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Texas PUC Staff Propose Streamlined Complaint Process For Complaints Against Retail Providers, Eliminates Informal/Formal Dichotomy
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Staff of the Texas PUC have filed a draft proposal for publication that would implement a streamlined complaint process for customer complaints against retail electric providers, via changes to Subst. R. §25.485
Staff's draft would strike the word "informal" from all current §25.485 rule provisions setting forth the current informal complaint process.
Rather than setting forth the process for informal complaints, the draft rules would now have such existing process be used to address "complaints" against REPs (no "informal" qualifier)
Additionally, Staff's draft would strike entirely the section in current rule addressing formal complaints against REPs, with the Staff draft striking the following language: "Formal complaints. If the complainant is not satisfied with the results of the informal complaint process, the complainant may file a formal complaint with the commission within two years of the date on which the commission closes the informal complaint. This process may include the formal docketing of the complaint as provided in §22.242 of this title (related to Complaints)."
Other than eliminating the current informal vs. formal dichotomy and eliminating the formal complaint language noted above, Staff's draft does not propose any changes to the REP complaint process, the information required, the response deadlines, etc, under the current rules, with the draft essentially just taking the current informal complaint process and making it applicable to "complaints" against REPs
As previously reported, the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) recently issued a standing order abating formal electricity consumer complaint cases referred to SOAH from the Public Utility Commission of Texas, citing, among other things, "current resource limitations combined with unanticipated increases in referrals[.]"
See more details here
As first reported by EnergyChoiceMatters.com (see full details here), Texas PUC ALJs have begun informing complainants in formal REP complaint cases of an option for the complaint to be investigated by the PUC's Division of Compliance and Enforcement (DICE), rather than the complainant litigating the formal complaint, though the complainant would not be a party in any DICE proceeding
The draft rule changes for the streamlining of the customer complaint process are proposed in Project 59557
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April 9, 2026
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Copyright 2026 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com
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