If you have facilities with electricity load in the Centerpoint service territory, expect additional TDSP fees in the near future...probably just in time for summer. Why? Centerpoint (and Entergy) both companies that provide transmission and deliver services, and are regulated by the Public Utility Commission, are attempting the recover cost associated with Hurricane Ike.

Centerpoint is looking for $750 million and a bill allowing that cost recovery was just passed in the state Senate. The Public Utility Commission still has final say on how much Centerpoint will be able to collect from customers in that recovery effort.

In addition, the utilities (Centerpoint and Entergy) will be required to improve existing delivery systems. According to the Houston Chronicle, issues the utilities would have to address in their plans include:

• A vegetation management cycle for clearing trees, tree limbs and other vegetation from utility lines and easements.
• A customer outreach program to educate customers about keeping vegetation away from power lines.
• Identification of areas that are susceptible to damage during severe weather and might be strengthened by replacing wooden poles with metal poles.
• A system of identifying potential infrastructure improvements for high-load transmission and distribution areas.
• An examination of the cost-effectiveness of placing future electric lines underground, and a plan for co-ordinating burying of electric lines with municipal, water, gas and pipeline construction.
• A plan for using advanced meter technologies that detect and report potential grid failures.
• A plan to restore power to emergency response providers, hospitals, water and wastewater facilities.

To make a long story short, the PUC is asking them to update the delivery system, which is not cheap. The customer is going to have to cover the cost in hopes of creating a more reliable and "smarter" grid. We'll have to see what that cost translates into for consumers in the coming months.