Dive Summary:
- A bill currently in front of the Texas House of Representatives would extend the state Public Utilities Commission's (PUC) authority for 10 more years and grant the regulatory body additional powers.
- In particular, the bill proposes giving the PUC the power to issue "cease and desist" orders, which would enable the PUC to take action against companies when the reliability of the Texas power grid is jeopardized.
From the article:
"... Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, said his sunset legislation also gives the PUC emergency 'cease and desist' powers like those of many other major state agencies. He warned that several lawmakers will try to remove that power.
'Most of our major agencies have that tool. It is a consumer protection tool,' Cook said. ..."