SB 2074
Zaffirini ERCOT Bill Asks Who Pays When Customers Dodge Peaks
Died in committee
Verdict: Smells
Why it's charged
Study, task force, commission, report
The commission's only duty is to study the program and report conclusions to the legislature by December 1, 2026. Any change to how demand charges are assigned waits for a later legislature.
Study, task force, commission, reportInitial review · graded Oct 21, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade
Caption
relating to a study of the four coincident peak program by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the independent organization certified to manage the ERCOT power region.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Study only. Report due December 1, 2026. The Act expires January 1, 2027!
The bill tells the Public Utility Commission of Texas, working with the independent organization that runs the ERCOT power region, to study the four coincident peak program used to set demand charges. The study must look at how much cost shifts to other retail electric customers when some customers avoid the peak periods, at large loads with backup generation on their side of the meter, and at other ways to calculate demand charges. Nothing changes for any customer now; the commission reports its conclusions to the legislature by December 1, 2026 and the Act expires January 1, 2027.
Labels
Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 7, 2025 and referred to the Senate Business & Commerce committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-SB2074 · 2025-03-07
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to a study of the four coincident peak program by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the independent organization certified to manage the ERCOT power region.
WHAT IT DOES
Study only. Report due December 1, 2026. The Act expires January 1, 2027!
The bill tells the Public Utility Commission of Texas, working with the independent organization that runs the ERCOT power region, to study the four coincident peak program used to set demand charges. The study must look at how much cost shifts to other retail electric customers when some customers avoid the peak periods, at large loads with backup generation on their side of the meter, and at other ways to calculate demand charges. Nothing changes for any customer now; the commission reports its conclusions to the legislature by December 1, 2026 and the Act expires January 1, 2027.
CHARGES
[x] STUDY, TASK FORCE, COMMISSION, REPORTanalysis confidence 90%
The commission's only duty is to study the program and report conclusions to the legislature by December 1, 2026. Any change to how demand charges are assigned waits for a later legislature.
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Business & Commerce
FILED UNDER
DATA CENTERS, WATER AND THE GRID
The study examines large power users with on-site backup generation and whether their avoiding peak-period charges shifts grid costs onto other retail electric customers.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
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 1, 2024 to Oct 23, 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.
Killam Development Ltd.$72,700.00
Killam Development Ltd.
$72,700.00
- Cash
- $10,000.00
- Paid by others
- $62,700.00
- Total
- $72,700.00
Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Dec 9, 2024 to Sep 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 16, 2025 to Aug 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.
Report IDs: 101011018, 101057658.
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$60,000.00
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC
$60,000.00
- Cash
- $60,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $60,000.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Nov 11, 2024 to Aug 31, 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: 100959783, 100987492, 101011018, 101035338, 101057658.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Killam Development Ltd.
$72,700.00
- Cash
- $10,000.00
- Paid by others
- $62,700.00
- Total
- $72,700.00
Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Dec 9, 2024 to Sep 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 16, 2025 to Aug 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.
Report IDs: 101011018, 101057658.
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC
$60,000.00
- Cash
- $60,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $60,000.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Nov 11, 2024 to Aug 31, 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: 100959783, 100987492, 101011018, 101035338, 101057658.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
How this was graded
Adversarial review by claude-fable-5-1 at high effort: Smells.
Analysis of text version I by claude-fable-5-1, Oct 21, 2026, against the published rubric.
Sources
Texas Senate · Filed Mar 7, 2025
03/24/2025 S Referred to Business & Commerce
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
Senate committee · Business & Commerce · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Interim Studies
Utilities--Electric
PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION
Text
The text as introduced · 321 words
89R8943 ANG-D By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2074 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to a study of the four coincident peak program by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the independent organization certified to manage the ERCOT power region. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: (1) "Commission" means the Public Utility Commission of Texas. (2) "Independent organization" means the independent organization certified under Section 39.151, Utilities Code, for the ERCOT power region. (3) "Program" means the four coincident peak program used by the independent organization to calculate and assign demand charges. SECTION 2. STUDY. (a) The commission, in coordination with the independent organization, shall conduct a study of the program. The study must include: (1) a review of the program's rate design, with an analysis of: (A) using regional data, the historic and current total amount of cost shifting that occurs due to coincident peak avoidance by retail electric customers who are subject to the program; (B) potential solutions to prevent the avoidance of charges under the program by retail electric customers; and (C) the effects of the program on peak demand; (2) consideration of large loads with backup generation on the customer's side of the meter; and (3) a comparative analysis of other potential methods for calculating and assigning demand charges, including methods based on more frequent coincident peaks or longer coincident peak periods, including a comparison of the reliability and market impact of the program methodology versus other methods. (b) The commission shall establish the scope of the data, timeframes, and comparative methods involved in the study. SECTION 3. REPORT. The commission shall prepare a report with the conclusions of the study and submit the report to the legislature not later than December 1, 2026. SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2027. SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.