HOME  RUN 3!

The state Senate approved a proposal Wednesday to force member-owned utilities to follow open records and meetings requirements.  The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Troy Fraser, also allows co-op members to take complaints to the Public Utility Commission.

Fraser said the legislation puts co-ops on notice that lawmakers will be watching, and will revisit the plan in two years.  "I don’t want to say we are putting everyone on probation, but we have raised the level of awareness," said Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay.  “We are going to be watching.”

Fraser filed the legislation following concerns of closed-door practices at Johnson City-based Pedernales Electric Cooperative.  New leadership has since instituted a series of reforms aimed at openness at the country’s largest member-owned utility.

Senate Bill 921 was approved on a floor vote of 26 to 4, and now heads to the state House.  A companion bill, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs, is pending before a House committee.

 HOME  RUN 2!

Members File Class Action Suit against Dallas-Ft. Worth Area Electric Co-op

Whistleblower Director Says CoServ Took $54 Million of Members’ Money

Another coop has been sued for the very things we've complained about.

Click here to read more

 HOME  RUN!

According to Johnson Consulting's report on 1/30/2008, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst requested the Senate Business & Commerce Committee to:

"Study the current governance structure of electric cooperatives. Make recommendations for any legislative changes required to adequately protect consumers, increase reliability, and respond to consumer complaints."

The list of items includes making their meetings subject to the open meetings and open records act, justifying payment to directors, establishing standards for expenditures, and several other items.  In short, the very items we've been asking for during the past year.

Read the Johnson Consulting report here