Municipally owned utilities have to adopt and enforce certain rules, handle specified disputes, and include customer information with retail bills; they are also not treated as service providers or billing agents for certain purposes, and wholesale customers are excluded.
Sec. 17.005. PROTECTIONS FOR CUSTOMERS OF MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITIES. (a) A municipally owned utility may not be deemed to be a "service provider" or "billing agent" for purposes of Sections 17.156(b) and (e). (b) The governing body of a municipally owned utility shall adopt, implement, and enforce rules that shall have the effect of accomplishing the objectives set out in Sections 17.004(a) and (b) and 17.102, as to the municipally owned utility within its certificated service area. (c) The governing body of a municipally owned utility or its designee shall perform the dispute resolution function provided for by Section 17.157 for disputes arising from services provided by the municipally owned utility to electric customers served within the municipally owned utility's certificated service area. (d) With respect to electric customers served by a municipally owned utility outside its certificated service area or otherwise served through others' distribution facilities, after retail competition begins as authorized by the legislature, the provisions of this chapter as administered by the commission apply. (e) Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to apply to a wholesale customer of a municipally owned utility. (f) A municipally owned utility shall periodically provide with bills sent to retail customers of the utility information about: (1) the utility's procedure for implementing involuntary load shedding; (2) the types of customers who may be considered critical care residential customers, critical load industrial customers, or critical load according to commission rules adopted under Section 38.076; (3) the procedure for a customer to apply to be considered a critical care residential customer, a critical load industrial customer, or critical load according to commission rules adopted under Section 38.076; (4) reducing electricity use at times when involuntary load shedding events may be implemented; and (5) the procedure for a customer to request vegetation management near a transmission or distribution line. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1579, Sec. 3, eff. Aug. 30, 1999. Amended by: Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 426 (S.B. 3), Sec. 10, eff. June 8, 2021. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 564 (H.B. 1606), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2025.