BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	C.S.S.B. 1877
89R21181 SCR-D	By: Schwertner
	Business & Commerce
	3/27/2025
	Committee Report (Substituted)

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) represents the interests of residential and small commercial consumers in public utility matters in Texas. This role includes providing legal and technical expertise in contested cases and rulemakings, as well as valuable analysis on key issues impacting the public. The Utilities Code defines OPUC's responsibilities, including assessing the effects of utility rate changes and other regulatory actions on residential consumers. However, OPUC is limited in its ability to obtain sufficient data to conduct thorough analysis and issue-specific assessments.

S.B. 1877 expands statutory authority for OPUC to request and receive electricity market data, including data related to market reliability, generation resource adequacy, long-term transmission planning, and transmission system resiliency, from the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, and an electric utility. S.B. 1877 ensures any information that is confidential under current law retains the same level of confidentiality when received and used by OPUC.

(Original Author's/Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

C.S.S.B. 1877 amends current law relating to the authority of the Office of Public Utility Counsel to access certain data.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 13.003, Utilities Code, by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1), as follows:

(a) Provides that the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) is entitled to certain privileges, including requesting and receiving electricity market data, including data related to market reliability, generation resource adequacy, long-term transmission planning, and transmission and distribution system resiliency from certain entities. Makes nonsubstantive changes.

(a-1) Provides that information submitted to OPUC under Subsection (a)(5)(B) (relating to entitling OPUC to request and receive certain data from certain entities) is confidential and not subject to disclosure by OPUC under Chapter 552 (Public Information), Government Code, if that information would be confidential and not subject to disclosure by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) under Chapter 552, Government Code, or other law if the PUC held the information.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.