WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 5145

Relating to the sharing and protection of certain utility proprietary customer information.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Senfronia Thompson

HB 5145 establishes rules for Texas utilities to share customer proprietary information with third parties while implementing data protection safeguards.

Referred to State Affairs
#consumerprotection(i0080) #disasterpreparedness&relief(i0211) #protectionofpersonalinformation(i0003) #utilities--electric(i0831) #utilities--general(i0830)
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 5145

Legislative bill overview

HB 5145 establishes frameworks for how utilities can share and protect proprietary customer information with third parties. The bill likely defines what constitutes "proprietary customer information," sets conditions under which utilities may disclose such data, and establishes safeguards to prevent misuse or unauthorized access.

Why is this important

As utilities increasingly partner with energy efficiency companies, smart grid operators, and data analytics firms, customer privacy protections become critical. Clear rules around information sharing affect consumer privacy rights, competitive market dynamics in the energy sector, and utility accountability while potentially enabling beneficial innovations in energy management.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy vs. innovation trade-off: Broader data-sharing provisions enable efficiency improvements and competition but may expose customer consumption patterns and behavioral data
  • Definition disputes: Disagreement over what qualifies as "proprietary" versus publicly available information, and whether customer consent requirements are adequate
  • Regulatory burden: Requirements for utility data protection and audit capabilities could increase operational costs passed to ratepayers

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

Sign in to ask a question.