The utility commission may order certain utilities to improve service, build interconnection facilities, use acceptable operating practices, or get wholesale service, and it may issue emergency orders.
Sec. 13.253. IMPROVEMENTS IN SERVICE; INTERCONNECTING SERVICE. (a) After notice and hearing, the utility commission or the commission may: (1) order any retail public utility that is required by law to possess a certificate of public convenience and necessity or any retail public utility that possesses a certificate of public convenience and necessity and is located in an affected county as defined in Section 16.341 to: (A) provide specified improvements in its service in a defined area if service in that area is inadequate or is substantially inferior to service in a comparable area and it is reasonable to require the retail public utility to provide the improved service; or (B) develop, implement, and follow financial, managerial, and technical practices that are acceptable to the utility commission to ensure that continuous and adequate service is provided to any areas currently certificated to the retail public utility if the retail public utility has not provided continuous and adequate service to any of those areas and, for a utility, to provide financial assurance of the utility's ability to operate the system in accordance with applicable laws and rules, in the form of a bond or other financial assurance in a form and amount specified by the utility commission; (2) order two or more public utilities or water supply or sewer service corporations to establish specified facilities for interconnecting service; (3) order a public utility or water supply or sewer service corporation that has not demonstrated that it can provide continuous and adequate service from its drinking water source or sewer treatment facility to obtain service sufficient to meet its obligation to provide continuous and adequate service on at least a wholesale basis from another consenting utility service provider; or (4) issue an emergency order, with or without a hearing, under Section 13.041. (b) If the utility commission has reason to believe that improvements and repairs to a water or sewer service system are necessary to enable a retail public utility to provide continuous and adequate service in any portion of its service area and the retail public utility has provided financial assurance under Section 341.0355, Health and Safety Code, or under this chapter, the utility commission, after providing to the retail public utility notice and an opportunity to be heard by the commissioners at a meeting of the utility commission, may immediately order specified improvements and repairs to the water or sewer system, the costs of which may be paid by the bond or other financial assurance in an amount determined by the utility commission not to exceed the amount of the bond or financial assurance. The order requiring the improvements may be an emergency order if it is issued after the retail public utility has had an opportunity to be heard at a meeting of the utility commission. After notice and hearing, the utility commission may require a retail public utility to obligate additional money to replace the financial assurance used for the improvements. Added by Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 795, Sec. 3.005, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 539, Sec. 19, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 567, Sec. 30, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1010, Sec. 6.09, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by: Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 170 (H.B. 1600), Sec. 2.54, eff. September 1, 2013. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 171 (S.B. 567), Sec. 54, eff. September 1, 2013.