That Really Happened
Houston area residents resorted to using the Whataburger app for electricity restoration updates after this online tool went down during Hurricane Beryl. Whataoutage!
What is the Outage Map?
A titan of the energy regulatory scene in Austin, this VP of Regulatory Affairs leads the Austin team's efforts in all things PUC, ERCOT, and OPUC. She's also a former PUC staffer, Rice Owl, and Texas Longhorn. Hook Em!
Who is Liz Jones?
A key proceeding whereby utilities receive PUC approval prior to constructing a new transmission line, the CCN application must, by law, be approved within this many days.
What is 180 Days?
An independent agency with more than 50 Administrative law judges (ALJs), this agency conducts judicial hearings and mediates administrative disputes that are referred to it by the PUC and other state agencies.
What is SOAH (State Office of Administrative Hearings)?
Consisting of the Permian Basin Reliability Plan and the Eastern Loop, the ERCOT STEP program will result in a new transmission voltage for the ERCOT system. What will be the four transmission voltages?
What are 69kV, 138kV, 345kV, 765kV?
With estimated damages nearing $300M and more than 1M acres burned, the TX A&M Forestry service determined the smokehouse creek fire was caused by this.
What is a broken utility pole?
A proud Red Raider and Director of Regulatory, he leads the team responsible for preparing and managing CCN filings (among other things). Wreck em, Regulatory!
Who Is Thomas Yamin?
A feeder is classified as a Worst Performing Feeder when either of these two reliability metrics exceeds 300% of the utility's system average. Recent legislation has reduced the threshold to 200%.
What is SAIDI and SAIFI?
Led by Ben Barkley, this state agency advocates in regulatory proceedings representing the interests of residential & small commercial utility customers.
What is OPUC (Office of Public Utility Counsel)?
Known as the Unified Tracker Mechanism, HB5247 allows certain utilities to consolidate this number of annual ratemaking proceedings into a single annual filing.
What is 6?
Known for their cheeky billboards and for offering residential customers access to energy using real-time wholesale prices, this utility was barred from operating in the ERCOT market following Winter Storm Uri.
Who is Griddy?
Originally from South Carolina, this southern belle/proud Aggie leads our efforts in the ERCOT Stakeholder process as Director of Austin Regulatory Affairs. Gig Em?
Who is Martha Henson?
In addition to regulating the electric utility industry, the PUCT is also responsible for regulating utilities in which two other industries?
What are water and telecom?
Led by Chief Nimm Kidd, this state agency coordinates the state's efforts in responding to and recovering from disasters.
What is TDEM (TX Division of Emergency Management)?
Enabled by HB2555, this $3B plan is aimed at substantially reducing the impact and duration of severe weather outages and other risks to the grid.
What is the System Resiliency Plan (SRP).
After going unused during Hurricane Berryl, Centerpoint's, 15 large TEEEF generation units were relocated ~200 miles west to replace this Utility's retired Braunig Generation units.
Who is CPS Energy?
Hailing from LSU, this VP of Regulatory (and former PUC staffer) leads our efforts in all things Rates and Ratemaking. You geaux boy!
Who is Matt Troxle?
In 2024, an Energy Efficiency pilot program was launched to use TDU Energy Efficiency funds to reimburse REPs for providing this device to their customers.
What is a smart thermostat?
Previously 3 commissioners, the number of PUC commissioners was increased to 5 after Winter Storm Uri. Of those 5 commissioner seats, this many are currently appointed.
What is 4 Commissioners?
Aimed at overhauling the regulation of large electricity consumers in ERCOT, SB6 and the ongoing PUC rulemakings are primarily driven by the need to address reliability and cost recovery impacts from this type of large load customers.
What are Data Centers?
Known as the "Midnight Connection" a 1976 attempt to secretly connect the Texas grid to Oklahoma could have ultimately subjected Texas to this federal agency's jurisdiction.
What is FERC?
This SMU law school graduate serves as General Counsel and Senior VP of external affairs. Go Mustangs!
Who is Matt Henry?
Considered by many to be the most important regulatory proceeding whereby the PUC conducts prudency review of capital investments, sets the rates structure and establishes a utility's rate of return, by law, utilities must file a base rate case every this number of years.
What is every 4 years?
Within the ERCOT Stakeholder Process, this committee consists of stakeholder members who vote on recommendations on ERCOT policies, procedures, and revision requests before they go to the ERCOT board.
What is TAC (Technical Advisory Committee)?