Rep. Lynn Stucky files bill to support Sanger Municipal Electric
AUSTIN — Texas state Rep. Lynn Stucky (R-Sanger) has filed a bill to support the City of Sanger's electricity operations and prevent a burdensome state regulation from adding costs to local consumers.
House Bill 1264 seeks to exempt small municipal electric companies from the requirement to designate a transmission operator. Historically, the City of Sanger has shed load using its available local resources, while also employing a contracted transmission operator to meet its regulatory requirement for load shed during high-demand periods -- typically during major hot or cold weather events. The regulation is costly to implement locally and requires duplicative efforts and costs that are unnecessary.
"Since Winter Storm Uri, the state has been working hard to identify weak points in the grid and review operational standards. Where the state is going too far is providing a solution for a problem that does not exist in Sanger," Rep. Stucky said. "I am proud to support reliable operators who have continued to meet the responsibilities of protecting their customers without risking damage to our state's grid."
HB 1264 is bracketed to include the City of Sanger, one of many municipal-owned utilities in the state. Stucky highlighted the importance of this local bill providing local solutions. Sanger Mayor Thomas Muir is applauding Stucky for taking on this legislation.
"I want to express my support for the exempting of our small municipal electric utilities from the Transmission Operator (TO) requirement. It is not in the interest of local taxpayers in our service area to fund the infrastructure and personnel necessary to meet this current broad-reaching regulatory requirement, at least until such time as this cost can be borne by a broader base," Muir said.
The mayor noted that the current electricity load by the Sanger utility is minor compared to the overall load statewide. Being subject to the requirement, he said, adds no reliability benefit while significantly increasing the cost at the local level for consumers or taxpayers. HB 1264 gives the city time to grow into the PUC requirement, at which point the cost would have little effect on local ratepayers.
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