S.B. No. 231 amends Section 39.918 of the Utilities Code to establish new requirements for temporary emergency electric energy facilities leased by transmission and distribution utilities. The bill specifies that these facilities must be mobile, capable of being relocated within 12 hours, and able to generate electricity within three hours of connection to a demand source, with a maximum generation capacity of five megawatts. Additionally, it mandates that utilities may not enter into leases for these facilities without prior authorization from the commission regarding the total generating capacity and functions for which the facilities may be leased.

The bill also introduces provisions allowing utilities to bypass competitive bidding and prior commission approval in certain emergency situations, such as significant power outages, provided that the leased capacity is necessary and does not exceed what is required for restoration efforts. Furthermore, utilities that enter into such leases must document the leased capacity during their next base rate proceeding. The changes apply only to leases executed after the bill's effective date, while existing leases will continue to be governed by the previous law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Utilities Code 39.918 (Utilities Code 39)
Senate Committee Report: Utilities Code 39.918 (Utilities Code 39)
Engrossed: Utilities Code 39.918 (Utilities Code 39)
House Committee Report: Utilities Code 39.918 (Utilities Code 39)
Enrolled: Utilities Code 39.918 (Utilities Code 39)