- PUC staff have plenty of work ahead as they focus on about a half dozen new laws adopted during the 89th Texas Legislature.
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A recent summary of Public Utility Commission rule making for the remainder of 2025 shows a focus on new laws relating to large load growth, electric infrastructure improvements, and water and sewer issues.
In an online publication, the agency noted that staff members will have plenty of work ahead as they focus on about a half dozen new laws adopted during the 89th Texas Legislature regular session, which concluded earlier this year. The agency predicted its new rulemaking schedule could become one of its most ambitious ever. “Texans can expect significant updates as the (PUC) works through this packed agenda in the months ahead,” the PUC stated, as quoted in the September edition of its internal publication, The PUCurrent.
As detailed in the publication, the agency’s rulemaking priorities for the remaining months of 2025 include:
Large Load Growth Regulation
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- Senate Bill 6 aims to improve the reliability of the state’s electric grid in response to surging demand from large electricity consumers. It also aims to ensure transmission costs are properly charged and to protect residential customers from power outages by requiring large electricity consumers to reduce consumption during power shortages.
- Agency Staff held a workshop with interested stakeholders in July and two workshops in early September (one on large loads co-located with generation) and another on criteria large loads must meet for inclusion in ERCOT’s load forecast). Staff anticipate filing several rulemakings with the commission over the next year to implement the law.
- More information can be found in Project No. 58317.
Electric Infrastructure Improvements
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- In response to the Smokehouse Creek Wildfire in 2024, a suite of bills—including House Bill144, HB 145, and SB 1789—were passed to improve how electric infrastructure across the state is constructed, maintained, inspected, and operated. The legislation establishes new standards for day-to-day utility operations and requires the development of responsive measures for wildfire events.
- More information about PUC staff’s work on wildfire mitigation plans (H8 145) is available in Project No. medizinrezeptfrei24.de 56789.
- Agency Staff plans to begin work on a joint rulemaking for distribution pole inspection and management plans (HB 144) and electric infrastructure structural integrity standards (SB 1789) in the Fall of 2025.
Water and Sewer Service Enhancements
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- Two bills — SB 740 and HB 2712 — promote water and sewer service investment and reliability across Texas. SB 740 streamlines the System Improvement Charge (SIC) application process, allowing for more flexible ratemaking for water and sewer service, especially for rural and underserved areas. More information about SIC implementation will be available in Project No. 58391.
- SB 740 (along with SB 1965 from the 88th Legislative Session) also requires the commission to create an expedited process for acquiring certain water or sewer utilities. This applies to utilities that have acted as temporary managers or receivers for nonfunctioning systems, with the goal of making it easier for capable utilities to purchase and repair struggling systems across the state. More information about the implementation of expedited sale, transfer, merger (STM) proceedings is available in Project No. 58390.
- HB 2712 updates how utilities can set water and sewer service rates by authorizing the usage of future test years. A test year may consist of past or anticipated future financial data, or a combination of both. Test years help ensure utility rates accurately and fairly correspond with a utilities’ anticipated cost to provide service. The project number for HB 2712 will be forthcoming.
Any updates to the 2025 rulemaking calendar may be found in Project No. 57606.