The committee and the commission must build, maintain, and update electricity supply chain mapping and database tools, and the committee must give limited access to specified entities under stated conditions.
Sec. 38.203. POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMITTEE. (a) The committee shall: (1) map the state's electricity supply chain in order to designate priority electricity service needs during extreme weather events; (2) identify and designate the sources in the electricity supply chain necessary to operate critical infrastructure, as defined by Section 421.001, Government Code; (3) develop a communication system between critical infrastructure sources, the commission, and the independent organization certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region to ensure that electricity and natural gas supplies in the electricity supply chain are prioritized to those sources during an extreme weather event; and (4) establish best practices to prepare facilities in the electricity supply chain to maintain service in an extreme weather event and recommend oversight and compliance standards for those facilities. (b) The committee shall update the electricity supply chain map at least once each year. (c) The commission shall: (1) create and maintain a database identifying critical infrastructure sources with priority electricity needs to be used during an extreme weather event; and (2) update the database at least once each year. (d) The information maintained in the database is confidential under Section 418.181, Government Code, and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code. (e) The committee shall provide the Texas Energy Reliability Council with access to the electricity supply chain map. (f) On request, the committee shall provide view-only access to the electricity supply chain map to: (1) an electric utility, a transmission and distribution utility, an electric cooperative, or a municipally owned utility; (2) an operator of a gas supply chain facility, as defined by Section 86.044, Natural Resources Code; or (3) an operator of a gas pipeline facility described by Section 121.2015. (g) Access to the electricity supply chain map by an entity described by Subsection (f)(1) is limited to the critical natural gas facilities on the map that are located in the requesting entity's service area. (h) The committee may not provide an entity described by Subsection (f)(1) with access to the electricity supply chain map unless the entity has complied with Section 37.157. (i) Access to the electricity supply chain map by an operator described by Subsections (f)(2) and (3) is limited to the critical natural gas facilities operated by the requesting operator. Added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 426 (S.B. 3), Sec. 17, eff. June 8, 2021. Amended by: Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 85 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 4, eff. May 19, 2023.