SB2148

A “critical facility” here is a transmission substation and associated control centers whose damage or loss from a physical attack could cause widespread instability, uncontrolled separation, or cascading outages within an interconnection. This is a defined grid-security scope, not every business that considers its electricity critical. Final law, section 1.

The exercises must identify the responsibilities of generators, transmission/distribution providers, law enforcement, ERCOT and the commission. Each participating generation or transmission/distribution provider must give ERCOT a written attestation that it coordinated with law enforcement in identifying those responsibilities. Final law, section 1.

The first required exercise with each covered provider must occur by December 31, 2026. The physical-attack exercises are additional to the existing annual summer and winter load-shedding exercises—practice for intentionally reducing electricity demand—and to any North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection standards requirements. The act does not replace those requirements or establish that the new exercises have already occurred. Final law, sections 1–2; Prior seasonal-exercise law.

For these physical-attack exercises, a transmission/distribution provider need not disclose the specific locations of its critical substations to the commission or ERCOT. This is a limited exercise-related provision, not a blanket exemption from every other information requirement. Final law, section 1.

Changes during passage: All five operative versions match, both committees reported without amendments, and the official amendment index lists none. The enrolled votes met the immediate-effect threshold, so the law took effect on signing rather than the September 1 fallback date. Introduced; Senate committee; Senate-passed; House committee; Final law; Version index; Amendment index.

Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.

Electricity users could benefit from better coordination during an attack, while carrying out the exercises and law-enforcement coordination takes staff time. Exercises are not physical upgrades to substations and do not guarantee uninterrupted power. The act does not quantify avoided outages, private compliance costs or customer-bill changes. Final law.

The March 31 fiscal note estimates a $659,906 General Revenue-related cost for fiscal years 2026–2027, or $329,953 annually. It projects the same annual cost through 2030 and three additional full-time-equivalent state positions each year, based on commission staffing, benefits and operating/technology needs. It anticipates no significant local-government fiscal impact. These are estimates, not proof of hiring or expenditure; the act makes no appropriation, though it may provide a basis for one. Official fiscal estimate.