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PUCT Staff Issues Proposed Rule For REPs To Share Customer Contact Data With TDUs
Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) filed a draft Memo & Proposal for Publication that would require retail electric providers (REPs) to share customer emergency contact information with the transmission distribution utilities (TDUs).
From Staff Memo:
[***] Please find attached to this memorandum Commission Staff’s proposal for publication in the above referenced project for consideration at the August 15, 2024 Open Meeting. Commission Staff proposes amendments to 16 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §25.472, relating to Privacy of Customer Information. The proposed amendments will require retail electric providers to provide emergency contact information for retail electric customers to transmission and distribution utilities. The proposed amendments also restrict the use of this information to providing affected customers with updates on power outages, estimated restoration times, and restoration updates. [***]
The proposed rule would allow TDUs to use the contact information to provide notifications of power outages, estimated restoration times, and restoration updates.
Staff’s proposal requires within 30 days of the effective date of the rule, REPs would be required to provide emergency contact information to the TDU for all the REP’s customers in the TDU’s service area.
Information required would include the retail customer’s name, service address, telephone number, mobile phone number, and email address.
For new customers of a REP, the REP would be required to provide this information to the TDU within five days of the customer’s enrollment.
Additionally, REPs would be required to provide to the TDU any updates to a customer’s contact information within 5 days of such change.
The draft rule would prohibit TDUs from using the contact information for any other purpose, “unless otherwise authorized by statute, commission rule, commission order, or as expressly authorized in writing by the customer.”
Any TDU communications using the contact info must provide an opportunity for the customer to opt-out of future communications from the TDU.
Request for Public Comments – [***] Interested persons may file comments electronically through the interchange on the commission’s website. Comments must be filed by September 19, 2024. Reply comments must be filed by October 3,2024. Comments should be organized in a manner consistent with the organization of the proposed rules. The commission invites specific comments regarding the costs associated with, and benefits that will be gained by, implementation of the proposed rule. The commission will consider the costs and benefits in deciding whether to modify the proposed rules on adoption. All comments should refer to Project Number 56898. [***]
Memo & Proposal for Publication (08/11/2024)
Project 56898 (07/31/2024)
(Provision Of Emergency Contact Information To Transmission And Distribution Utilities By Retail Electric Providers)
