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TITLE 16ECONOMIC REGULATION
PART 2PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS
CHAPTER 25SUBSTANTIVE RULES APPLICABLE TO ELECTRIC SERVICE PROVIDERS
SUBCHAPTER KRELATIONSHIPS WITH AFFILIATES
RULE §25.275Code of Conduct for Municipally Owned Utilities and Electric Cooperatives Engaged in Competitive Activities

available to all non-affiliates and third parties under the same terms and conditions and at the same price or fully allocated cost as it is made available to any person providing competitive energy-related activities on behalf of the Bundled MOU/COOP.

    (D) Requests for information. If a customer or potential customer of a Bundled MOU/COOP makes an unsolicited request for distribution service, competitive energy-related activities, products or services provided by an Bundled MOU/COOP, or for information relating to such products or services, the Bundled MOU/COOP shall inform the customer that competitive energy-related activities are available not only from the Bundled MOU/COOP, but also from other providers. If the Bundled MOU/COOP provides the customer or potential customer with information about competitive energy-related activities offered by the Bundled MOU/COOP, the Bundled MOU/COOP must record and allocate the costs associated with the provision of such information in the same manner as transactions involving the provision of competitive energy related activities, in accordance with paragraph (1)(C) of this subsection. The Bundled MOU/COOP shall not offer the customer or potential customer any opinion regarding the service of any other competitive energy service provider. Upon request, the Bundled MOU/COOP shall make available to a customer a copy of the most recent list of competitive energy service providers as developed and maintained by the commission and may make available telephone numbers and other commonly available information. Such information shall also be made available by the Bundled MOU/COOP to its transmission and distribution customers at the time the Bundled MOU/COOP undertakes marketing to those customers of its competitive energy-related activities.

  (3) Reporting and auditing requirements. A Bundled MOU/COOP shall maintain and file the following information so the commission can ensure that the Bundled MOU/COOP is not engaging in any anticompetitive activities as a result of its competitive energy-related activities being bundled with the transmission and distribution operation.

    (A) Code implementation filing.

      (i) Not later than 120 days prior to the implementation of customer choice by a Bundled MOU/COOP, the Bundled MOU/COOP shall file with the commission a written declaration that it will operate as a Bundled MOU/COOP and its plan for implementing the provisions of this section. The plan shall address all applicable requirements of this section in the context of operations as they will be conducted in the competitive retail market. The Bundled MOU/COOP shall post notice of its filing on its Internet site or a public electronic bulletin board for 30 consecutive days and shall provide copies of the plan to requesting parties. The code implementation plan proposed by the Bundled MOU/COOP shall be subject to a contested hearing process. Interested parties may file comments on the filing with the commission. The commission shall issue an order either approving the code implementation plan, approving the plan with modifications, or rejecting the plan within 120 days.

      (ii) In lieu of the implementation filing provided for in clause (i) of this subparagraph, a Bundled MOU/COOP may file with the commission a statement that it does not at this time intend to provide electric energy at retail to customers in Texas outside its certificated retail service area as provided for in subsection (b)(1)(B) of this section. Subsequently, if a Bundled MOU/COOP intends to provide electric energy at retail to consumers in Texas outside its certificated retail service area as provided for in subsection (b)(1)(B) of this section, it shall file the implementation filing provided for in clause (i) of this subparagraph with the commission not later than 120 days prior to the time it intends to provide retail electric energy in Texas outside its certificated retail service area.

    (B) Annual report of code-related activities. A report of activities related to this subsection shall be filed annually with the commission under a control number designated by the commission. The report shall be filed by June 1 and shall encompass the period from January 1 through December 31 of the preceding year. The report shall contain detailed information on how the Bundled MOU/COOP met each of the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection and any deviations from the actions set forth in the initial code compliance filing. Commission staff shall review the annual report of code-related activities. The filing provided for in this paragraph is not subject to the contested hearings process, except upon complaint by an interested party or the commission staff.

    (C) Copies of contracts or agreements. A Bundled MOU/COOP shall reduce to writing and file with the commission copies of any contracts or agreements it has with any persons providing competitive energy-related activities on behalf of the Bundled MOU/COOP. The Bundled MOU/COOP does not have to produce any contracts it has with third parties if such contracts were negotiated on an arm's length basis. The requirements of this section are not satisfied by the filing of an earnings report. All contracts or agreements shall be filed by June 1 of each year as attachments to the annual report of code-related activities required in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph. In subsequent years, if no significant changes have been made to the contract or agreement, an amendment sheet may be filed in lieu of refiling the entire contract or agreement.

    (D) Compliance audits. No later than one year after the Bundled MOU/COOP becomes subject to this section as set forth in subsection (b)(1) and (2) of this section, and, at a minimum, every third year thereafter, the Bundled MOU/COOP shall have an audit prepared by independent auditors that verifies that the Bundled MOU/COOP is in compliance with this section. The Bundled MOU/COOP shall file the results of each audit with the commission within one month of the audit's completion.

  (4) Remedies and enforcement. Bundled MOU/COOPs shall be subject to the provisions of subsection (n)(2)-(10) of this section on the same terms and conditions as the TDBU.


Source Note: The provisions of this §25.275 adopted to be effective March 28, 2001, 26 TexReg 2364

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