On Sept. 1, the TCEQ’s retail public utility rates, certificate of convenience and necessity (CCN), and sale transfer merger (STM) programs transferred to the Public Utility Commission (PUC), part of the Sunset Advisory Commission’s recommendations in the 83rd legislature. In its report to the legislature, Sunset said the transfer will “allow TCEQ to focus on its core environmental mission while taking advantage of PUC’s historic ratemaking expertise.”
In implementing the transfer, the TCEQ and the PUC determined that all applications, orders and other matters associated with the transferring programs that are pending before the TCEQ on Sept. 1, 2014 will be transferred to the PUC. Also, any pending litigation matters at the Office of the Attorney General will be transferred on that date to the PUC.
TCEQ website links concerning these programs will send users to the PUC. The PUC home page is: www.puc.texas.gov/.
Applications affected by the transfer include:
- rate/tariff changes;
- STM applications; and
- CCN-related applications.
Entities potentially affected:
- investor-owned utilities;
- water supply corporations;
- city and county-owned utilities;
- wastewater utilities; and
- anyone interested in the policies, rates and operations of a retail public or private water utility in Texas.
Fourteen current TCEQ employees were transferred to the PUC on September 1. In addition, the TCEQ will send six vacant positions to the PUC.
Information discussing the transfer of the CCN and water utility rate programs is at: www.tceq.texas.gov/utilities/water-utility-transfer-to-PUC.