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HB 145

Relating to risk mitigation planning and associated liability for providers of electric service; providing an administrative penalty.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Janie Lopez and 1 co-sponsor

Texas requires electric service providers to develop risk mitigation plans and establishes administrative penalties for non-compliance, effective immediately.

Effective immediately
#citygovernment--utilities(i0068) #civilremedies&liabilities(i0065) #communications&press(i0073) #disasterpreparedness&relief(i0211) #emergencymanagement #texasdivisionof(vp6fw) #firesafety&prevention(s0273) #insurance--general(i0445) #insurance--property&casualty(i0442) #publicutilitycommission(v0023) #utilities--electric(i0831)
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Bill Summary · HB 145

Legislative bill overview

HB 145 establishes risk mitigation planning requirements for electric service providers in Texas and creates an administrative penalty framework for non-compliance. The bill took effect immediately upon the Governor's signature on June 20, 2025, and applies to utilities' operational and financial management of wildfire and grid stability risks.

Why is this important

Electric service providers manage critical infrastructure serving millions of Texans, and inadequate risk planning can lead to widespread outages, property damage, and loss of life—as demonstrated by grid failures in severe weather events. By mandating formal risk mitigation plans and imposing penalties for non-compliance, the bill attempts to improve grid reliability and hold utilities accountable for preparedness, particularly relevant given Texas's aging infrastructure and extreme weather vulnerability.

Potential points of contention

  • Regulatory burden vs. safety trade-off: Utilities may argue that strict planning mandates increase operational costs that could be passed to consumers, while consumer advocates counter that these investments prevent far costlier emergency responses and outages.
  • Liability protection scope: The bill's liability provisions for providers following approved plans could shield utilities from accountability if risk mitigation efforts prove inadequate during actual emergencies, raising questions about whether the protections are too broad.
  • Administrative penalty adequacy: Stakeholders may dispute whether penalty amounts are sufficient to incentivize compliance or whether they represent excessive regulatory overreach into private business operations.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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