Public Utility Commission of Texas
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Search complete. 40 mentions across 30 episodes found for "Public Utility Commission of Texas".
Sep 26, 2026
Haley ThomsonGUEST
Companies like Encore or large utility companies, they need to charge someone.
Haley ThomsonGUEST
But often you'll get the right from the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
Haley ThomsonGUEST
They're there a long time ago.
Haley ThomsonGUEST
They decided, well, the people who should pay for a good portion of the grid.
speaker_1HOST
then price them like options.
speaker_1HOST
PUCT cutting the non-refundable deposit made that option cheaper, and cheap options get stacked.
speaker_1HOST
Somebody's paying ERCOT engineers to study all of it.
speaker_0HOST
I'm with Fabode, though.
speaker_0HOST
On September 21, Gover Greg Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to halt permits sought by data centers until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas completes an audit of projects moving through its interconnection process, with state agencies barred from advancing regulatory approvals until information needed by ERCOT.
speaker_0HOST
The Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Water Development Board has been obtained.
speaker_0HOST
The scale of the queue helps explain the scrutiny.
speaker_0HOST
When Abbott ordered the audit in August, ERCOT was considering more than 474 gigawatts of requests to connect to the grid, more than five times ERCOT's record peak electricity demand, and roughly 90% of that volume is tied to data centers.
speaker_0HOST
This one's from Utility Dive.
speaker_2SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
The Public Utility Commission of Texas voted Friday to adopt new large-load interconnection standards, opting to eliminate a proposed rule's non-refundable interconnection fee and halve the financial security deposit for loads with peak demand over 75 megawatts.
speaker_1HOST
ERCOT's queue is 474 gigawatts, roughly 90% data centers, and PUCT just removed the $50,000 per megawatt non-refundable fee meant to make people mean it.
speaker_1HOST
So, yeah, holding a giant queue slot got cheaper.
speaker_0HOST
The final rule still requires $50,000 per megawatt in financial security for loads over 75 megawatts, but that's half the proposed $100,000.
speaker_0HOST
PUCT also landed on a flat $100,000 study fee, with room to revise it once it sees the actual costs.
speaker_1HOST
A 500-megawatt campus now has to post $25 million instead of $50 million, and it dodges the separate non-refundable fee entirely.
speaker_1HOST
That may trim a few tourists.
Colin HarperHOST
You're basically just saying, "Okay, we're gonna stop what's in the, the door right now, and then you can, you can, uh, continue after the audit is done." But I do think the biggest risk, again, market's shrugging this off absolutely, like, the, no one is selling off on this news.
Colin HarperHOST
What if the audit gets delayed? What if ERCOT and PUCT says, "Actually, we need more time to do this, just like we needed more time to get Batch Zero sorted out to accommodate the audit"? You know, there's a, there's a kind of unforeseen risk in delays here with regards to whether or not this will get fixed on time.
Colin HarperHOST
But it, it is a pretty incredible development when you consider that you had a lot of companies, again, trying to skip the queue by going behind the meter.
Colin HarperHOST
Or, like Galaxy, Galaxy's McGregor site was 74 megawatts, 'cause they're like, "Hey, we're just gonna be able to duck Batch Zero entirely, and, and then expedite this site." Again, my biggest question is, is three months really that bad? Like, is that really gonna make a difference?
Bryce McNallieHOST
That was that moratorium you just mentioned on August 3rd.
Bryce McNallieHOST
There's also the PUCT, which is the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
Bryce McNallieHOST
And as you'll talk about next, Anthony, this TCEQ moratorium.
Bryce McNallieHOST
which is really what this announcement is based on.
Anthony PowerHOST
Also requires a separate verification step, which is proving the project is real, lease deed permits, et cetera, for projects in the batch zero group.
Anthony PowerHOST
The findings have been compiled into an ERCOT audit report, which will be due in December.
Anthony PowerHOST
And if you miss the survey deadline, you're reported to the PUCT and the governor's office, and penalties will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Anthony PowerHOST
That's for grid connection.
Michael Quinn SullivanHOST
Meanwhile, yesterday, the governor ordered the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to halt data center permitting until an ongoing state audit of the industry is completed.
Michael Quinn SullivanHOST
Abbott said that no state agency should move forward with regulatory approvals related to data centers until information being sought by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, and the Texas Water Development Board is obtained.
Michael Quinn SullivanHOST
Back in August, the governor ordered an audit of data center power and water usage and then last week directed the Texas Water Development Board to pursue criminal referrals against data centers that refused to answer questions.
Michael Quinn SullivanHOST
The governor also said yesterday that he plans to work with lawmakers in the next legislative session to eliminate financial incentives for data centers.
Todd JeffriesHOST
Uh, the governor directing the agency to halt all permits sought by data centers.
Todd JeffriesHOST
Abbott even went further, stating that, uh, no state agency should move forward with the regulatory approval related to data centers until information being sought by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and the Texas Water Development Board is obtained.
Todd JeffriesHOST
The TCEQ specifically must pause the issuance of permits related to data center projects until ERCOT completes that review.
Patrick OsbornHOST
Yeah.
Beowulf RocklinHOST
that be great? Texas has put a hold on new data center approvals that require access to the state's grid, a move that could slow a long list of projects already waiting in line.
Beowulf RocklinHOST
Governor Greg Abbott has ordered the Public Utility Commission of Texas and ERCOT to pause approvals until the agencies complete an audit of applicants, a move that could stall a large backlog of projects seeking to connect.
Beowulf RocklinHOST
The state wants more information before granting access.
Beowulf RocklinHOST
Abbott says applicants must provide tax break details, power use and generation data, water use and cooling plans, steps to reduce community impact, and facility ownership information.
Molly VogtHOST
So here's why I'm concerned.
Molly VogtHOST
The Public Utility Commission of Texas recently approved several segments of the proposed 765 KV Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan, or the STEP Plan, adopting the Proposal for Decision and Chairman Thomas Gleason's recommendation.
Molly VogtHOST
In doing so, the Commission officially approved the Longshore to Drill Hole and Dinosaur to Longshore segments, authorizing the first 765 KV transmission line project in Texas.
Molly VogtHOST
But that vote didn't answer the questions many Texans are still asking.
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