amended by: Acts 2006, 79th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 11 (H.B. 163), Sec. 1, eff. May 31, 2006. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1226 (S.B. 1492), Sec. 3, eff. June 19, 2009. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 31 (S.B. 1145), Sec. 1, eff. May 18, 2017. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 610 (S.B. 936), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2019. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 410 (H.B. 1500), Sec. 30, eff. September 1, 2023.