SB 715 Texas Senate · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to reliability requirements for certain electric generation facilities.

This bill (SB 715) modifies reliability requirements for electric power plants in Texas' ERCOT grid that have operated for at least one year and aren't self-generators. It creates specific exemptions from financial penalties for these plants during planned maintenance, transmission outages, or when they already meet other performance rules. The bill also requires Texas' Public Utility Commission to consider using collected penalty funds to rebate money directly to consumers or fund reliability improvements, prioritizing maximum consumer benefit while maintaining grid reliability. These changes apply to facilities meeting the bill's criteria starting September 1, 2025.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 6, 2025 Last action May 12, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 6 edits · May 8, 2025
MODERATE
The bill was renumbered from SB A715 to SB 715 and updated with clearer formatting. The core policy changes expand the applicability of reliability requirements to include facilities signed on or after January 1, 2027, add exemptions for facilities with pre-existing power purchase agreements, and introduce new provisions for penalty rebates and phased implementation to protect consumers from market disruptions.
Scope change
The bill now explicitly includes electric generation facilities in the ERCOT power region that have been in operation for at least one year and are subject to a standard generator interconnection agreement signed on or after January 1, 2027, while exempting facilities with power purchase agreements entered into before the act's effective date.
ELIGIBILITY

Added eligibility criteria requiring facilities to have a standard generator interconnection agreement signed on or after January 1, 2027, and to have been in operation for at least one year.

REQUIREMENT

Added new Section 1(d) preventing the independent organization from imposing penalties for resource unavailability due to planned maintenance, transmission outages, or during specific hours outside baseline ramping periods.

Added Section 3(b) exempting owners or operators with pre-existing power purchase agreements from compliance with performance requirements until the agreement expires.

ENFORCEMENT

Added Section 4 requiring the Public Utility Commission to consider penalty rebates to consumers or reliability incentives, prioritizing maximum financial benefit to consumers while meeting reliability needs.

Added Section 4(b) allowing financial penalties and incentives to be implemented in a phased manner over multiple years to mitigate market disruptions and increased consumer costs.

TIMELINE

Section 3(a) requires the Public Utility Commission to adopt implementing rules by January 1, 2027.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
29
Key actions
8
Committee
7
Amendments
3
May 12, 2025
Committee
Referred to State Affairs
lower
May 12, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
May 9, 2025
Introduced
Received from the Senate
lower
May 8, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
May 8, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed to engrossment as amended
upper
May 8, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amended
upper
May 8, 2025
Introduced
Amendment(s) offered
upper
Apr 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
Apr 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
upper
Apr 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
Apr 1, 2025
Upper · Passed
Left pending in committee
upper
Apr 1, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
Feb 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Business & Commerce
upper
Feb 7, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
1 primary · 5 co-sponsors

Sponsors