New Texas PUC Chair Questions Whether It Is Appropriate For Oncor Customers To Fund AMI Deployment At Sharyland, Post-Acquisition

In a memo concerning a stipulation and proposed order governing Oncor's proposed acquisition of Sharyland Utilities, DeAnn Walker, the new chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, stated that she has questions whether current Oncor customers should be required to pay for the deployment of advanced meters at the former Sharyland Utilities service areas proposed to be acquired by Oncor

A stipulation in the proceeding would deploy AMI at Sharyland once Oncor acquires the service area. Under the such proposal, Oncor expects to complete AMI deployment in the legacy Sharyland service territories by December 31, 2018.

"I question whether it is appropriate for Oncor's current ratepayers, who have already paid for the majority of the advanced-metering system deployment in the Oncor service territory, should be required to pay for the deployment of advanced meters in the Sharyland service territory," Walker wrote

Walker requested that Oncor be prepared to address at today's open meeting whether recovery of costs related to advanced-metering system deployment in Sharyland's service territory should be limited to recovery from former customers of Sharyland Utilities