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Read. Follow. Verify.Texas requires coastal and flood-risk electric utilities to submit vegetation and debris removal plans and establishes cost recovery rules
Last action · August 20, 2025: Referred to State AffairsSponsor: Will Metcalf
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What This Bill Proposed
Electric utilities serving first-tier coastal counties or high-flood-risk areas must include vegetation management and post-disaster debris removal plans in their emergency operations plans. The legislation establishes timelines for state review and sets rules for how utilities can recover these costs through specialized rate factors or s.
Changes how electric utilities in designated coastal and flood-prone regions plan for storm recovery and how they may charge customers for tree trimming and post-disaster cleanup work.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
electric utilities
Must submit emergency operation plans containing vegetation management and debris removal procedures, seek state approval for plans, and follow specific cost-recovery rules.
Public Utility Commission of Texas
Must review and issue orders on utility vegetation management plans within 180 days and review annual adjustments to cost recovery factors within 90 days.
Key Facts
- Electric utilities serving first-tier coastal counties or high-flood-risk areas must include a transmission and distribution vegetation management plan and post-disaster debris removal processes in their emergency operations plans.
- Vegetation management plans must explain implementation processes, detail miles expected to be trimmed, and include estimated annual costs.
- The Public Utility Commission of Texas must review vegetation management plans and approve, modify, or deny them within 180 days.
- Utilities may establish a vegetation management cost recovery factor to recover distribution system costs, excluding amounts already in base rates or resiliency plans.
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- Annual adjustments to the cost recovery factor must be reviewed by the commission without holding a hearing, with an order issued within 90 days.
- Utilities may defer transmission system vegetation management costs and natural disaster debris removal costs for future recovery as a regulatory asset.
- Proceedings under the new vegetation management plan and cost recovery sections are not classified as rate proceedings under Chapter 36.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which electric utilities are affected by this measure?
Does the Public Utility Commission hold hearings on annual adjustments to the cost recovery factor?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Aug 20, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to State Affairs
- Aug 20, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time
- Aug 15, 2025HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
capitol.texas.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy35Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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