The Public Utility Commission of Texas
The state agency that referees the Texas power market, licensing your electricity provider, approving the rates for the poles and wires, overseeing the grid, and stepping in when your complaint can’t be solved any other way.
The Referee of the Texas Power Market
When Texas broke up its old electric monopolies, it did not simply let the market run wild. It handed the rulebook to a single statewide agency: the Public Utility Commission of Texas, almost always shortened to PUCT (or just PUC). Created in 1975, the PUCT is the referee that makes competition workable — it decides who is allowed to sell you electricity, approves what the local wires company can charge to deliver it, oversees the grid operator that keeps the lights on, and gives you somewhere to turn when a billing or service dispute goes unresolved.
The PUCT does not set the price of your electricity plan — that is left to competition among Retail Electric Providers. Instead, it sets the guardrails those companies must operate within, from truthful advertising and clear contract disclosures to disconnection rules and switching protections. Understanding what the PUCT does — and, just as importantly, what it does not do — is the key to knowing where to go when something goes wrong with your Texas electricity service.
Key Takeaways
The essentials about the Public Utility Commission of Texas at a glance.
Created by PURA
The Public Utility Regulatory Act established the PUCT, replacing a patchwork of city ordinances with one statewide regulator.
Commissioners
Appointed by the Governor to six-year staggered terms and confirmed by the Senate. Expanded from three to five after Winter Storm Uri.
Industries regulated
Electric utilities, telecommunications, and water & wastewater service across Texas.
Of Texans in its market
The PUCT oversees the competitive retail electric market that covers most of the state’s population inside ERCOT.
Opened retail choice
The PUCT built and now polices the customer-choice market launched under Senate Bill 7.
To file a complaint
Filing a formal complaint with the PUCT is free — and providers must respond within set deadlines.
A Timeline of the PUCT
Fifty years of legislation and market design, from a single rate regulator to the overseer of the largest competitive power market in the country.
PURA creates the commission
The Texas Legislature passes the Public Utility Regulatory Act, signed by Gov. Dolph Briscoe. The first three commissioners are sworn in that September, moving utility oversight from local city councils to one statewide body.
The first rate cases
The commission begins hearing rate cases. Its early decades are spent as a traditional regulator, setting the rates and terms for vertically integrated monopoly utilities.
Wholesale competition begins
Senate Bill 373 opens the wholesale power market to competition and expands ERCOT’s role — the first real crack in the old monopoly model. The same era brings early telecom deregulation.
Senate Bill 7 restructures the market
The landmark law directs the PUCT to build a competitive retail electric market, unbundling generation, delivery, and retail sales into separate businesses.
Retail choice launches
On January 1, customers in most of ERCOT can choose their Retail Electric Provider for the first time. ERCOT operates as one of the nation’s first independent system operators under PUCT oversight.
Renewables and CREZ
Senate Bill 20 strengthens the renewable energy standard and creates Competitive Renewable Energy Zones, prompting the PUCT to approve major transmission lines that unlocked West Texas wind.
Water regulation returns
Oversight of water and wastewater utility rates is transferred back to the PUCT from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, broadening the agency’s scope.
Winter Storm Uri and reform
After the February blackouts, the Legislature passes Senate Bill 3 and directs sweeping grid-reliability reforms. The commission is expanded from three to five members.
Market redesign
The PUCT advances a redesign of the ERCOT market aimed at rewarding reliable, dispatchable generation, alongside new performance and weatherization requirements for power plants.
The Texas Energy Fund
Voters approve a $10 billion Texas Energy Fund to finance new dispatchable generation and grid resiliency. The PUCT administers the low-interest loan program and signs its first agreements.
What the PUCT Does — and Doesn’t
A surprising amount of the Texas energy world sits outside the PUCT’s authority. Knowing the line saves you from calling the wrong agency.
The PUCT regulates
- Licensing and monitoring of Retail Electric Providers (REPs) and aggregators
- The delivery rates charged by Transmission & Distribution Utilities (the poles-and-wires companies)
- Oversight of ERCOT, the grid and wholesale market operator
- Consumer-protection rules: contract disclosures, marketing, deposits, disconnections, and switching
- Investor-owned electric, local telephone, and water & wastewater utilities
- Formal complaint resolution between customers and providers
The PUCT does not
- Set the price of your electricity plan — that’s competition among REPs
- Regulate the rates of municipally owned utilities (like Austin Energy or CPS Energy) or member-owned co-ops
- Oversee natural gas utilities or oil & gas production — that’s the Railroad Commission of Texas
- Run the power grid day to day — that’s ERCOT’s job, under PUCT oversight
- Control areas outside ERCOT (El Paso, parts of East Texas) in the same competitive way
- Pick a provider for you or endorse specific plans
Where the PUCT Fits
Deregulation split the old monopoly into separate roles. The PUCT is the only one you don’t deal with directly — but it sets the rules for all the others.
The Regulator
Writes and enforces the rules: licenses providers, approves delivery rates, oversees the grid, and resolves complaints. It doesn’t sell power or send bills.
Retail Electric Provider
The company you buy your plan from and that sends your bill. REPs compete on price and contract terms — and must be licensed by the PUCT.
Transmission & Distribution Utility
The regulated wires company (Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP, TNMP) that delivers power and handles outages. The PUCT sets what it can charge.
Grid Operator
Runs the grid and wholesale market for about 90% of the state’s load, matching supply to demand in real time — under PUCT supervision.
How to File a PUCT Complaint
If a billing error, deposit dispute, or wrongful disconnection can’t be solved with your provider, the PUCT is your free backstop. Work the steps in order.
Contact your provider first
Call your Retail Electric Provider (or your utility, for delivery and outage issues) and ask for a supervisor. Get a complaint or ticket number and write down names and dates. Most disputes are resolved here.
Gather your paperwork
Pull together your Terms of Service, Electricity Facts Label, recent bills, and any emails or notices. These documents are exactly what the PUCT will use to judge the dispute.
File with the PUCT
Submit a complaint online at the PUCT’s Customer Protection Division, by email at customer@puc.texas.gov, or by phone at 512-936-7000 (toll-free 1-888-782-8477). There is no fee.
The provider must respond
The PUCT forwards your complaint and the company is required to investigate and respond within a set deadline. You cannot be disconnected over the specific amount in dispute while the complaint is being reviewed.
Who Runs the PUCT
The commission is led by up to five commissioners appointed by the Governor to six-year, staggered terms and confirmed by the Texas Senate. The Governor names one to serve as chair.
As of 2026, the commission is chaired by Thomas J. Gleeson, alongside a five-member panel of gubernatorial appointees. Because seats turn over as terms expire and appointments are confirmed, the roster below can change — always confirm the current members on the PUCT’s official site.
- Thomas J. Gleeson — Chairman
- Kathleen Jackson — Commissioner
- Courtney Hjaltman — Commissioner
- Additional commissioners — see puc.texas.gov for the current, full roster
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Public Utility Commission of Texas?
The PUCT is the state agency, created in 1975, that regulates electric, telecommunications, and water and wastewater utilities in Texas. In the competitive electricity market it licenses providers, approves the delivery rates charged by wires companies, oversees the ERCOT grid, and enforces consumer-protection rules.
Does the PUCT set my electricity rate?
No. In the deregulated market, the price of your plan is set by competition among Retail Electric Providers, not by the PUCT. The commission regulates the delivery charges from your local utility and enforces the rules providers must follow, but it does not approve or cap the energy rate on a competitive plan.
How do I file a complaint with the PUCT?
First contact your provider and get a complaint number. If that doesn’t resolve it, file with the PUCT’s Customer Protection Division online, by email at customer@puc.texas.gov, or by phone at 512-936-7000 (toll-free 1-888-782-8477). Filing is free, and the provider is required to respond within a set deadline.
What’s the difference between the PUCT and ERCOT?
ERCOT operates the physical grid and wholesale market, balancing electricity supply and demand in real time for about 90% of the state. The PUCT is the regulator that oversees ERCOT and sets the market’s rules. In short, ERCOT runs the grid; the PUCT governs how ERCOT and the market operate.
Does the PUCT regulate natural gas or my city-owned utility?
No. Natural gas utilities and oil and gas production are overseen by the Railroad Commission of Texas. Municipally owned utilities such as Austin Energy and CPS Energy, and member-owned electric cooperatives, set their own rates through their local governing bodies rather than the PUCT.
How many commissioners does the PUCT have?
The commission has five members appointed by the Governor to six-year, staggered terms and confirmed by the Texas Senate, with one serving as chair. It was expanded from three to five members following Winter Storm Uri in 2021.
Where can I compare electricity plans regulated by the PUCT?
The PUCT runs the official Power to Choose comparison site for competitive areas. You can also compare licensed providers, real customer reviews, and current plans on Texas Electricity Ratings to find a plan that fits your usage and service address.
