Texas PUC Staff: Smart Meter Texas Functionality, Access Issues Should Be Addressed Through Contested Case

Staff of the Texas PUC have recommended that issues related to the Smart Meter Texas portal, including functionalities and third-party access, should be resolved through a contested case

After its review in Projects No. 46204 and 46206, Staff believes that there are several outstanding issues with respect to SMT, including, but not limited to:

• SMT's functionalities;

• The process through which a retail customer grants to a third party competitive energy service provider access to the retail customer's AMS data through SMT;

• Performance standards for SMT's functionalities;

• Reporting requirements related to SMT operating performance and expenditures; and

• User support

"Staff recommends that SMT issues be resolved through a contested case proceeding initiated by Staff. Staff believes that conducting a contested case at this time would more expediently resolve the SMT issues, effectively develop facts for the Commission's decision, and more expediently prepare requirements for the JDOA's [Joint Development and Operating Agreement management committee] new RFP, compared to first conducting a rulemaking and then conducting a contested case. In its petition for a contested case, Staff would request that parties file testimony in support of any proposed changes to the SMT business requirements. The requirements approved by the Commission in its Final Order in the contested case would then be included in the JDOA's new RFP for an SMT operations contract. In addition, Staff recommends that the rulemaking projects in both Project No. 46204 and Project No. 46206 be closed. In conclusion, Staff recommends that the Commission direct Staff to close both the instant projects and initiate a contested case requesting approval of revised requirements for SMT in preparation for the JDOA's new RFP for a vendor to operate SMT," Staff said

Project 46204