Texas alternatives : competitive and regulatory options in telecommunications and electric power : a roadmap for meeting new challenges : a report to the 74th Legislature / by the Joint Interim Committee on Telecommunications, Joint Interim Committee on the Public Utility Commission, and the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission.

Abstract

This report is the product of a great amount of time, quo is not much of a hurdle in the path of change—and effort, and study, not only of the legislators assigned to today, change may be found throughout the electric and the two committees and their staff, but also of an telecommunications utilities industries. In recognition of impressive number of people who spent untold hours in these changes, Lt. Governor Bob Bullock and House this endeavor. Included were representatives of the var-Speaker Pete Laney created two committees to review ious utilities and related industries, and a number of the Public Utility Commission and telecommunications, others representing a variety of relevant interests. and to provide recommendations to the 74th Legislature. This report includes basic background material covering the committees, their efforts and the reasons for The Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA), is the creating our committees; describes the process followed body of regulations defining the governing latitude and by the committee in seeking to fulfill the committee limits of the Public Utility Commission (PUC). PURA charges; discusses many of the issues encountered and was adopted in 1975 to provide consumers with those studied by the committee; and finally, provides the protections and safeguards normally provided through committees' initial and tentative recommendations for the forces of competition. addressing those issues. Initial recommendations made in this report do not represent the end of the committees' work. Decisions made by these committees still must be translated into legislative language. Subject matter in our report is presented in three basic chapters. The first chapter primarily covers structural issues—those relating to the organizational structure, procedures, staffing of the PUC, and the common issues—those regulatory provisions which impact upon both electric utilities and telecommunications entities. The second chapter is devoted to the electric utility industry. The chapter includes a more thorough exploration and description of current pressures for change in that industry. We then report our conceptual recommendations related to a variety of issues affecting this industry. The last chapter includes our attempt to describe the major changes taking place in telecommunications, and our recommendations for responding to those changes. Here, technological innovation is the major factor responsible for the growing inadequacies of our regulatory laws.