| (1) System-wide standards. The standards must be unique
to each utility based on the utility's performance and may be adjusted
by the commission if appropriate for weather or improvements in data
acquisition systems. The standards will be the average of the utility's
performance from the later of reporting years 1998, 1999, and 2000,
or the first three reporting years the utility is in operation.
(A) SAIFI. Each utility must maintain and operate its
electric distribution system so that its SAIFI value does not exceed
its system-wide SAIFI standard by more than 5.0%.
(B) SAIDI. Each utility must maintain and operate its
electric distribution system so that its SAIDI value does not exceed
its system-wide SAIDI standard by more than 5.0%.
(2) Distribution feeder performance. The commission
will evaluate the performance of distribution feeders with ten or
more customers after each reporting year. Each utility must maintain
and operate its distribution system so that no distribution feeder
with ten or more customers sustains a SAIDI or SAIFI value for a reporting
year that is more than 300% greater than the system average of all
feeders during any two consecutive reporting years.
(3) Enforcement. The commission may take appropriate
enforcement action, including action against a utility, if the system
and feeder performance is not operated and maintained in accordance
with this subsection. In determining the appropriate enforcement action,
the commission will consider:
(A) the feeder's operation and maintenance history;
(B) the cause of each interruption in the feeder's
service;
(C) any action taken by a utility to address the feeder's
performance;
(D) the estimated cost and benefit of remediating a
feeder's performance; and
(E) any other relevant factor as determined by the
commission.
(h) Critical natural gas facilities. In accordance
with §3.65 of this title, critical natural gas standards apply
to each facility in this state designated as a critical customer under §3.65
of this title. In this subsection, the term "utility" includes MOUs,
electric cooperatives, and entities considered utilities under subsection
(a) of this section.
(1) Critical customer information.
(A) In accordance with §3.65 of this title, the
operator of a critical natural gas facility must provide critical
customer information to the entities listed in clauses (i) and (ii)
of this subparagraph. The critical customer information must be provided
by email using Form CI-D and any attachments, as prescribed by the
Railroad Commission of Texas.
(i) The utility from which the critical natural gas
facility receives electric delivery service; and
(ii) For critical natural gas facilities located in
the ERCOT region, the independent organization certified under PURA §39.151.
(B) The commission will maintain on its website a list
of utility email addresses to be used for the provision of critical
customer information under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph. Each
utility must ensure that the email address listed on the commission's
website is accurate. If the utility's email address changes or is
inaccurate, the utility must provide the commission with an updated
email address within five business days of the change or of becoming
aware of the inaccuracy.
(C) Within ten business days of receipt, the utility
must evaluate the critical customer information for completeness and
provide written notice to the operator of the critical natural gas
facility regarding the status of its critical natural gas designation.
(i) If the information submitted is incomplete, the
utility's notice must specify what additional information is required
and provide a deadline for response that is no sooner than five business
days from when the critical natural gas facility receives the written
notice. If the utility does not receive the additional information
in a timely fashion, the utility may use its discretion to determine
if it is possible to treat the natural gas facility as critical for
load shed and power restoration purposes.
(ii) If the information submitted is complete, the
utility's notice must notify the operator of the facility's critical
natural gas status, the date of its designation, any additional classifications
assigned to the facility by the utility, and notice that its critical
status does not constitute a guarantee of an uninterrupted supply
of energy.
(iii) A utility must provide an additional notice to
the operator of the critical natural gas facility regarding any changes
to the information provided in the notice required under clause (i)
of this subparagraph. Notice must be provided within ten business
days of the effective date of the change.
(D) A utility or an independent system operator receiving
or sending critical customer information regarding a critical natural
gas facility under this subsection must not release critical customer
information to any person unless authorized by the commission or the
operator of the critical natural gas facility. This prohibition does
not apply to the release of such information to the commission, the
Railroad Commission of Texas, the utility from which the critical
natural gas facility receives electric delivery service, the designated
transmission operator, or the independent system operator or reliability
coordinator for the power region in which the critical natural gas
facility is located. This prohibition also does not apply if the critical
customer information is redacted, aggregated, or organized in such
a way as to make it impossible to identify the critical natural gas
facility to which the information applies.
(2) Prioritization of critical natural gas facilities.
A critical natural gas facility is a critical load during an energy
emergency. A utility must incorporate critical natural gas facilities
into its load-shed and restoration planning. For purposes of this
paragraph, a utility may also treat a natural gas facility that self-designated
as critical using the Application for Critical
Load Serving Electric Generation and Cogeneration form as a
critical natural gas facility, as circumstances require.
(A) A utility must prioritize critical natural gas
facilities for continued power delivery during an energy emergency.
(B) A utility may use its discretion to prioritize
power delivery and power restoration among critical natural gas facilities
and other critical loads on its system, as circumstances require.
(C) A utility must consider any additional guidance
or prioritization criteria provided by the commission, the Railroad
Commission of Texas, or the reliability coordinator for its power
region to prioritize among critical natural gas facilities and other
critical loads during an energy emergency.
(D) Compliance with directives of a regional transmission
organization having authority over a utility outside of the ERCOT
power region will be deemed compliance for that utility.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §25.52 adopted to be effective December 6, 1998, 23 TexReg 11921; amended to be effective December 29, 1999, 24 TexReg 11712; amended to be effective January 7, 2010, 35 TexReg 88; amended to be effective November 6, 2012, 37 TexReg 8796; amended to be effective December 20, 2021, 46 TexReg 8706 |
