HB 5200: Anchía Grid Bill Orders ERCOT Studies With An Optional Report

Caption

relating to the evaluation and use of grid enhancing technologies and high-performance conductors.

Summary

Utilities may use what ERCOT finds. Permit filings must address a list ERCOT may never publish.

The bill tells the Public Utility Commission to make sure ERCOT periodically studies whether newer grid hardware, software and better power lines could add transmission capacity, ease congestion, improve reliability and cut wildfire risk. It touches ERCOT, the utility commission, and electric utilities, co-ops and city-owned utilities in the ERCOT region. On the ground, ERCOT runs recurring evaluations and may publish a list of recommended technologies, utilities may use them, and utilities seeking new transmission permits must explain whether any recommended technology could fit the project.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 3 Republicans, 2 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 10, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Business & Commerce committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5200 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Rafael AnchíaDHouse 103

Rep. Drew DarbyRHouse 72

Rep. John McQueeneyRHouse 97

+ 2 more authors

ITEM

relating to the evaluation and use of grid enhancing technologies and high-performance conductors.

WHAT IT DOES

Utilities may use what ERCOT finds. Permit filings must address a list ERCOT may never publish.

The bill tells the Public Utility Commission to make sure ERCOT periodically studies whether newer grid hardware, software and better power lines could add transmission capacity, ease congestion, improve reliability and cut wildfire risk. It touches ERCOT, the utility commission, and electric utilities, co-ops and city-owned utilities in the ERCOT region. On the ground, ERCOT runs recurring evaluations and may publish a list of recommended technologies, utilities may use them, and utilities seeking new transmission permits must explain whether any recommended technology could fit the project.

CHARGES

[x] STUDY, TASK FORCE, COMMISSION, REPORTanalysis confidence 55%

THE TEXT

…“region evaluates on a periodic basis, to be determined by the”…

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The core duty is an ongoing study by ERCOT, the report itself is optional, and utilities are only allowed, not required, to use what it finds. The permit-filing duty is real but depends on a report ERCOT may never produce.

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 2, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Mar 14, 2025Filed
Apr 7, 2025Read first time
Apr 7, 2025Referred to State Affairs
Apr 30, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 30, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 30, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 30, 2025Left pending in committee
May 1, 2025Considered in formal meeting
May 1, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
May 1, 2025Recommended to be sent to Local & Consent
May 1, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
May 7, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 7, 2025Committee report distributed
May 8, 2025Comm. report sent to Local & Consent Calendar
May 8, 2025Considered in Local & Consent Calendars
May 10, 2025Placed on Local, Consent, and Res. Calendar
May 10, 2025Read 2nd time
May 10, 2025Passed to engrossment
May 10, 2025Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal
May 10, 2025Read 3rd time
May 10, 2025Passed
May 10, 2025Record vote RV#1985
May 10, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 10, 2025Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal
May 10, 2025Reported engrossed
May 12, 2025Received from the House
May 13, 2025Read first time
May 13, 2025Referred to Business & Commerce

FILED UNDER

DATA CENTERS, WATER AND THE GRID

THE TEXT

…“efficient performance from the electric transmission system.”

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The bill pushes ERCOT to study and possibly recommend technology that adds capacity to existing transmission lines instead of building new ones.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 117 yea · 11 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 10, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Rafael Anchía

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15K Vistra Employee Political Action Committee of Vistra Corp.$14K Blackridge$12K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 30, 2024 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$15,000.00

Cash: $15,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $15,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 16, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988591, 101033306, 101072783.

Vistra Employee Political Action Committee of Vistra Corp.$13,500.00

Vistra Employee Political Action Committee of Vistra Corp.

$13,500.00

Cash: $13,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $13,500.00

Also funds 84 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 14, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 16, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988591, 101033306, 101072783.

Blackridge$12,000.00

Blackridge

$12,000.00

Cash: $12,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $12,000.00

Also funds 86 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 5, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 13, 2025 to Aug 11, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101033306, 101061466, 101071312.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$15,000.00

Cash: $15,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $15,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 16, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988591, 101033306, 101072783.

×

Vistra Employee Political Action Committee of Vistra Corp.

$13,500.00

Cash: $13,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $13,500.00

Also funds 84 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 14, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 16, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988591, 101033306, 101072783.

×

Blackridge

$12,000.00

Cash: $12,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $12,000.00

Also funds 86 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 5, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 13, 2025 to Aug 11, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101033306, 101061466, 101071312.

Votes1

House May 10, 2025

Yea: 117
Nay: 11
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 7
Excused: 12

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

The shared roll contains conflicting member evidence. Those positions remain conflicting.

Troxclair is listed as excused in the shared roll and nay in this bill's list. That position remains conflicting.

Sources

Record 1985

HB 5200 (Bonnen, Bumgarner, Cunningham, Hickland, Hopper, Hull, Leach, Lowe, McQueeney, Oliverson, Slawson, and Troxclair - no) (117 - 11 - 2)

Shared roll motion

The following bills which were considered on second reading on the previous legislative day on the local, consent, and resolutions calendar were laid before the house, read third time, and passed by the following record vote (members registering votes and the results of the vote are shown following the bill number). (Record 1985): 128 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 117 (published)
Nay: 11 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 7 (derived from named list)
Excused: 12 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses15

For: 13
Against: 0
On: 2

Names

For

Amazon Web Services1 registration
BASF Corporation1 registration
Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation1 registration
Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club1 registration
Nucor1 registration
Self1 registration
Self; Heimdall Power, Inc1 registration
Self; Texas chapter US Green Buildimg Council1 registration
Smart Wires Inc.1 registration
Texas Energy Buyers Alliance1 registration
Texas Solar + Storage Association1 registration
Texas transmission project1 registration
WATT Coalition1 registration

On

Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)1 registration
Public Utility Commission of Texas1 registration

Sources

15 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 2, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version H by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 14, 2025

05/13/2025 S Referred to Business & Commerce

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 3:13 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 15 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Senate committee · Business & Commerce · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Utilities--Electric

ELECTRIC RELIABILITY COUNCIL OF TEXAS (ERCOT)

PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION

Text

The text as introduced · 368 words

By: Anchía
H.B. No. 5200

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the use of grid enhancing technologies and

high-performance conductors in the ERCOT power region.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 36, Utilities Code, is

amended by adding Section 36.216 to read as follows:

Sec. 36.216. GRID ENHANCING TECHNOLOGIES AND

HIGH-PERFORMANCE CONDUCTORS. (a) In this section:

(1) "Advanced power flow controller" means hardware

and software used to reroute electric energy from overloaded

transmission lines to underutilized transmission corridors by

adjusting circuit impedance.

(2) "Dynamic line rating system" means hardware or

software used to calculate the true capacity of transmission lines

using real-time and forecasted weather conditions.

(3) "Grid enhancing technology" means any hardware or

software technology that enables enhanced or more efficient

performance from the electric transmission system, including a

dynamic line rating system, advanced power flow controller

technology, dynamic contingency response, or a topology

optimization system or another technology identified by the

independent organization certified under Section 39.151 for the

ERCOT power region.

(4) "High-performance conductors" means modern

conductor technologies, including carbon and composite core

conductors and carbon and composite superconductors, with greater

performance characteristics than aluminum-conductor

steel-reinforced conductors, such as increased capacity, higher

efficiency, and reduced or no thermal sag.

(5) "Topology optimization system" means software

technology that identifies reconfigurations of the transmission

grid to reroute electric energy from overloaded lines to

underutilized corridors.

(b) The commission shall ensure that the independent

organization certified under Section 39.151, Utilities Code, for

the ERCOT power region considers the technical feasibility and

cost-effectiveness using of grid enhancing technologies and

high-performance conductors in its evaluation of economic and

reliability projects during annual regional transmission planning

to increase transmission capacity, reduce transmission system

congestion, increase electric reliability, and reduce the risk of

wildfires. The independent organization may decline to recommend

the use of grid enhancing technologies in a particular instance it

determines that it would not be prudent.

SECTION 2. (a) The Public Utility Commission of Texas shall

adopt any necessary rules required by Section 36.216, Utilities

Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1, 2026.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Verdict: Smells

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Vistra Employee Political Action Committee of Vistra Corp.

Blackridge

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Vistra Employee Political Action Committee of Vistra Corp.

Blackridge

House May 10, 2025

For

On