Texas
Public Utility Commission of Texas
Commissioners
4Upcoming Hearings
6Jun 1, 2026
8:30 AM
Jun 1, 2026
9:30 AM
Jun 2, 2026
10:00 AM
Jun 17, 2026
9:30 AM
Jun 18, 2026
9:30 AM
Jun 19, 2026
595572:30 PM
Active Proceedings
1Docket No. 58306
Oncor sought a major distribution rate increase; parties reached a settlement of approximately $560 million in January 2026, pending PUCT approval. One of the largest electric rate settlements in Texas history.
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State Intelligence
Updated Jun 1, 2026Utility Landscape
Oncor Electric Delivery
IOUNorth and west Texas, including Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex; largest electric transmission and distribution utility in Texas by customer count (~10 million metered connections)
Subject to PUCT rate review under its Distribution Cost Recovery Factor (DCRF) and Transmission Cost Recovery Factor (TCRF) mechanisms; filed a major base rate case in 2024 seeking significant increases tied to storm hardening and grid investment, with PUCT proceedings ongoing into 2025-2026.
CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric
IOUGreater Houston metropolitan area and surrounding Gulf Coast counties; serves approximately 2.8 million metered customers
Facing heightened PUCT scrutiny following widespread and prolonged outages during Hurricane Beryl (July 2024); PUCT ordered a comprehensive performance review and the utility committed to a multibillion-dollar grid hardening plan under a performance improvement framework, with compliance filings under active review.
AEP Texas
IOUSouth and west Texas, including Corpus Christi, Laredo, and the Rio Grande Valley; two subsidiaries (AEP Texas Central and AEP Texas North) serving approximately 1 million customers
Has utilized DCRF and TCRF riders extensively to recover incremental capital; filed for base rate adjustments to address distribution modernization costs; territory includes significant renewable generation interconnection activity in ERCOT's West load zone.
Pedernales Electric Cooperative
coopTexas Hill Country and surrounding Central Texas counties; largest electric distribution cooperative in the U.S. by customer count (~350,000 members)
Not directly rate-regulated by PUCT but subject to PUCT jurisdiction on certain transmission matters and REP-related issues; actively investing in grid automation and distributed energy resource integration to address load growth from Hill Country residential expansion.
Austin Energy
muniCity of Austin and portions of Travis, Williamson, and Bastrop counties; serves approximately 500,000 customers
Governed by Austin City Council rather than PUCT for retail rates; completed a rate redesign process in 2023-2024 focused on income-based affordability tiers and electrification support; manages a resource portfolio with significant utility-scale solar and storage, targeting carbon neutrality by 2035.
El Paso Electric
IOUEl Paso and far west Texas, plus southern New Mexico; dual-jurisdictional utility regulated by both PUCT and New Mexico PRC
Filed a Texas base rate case in 2024 seeking recovery of capital investments in generation reliability and transmission upgrades; dual-jurisdiction complexity adds procedural timelines; not part of ERCOT — interconnected with the Western Interconnection and SPP.
Key Issues
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CenterPoint Energy grid hardening and accountability: Following Hurricane Beryl's July 2024 devastation of the Houston distribution system, PUCT has imposed a formal performance improvement plan on CenterPoint, including third-party audits, vegetation management benchmarks, and accelerated undergrounding pilots; legislation (SB 7, 89th Session) sought to expand PUCT enforcement authority and penalty structures for utility performance failures.
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ERCOT grid reliability and reserve margin adequacy: PUCT and ERCOT continue to implement the Performance Credit Mechanism (PCM) — a capacity-like construct adopted after Winter Storm Uri — with ongoing rulemaking to calibrate credit prices, dispatchable resource procurement targets, and compliance obligations as summer 2026 peak demand forecasts approach or exceed planning reserves.
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Oncor and CenterPoint base rate cases and cost recovery: Both utilities have active or recently concluded base rate proceedings seeking recovery of substantial transmission and distribution capital; PUCT commissioners are scrutinizing the prudency of storm-related capital, the appropriate rate of return on equity in a higher-interest-rate environment, and the balance between rider mechanisms versus consolidated base rate treatment.
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Renewable and storage interconnection backlogs in ERCOT: PUCT is overseeing ERCOT's Interconnection Process reforms following the 2023-2024 overhaul; thousands of gigawatts of solar, wind, and battery storage projects remain in the queue; PUCT rulemaking addresses deposit structures, readiness requirements, and transmission planning cost allocation for new generation-rich zones, particularly in West Texas.
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Retail electric market competition and consumer protection: PUCT is revisiting retail market rules in the competitive ERCOT zone, including default service provisions, price-to-beat successor products for low-income customers, Truth-in-Billing enforcement against deceptive REP marketing, and the role of aggregators and demand response in a market with increasing behind-the-meter DER penetration.
Upcoming
Estimated deadline for CenterPoint Energy to submit its mid-year compliance report under PUCT's Hurricane Beryl performance improvement framework, including vegetation management completion metrics, automated switching deployment milestones, and updated outage duration benchmarks; PUCT staff review and potential enforcement action expected to follow.
Estimated PUCT open meeting at which commissioners are expected to consider final order or key interim decisions in Oncor's pending base rate case (Docket filed 2024), including rulings on return on equity, storm cost prudency, and the scope of allowable capital additions; outcome will set precedent for subsequent IOU rate filings.
Estimated ERCOT and PUCT joint deadline for completing the first compliance review cycle under the Performance Credit Mechanism rules adopted in 2025; PUCT staff report on generator compliance, credit issuance accuracy, and any recommended rule modifications anticipated for fall 2026 open meeting consideration.
Estimated effective date for revised PUCT retail market rules governing Retail Electric Provider (REP) marketing disclosures and low-income default service protections, following a 2025-2026 rulemaking project; compliance obligations for REPs operating in the ERCOT competitive zone anticipated to take effect ahead of the 2026-2027 winter enrollment period.
Commissioner Watch
View all ↗Patrick Rhode appointmented of the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
Staff
142| Name | Title | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Hoke | Director, External Affairs | (512) 936-7000 |
| Tom Hunter | Agency Counsel | (512) 936-7000 |
| Darryl Tietjen | Director, Rate Regulation | (512) 936-7000 |
| Eduardo Acosta | Infrastructure Engineer | (512) 936-7430 |
| John Alemdar Alemdar | TX Energy Fund Coordinator | (512) 936-7004 |
| Daniel Alvarado | Attorney | (512) 936-7000 |
| Mildred Anaele | Attorney | (512) 936-7345 |
| Mack Arthur | Regulatory Attorney | (512) 936-7013 |
| Andy Aus | — | (512) 936-7000 |
| Nathalie Barba | Executive Assistant | (512) 936-7494 |
| Harika Basaran | Director-Market Analysis | (512) 936-7143 |
| Will Bashur | Chief of Staff | (512) 936-7000 |
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