|
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to the regulation of the amount of installed electric |
|
generation capacity. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Section 39.001, Utilities Code, is amended by |
|
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (d-1) to read as |
|
follows: |
|
(a) The legislature finds that the production and sale of |
|
electricity is not a monopoly warranting regulation of rates, |
|
operations, and services and that the public interest in |
|
competitive electric markets requires that, except for |
|
transmission and distribution services and for the recovery of |
|
stranded costs, generation capacity and electric services and their |
|
prices should be determined by customer choices and the normal |
|
forces of competition. As a result, this chapter is enacted to |
|
protect the public interest during the transition to and in the |
|
establishment of a fully competitive electric power industry. |
|
(d-1) The legislature finds that the amount of installed |
|
generation capacity is best determined by investor, generator, and |
|
customer choices through the normal forces of competition. As a |
|
result, regulatory authorities may not mandate or otherwise |
|
regulate the amount of installed generation capacity or require a |
|
surplus or reserve of installed generation capacity above actual or |
|
forecasted levels of load. |
|
SECTION 2. Section 39.152(a), Utilities Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(a) The commission shall certify a power region if: |
|
(1) a sufficient number of interconnected utilities in |
|
the power region fall under the operational control of an |
|
independent organization as described by Section 39.151; and |
|
(2) the power region has a generally applicable tariff |
|
that guarantees open and nondiscriminatory access for all users to |
|
transmission and distribution facilities in the power region as |
|
provided by Section 39.203[; and
|
|
[(3)
no person owns and controls more than 20 percent
|
|
of the installed generation capacity located in or capable of
|
|
delivering electricity to a power region, as determined according
|
|
to Section 39.154]. |
|
SECTION 3. Section 39.262(d), Utilities Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(d) The affiliated power generation company shall |
|
reconcile, and either credit or bill to the transmission and |
|
distribution utility, the net sum of: |
|
(1) the former electric utility's final fuel balance |
|
determined under Section 39.202(c); and |
|
(2) any difference between the price of power obtained |
|
through the capacity auctions under Section [Sections] 39.153 and |
|
former Section 39.156 and the power cost projections that were |
|
employed for the same time period in the ECOM model to estimate |
|
stranded costs in the proceeding under Section 39.201. |
|
SECTION 4. Sections 39.152(d), 39.153(d), 39.154, 39.156, |
|
39.157(c), and 39.158(a), Utilities Code, are repealed. |
|
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |