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Senate finance committee reviews PUC budget, a proposed $5 billion add to Texas Energy Fund
Summary
The Senate Committee on Finance heard presentations from the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUC) on its 2026-27 budget request, including a proposal to transfer an additional $5 billion into the Texas Energy Fund (TEF), staffing increases and technology projects to manage contested cases and outage response.
The Senate Committee on Finance heard the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUC) present its baseline and exceptional-item budget requests, including a recommendation to add $5 billion to the Texas Energy Fund, bringing the fund to $10 billion.
The PUC said its budget request totals $5,070,000,000 in all funds, including $68,300,000 in General Revenue-related funds, an increase of $2,700,000 from 2024-25 spending levels. The Legislative Budget Board presenter said the recommendation includes $5,000,000,000 in additional TEF funding and about $1,600,000 to support eight additional full-time equivalent positions to operate programs tied to the fund.
"Processing contested cases quickly and efficiently is key to our regulatory mission," Connie Corona, executive director of the Public Utilities Commission of Texas, told the committee. She highlighted heavier caseloads, new internal teams including a Texas Energy Fund Division, and technology requests to modernize contested-case management and outage mapping.
PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson thanked the committee for prior funding and said the agency will continue oversight of the TEF if the additional appropriation is approved. The LBB presentation noted that of the four programs authorized under the TEF only two — an ERCOT loan program and a completion bonus program — have been set up so far and that the agency had spent approximately $21,900,000 from the fund on contract costs with Deloitte and fees to the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust.
The PUC also identified several other exceptional items carried from the 88th Legislature, continued funding needs for shared technology services, and a new rider directing the comptroller to transfer $5,000,000,000 to the TEF if appropriated. The packet recommended deletion of several contingency riders linked to enacted bills (listed in the packet) and listed eight items not recommended that totaled $15,300,000.
Committee members did not press the agency with questions during the presentation. The agency asked the committee to consider funding to improve staffing retention and to build systems that would improve transparency for the public and for lawmakers during outages and disasters.
The presentation concluded without formal committee action; the materials presented will be considered as the committee develops Article 8 budget language and rider proposals for the upcoming appropriations bill.
