TX SB270

Public Utility Commission of Texas must conduct a study on burying overhead distribution power lines in the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio metropolitan areas

Study must evaluate costs of burying existing overhead lines, ongoing maintenance and repair costs for underground lines, and potential cost savings from reduced power outages for electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, and municipally owned utilities

Environmental impacts on land use and water quality, public safety effects, and emergency response implications must be assessed as part of the study

Commission must submit findings and recommendations to the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house by December 31, 2026

Act takes effect September 1, 2025 and expires January 31, 2027