Texas Strawman Would Align EECRF Rate Change with Other Sept. 1 Changes Applicable to REPs

A PUCT Staff strawman for revisions to the energy efficiency rules (Subst. R. 25.181) would align the effective date for any revised energy efficiency cost recovery factor (EECRF) charged to REPs to the September 1 date for revisions to other riders charged to REPs.

The strawman (39674) would provide that, not later than January 15 of each year, a utility with an EECRF shall apply to adjust the EECRF effective September 1 of the year in which the utility files its application.

Currently, new EECRFs take effect in January of each year. The September 1 date is already used for adjustments to the TCRF and DCRF charged to REPs.

Furthermore, the strawman would provide that the EECRF shall be collected as a class-specific energy charge. Currently, an energy charge or monthly charge may be established.

While energy efficiency programs are administered by the TDUs, the implementation at the customer level, for areas with customer choice, is left to competitive providers such as REPs and energy service companies. The strawman would maintain this model, except that it would allow a utility to achieve the required efficiency goals for a rural area by providing rebate or incentive funds directly to customers after demonstrating to the Commission, following a contested case hearing, that the required goal cannot be met in the rural area through retail electric providers or competitive energy service providers.

The strawman would require utilities within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to terminate their load management programs within six months after ERCOT permits load resources to participate in energy markets via economic dispatch.