In last week’s open meeting, the Public Utility Commission of Texas approved a number of refinements [ERP order | Waivers Order] to the agency’s efforts to mitigate the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income Texans.
“As the world deals with an unprecedented array of challenges, we are working closely with industry participants, consumer advocates, and other state agencies to ensure we are taking the steps necessary to assist those customers impacted the hardest by the pandemic,” said Chairman DeAnn Walker. “As we all embrace the hope of a reopened economy discussed by Governor Abbott today, we are focused on an approach that helps the people most impacted by the situation while maintaining a robust competitive electric market.”
In a unanimous vote, the commissioners approved changes to their orders from March 26th, including:
–A May 15, 2020 end date on suspensions for disconnections for customers of vertically-integrated utilities outside of areas of the state open to competition (namely Entergy, El Paso Electric, SPS and SWEPCO) and water and sewer utilities regulated by the PUC.
–A May 15, 2020 end date on waivers of late fees for residential customers of retail electric providers in areas of the state open to competition.
–A July 17, 2020 end date for enrollment in the COVID-19 Electricity Relief Program.
The commission pledged to revisit these decisions in open meetings prior to their respective deadlines.
“Regulatory certainty is a critical component of our state’s economic vitality, allowing business owners to forecast their challenges and adopt strategies for survival,” continued Walker. “We will continue to monitor the situation and its impact on all those it affects in the utility realm to ensure we are doing what we can to get through this together.”
