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DECEMBER 2025 VOLUME 10

PUCurrenT PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS

NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS

CHANGES ON THE PUCT DAIS IN 2025 The PUCT began 2025 with Chairman Thomas Gleeson and Commissioners Kathleen Jackson and Courtney Hjaltman holding down the dais, following the exits of Commissioners Lori Cobos and Jimmy Glotfelty. Read more

CHAIRMAN’S CORNER

PUCT Chair Thomas J. Gleeson

By the Numbers: What a Year for the PUCT! Moving Forward on the Permian Basin Reliability Plan Nifty, Nifty—A Look Back at the PUCT’s 50th!

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OPE in Your Corner: We’re Here for You and Your Community

TEXAS ENERGY FUND DELIVERS ON PROMISE TO BRING NEW, RELIABLE POWER TO THE GRID

Out and About 2025

Just two years after its creation, there is high demand for loans and grants to finance new power generation and reliability measures through the Texas Energy Fund (TxEF). Read more

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CHAIRMAN’S CORNER

As we wrap up 2025, instead of sharing a pithy phrase to try and characterize the amazing work we have all done together—my fellow commissioners and PUCT staff, legislators, consumers, industry, stakeholders, and so many more—I simply want to say THANK YOU. Together, we’ve made great progress addressing critical issues Texans are counting on us to get right. We’ve made Texas safer, taken important steps to get thousands of megawatts (MW) of dispatchable power built, and continued to increase transparency. We also worked closely with legislators, the Railroad Commission, landowners, and industry to better prevent or minimize the danger of wildfires in Texas. Through the legislative and rulemaking processes, the PUCT now requires wildfire mitigation plans for utilities in areas of Texas at higher risk of wildfire. In June, the PUCT signed its first Texas Energy Fund (TxEF) In-ERCOT Loan agreement for 122 MW. We’ll finish 2025 with more than $2.65 billion in loans under contract for over 3,500 MW worth of new generation. That’s an incredible accomplishment and a shining example of what happens when we all work together for Texas. Gov. Abbott and the Texas Legislature created the TxEF in 2023, Texas voters overwhelmingly approved it, the PUCT got it up and running, and industry responded with dozens of applications to finance projects. In the PUCT’s continuous commitment to transparency, we updated our TxEF webpage with more details on agreements for loans and grants awarded in the respective programs. We now update transmission and distribution utility rates monthly, so consumers can track costs. And we require utilities to maintain outage maps online, which include estimated restoration times during outages. This information is critical to help customers plan their personal response if their power is out. Our water and wastewater team in the Division of Utility Outreach (DUO) launched a statewide effort to connect with privately owned utilities. DUO is traveling Texas, hosting workshops to educate utility owners and operators on how to comply with PUCT regulations that ensure safe, reliable, and affordable service for their customers. These are just a few examples of all we’ve accomplished together for Texans in 2025. When we’re all guided by the same North Star—doing what’s best for Texas—this is what is possible. Thank you for a great year making Texas safer, stronger, and more secure. Happy Holidays, Thomas J. Gleeson

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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CHANGES ON THE PUCT DAIS IN 2025

The PUCT began 2025 with Chairman Thomas Gleeson and Commissioners Kathleen Jackson and Courtney Hjaltman holding down the dais, following the exits of Commissioners Lori Cobos and Jimmy Glotfelty.

The Texas Senate unanimously confirmed both Chairman Gleeson and Commissioner Hjaltman to the PUCT on May 21, 2025. Governor Greg Abbott appointed Gleeson chairman in January 2024, and Hjaltman commissioner in June 2024.

To round out the year, Governor Abbott on October 23 appointed Morgan Johnson as the PUCT’s fourth commissioner. Commissioner Johnson was sworn in the same day. Johnson previously served as the deputy general counsel for the Office of the Governor and as senior counsel for the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) after serving as senior counsel to a TCEQ commissioner. She also worked as an attorney at McGinnis Lochridge L.L.P. One vacancy remains on the PUCT to be filled at the governor’s behest.

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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BY THE NUMBERS: WHAT A YEAR FOR THE PUCT! The PUCT had a busy 2025 on several fronts. Highlights, by the numbers:

89TH TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION (JANUARY – JUNE 2025)

PUCT HIRING

The 89th Texas Legislature passed, and Governor Greg Abbott signed into law:

NEW HIRES

More than 70 bills impacting the PUCT, including:

2025 PUCT RULEMAKING

PROPOSALS FOR ADOPTION THROUGH NOVEMBER 2025 These rules created new rules or amended, repealed, or replaced 16 previous rules.

NATURAL DISASTER BILLS

ELECTRICITY BILLS

SB 1789, SB 231, HB 144, HB 145

SB 6, HB 5247

WATER BILLS

AGENCY OPERATIONS BILLS

PUCT rulemaking initiatives in 2025 included: Creating 16 TAC §25.517 and amending 16 TAC §22.251 to create a process for electricity market participants to request exemptions from ERCOT reliability requirements and modifying the PUCT appeal process. Project No. 57374. Creating 16 TAC §25.60 and amending 16 TAC §22.231, which requires certain electric utilities, municipally owned utilities, and electric cooperatives to submit wildfire mitigation plans and self-insurance plans to the PUCT. Project No. 56789. Amending 16 TAC §24.233 to require water and sewer facilities located within unincorporated areas near municipalities to be designed in accordance with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards in order for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to be granted for a service area. Project No. 58436

SB 740, HB 2712, SB 790

HB 4344, SB 2368

$82.4M APPROPRIATION TO FUND AGENCY OPERATIONS FOR THE FY 2026 – 2027 BIENNIUM

The full scope of the PUCT 2025 rulemaking schedule can be found in Project No. 57606. Public Utility Commission of Texas

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NIFTY, NIFTY—A LOOK BACK AT THE PUCT’S 50TH! The PUCT marked its 50th anniversary on September 2, 2025. Agency staff kicked off the festivities with an interactive, online exhibit of PUCT history and milestones from the past 50 years. The agency also celebrated with a social media campaign, resolutions from the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate, and a proclamation from Governor Abbott marking the PUCT’s half-century of service to Texas. The celebration culminated with a 50th anniversary reception in late September. Fourteen former commissioners joined current and former PUCT staff for a wonderful time reminiscing about the past. Thank you to all who helped us celebrate this PUCT milestone.

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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OUT AND ABOUT 2025 Chairman Thomas Gleeson briefing Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd on grid readiness for winter weather.

Commissioner Kathleen Jackson, president of SEARUC, kicks off the 2025 SEARUC Annual Education Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Commissioner Courtney Hjaltman moderating an important panel discussion on the critical cyber security issues facing water and wastewater utilities at the National Association of Water Companies conference in Miami, Florida Executive Director Connie Corona signs the first Texas Energy Fund loan agreement with Kerrville Public Utility Board (KPUB) to fund a 122 MW natural gas facility near Houston, adding reliable power to the ERCOT grid.

PUCT Staff participating in the 2025 Texas Division of Emergency Management Texas Emergency Management Conference in Ft. Worth, Texas. Commissioner Morgan Johnson’s first Commission open meeting. Public Utility Commission of Texas

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PUCT INCREASES AND EXPANDS ONLINE CONSUMER HELP INFORMATION TO BETTER SERVE TEXANS Throughout 2025, the PUCT created and updated online resources to highlight new agency initiatives and provide more information on existing public resources within the PUCT. Check out some of our biggest online updates this year: Ways to Save: The Ways to Save page is an easy resource dedicated to saving money for all Texas consumers by providing water and electricity savings strategies for every lifestyle. PUCT Bill Tracker: The PUCT Governmental Relations team made major updates to the agency’s legislative bill tracker. The tracker marks progress on implementing key legislation from the 87th, 88th, and 89th Legislative Sessions. Texas Energy Fund: The Texas Energy Fund (TxEF) page now tracks all loans and grants awarded through the program. It also includes background on how the TxEF was created and operates to ensure financial transparency for Texas taxpayers. Energy Efficiency: The Energy Efficiency (EE) page provides updates regarding energy efficiency projects administered by the eight investor-owned utilities. The EE page is the one-stop-shop for EE workshops, reports, rulemakings, and the Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Factor proceedings. Transmission and Distribution Rates: In September 2025, the PUCT began publishing online the authorized rates transmission and distribution utilities (TDU) charge Texas consumers. TDU rates are updated monthly, making it easier for consumers to find and keep track of the latest rates on their utility bills.

DUO LAUNCHES FAUCET FACTS NEWSLETTER The Division of Utility Outreach (DUO) this year launched Faucet Facts, a quarterly newsletter for water and sewer retail public utilities across the state. Water is a critical resource, especially in our fastgrowing state. Ensuring Texans continue to receive safe, reliable, and affordable water and sewer utility service is vital to our quality of life and sustaining our economic growth. The Faucet Facts newsletter keeps stakeholders—including customers, utility owners, operators, and the public—informed about important regulatory requirements, rule and policy changes, and insights into water and sewer utility regulation. Faucet Facts is the go-to source for the latest updates, insights, and developments in water and sewer retail public utility regulation in Texas. The quarterly issues are available online.

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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MOVING FORWARD ON THE PERMIAN BASIN RELIABILITY PLAN In a landmark decision, the PUCT on April 24, 2025, approved a plan to build the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region’s first 765-kilovolt (kV) extra high voltage transmission lines. The lines will help meet the Permian Basin’s rapidly growing electricity needs. Higher voltage lines deliver power more efficiently, helping meet rising demand while also reducing expensive transmission congestion. Following the April decision, the Commission adopted reporting requirements in June to implement the Permian Basin Reliability Plan. The requirements identify the project schedules and cost components and establish a third-party monitor, which is paid for by the transmission service providers implementing the project. The PUCT’s Office of Public Engagement continues to meet with community groups and legislative offices along the route corridors to discuss the project and educate landowners, lawmakers, and legislative staff on how they can impact the final routes the lines will take. House Bill 5066, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2023, required the PUCT to approve an electric reliability plan for the Permian Basin to meet the electricity needs of West Texas communities, including Texas’ growing electricity demand from the oil and gas industry. The Commission approved the Permian Basin Reliability Plan in October 2024. ONCOR filed an application for the first specific 765-kV line in December 2025. Additional routes for specific 765-kV lines have not been filed with the PUCT. Once the utility responsible for construction, operation, and ownership of a transmission project files an application for a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN), the PUCT can approve, deny, or modify that CCN application. The filing schedule for anticipated CCN amendments will be updated quarterly in Project No. 57151.

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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TEXAS ENERGY FUND DELIVERS ON PROMISE TO BRING NEW, RELIABLE POWER TO THE GRID Just two years after its creation, there is high demand for loans and grants to finance new power generation and reliability measures through the Texas Energy Fund (TxEF). In 2025, the Commission entered into six In-ERCOT Generation loans. These loans total more than $2.65 billion and will finance over 3,500 megawatts (MW) of new power generation for Texas. Loan agreements will continue to be executed in 2026—the program has 11 projects under review, which would add an additional 5,475 MW of generation capacity to ERCOT. “The Texas Energy Fund is accomplishing exactly what the Governor and Legislature envisioned— securing reliable, on-demand power to fuel Texas’ rapid growth and continued success,” Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) Chairman Thomas Gleeson said earlier this year. The PUCT also met milestones in the TxEF’s three other programs, each supporting electric reliability in Texas. The PUCT entered into the first grant agreement under the Completion Bonus Grant (CBG) program this year. It will provide up to $22.5 million to the Lower Colorado River Authority for the early completion of a 188-MW natural gas power plant in Caldwell County. Awardees under the CBG program will be receive annual payments contingent upon performance. In addition, the PUCT has selected 15 eligible projects to receive a grant under the Outside ERCOT Grant program upon fulfillment of program requirements. These grants support facility modernization, weatherization, reliability and resiliency, and vegetation management projects in areas of Texas outside of the ERCOT region. The PUCT is currently working with each project applicant to finalize grant agreements. The PUCT is also developing the Texas Backup Power Package program in collaboration with industry and consumers. The program will provide funding for the design, procurement, and installation of backup power equipment at facilities supporting community health, safety, and well-being—like hospitals and nursing homes. Additional information about the TxEF and its four programs can be found on the PUCT’s website.

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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OPE IN YOUR CORNER: WE’RE HERE FOR YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY By Mike Hoke, OPE Director

I firmly believe the Office of Public Engagement (OPE) has the best job at the PUCT. We get to help Texans by meeting them where they are—in their communities, even in their homes—to answer questions and explain how the public can play a key role in our work. This fall, we met with citizens in Burnet County—at the invitation of its commissioners court—to discuss a Permian Basin Reliability Plan project that has been proposed in the county. And we’ve talked with many more over the phone and email about how they can participate in transmission line routing at the PUCT. The planning process for any new transmission line begins by analyzing electric supply and demand and identifying points that need to be connected by a new line. The planning process for the Permian Basin Reliability Plan was launched at the direction of the Texas Legislature with passage of House Bill 5066 in 2023. The bill instructed ERCOT to develop a plan to transmit energy to the fast-growing Permian Basin. The outcome of any transmission line routing case depends on specific information about the effects of the proposed routes, which is why robust public participation in these cases is crucial. Many issues raised by the communities along the transmission line route corridors are issues the PUCT considers when selecting a transmission route. They include the impact on surrounding property and the effect the lines may have on important sites in your community. But OPE is here for more than just transmission line cases. We’re here to help you understand any utility matter that’s impacting you or your community. It could be about the service quality of an electric or water utility, a proposed rate increase by your provider, or how to become a legal participant in a case before the PUCT. The PUCT makes better decisions when it hears directly from Texans. If you’d like us to attend a community meeting in your area (or virtually) to answer questions or help you better understand utility issues, please email public@puc.texas.gov. No matter the size of your group, we want to help you better understand how to participate in the PUCT’s work.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR TEXAS: WORK WITH US! If you want to be part of a mission-driven organization filled with Texans working for Texans, we want to work with you! It’s our job to ensure reliable, affordable, and accountable electric, water and telecom utility service for Texans and our fast-growing state. We have several openings in various programs across the agency. Please visit our website for our latest career opportunities.

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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CONSUMER RESOURCES

Monitor outage maps and find contact information for them on our Storm Resources page: https://puc.texas.gov/storm

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHOOSE!

Understanding the types of plans that are available can help you make better decisions for your home and your family’s needs.

Use the USERS GUIDE for best results!

POWERTOCHOOSE.ORG Visit Powertochoose.org to learn more!

PUCT IS HERE TO HELP! Assistance Paying Your Bill 75 19

Understanding Charges On Your Electric Bill The Rights You Have as a Utility Customer

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QUESTION OR COMPLAINT ABOUT YOUR UTILITY SERVICE?

Frequently Asked Questions

consumer@puc.texas.gov

Don’t miss a newsletter! The mission of the Public Utility Commission of Texas is to protect customers, foster competition, and promote high quality utility infrastructure. Public Utility Commission of Texas

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