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  • Item 0 - Chairman Gleeson calls meeting to order
    00:00:08
    This meeting of the Public Utility Commission of Texas will come to order. To consider
  • 00:00:12
    matters that have been duly posted with the Secretary of State for September
  • 00:00:15
    26, 2024. Good morning,
  • 00:00:18
    everyone. Good morning, Shelah. Good morning.
  • 00:00:21
    Do we have any public comment today? Yes, sir, we do. We have
  • 00:00:25
    one person that signed up for public comment. Okay.
  • 00:00:28
    Do you want to go through the consent agenda? Yeah, why don't we do the
  • 00:00:30
    consent agenda? There should be no recusals, I assume, today, so, yeah, why don't you
  • 00:00:34
    lay out the consent agenda and then we'll go to public comment. I know you
  • 00:00:37
    got what you wanted, Commissioner Glotfelty. No recusals. No contested cases.
  • 00:00:40
    No. No recusals.
  • Item 0.1 - Commission Counsel Shelah Cisneros lays out Consent Agenda
    00:00:44
    Good morning Commissioners. By individual ballot, the Commissioners voted
  • 00:00:47
    to place Items 6 and 8 on the consent agenda, and no
  • 00:00:51
    one signed up to speak on either of those items. Thank you, Shelah.
  • Item 0.1 - Chairman Gleeson asks for motion to approve items on Consent Agenda
    00:00:55
    So we will take. So I would entertain a motion to
  • 00:00:59
    approve the consent agenda as discussed
  • 00:01:02
    by Shelah. So moved. I second. Have a motion and a second. All those in
  • 00:01:06
    favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion prevails.
  • Item 1 - Public comment for matters that are under the Commission’s jurisdiction, but not
    specifically posted on this agenda
    00:01:09
    All right. Now let's move to Public
  • 00:01:13
    Comment, Item No. 1. Yes. Commissioners, we have one person that
  • 00:01:16
    sign up for Public Comment, Jeff Walker. Mr. Walker, if you'll approach.
  • 00:01:22
    And is it the usual three minutes? Three minutes. All right.
  • 00:01:26
    Tell me when you're ready. Sure. Would you like to sit down or. No,
  • 00:01:29
    if you can speak into the microphone. Yeah, please take a seat. That'll be fine.
  • 00:01:32
    I'll do this, thank you very much. Good morning. Perfect. Whenever you're ready.
  • Item 1 - Jeff Walker, member of Windermere Oaks Water Supply Corporation
    00:01:35
    All right. Thank you Commission. My name is Jeff
  • 00:01:39
    Walker. I'm a member of the WOWSC.
  • 00:01:42
    This is the Windermere Oaks Water Supply Corporation. I'm also a board
  • 00:01:45
    member since 2003. I know this Commission is tired of
  • 00:01:49
    hearing from us. I know they are, at least some of you, because I know
  • 00:01:53
    many of you have been part of this whole rate appeal. My comments are coming
  • 00:01:57
    from a member and a board member. I speak as both.
  • 00:02:02
    Six months ago, our rate appeal got approved
  • 00:02:06
    as an order, and that happened in February
  • 00:02:09
    of this year. I come to you as just kind
  • 00:02:13
    of a six month checkup to let you guys kind of know where we're
  • 00:02:16
    at and what's been going on with the rate
  • 00:02:20
    appeal. In February
  • 00:02:25
    of this year, my bill used to be that 160
  • 00:02:30
    511,
  • 00:02:31
    $165.11. That's my
  • 00:02:35
    bill. That's me in the corner. That's my bill.
  • 00:02:38
    In April, 60 days later,
  • 00:02:43
    my bill, because of the order of the rate appeal, went to $7.21.
  • 00:02:49
    Now, I notice there is a surcharge in there of $39.21.
  • 00:02:53
    That is to pay for some legal fees. So I cannot put that into
  • 00:02:56
    my operating number. So in essence,
  • 00:02:59
    what happened, and I think it was unforeseen by everybody who
  • 00:03:03
    looked at this case for the last three years, that you,
  • 00:03:07
    that the rate appeal and the new rates and the refunds
  • 00:03:11
    cut our revenue by almost 80%.
  • 00:03:16
    That's substantial. And me, as being a board
  • 00:03:19
    member and trying to run the corporation, I just can't run
  • 00:03:23
    it on those type of numbers. We're running into some,
  • 00:03:26
    we're running into some challenges in
  • 00:03:31
    achieving, or actually just, you know, paying our bills
  • 00:03:34
    to operate a water utility for 278 members.
  • 00:03:39
    And again, I don't think it was anybody's direct fault.
  • 00:03:43
    I think we all were excited about what was happening over the last three years.
  • 00:03:47
    We were excited to get our rates reduced. I don't think anybody anticipated
  • 00:03:52
    the magnitude of our financial impact that took place with us.
  • 00:03:55
    And in the last six months, we've been running a
  • 00:03:58
    deficit of revenue versus expenses.
  • 00:04:02
    And I'm here to make the Commission
  • 00:04:06
    aware of that and to let them know that we may need
  • 00:04:09
    to go revisit this. It's putting a
  • 00:04:12
    tremendous burden on the corporation. And me being a board member, I have a
  • 00:04:16
    fiduciary duty to look at that. I run about
  • 00:04:20
    $10,000 in debt every month of this year.
  • 00:04:25
    I just can't sustain that. I'm running off of savings from last year
  • 00:04:28
    in order to supply the services that I've got.
  • 00:04:32
    This is also impacted at the same time that that
  • 00:04:35
    came out. Go ahead and finish your
  • 00:04:39
    thought. Okay? Yeah, I just have this one thought. Another thing that has happened
  • 00:04:42
    is at the same time that the rate appeal was put into place,
  • 00:04:46
    a compliance order was also put into place, which had,
  • 00:04:50
    you know, four objectives that the commission wanted us to see that
  • 00:04:54
    impacted us tremendously in trying to respond to that.
  • 00:04:57
    Because I don't have the revenue to pay for such things as a financial audit.
  • 00:05:01
    I just don't have the money. I got to put it towards providing clean water
  • 00:05:04
    and sewer services. So those are my comments today.
  • 00:05:08
    I'd like to Commission to take a look at this and see how we can,
  • 00:05:11
    you know, maybe take some action on it. Mister Walker, thank you for being here
  • 00:05:14
    this morning. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Thank you for everybody.
  • 00:05:16
    Appreciate it. Thank you. Have a good day. Appreciate it.
  • 00:05:23
    So before we move down the agenda, just real quick. I won't take
  • 00:05:27
    much time, but Barksdale happy birthday today.
  • 00:05:34
    So I love you too.
  • 00:05:37
    Okay Shelah, I don't have anything on 2.
  • Item 5 - Project No. 55999 – Reports of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas
    00:05:40
    Three, isn't going to be taken up. Nothing on 4. So I think that brings
  • 00:05:44
    us to Item No. 5 on the agenda. That is Project No.
  • 00:05:47
    55999, reports of the Electric Reliability Council
  • 00:05:51
    of Texas. Davita, just in case there are questions
  • 00:05:54
    if you don't mind just coming up. I don't know that we'll
  • 00:05:58
    have any, but just in case, on the brawnig CPS issue,
  • 00:06:02
    I appreciate ERCOT's filing on this that you made on the 19th.
  • 00:06:06
    I appreciate that you all continue to work to try to find
  • 00:06:09
    solutions to this.
  • 00:06:13
    You know, I think if you all believe that
  • 00:06:16
    changing the notice of suspension of operation date
  • 00:06:20
    to earlier to March 1 of 2025,
  • 00:06:24
    is beneficial in multiple ways, I hope that CPS will
  • 00:06:28
    hear that and work with you all to try to accomplish that.
  • 00:06:32
    I don't know if you want to give any updates on how those are going.
  • 00:06:35
    I think, as I understood it, you kind of need an answer to whether or
  • 00:06:38
    not they're willing to do that sometime next week. Is that correct?
  • Item 5 - ERCOT's Davida Dwyer with updates on report,55999
    00:06:43
    Davida Dwyer with ERCOT. Yes sir, that's correct.
  • 00:06:47
    Under the protocols, NSOs had to be provided at
  • 00:06:50
    least 150 days before the proposed retirement date,
  • 00:06:54
    and by our calculation, that's October 2.
  • 00:06:58
    CPS has been receptive to the question
  • 00:07:02
    about whether or not they're willing to do it, and my understanding is that they're
  • 00:07:05
    investigating whether or not they have the ability to change.
  • 00:07:08
    Okay, well, based on the filing, I think that would be
  • 00:07:11
    a good outcome, and I hope, you know, CPS can find a way to accommodate
  • 00:07:15
    that. Commissioners, any thoughts?
  • Item 5 - Commissioner Glotfelty's thoughts on ERCOT's report ,55999
    00:07:20
    Yeah, I guess my. I continue to.
  • 00:07:26
    I think this RMR issue and the
  • 00:07:30
    IROL issue at the same general
  • 00:07:34
    location are more intertwined than
  • 00:07:38
    we've really been talking about. We haven't been talking about them as a, as a
  • 00:07:41
    total solution. We've been talking about them as two different things.
  • 00:07:45
    And I think that we
  • 00:07:49
    need to find a way to better coordinate these issues and
  • 00:07:53
    not just look at the RMR issue for the
  • 00:07:57
    solution, but really have a big discussion.
  • 00:08:01
    It may not, we don't have time for it on this one right now,
  • 00:08:05
    but reconductoring of lines that
  • 00:08:08
    could be strung quicker, that might eliminate congestion,
  • 00:08:11
    would solve these problems very quickly. There are multiple lines that could
  • 00:08:15
    be done. We can't do that. ERCOT can't
  • 00:08:18
    do that. It takes the utility to do that. But none of these things are
  • 00:08:22
    coming up in the same proceeding. They're all coming up kind of independently,
  • 00:08:25
    and I just hope that we can take this and ERCOT, you all can take
  • 00:08:29
    this. Away that if we come back with one of
  • 00:08:32
    these, that we could hear from y'all on.
  • 00:08:36
    Okay. These are the range of solutions that could solve the problems
  • 00:08:40
    that are facing us kind of in this area. And I
  • 00:08:44
    think that would be a better menu than just piecemeal. Yeah, I agree.
  • 00:08:48
    I mean, looking at these in silos, I think it's better to look at them
  • 00:08:51
    comprehensively. I gave a speech yesterday and talked at
  • 00:08:55
    length with some folks about reconductor in the system and what benefits that can bring.
  • 00:09:00
    And I agree, this process, the MRA process,
  • 00:09:04
    it seems like we need to look at all of it. And, yeah,
  • 00:09:07
    and I would say in my conversations with ERCOT, they've been more than willing
  • 00:09:11
    to talk comprehensively and holistically about all this. So appreciate it.
  • 00:09:15
    Keep us kind of up to date on how those negotiations with CPS
  • 00:09:19
    are going. Thanks. Thank you, Davida. Thank you.
  • Item 7 - Project No. 34677 – Reports of the Independent Market Monitor for the ERCOT Region
    00:09:26
    Item No. 6 was on the consent agenda. So that'll bring
  • 00:09:29
    us to Item 7. Project No. 34677,
  • 00:09:33
    Reports of the independent market Monitor for the ERCOT region. And staff
  • 00:09:37
    filed a memo in this docket.
  • 00:09:41
    Good morning, Harika.
  • Item 7 - Commission Staff's Harika Basaran on IMM report & memo, 34677
    00:09:45
    Harika Basaran with Staff. So this is the first time we
  • 00:09:49
    did that. Kindly asked us to do that for a while back. And thank you
  • 00:09:52
    very much to Barksdale, helping me to finish
  • 00:09:55
    it. State of the market report has 15
  • 00:09:59
    or 16 recommendations and we have
  • 00:10:03
    a table where we have replies to them if we support,
  • 00:10:07
    if they are neutral or if we disagree and why.
  • 00:10:10
    So I will put them in multiple buckets. One of them is really
  • 00:10:13
    the policy buckets. It has to be at the Commission. This is the t course,
  • 00:10:17
    net metering and small fish. And we have some deadlines when
  • 00:10:21
    we want to start on those. So if you have any feedback on that,
  • 00:10:24
    we will appreciate that another bucket is ready. Answer reserves
  • 00:10:28
    related to. And this is going to be ongoing discussion with IMM and
  • 00:10:31
    ERCOT and in the as study in the annual methodology.
  • 00:10:34
    These solutions, another one big ones
  • 00:10:38
    are the multi interval and load zone changes. Even though those are
  • 00:10:42
    not might be strictly policy. These are very big changes to the market
  • 00:10:45
    system cost. ERCOT and participants we are seeing gather more
  • 00:10:49
    data and don't try to do anything before RTC is
  • 00:10:53
    implemented in a steady state, it is reached. And then there is
  • 00:10:57
    some other minor things. They are already in progress. There is already
  • 00:11:00
    progress made on those with current NPRRs.
  • 00:11:04
    And if any of them has this cost solution and
  • 00:11:08
    it's not going to delay, RTC and the ERCOT and stakeholders agree,
  • 00:11:11
    they can move on with that, but this is really at the high level.
  • 00:11:17
    So I want to say thank you for doing this. I'm glad that Connie
  • 00:11:21
    and Barksdale endeavored down this path. I think this was super helpful to have kind
  • 00:11:24
    of a staff response to the filing to see where you are.
  • 00:11:29
    You know, as far as feedback. You know, I talked to staff in my
  • 00:11:33
    briefing. I'm comfortable with them kind of determining at what
  • 00:11:37
    schedule and when to make some of these changes and address some of
  • 00:11:40
    these issues. But if you all have specific items you
  • 00:11:43
    want to highlight or kind of put to the top of the list. Happy to
  • 00:11:46
    hear thoughts.
  • 00:11:49
    I'm really happy that the new Executive Director chose to
  • 00:11:53
    be proactive and do this as well. Such an improvement from the
  • 00:11:56
    previous one. You'll get no debate from the chairman
  • Item 7 - Commissioner Glotfelty's thoughts on IMM report & memo, 34677
    00:12:03
    with a capital C. I agree with
  • 00:12:07
    you that the staff should work with how these
  • 00:12:12
    things are addressed. I think this is just a, this is a
  • 00:12:15
    great improvement to an IMM report
  • 00:12:19
    that's thoughtful and model based and has
  • 00:12:22
    a lot of information in there on how to make the market efficient. And we
  • 00:12:26
    are, we are utilizing that by beginning the debate
  • 00:12:29
    that begins the debate now. We're having a discussion and I think it's just,
  • 00:12:32
    it's very fruitful for the efficiency of the market,
  • 00:12:38
    and I'm just appreciative that, that you all went ahead and did this.
  • 00:12:41
    And the memo lays out, don't agree with 100% of
  • 00:12:45
    it, but that's why it's important. So thank
  • 00:12:49
    you. Yeah. And I know in talking to
  • 00:12:52
    Potomac and Jeff, I know they appreciate this, that this
  • 00:12:56
    will help start a dialogue about how we should move forward. So I think this
  • 00:12:59
    is very, very useful. I appreciate this approach to
  • 00:13:03
    responding to the state, the market report from the IMM as
  • 00:13:06
    well. And I would leave
  • 00:13:10
    it to staff, too. I will say that the one
  • 00:13:14
    item that you all support is modifying TCOS away from 4-CP method.
  • 00:13:18
    I know that's a point of, I'm sure you all will get
  • 00:13:22
    a point of a lot of discussion, but I think it's worth
  • 00:13:26
    having, especially as there's a lot
  • 00:13:29
    of interest in adding a lot of infrastructure to
  • 00:13:33
    our system and infrastructure, meaning transmission infrastructure,
  • 00:13:37
    including not only 345 kv, but ehv and the reasons
  • 00:13:41
    why it'll be added on there. There's a lot load growth,
  • 00:13:44
    and the load has different characteristics now.
  • 00:13:48
    Now we have not only crypto miners but AI data centers
  • 00:13:52
    that are driving a lot of the load growth in the state. And we have
  • 00:13:55
    to make sure that we start proactively looking
  • 00:13:58
    at how we are allocating costs and
  • 00:14:03
    developing cost allocation and rate design in our
  • 00:14:06
    rate cases now, because if we don't do that as soon as
  • 00:14:10
    possible, start those discussions, I'm concerned that all of
  • 00:14:14
    the massive transmission infrastructure that we're looking at for future will be primarily
  • 00:14:18
    allocated to the small business and residential consumers.
  • 00:14:21
    So I think that the four CP discussion needs to
  • 00:14:24
    start as soon as possible.
  • Item 7 - Commissioner Jackson's thoughts on IMM report & memo, 34677
    00:14:29
    So I guess I'm most impressed with creating,
  • 00:14:32
    if you will, a process. I mean, oftentimes we get data and information,
  • 00:14:36
    and in the vein of continuous improvement, you want to kind of ask yourself,
  • 00:14:40
    well, what is it that I need to do moving forward, and how do I
  • 00:14:43
    need to evaluate it, and what is the process by which I
  • 00:14:47
    look at this work effort? So, successful organizations
  • 00:14:51
    manage risk well, and they do that because they manage change.
  • 00:14:55
    And so I think this is a really good vehicle to be able to do
  • 00:14:58
    that. And, you know, kind of sets forth, if you will, the process
  • 00:15:02
    that we can take. The data, we can evaluate it.
  • 00:15:06
    We've pinpointed the areas of potential challenges
  • 00:15:10
    or potential continuous improvement, and then kind of
  • 00:15:13
    moving forward, we can evaluate it
  • 00:15:16
    and determine, you know, what is the best way taking this
  • 00:15:20
    data and information that we have and managing change. So very appreciative of you doing
  • 00:15:24
    this and for Connie and Barksdale and for
  • 00:15:29
    working on this work effort. So thank you.
  • 00:15:33
    Thanks, Chairman. I just want to make sure that our memo
  • 00:15:36
    is clear that Commissioned Staff, capital C,
  • 00:15:39
    capital S is.
  • 00:15:43
    Excuse me, how old did you turn today again?
  • 00:15:48
    My kids usually tell me that I act about 13 at home,
  • 00:15:51
    so that's 5
  • 00:15:54
    years ahead of the Chairman. Oh, okay. Yeah.
  • 00:15:58
    Oh, I heard he's still working on reading is fundamental.
  • 00:16:02
    So, you know, it'll make the meetings go quicker when
  • 00:16:05
    you only have to call on three other Commissioners.
  • Item 7 - Deputy Executive Director, Barksdale English gives clarification on Commission Staff's memo, 34677
    00:16:08
    Perfect. I just want to make sure it's
  • 00:16:12
    clear from our memo that Commissioned Staff is supportive
  • 00:16:16
    of opening the dialogue about four CP. I don't think there's
  • 00:16:20
    uniform opinion on Commission Staff at this
  • 00:16:24
    moment that we should be moving away from four CP. So just to make
  • 00:16:27
    sure that we're being clear to
  • 00:16:31
    the rest of the world that staff has not taken a
  • 00:16:34
    position on this. I think it's definitely time, like you said, Commissioner Cobos.
  • 00:16:37
    To talk about it and be proactive about, you know, kind of reviewing that
  • 00:16:41
    decision that was made 20 years ago and make sure that it remains the
  • 00:16:45
    correct one. And if not, then what should we be moving to?
  • 00:16:49
    Thanks for that. Absolutely. Thanks for that clarification.
  • 00:16:52
    Okay, that's it. Thank you. Harika.
  • Item 9 - Project No. 55718 – Reliability Plan for the Permian Basin under PURA § 39.167
    00:16:57
    Item No. 8 was on the consent agenda. So that brings us to Item
  • 00:17:01
    No. 9. That's Project No. 55718,
  • 00:17:04
    reliability plan for the project Permian Basin under purist section 39.167.
  • 00:17:10
    And Commissioner Cobos and Commissioner Hjaltman
  • 00:17:13
    both have memos on this. So Commissioner Cobos, if you'd
  • 00:17:17
    like to lay out your memo first. Yes, thank you, Chairman Gleeson.
  • Item 9 - Commissioner Cobos lays out her memo, 55718
    00:17:22
    I filed a memo to set forth my modified
  • 00:17:26
    recommendation on the path forward for approving the Permian Basin reliability
  • 00:17:31
    plan in this proceeding,
  • 00:17:33
    last proceeding. The goal remains the same in
  • 00:17:37
    terms of preserving optionality at this time on the import paths
  • 00:17:41
    into the Permian Basin region, so that
  • 00:17:45
    ERCOT and the Commission can continue their evaluation of EHV,
  • 00:17:50
    primarily 765 transmission lines.
  • 00:17:53
    And so the goal has the whole path forward in
  • 00:17:57
    terms of preserving optionality. That remains the same as how you
  • 00:18:01
    get there. That's changed. Last open meeting,
  • 00:18:05
    you know, I had been in discussions with ERCOT. This has been a very fast
  • 00:18:07
    moving train. And they were under the impression that perhaps five
  • 00:18:11
    of the import pass that I wanted to authorize to the TSP
  • 00:18:15
    to start preparing their CCN applications could,
  • 00:18:18
    out of those five, three could be interchangeable, because they had common endpoints.
  • 00:18:22
    And after further analysis, they've determined that they don't have.
  • 00:18:26
    So if you looked at the three imports that
  • 00:18:30
    I had that are thought that were interchangeable,
  • 00:18:33
    when you more closely examine them, if you go
  • 00:18:37
    765, they have different endpoints and substations and
  • 00:18:41
    owners. If you go 345 different endpoint substations and owners.
  • 00:18:44
    So it's not apples to apples. And so
  • 00:18:48
    ERCOT made a filing on September 20 to
  • 00:18:52
    clarify that that was no longer a viable path forward based
  • 00:18:57
    on additional analysis that they conducted after the
  • 00:19:01
    last open meeting. And if they wanted
  • 00:19:05
    to make those three and four pass interchangeable, they'd have to conduct additional
  • 00:19:10
    engineering analysis, which could take several months. And that's not
  • 00:19:13
    what I believe the commission or anybody out of the stakeholders,
  • 00:19:17
    we want to approve a plan and get going with the implementation
  • 00:19:21
    of that plan. So ultimately,
  • 00:19:23
    ERCOT made a new recommendation on
  • 00:19:27
    how to preserve optionality, and that is to authorize the tsps
  • 00:19:31
    to begin preparing eight CCN
  • 00:19:35
    applications for all eight import pass, which includes 5345
  • 00:19:40
    kb import pass and 3765
  • 00:19:44
    import pass. And so, based on ERCOT's
  • 00:19:48
    updated recommendation, and in order to
  • 00:19:51
    continue to preserve optionality on the import
  • 00:19:55
    pass into the Permian, while ERCOT and the
  • 00:19:58
    commission continue to evaluate EHV,
  • 00:20:02
    I have recommended in this memo that
  • 00:20:06
    the Commission authorize the applicable TSPs to begin preparing the CCN
  • 00:20:10
    applications for the eight import pass in addition,
  • 00:20:13
    in order to provide more TSP certainty
  • 00:20:18
    with the path forward on that preparation of those eight ccns,
  • 00:20:22
    and to help mitigate potential import delays,
  • 00:20:25
    landowner impacts, and consumer cost, I recommend
  • 00:20:29
    that the commission director work with the TSP's,
  • 00:20:33
    the applicable tsps to identify the import paths that
  • 00:20:38
    would be needed to serve load in 2030 so
  • 00:20:41
    that the preparation of those CCN applications is prioritized by the
  • 00:20:45
    applicable TSP. So this
  • 00:20:51
    recommendation is centered on, as I noted,
  • 00:20:55
    to try to provide the tsps with more certainty. I want to make
  • 00:20:58
    sure that the tsps begin
  • 00:21:02
    preparing the CCN applications for the most critically important
  • 00:21:06
    import pass first and at
  • 00:21:10
    least we get some moment, some movement towards those
  • 00:21:13
    CCN applications now
  • 00:21:18
    so that we don't or we mitigate any delays
  • 00:21:22
    that could arise from just kind of waiting
  • 00:21:26
    until May 1, the date certain that I have proposed in this memo.
  • 00:21:30
    And also because potentially you could have eight CCN
  • 00:21:34
    applications going at once. If you prioritize some
  • 00:21:38
    of the import paths and the preparation of this
  • 00:21:42
    preparation of those CCN applications for those import paths,
  • 00:21:45
    you would potentially mitigate the landowner
  • 00:21:49
    impacts, not maybe have all eight going at once and
  • 00:21:53
    also limit consumer costs by prioritizing
  • 00:21:56
    certain CC applications to be prepared first by
  • 00:22:00
    the tsps. So that was an additional sort
  • 00:22:04
    of parameter that I wanted to put in there on authorizing the
  • 00:22:08
    Commissioners. I'm sorry, authorizing the TSPs
  • 00:22:11
    to move forward with preparing the a CCN applications to try to address those
  • 00:22:15
    concerns that I believe could
  • 00:22:19
    arise with having all eight going at once. Again,
  • 00:22:23
    I think that this revised recommendation remains consistent with
  • 00:22:26
    my prior position, which is to allow the applicable
  • 00:22:30
    TSP to start preparing their CCN applications for the import pass that are
  • 00:22:33
    necessary to serve the Permian. When the Commission
  • 00:22:37
    issues the order approving the reliability plan in
  • 00:22:40
    this proceeding, it allows ERCOT and the Commission to continue their EHV
  • 00:22:44
    evaluation and it will bring finality to the import pass in a
  • 00:22:47
    timely manner to allow for the completion of those CCN and applications by
  • 00:22:51
    having that date certain in our order and that date certain
  • 00:22:54
    that I propose is May 1,
  • 00:22:57
    2025. And so, as I had stated
  • 00:23:00
    in my prior memo, that date certain is,
  • 00:23:05
    and I will emphasize is a hard date. It is an
  • 00:23:08
    automatic trigger of a pivot to either 345 or
  • 00:23:12
    765. If we haven't made a decision on
  • 00:23:15
    EHV by May 1, 2025 on EHV,
  • 00:23:20
    then the TSPs that are preparing the
  • 00:23:24
    345 kV applications keep going 345 kV on
  • 00:23:27
    the five import pass. If we have made a decision to go with 765
  • 00:23:32
    then the tsps continue forward with 3765
  • 00:23:37
    CCN applications that remains the same, the core sort
  • 00:23:40
    of pivot point and how that works
  • 00:23:44
    out. And then, of course, the preparation of the CCN
  • 00:23:48
    applications that set forth
  • 00:23:52
    the voltage that wasn't, that's not going to be built,
  • 00:23:55
    would expire. The authorization to continue to prepare
  • 00:23:59
    those CCN applications in addition to
  • 00:24:03
    those.
  • 00:24:06
    The language I carried forward for my memo. But now, with the day certain,
  • 00:24:10
    I have added three deadlines that I think are important
  • 00:24:14
    to have in the order so we can kick off that second proceeding.
  • 00:24:17
    I have in my memo, the first one being that
  • 00:24:21
    within ten business days of the Commission's final order approving a reliability
  • 00:24:24
    plan and this proceeding, that ERCOT must file notice to the
  • 00:24:28
    TSPs in the ERCOT region and file a report in
  • 00:24:32
    the second proceeding that will be used to identify the tsps for implementing the Permian
  • 00:24:36
    Basin reliability plan. And that report will
  • 00:24:39
    identify. Help identify. The TSP is responsible for
  • 00:24:43
    the ownership, construction, operation of the transmission lines and facilities
  • 00:24:46
    associated with common local projects and import paths. So ERCOT has the
  • 00:24:50
    model that can help us identify, at least take that
  • 00:24:54
    first cut as to who they believe would be the project owners.
  • 00:24:58
    They'll file that report within ten business days of our final order in
  • 00:25:02
    that second proceeding. And then within
  • 00:25:06
    15 business days of ERCOT's filing of the report,
  • 00:25:10
    the tsps would file a response to.
  • 00:25:15
    Would have to file a response to ERCOT's report stating whether the TSP's dispute
  • 00:25:20
    ERCOT's identification of responsibility of ownership,
  • 00:25:23
    construction, operation of those facilities and lines that are in
  • 00:25:27
    the plan. So then, after the
  • 00:25:30
    TSP's respond to ERCOT, then they'll have 15 days
  • 00:25:36
    to try to negotiate things out of their
  • 00:25:39
    disputes. But at that 15th day, from the filing of
  • 00:25:43
    ERCOT's report, applicable tsps
  • 00:25:47
    in ERCOT would file a report stating whether there's a whether
  • 00:25:50
    and where on what. There's an agreement on the facilities
  • 00:25:54
    and lines associated with the plan. So the whole goal here is
  • 00:25:57
    just to set forth these three key deadlines to get
  • 00:26:01
    that third, that second proceeding going.
  • 00:26:05
    There's still some details that would have to be hashed out for that
  • 00:26:09
    second proceeding that I proposed in my memo.
  • 00:26:12
    That would be a collaboration with our staff
  • 00:26:17
    and ERCOT and stakeholders to make sure we get that, that path
  • 00:26:21
    forward. Whatever remaining details that need to be figured
  • 00:26:25
    out for that second proceeding hashed out, so that we could
  • 00:26:29
    have an efficient way of determining
  • 00:26:34
    who the project owners are by setting these three deadlines already,
  • 00:26:38
    but also how many ccns that are going
  • 00:26:42
    to be needed for all the projects and reliability plans so that our commission staff
  • 00:26:45
    can set a cadence on how many ccns would have to be filed
  • 00:26:49
    at the Commission per month. Because now we're in
  • 00:26:53
    a 180 day deadline to process the CCN
  • 00:26:57
    applications pursuant to House Bill 5066.
  • 00:27:01
    And then also as we determine who the project owners
  • 00:27:05
    are, then ERCOT would be able to identify which import
  • 00:27:08
    pass would be prioritized to meet
  • 00:27:11
    2030 load out of the CCN applications that
  • 00:27:15
    are being prepared so that the tsps can start preparing those CCN applications.
  • 00:27:19
    Because on day one of 2030 when the load
  • 00:27:22
    starts showing up, according to the models, the massive bulk
  • 00:27:26
    of it, I want to make sure that we're not delayed in the imports because
  • 00:27:29
    we can't serve the Permian without the imports. So that's
  • 00:27:34
    why I think it's important that the second proceeding is
  • 00:27:38
    efficient and provides
  • 00:27:42
    transparency for everyone and certainty
  • 00:27:46
    and ultimately finality how we get there. I mean,
  • 00:27:50
    I think after we approve a final order in this
  • 00:27:54
    proceeding on approving reliability plan,
  • 00:27:57
    we can discuss the details of how,
  • 00:28:00
    additional details of how we process that proceeding.
  • 00:28:04
    There may be a need for some contested cases. I know Commissioner
  • 00:28:08
    Hjaltman mentioned that as well in her memo. And so we can
  • 00:28:12
    continue to hash that out and set
  • 00:28:15
    forth a clear path forward so that the stakeholders in ERCOT
  • 00:28:19
    and the commission are clearly aware of where all
  • 00:28:22
    the deliverables and milestones will be so that we can implement this
  • 00:28:26
    Permian Basin plan as soon as practical and as
  • 00:28:29
    possible. And so part
  • 00:28:33
    of the direction I have in there, in addition to in my memo,
  • 00:28:37
    in addition to the pros of language that I believe should go into order,
  • 00:28:42
    is also a direction to commission staff
  • 00:28:45
    to open two projects right
  • 00:28:49
    now for this time to identify the tsps for
  • 00:28:53
    implementing the Permian Basin plan. And that project will initial
  • 00:28:56
    step would be an information gathering phase.
  • 00:29:00
    And then the second project would be to establish the oversight
  • 00:29:04
    of the completion of the Permian Basin reliability plan. And as
  • 00:29:07
    I had put forth in my memo, that's basically the
  • 00:29:11
    creation of a Permian Basin Monitor.
  • 00:29:14
    And I know I put two options in there. I think probably the
  • 00:29:18
    best option moving forward is for the
  • 00:29:22
    Commission to have a third party consultant to work
  • 00:29:26
    with our staff that is paid for by the TSP so
  • 00:29:29
    that we can effectively
  • 00:29:33
    monitor the completion of the plan. That's a model that I borrowed
  • 00:29:36
    from another large infrastructure build out and I think it worked well.
  • 00:29:40
    And those are the highlights of my memo when
  • 00:29:43
    I'm open to questions or I'll let Commissioner Hjaltman,
  • 00:29:46
    lay out her memo and then we can discuss. Yeah, thank you for that,
  • 00:29:50
    Commissioner Cobos. Yeah. Commissioner Hjaltman, why don't you go
  • Item 9 - Commissioner Hjaltman lays out her memo, 55718
    00:29:53
    ahead and lay out your memo? So, my memo kind of has three
  • 00:29:57
    components, the first being cost, the second, landowner involvement,
  • 00:30:01
    and the third, the back half of the process that Commissioner Cobos just
  • 00:30:05
    laid out. I think, mainly just want to note that
  • 00:30:09
    there's obviously a great concern with the cost that eight lines
  • 00:30:12
    will. Will have, and that
  • 00:30:16
    I want to caution the tsps to be mindful of that cost and then also
  • 00:30:20
    support these expenses being recorded as regulatory assets
  • 00:30:25
    that can be. Come back and come before the Commission for those
  • 00:30:29
    expenses and recovery of costs. But that's never a guarantee. So,
  • 00:30:32
    again, be mindful of that expenditure that you put forth.
  • 00:30:35
    Second, the landowner involvement, I don't think, should be a question mark. I think that
  • 00:30:39
    eliminating that is definitely not something that we
  • 00:30:43
    should do as a commission, so that should not be put forth as an option.
  • 00:30:46
    And then the third, for the back half of the process as laid out,
  • 00:30:49
    is really to make sure that we have once identified,
  • 00:30:54
    through items five, six and seven on Commissioner Cobos' memo,
  • 00:30:58
    that we put forth those determinations in a
  • 00:31:01
    final commission order and through a contested case,
  • 00:31:05
    that will give that finality and decisive decision that everyone will need.
  • 00:31:09
    So that's kind of a quick overview. Can walk through that more, but,
  • 00:31:13
    in general, would like to ask the Commission Staff
  • 00:31:16
    to go back and come up with that process and bring it forth
  • 00:31:20
    for us to discuss at a future meeting. Okay,
  • 00:31:23
    Commissioners, any comments or questions?
  • 00:31:27
    If I can. I'm happy to make a few comments. Thank you all,
  • 00:31:31
    both, for your hard work on this.
  • 00:31:35
    I think the.
  • Item 9 - Commissioner Glotfelty's thoughts on the Commissioner's memos, 55718
    00:31:39
    As I said at the last open meeting, I would be prepared to do 765
  • 00:31:43
    today or last open meeting.
  • 00:31:46
    I continue to believe that. I continue to believe that
  • 00:31:50
    the more we. The deeper we get involved in the process,
  • 00:31:54
    and the deeper ERCOT's involved in the process,
  • 00:31:57
    the longer it's going to take. Commissioner Cobos, I hope
  • 00:32:01
    the days that you put in on item
  • 00:32:05
    number five can be held firm.
  • 00:32:09
    Utilities are the ones who know how to route,
  • 00:32:12
    site, build, energize these lines, not us,
  • 00:32:16
    and definitely not ERCOT. So they.
  • 00:32:20
    ERCOT, when they plan, they plan from substation to substation. They don't
  • 00:32:23
    plan a route. They don't plan route to segments. So we need to
  • 00:32:27
    be mindful that a lot of this is in the wheelhouse of the
  • 00:32:30
    utilities and their consultants. And if
  • 00:32:35
    we continually kick things to ERCOT,
  • 00:32:39
    I fear that there are things that we
  • 00:32:43
    can get tripped up on and slow down. And that
  • 00:32:46
    makes me fearful of the,
  • 00:32:50
    the default back to 345.
  • 00:32:54
    I said this last time as well.
  • 00:32:59
    I don't like the default back to 345. I like us making
  • 00:33:02
    a proactive decision and I wish we could do that today.
  • 00:33:06
    I'm not going to stand in the way of this, but I don't think that
  • 00:33:09
    that's the right default. The amount
  • 00:33:13
    of congestion that we see in West Texas that
  • 00:33:16
    this could help solve is somewhere
  • 00:33:20
    between 100 and $300 million a year. That obviously
  • 00:33:23
    would pay for these lines in a short period of
  • 00:33:27
    time. Not even considering the economic development in the Permian. If you
  • 00:33:31
    look at 765 over 345 in
  • 00:33:34
    terms of line losses,
  • 00:33:38
    345 lines have about four times line than
  • 00:33:42
    a 765 line. Okay, so what does that mean? I did,
  • 00:33:46
    I'm getting in trouble because I'm using this new
  • 00:33:49
    AI tool called chat GBT.
  • 00:33:53
    Wow. I asked that little tool how
  • 00:33:57
    much at a 765
  • 00:34:02
    versus a 345 line at a 80% capacity
  • 00:34:05
    factor of the line, how much
  • 00:34:10
    more or how much less generation would be needed if
  • 00:34:13
    we did 765 and it came back with 250
  • 00:34:17
    mw. So if we do 345
  • 00:34:20
    lines, we need 250 mw more just to make up
  • 00:34:24
    for the line losses that we're going to lose.
  • 00:34:28
    Okay. Times three
  • 00:34:31
    dollar gas, that's $35
  • 00:34:35
    million a year on one line.
  • 00:34:38
    So my point to this is if we want
  • 00:34:42
    to think visionary,
  • 00:34:44
    765 1st became a discussion item in the early two thousands
  • 00:34:48
    in this state. And then they were
  • 00:34:52
    in around 2010 when Crez and
  • 00:34:55
    they got shelved. And now we have a chance to really be visionary for
  • 00:34:59
    the, for the state here. And there are
  • 00:35:04
    lots of reasons to do this in my opinion.
  • 00:35:08
    Again, I think that Commissioner
  • 00:35:12
    Hjaltman, your concern about cost,
  • 00:35:17
    the CCN application cost,
  • 00:35:21
    I think it bears us watching that every single time.
  • 00:35:24
    But I think in comparison to the construction cost
  • 00:35:28
    of the project,
  • 00:35:31
    $0.25 or dollar swing in global steel prices could
  • 00:35:34
    have a ten times greater effect on the price
  • 00:35:37
    of these projects than just that part of the application.
  • 00:35:42
    We need to look at every part of the application and be as efficient
  • 00:35:45
    as we can. So I'm supportive of what you're saying, but in the
  • 00:35:49
    global picture, these projects are big and these projects use a
  • 00:35:53
    lot of steel and a lot of labor and that's the bulk of
  • 00:35:57
    the cost in these technologies.
  • 00:36:02
    I hope that we pass this today. I hope we go forward.
  • 00:36:07
    I believe that we are doing something here that will,
  • 00:36:11
    that we can brag about in a few decades
  • 00:36:15
    and people will look back and say this was the right thing to do at
  • 00:36:18
    the right time and could have been done sooner,
  • 00:36:21
    but we took the chance and we did it.
  • 00:36:25
    The load in the permian basin.
  • 00:36:29
    My view is that the load is already in the permian basin.
  • 00:36:33
    It may peak in 2030, but there's a lot of
  • 00:36:37
    load in the permian basin that's nothing
  • 00:36:41
    electrically hooked up yet that could be today.
  • 00:36:44
    And the sooner we get a decision the better off we're going to be
  • 00:36:48
    and the more economic development we're going to have for our state and the more
  • 00:36:51
    wages we're going to have for our employees. Finally, I would say
  • 00:36:55
    that I know the issue of right
  • 00:36:59
    of way in hearings. We can
  • 00:37:02
    bring up condemnation as well. The 765
  • 00:37:06
    lines use somewhere over
  • 00:37:10
    400 miles less right of way,
  • 00:37:13
    which means less landowners.
  • 00:37:16
    And to me that is a very very positive attribute
  • 00:37:20
    of these 765 lines. So all
  • 00:37:24
    those things being said, I'm appreciative of your leadership,
  • 00:37:28
    Commissioner Cobos. As I said last time, I want to
  • 00:37:31
    go faster, but I'm willing to help you all get
  • 00:37:35
    to the same place. And I'm happy to vote yes on this
  • Item 9 - Commissioner Jackson's thoughts on Commissioner's memos, 55718
    00:37:39
    today. I'm very much supportive
  • 00:37:43
    of preserving the optionality.
  • 00:37:47
    I think we're at a, if you will, kind of an opportunity
  • 00:37:50
    state for the state of Texas to kind of sit back and kind of look
  • 00:37:54
    at what does the grid of the future look like. We're very fortunate
  • 00:37:57
    that we have growth because this gives us an opportunity to do things that
  • 00:38:01
    maybe other parts of the country can't do. And so what
  • 00:38:05
    is in, I believe our best interest is gathering all the data and the information
  • 00:38:10
    that we can at this point in time asking, if you will, the right questions,
  • 00:38:14
    getting stakeholder engagement and really kind of
  • 00:38:18
    sitting down and evaluating that data.
  • 00:38:20
    Because the better the data, the better the science.
  • 00:38:24
    The better the science, the better the ongoing policy and the
  • 00:38:27
    opportunity here to study this,
  • 00:38:31
    to preserve the optionality and be able to
  • 00:38:34
    actually evaluate what are the benefits
  • 00:38:37
    of EHV and maybe do a little bit more deeper dive
  • 00:38:41
    than just the Google search and
  • 00:38:46
    engage people so that we know that we're asking the right
  • 00:38:49
    questions and positioning us for the future.
  • 00:38:53
    I know we talked a lot about the import lines because that's been
  • 00:38:56
    kind of the subject of the day. But I believe you also mentioned
  • 00:39:00
    that the game plan here moving forward is to immediately start
  • 00:39:03
    on the local, the local transmission. So the
  • 00:39:08
    sooner we get this in, the sooner we start garnering the benefits and
  • 00:39:12
    kind of sending the message again that Texas does have the grid of the future.
  • 00:39:15
    So look forward to the opportunity to
  • 00:39:19
    look at 765, to look at 345.
  • 00:39:25
    And again, just preserving
  • 00:39:28
    that optionality. So I'm very much in favor of this.
  • 00:39:33
    Thank you Commissioners and Commissioner Glotfelty.
  • Item 9 - Commissioner Cobos' thoughts on Commissioner's memos, 55718
    00:39:37
    We've had a lot of discussions on EHV. I'm looking forward
  • 00:39:40
    to this fall and the study that ERCOT provides us.
  • 00:39:43
    I think it's going to be very important that that gets completed because it
  • 00:39:47
    is. I know you've said it's been brought up in the past and it's been
  • 00:39:50
    shelved. If we want to build a grid for the future and EHV
  • 00:39:54
    is a part of that, I want to make sure that we get all the
  • 00:39:57
    data we can. Because it's not just do you go to 765 and all the
  • 00:40:00
    benefits. It's also like the statewide plan that ERCOT wants and
  • 00:40:04
    what is the impact, what are the costs and benefits there? And so
  • 00:40:09
    I very much look forward to ERCOT completing their evaluation,
  • 00:40:12
    their study, putting forth their plan
  • 00:40:17
    for the state so that we can evaluate it over here. And with respect
  • 00:40:21
    to the optionality, the reason I think that it's,
  • 00:40:24
    we're kind of in this place is because the permian basin plan,
  • 00:40:28
    the proceeding kicked off last December,
  • 00:40:32
    having led this project. And some of you all may be aware
  • 00:40:35
    of kind of when EHV entered the discussion for the permian,
  • 00:40:38
    Washington in the summer and then
  • 00:40:42
    finally in the report. So it's been sort of
  • 00:40:45
    a new phenomenon
  • 00:40:49
    in the Permian Basin reliability plan. And in order to,
  • 00:40:53
    because the EHV process at ERCOT didn't quite line up with the Permian
  • 00:40:57
    plan in order to preserve the ability to
  • 00:41:02
    look at these high voltage lines as
  • 00:41:05
    part of the Permian and not set back the Permian with the imports that they
  • 00:41:08
    need and takes, you know, five, seven years to build transmission, I guess.
  • 00:41:12
    And we want to make sure that they have the imports on day one,
  • 00:41:14
    they're going to need the local projects to be built to
  • 00:41:19
    serve the Permian. But the imports are critically important
  • 00:41:23
    because we're going to need to move power over there. There's not
  • 00:41:27
    sufficient generation there at this time. And we'll know more through the Texas Energy fund
  • 00:41:31
    as those operations in the Permian are 24/7 operations. Right.
  • 00:41:35
    So we're going to need to move a lot of power over there. And the
  • 00:41:37
    imports are critically important. And the optionality is the
  • 00:41:40
    best we can do right now to preserve our ability
  • 00:41:44
    to keep ehv on the table for evaluation and still
  • 00:41:48
    keep the imports going in some form or fashion.
  • 00:41:52
    Because as you've noted, Commissioner Glotfelty. I mean, the Permian
  • 00:41:55
    is critically important, important for our state. I mean, when we
  • 00:41:59
    approve a plan here today, just getting the base
  • 00:42:02
    local projects going and getting movement and finally
  • 00:42:06
    finality of where those CCN applications go on. Voltage is
  • 00:42:10
    going to be just tremendously beneficial for that region.
  • 00:42:15
    Beneficial not just to electrify and make their operations
  • 00:42:19
    more efficient, but to extend further into
  • 00:42:22
    the Delaware basin, which is in West Texas, in my neck
  • 00:42:26
    of the woods, kind of. And so, I mean,
  • 00:42:29
    it's going to be a tremendous boon for our state in
  • 00:42:32
    so many ways. And so I'm really excited
  • 00:42:36
    to approve a plan here today. I think that
  • 00:42:39
    preserving optionality is a very thoughtful
  • 00:42:43
    and prudent and diligent thing to do here today,
  • 00:42:47
    just so we could all get comfortable with the idea of 765 and
  • 00:42:50
    make sure we have the data to support it, because it's not just going to
  • 00:42:53
    be us, the Commission that looks at it, it's going to be the stakeholders.
  • 00:42:56
    It's going to be potentially the legislature that may want to have feedback on it.
  • 00:42:59
    So we want to put forth the best available data to support ERCOT
  • 00:43:03
    needs to put the best data, give us the best data they have, and we
  • 00:43:06
    need to go through a robust review process this
  • 00:43:11
    next year so that we are sure where we want to head
  • 00:43:16
    transmission planning purposes into the future.
  • 00:43:20
    Commissioner Hjaltman, your costs about your
  • 00:43:24
    concerns about consumers, I mean, I shared those some. I hear what you're saying,
  • 00:43:27
    Commissioner Glotfelty, that there's not going to be a lot of costs potentially incurred at
  • 00:43:31
    the beginning of preparing these CCN applications.
  • 00:43:34
    I just, you know, any, any amount of
  • 00:43:37
    money spent on something that's just paper shuffling
  • 00:43:41
    to, and not, and some of it may not be paper
  • 00:43:44
    shuffling. You may have to put deposits down on equipment and those costs
  • 00:43:48
    can go up. Any amount of money that's spent, that the ratepayers have to pay
  • 00:43:51
    for something that they didn't benefit from causes me concern.
  • 00:43:55
    And so to Commissioner Hjaltman's recommendation on regulatory asset,
  • 00:43:59
    I think that is a clear way for the utilities
  • 00:44:03
    to track those expenses. And like you
  • 00:44:07
    mentioned in your memo,
  • 00:44:10
    it doesn't guarantee, I mean, by authorizing the TSPs to move
  • 00:44:13
    forward to prepare CCNs and
  • 00:44:18
    tracking them through a regulatory asset, I think we want to stress
  • 00:44:22
    that they will still have to prove that those costs are reasonable and prudently incurred.
  • 00:44:26
    So I share your concerns. I think your path forward makes sense to
  • 00:44:30
    me. The landowner concern, definitely agree.
  • 00:44:35
    And that's why I provided that optionality the
  • 00:44:38
    prioritization piece to the optionality proposal to try to
  • 00:44:42
    mitigate those impacts. So we don't have maybe all eight going at once.
  • 00:44:45
    And I know that sometimes depending on the TSP some engage
  • 00:44:50
    with landowners maybe earlier than others. But we want to let y'all do
  • 00:44:53
    what y'all normally do.
  • 00:44:56
    Don't want to leave a very important voice
  • 00:45:00
    out of this process and that is the property owners of our state.
  • 00:45:04
    So do what you normally do in preparing CCNs
  • 00:45:09
    and then to your third piece. I think we continue to talk about it.
  • 00:45:12
    I hear where you're coming from. I think we're on the same page and we'll
  • 00:45:14
    figure out what best, you know, how best to do it with the process on
  • 00:45:17
    it. So I appreciate your thoughts and all your feedback on this.
  • 00:45:21
    It's been helpful to think through and visit about
  • 00:45:25
    these issues here today. So thank you.
  • 00:45:29
    Can I just say one thing?
  • 00:45:32
    345 765 the thing that I
  • 00:45:36
    get fearful about, well, the thing that I think about
  • 00:45:39
    is when we build pipelines in this state,
  • 00:45:43
    when companies build pipelines in this state. The Railroad Commission
  • 00:45:46
    and the legislature don't tell them is it a 30 inch line?
  • 00:45:49
    Is it a 60 inch line. They do it
  • 00:45:52
    based upon economics for the long term. And that's
  • 00:45:56
    what we need to think about here in my opinion is that over
  • 00:46:00
    the long term what is the best thing for this state?
  • 00:46:03
    So I agree with you. You know, data is important.
  • 00:46:07
    Data is great. Data is necessary to
  • 00:46:11
    get us over this hum. But I'm convinced that the data will show
  • 00:46:14
    that will lead us to the right answer.
  • 00:46:19
    The other consideration in my opinion is also timing.
  • 00:46:23
    Right? Because this is a race and so we
  • 00:46:27
    need to make sure that, you know, if we move forward with 765
  • 00:46:31
    as opposed to 345 that we can do it within the timing that
  • 00:46:35
    is needed in the Permian because it is such an important asset.
  • 00:46:38
    And I mean we've talked about it being economic development but there's no standing
  • 00:46:42
    still in economic development. Continue to have even what you have
  • 00:46:45
    today unless you invest and you're able and you're capable to
  • 00:46:49
    execute in the future. And I think you mentioned that,
  • 00:46:53
    you know, when I visited the Permian and saw it for myself, I mean they
  • 00:46:56
    are, they're behind right now and
  • 00:47:00
    so they could use, you know, what we can provide in
  • 00:47:04
    terms of electrifying the Permian right now today. So yes,
  • 00:47:07
    we need to make sure that we're thinking about the future but we also are
  • 00:47:11
    kind of needing to balance that. It's very much a race and something that we
  • 00:47:14
    need to make sure that we cross that finish line when we need to.
  • Item 9 - Chairman Gleeson's thoughts on Commissioner's memos, 55718
    00:47:18
    Yeah. I think, for me, that's the salient point
  • 00:47:21
    on the plan, is we're trying to strike a balance between that growth
  • 00:47:26
    and meeting it. But also, you know, I want to thank everyone
  • 00:47:29
    who listened to what I said last time and spent the time to come talk
  • 00:47:32
    to me about this, what I heard from the customers over and over again.
  • 00:47:35
    Washington, we're fine with 765 if the data proves it
  • 00:47:38
    out, but we care mostly about the timing. And so I think kind
  • 00:47:41
    of the beauty of this plan is it will
  • 00:47:44
    hold us accountable with the timeline to make sure
  • 00:47:48
    that if 765 is how we want to go, we do
  • 00:47:51
    it on a timeline that works for everybody, and if not, the customers
  • 00:47:55
    will still get the build that they think they need. And so that's,
  • 00:47:59
    you know, Commissioner, I think that's a really good point. I think that's how I
  • 00:48:02
    got to the same place as well, that I think this is the right
  • 00:48:06
    way to go. Shelah, I want to make sure that you
  • 00:48:10
    and Mark have everything you might need to try to write an order
  • 00:48:13
    coming out of this. So I wrote down just a couple of things I
  • 00:48:17
    want to make sure we're all in agreement on. Please. If I'm missing anything
  • 00:48:20
    that you feel maybe we need more clarity on, let me know.
  • 00:48:24
    So I think I heard everyone is good with Commissioner Kobos
  • 00:48:28
    memo, the May 1 deadline, correct?
  • 00:48:33
    Okay. We're also good from Commissioner Hjaltman's
  • 00:48:37
    memo letting the TDUs book the
  • 00:48:41
    regulatory asset. Yes. Okay.
  • 00:48:44
    And we're good moving forward with a plan that is,
  • 00:48:47
    the lines is modified by ERCOT's last addendum that they filed.
  • 00:48:51
    Yes. Okay. Shelah, Mark is there
  • 00:48:55
    anything else you need? I'm not sure I understand
  • 00:48:59
    where Commissioner Hjaltman said that she preferred
  • 00:49:03
    or she recommends the steps
  • 00:49:07
    being taken to go into a contested docket versus
  • Item 9 - Commissioner Hjaltman gives clarification on her memo, 55718
    00:49:10
    a project? I think it is,
  • 00:49:13
    for Staff to come back to us at the
  • 00:49:17
    next meeting or when they can, with recommendations of how
  • 00:49:20
    they would be helpful for us to proceed after
  • 00:49:24
    steps five, six, and seven on the memo as laid
  • 00:49:28
    out. So once that fact gathering is done by
  • 00:49:31
    ERCOT and the TSPs. So in this order,
  • 00:49:35
    that would not be laid out yet. So after
  • 00:49:38
    steps five through seven. Yes. Okay. So I think I may have misheard what you
  • 00:49:41
    said about 5 through 7 being in a final Commission Order. Sorry.
  • 00:49:45
    Contested case. Okay. Yes. Got it.
  • 00:49:48
    Shelah, Mark anything else?
  • 00:49:51
    Okay. Again, thank you to the four of you, and especially
  • 00:49:55
    Commissioner Cobos, thank you to you and your staff for all the leadership on this.
  • 00:49:59
    All the market participants that came in to ERCOT, to everybody,
  • 00:50:03
    this has been quite a lift, and it took
  • 00:50:06
    a lot of folks. But you need to be commended for all the work you
  • 00:50:09
    did on this to get it to where it is. So everyone should be really
  • 00:50:12
    appreciative of you and your staff and all the work. Thank you, Chairman Gleeson.
    EditCreate clip
  • Item 9 - Motion to direct OPDM to draft order consistent with Commissioner's memos, 55718
    00:50:15
    So with that, I would entertain a motion to direct OPDM to
  • 00:50:19
    draft an order consistent with Commissioner Cobos memo,
  • 00:50:24
    Commissioner Hjaltman's memo and our discussion.
  • 00:50:26
    So moved. Second. Have a motion and a second.
  • 00:50:30
    All those in favor say aye. Opposed?
  • 00:50:33
    Motion prevails. Well done. Yes. I feel like I need to
  • 00:50:36
    slam a gavel or something. Do we
  • 00:50:39
    have a piece of wire of transmission line we could give her? I don't know.
  • 00:50:42
    Kristi says she might do a balloon release or something but. May
  • 00:50:47
    I recommend doves.
  • Item 21 - Project No. 56793 – Issues Related to the Disaster Resulting from Hurricane Beryl
    00:50:51
    Okay. So I don't have anything until we get
  • 00:50:55
    to Items 21 and 22, so I'm going to call those
  • 00:50:58
    up together. That is Project No. 56793, issues related
  • Item 22 - Project No. 56822 – Investigation of Emergency Preparedness and Response by Utilities in Houston and Surrounding Communities
    00:51:02
    to the disaster resulting from Hurricane barrel. And Project No.
  • 00:51:06
    56822, investigation of emergency preparedness in
  • 00:51:10
    response by utilities in the Houston surrounding communities. I think we
  • 00:51:13
    have an update from our Executive Director.
  • Item 21 - Executive Director, Connie Corona gives update on Houston workshop, 56793
    00:51:17
    Yes thank you, Chairman. We are
  • 00:51:21
    in the process of finalizing the agenda for our October 5 workshop
  • 00:51:25
    in Houston that will take place at the Harris County Department
  • 00:51:29
    of Education in the Ronald Reagan building beginning
  • 00:51:32
    at 09:00am. Members of the public are invited to attend
  • 00:51:37
    and provide verbal comments, and we'll also be hearing from
  • 00:51:41
    some subject matter experts as it relates to best practices
  • 00:51:45
    in storm preparation and response.
  • 00:51:49
    So again, I think this is a really important part. I'm glad that we're
  • 00:51:52
    going to Houston to do this, to hear from folks out there. I think
  • 00:51:56
    we'll learn a lot about how everyone feels and their thoughts
  • 00:52:00
    on a number of issues related to resiliency and reliability in the Gulf
  • 00:52:04
    coast. So thank you to staff for all your work on pulling this together.
  • 00:52:07
    I know Luisa worked a lot on this, so very thankful to her.
  • Item 22 - Connie Corona on RFI response, 56822
    00:52:11
    Thank you. Thank you. And I would also like to
  • 00:52:14
    extend the staff team's thanks to the
  • 00:52:19
    RFI response respondents who have provided
  • 00:52:23
    information and been collaborative in their follow up with
  • 00:52:27
    staff. We have just about completed our collection
  • 00:52:30
    of the information, a handful of things to finalize
  • 00:52:36
    with those RFIs, and then we will begin preparing
  • 00:52:40
    our investigation report for your consideration in November.
  • 00:52:45
    Thank you, Connie. Okay. Commissioners,
  • 00:52:49
    we do not have a closed session. Any other items for discussion?
  • Item 22 - Chairman Gleeson adjourns meeting
    00:52:54
    All right, nice meeting. With that, as
  • 00:52:58
    there being no further business before us. This meeting of the Public Utility Commission is hereby
  • 00:53:01
    adjourned.

Commissioner Memos

ControlItemFiling DatePartyDescriptionAction
5571849September 25, 2024PUC OPDMCOMMISSIONER LORI COBOS AND COMMISSIONER COURTNEY HJALTMAN MEMORANDA
5571849September 25, 2024PUC OPDMCOMMISSIONER LORI COBOS AND COMMISSIONER COURTNEY HJALTMAN MEMORANDA

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