PUCurrenT - June 2025

JUNE 2025

VOLUME 8

PUCurrenT PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS

(L to R: Chair Thomas J. Gleeson, Comms. Kathleen Jackson and Courtney Hjaltman)

NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS

TEXAS SENATE CONFIRMS APPOINTMENTS OF GLEESON AND HJALTMAN TO PUCT Congratulations to Chairman Thomas Gleeson and Commissioner Courtney Hjaltman on their unanimous confirmation to the PUCT by the Texas Senate on May 21, 2025.

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CHAIRMAN’S CORNER

PUCT Chair Thomas J. Gleeson

PUCT Urges Texans to Prepare for 2025 Hurricane Season OPE in Your Corner— We’re Here to Answer Your Questions

89TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE PROVIDES PUCT WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES The 89th Texas Legislature has wrapped up! Pending the governor’s veto period, the PUCT expects to implement new legislation that will strengthen utility services for all Texans. Read more

CISRM Hosts “Blue Sky Day” Events, Trainings Major Milestones Achieved in Implementation of Texas Energy Fund

PUCT APPROVES PLAN FOR THE FIRST EXTRA HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINES IN ERCOT REGION In a landmark decision, the PUCT on Apr. 24, 2025, approved a plan to build the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region’s first 765 kilovolt extra high voltage transmission lines. Read more

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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CHAIRMAN’S CORNER

You may be wondering how the Public Utility Commission fared in the just-concluded Texas legislative session?

Based on my interactions over the past five months, as well as the interactions of my fellow commissioners and PUCT staff, this was another strong and positive session for utility customers and our agency.

With the dust just beginning to settle on the 89th Texas Legislature and mountains of legislation awaiting the Governor’s approval or veto, it’s too early to speculate on what will become law, how it will impact the PUCT, and what implementation plans look like. All of those considerations will begin at the appropriate time.

But I can say it was a successful session for utility consumers and our agency because of the legislature’s focus on electric grid reliability and affordability, rapidly growing demand, and shoring up how the PUCT can do more to assist struggling, privately owned water and wastewater utilities. When the dust does finally settle, I expect the PUCT will have additional authority and resources to address critical issues on these topics.

And while I’ve got your attention, I want to say a huge, “Thank You!” to Executive Director Connie Corona and all PUCT staff. There are dozens who answered legislators’ questions, provided them critical information, and made sure members had everything they needed to make the best decisions possible for Texas.

It was a team effort and once again, I’m very proud of how the PUCT team rose to the occasion over the past 140 days on behalf of all Texans.

Thomas Gleeson Chairman

NIFTY, NIFTY! WE’RE TURNING 50!

A big date is approaching on the calendar—the PUCT’s 50th Anniversary!

On June 2, 1975, with only minutes to spare, the 64th Texas Legislature passed the Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) and the Public Utility Commission was born. Gov. Dolph Briscoe appointed our first three commissioners—Garrett Morris, George Cowden, and Alan Erwin—who were sworn in and held the very first PUCT open meeting on Sept. 2, 1975.

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50 years

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We’re planning our anniversary celebrations for the fall, and you’ll see a lot of these pages dedicated to it in September. Until then, keep an eye on our website, where we’ll revisit milestones and memories that have shaped the past 50 years.

Thank you for celebrating this extraordinary milestone with us!

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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TEXAS SENATE CONFIRMS APPOINTMENTS OF GLEESON AND HJALTMAN TO PUCT Congratulations to Chairman Thomas Gleeson and Commissioner Courtney Hjaltman on their unanimous confirmation to the PUCT by the Texas Senate on May 21, 2025. Governor Greg Abbott appointed Gleeson chairman in Jan. 2024, and Hjaltman commissioner in June 2024.

Gleeson has worked at the PUCT for sixteen years in a variety of roles, including: executive director, chief operating officer, and director of finance and administration.

He also worked as a legislative analyst for the Texas Senate and a budget analyst for the Legislative Budget Board.

Gleeson is a graduate of the Governor’s Executive Development Program at the University of Texas at Austin. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Southwestern University and a Master of Public Administration from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.

Prior to her appointment to the Commission, Hjaltman worked for the state in a variety of appointed and senior leadership roles, including: chief executive and public counsel for the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC), deputy legislative director for Governor Abbott, and legislative staff member in the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives on the Senate and House Natural Resources Committees, Senate Select Committee on Water Policy, and House State Affairs Committee.

Hjaltman graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Communications and a Bachelor of Arts in Government. She earned her Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law.

SEARUC COMES TO LONE STAR STATE Congratulations to PUCT Commissioner Kathleen Jackson on hosting the successful Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC) Annual Education Conference in San Antonio in June.

Commissioner Jackson is president of SEARUC, which is made up of regulators from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Highlights included a fireside chat with well-known Texas economist Ray Perryman and ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas. Former PUCT Chairman Pat Wood was also on hand. And thanks to former PUCT Commissioners Jimmy Glotfelty and Lori Cobos for hosting panels on nuclear energy and grid reliability and demand growth, respectively.

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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89TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE PROVIDES PUCT WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES The 89th Texas Legislature has wrapped up! Pending the governor’s veto period, the PUCT expects to implement new legislation that will strengthen utility services for all Texans.

Legislative Appropriations Request In line with the agency’s legislative appropriation request for this session, the Commission anticipates receiving funding for: The baseline appropriation for the ongoing operations of the agency; A case management system to improve data collection and the agency’s contested case process, fulfilling a Sunset Commission recommendation from the 88th Texas Legislative session; A refresh of the Power to Choose website, which was last updated in 2015; The second tranche of funding for the Texas Energy Fund and additional full-time employees (FTEs) to implement the programs; and An increase in FTEs across multiple divisions to support agency priorities and implement new legislation.

New Legislation The 89th Texas Legislature passed more than 70 bills that will impact the PUCT’s work, including key initiatives in the following areas.

Electricity*: In response to hurricanes and wildfires, legislation sent to the governor directs the PUCT to develop minimum regional design and construction standards for transmission and distribution poles, applying to both new and replacement infrastructure.

Water*: Legislation enhancing the PUCT’s ability to respond to distressed water utilities by allowing more entities to serve as temporary managers and speeding up system improvement charges to fund urgent repairs faster than traditional rate cases.

Enforcement*: A key enforcement tool for the PUCT is the ability to settle matters through informal settlement negotiations. To protect sensitive data in enforcement cases, legislation sent to the governor makes PUCT investigation files explicitly confidential.

Natural Disasters: Legislation sent to the governor clarifies standards for pole maintenance and replacement after the Panhandle Wildfires in 2024. The bills require utilities to submit a wildfire mitigation plan, along with pole inspection and management plans, to the PUCT. *Indicates a recommendation from the PUCT’s 2025 Agency Biennial Report.

The agency will develop an implementation plan for all new legislation once the governor’s veto period concludes on June 22.

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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PUCT URGES TEXANS TO PREPARE FOR 2025 HURRICANE SEASON The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) advises Texans to stay alert during the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season (June 1 - Nov. 30). Texans can use the PUCT’s Storm Resources webpage to monitor power outages, report local outages, and find safety tips.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) recommends residents in hurricane-prone areas monitor weather forecasts, create an emergency plan, review evacuation routes, build an emergency kit, and check flood risk and insurance coverage.

Earlier this year, the PUCT adopted rules requiring all electric utilities to host up to date outage maps on their websites, including contact information for reporting outages and getting updates on restoration efforts.

During hurricane season, the PUCT works with electricity providers to ensure hurricane preparedness and quick response to outages. Providers also supply customers with preparedness information via billing statements. As part of the Texas Emergency Management Council, the PUCT coordinates with the Governor’s Office, TDEM, and other state agencies during severe weather emergencies at the state’s central hub for public communications, the Texas State Operations Command Center, to prepare for, respond to, and recover from severe weather.

Visit gov.texas.gov/hurricane and ready.gov/hurricanes for more resources.

NEW ONLINE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT SYSTEM PROMOTES EFFICIENCY, TRANSPARENCY Texans requesting public information from the PUCT can now do so quickly and easily using the new JustFOIA online portal. The portal streamlines the PUCT’s public information act request process and promotes transparency in compliance with the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA). Requestors can track and monitor all TPIA requests they’ve submitted, and PUCT staff can process requests for large volumes of information more efficiently.

Information on how to submit a public information act request to the PUCT through JustFOIA is available on the agency website.

Using JustFOIA is the fastest way to submit a TPIA request to the PUCT. Anyone unable to use the online portal may submit a request to the PUCT by mail, in person, or by email to pia@puc.texas.gov. Additional information on submitting a request by mail or in-person is available here.

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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CISRM HOSTS “BLUE SKY DAY” EVENTS, TRAININGS The PUCT’s Critical Infrastructure Security and Risk Management (CISRM) Division regularly hosts trainings and events on “blue sky days” —when conditions are great—to prepare for the “gray sky days”—when conditions aren’t—and plan ahead for the disasters that invariably pop up in the world of emergency management. CISRM has had a busy spring connecting with utility and emergency management officials across the state to build critical relationships before emergencies strike.

Bastrop: CISRM’s Olivia Hemby co-taught two Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Incident Command System (ICS) courses for the Bastrop Office of Emergency Management. Both courses are launching points for more advanced training on incident and emergency management and are foundational in the FEMA curriculum.

College Station: CISRM staff presented at the Emergency Management Association of Texas (EMAT) Leadership Symposium. The team shared an in-depth primer on the grid, focusing on how emergency managers can collaborate and incorporate utility issues into their own preparedness and planning.

Corpus Christi: CISRM hosted an energy outreach event at AEP Texas for Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) Regions 5 and 6 (the Coastal Bend and Rio Grande Valley counties).

The day-long event included utility presentations and facility tours.

Nueces County: Hemby also gave a keynote speech at the Coastal Bend Hurricane Conference. The annual conference brings in emergency management and response organizations partnering along the coast to discuss hurricane planning and response.

To wrap up a busy spring, PUCT staff from CISRM, the Division of Utility Outreach (DUO), the Office of Public Engagement (OPE), and the Consumer Protection Division (CPD) connected with other first responders at the 2025 Texas Emergency Management Conference. Watch that experience here.

Public Utility Commission of Texas

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PUCT APPROVES PLAN FOR THE FIRST EXTRA HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINES IN ERCOT REGION In a landmark decision, the PUCT on Apr. 24, 2025, approved a plan to build the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region’s first 765 kilovolt extra high voltage transmission lines. The lines are necessary to meet the Permian Basin’s rapidly growing power needs.

“The PUCT is committed to building an ERCOT grid that will serve Texans reliably for decades to come,” PUCT Chairman Thomas Gleeson said. “Extra high voltage lines are more efficient and strengthen reliability. Each line carries more power, so fewer lines are necessary, meaning less disruption to landowners, natural habitats, and landscapes. These lines must be put into service quickly, safely, and at the lowest possible cost to Texans.”

House Bill 5066, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2023 and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, required the PUCT to approve an electric reliability plan for the Permian Basin region to support Texas’ growing oil and gas industry and to meet electricity needs of West Texas communities. The Commission approved the Permian Basin Reliability Plan in Sept. 2024.

ERCOT and transmission service providers estimate the extra high voltage plan could cost 22% more than the standard 345 kilovolt lines; however, it provides long-term benefits. Higher voltage lines carry more power to meet higher demand and reduce expensive transmission congestion.

MAJOR MILESTONES ACHIEVED IN IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXAS ENERGY FUND Development and implementation of Texas Energy Fund (TEF) programs is moving forward. The four programs target different issues to strengthen reliability and resilience of the Texas electric grid both in and out of the ERCOT region.

Here’s an update on progress in each program: In-ERCOT Generation Loan Program PUCT staff and the TEF administrator are reviewing 19 applications for loans. The PUCT expects to enter into its first loan agreement this summer.

If approved, these proposed projects would provide 9,592 MW of on-demand power generation to the ERCOT grid, with loan amounts totaling $5.15B. Outside of ERCOT Grant Program On May 28, the PUCT officially launched the Outside ERCOT Grant Program and began accepting applications. To date, four applications totaling $351.3M have been submitted and are under review.

The program funds operational and maintenance needs for transmission and distribution infrastructure or electric generating facilities in Texas outside the ERCOT region. To qualify, a proposed project must address infrastructure modernization, weatherization, reliability and resiliency enhancements, or vegetation management.

Completion Bonus Grant Program On Apr. 24, the PUCT issued the first notice of eligibility to a Completion Bonus Grant Program applicant. To date, seven applications totaling $130.4M have been submitted and are under review and one application for $22.5M has been issued a Notice of Eligibility.

The program will award bonus grants for qualifying projects that complete specified construction requirements to bring dispatchable electric generation facilities online. Grants are contingent on the project’s performance and reliability.

Backup Power Package Program PUCT staff are reviewing public, stakeholder, and industry input and research as they develop the Backup Power Package program. The PUCT hosted an in-person workshop on Mar. 20 to gather feedback on the Texas Backup Power Package Program Research Entity Final Report authored by Patrick Engineering. An archived recording of the workshop is available here on the PUCT website. Written comments were filed on the PUCT Interchange from Mar. 20 to Apr. 3, 2025, under Project Number 57236.

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OPE IN YOUR CORNER—WE’RE HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

By Mike Hoke, Director

We get calls and emails every day from utility customers who want a voice in what their utility provider is doing. Our job is to help you understand the process so your voice will be heard. Here’s a quick Q&A to get started.

My utility is raising rates. What can I do?

Let the PUCT know what you think. You can protest the rate increase or intervene in the case. Click here to learn which option is right for you.

I want to know what’s happening in a specific case.

You can follow the case on the PUCT Interchange, which is publicly accessible. Every case has a PUCT Docket Number where every document for the case is filed. Look for the most recent documents filed by the PUCT Legal Division, the PUCT Office of Policy Docket and Management, or the State Office of Administrative Hearings. (Learn more about how to navigate the Interchange.) Those documents will often give a summary of the case, including the current status.

A utility wants to build a transmission line on or near my property. What can I do?

Landowners on or near the proposed transmission line should receive this brochure from the company applying to build the line. It explains the transmission siting process and how you can participate.

We’ve got much more information on our webpage and you can call or email us with your question at 512-9367343 or public@puc.texas.gov.

WORK WITH US—MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR TEXAS!

UPDATE ON WILLIAM B. TRAVIS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION – IT’S. REALLY. HAPPENING. The William B. Travis Building (WBT) Lobby closed on May 29 as part of a partial remodel on several floors.

All employees and visitors to the WBT must use the ground floor entrance on Brazos Street during construction.

The ground floor entrance will be open (no badge access required) during business hours (7 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday).

The PUCT is hiring candidates across multiple agency divisions. It’s our job to ensure reliable, affordable, and accountable electric, water and telecom utility service for Texans and our fast-growing state. Please visit our website for our latest career opportunities.

For assistance when visiting the building, please contact the PUCT Main Reception Line at 512-936-7001.

We’re especially proud that the PUCT has become a professional home for several veterans who have chosen to continue their public service with us following their military careers. Check out what they have to say about working at the PUCT here.

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

Visit Powertochoose.org to learn more!

PUCT IS HERE TO HELP!

$96,433

Assistance Paying Your Bill

CUSTOMER REFUNDS/BILL CREDITS (MAR. 2025 – MAY. 2025)

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

QUESTION OR COMPLAINT ABOUT YOUR UTILITY SERVICE?

CONTACT US 1-888-782-8477

Frequently Asked Questions

consumer@puc.texas.gov

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The mission of the Public Utility Commission of Texas is to protect customers, foster competition, and promote high quality utility infrastructure.

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