Practice Area
Independent Utility Reliability Assessment for Texas Municipalities
Renew/Well provides independent utility reliability assessments for Texas municipalities served by investor-owned utilities. Assessments document outage patterns, infrastructure conditions, and performance benchmarks — giving municipal leaders objective findings to support resident communication, utility engagement, and regulatory participation.
Municipalities served by investor-owned utilities face a structural information gap: when outage events occur, cities often rely on utility self-reporting without independent means to verify infrastructure conditions, assess maintenance practices, or evaluate reliability performance. An independent assessment changes that — giving municipal leaders objective, documented findings they can act on and communicate with confidence.
The Assessment at a Glance
The Challenge
Municipalities served by investor-owned utilities often lack independent technical resources to evaluate utility performance, verify reliability claims, or participate effectively in regulatory proceedings. Without objective analysis, city leadership is dependent on utility self-reporting when outage events occur.
Our Approach
Renew/Well conducts independent Utility Reliability Assessments that document infrastructure conditions, outage patterns, and utility performance benchmarks — supporting stakeholder communication, utility engagement, and regulatory participation as appropriate to the engagement scope.
Typically Relevant For
Municipal executives and city councils in high-growth Texas communities served by investor-owned utilities where reliability, rate proceedings, or infrastructure accountability are active concerns. Engagement scope varies based on municipality size and assessment requirements.
The Four Deliverables
Assessment Deliverables
Outage Pattern Analysis
Outage Documentation and Pattern Analysis
Outage records are assembled from public sources — Texas Public Information Act requests, EIA reporting, and PUCT filings — where records are available. Analysis documents outage frequency, duration, and geographic distribution, identifying recurring failure patterns by circuit, substation, and weather conditions where supported by available data.
Field Infrastructure Survey
Infrastructure Condition Review
The assessment documents observable distribution infrastructure conditions — pole condition indicators, vegetation management status, line clearances, and equipment observations — compared against utility maintenance records and applicable PUCT standards. Engineering conclusions are performed or reviewed by appropriately licensed engineering professionals where required by scope, with photographic documentation included in the final report.
PUCT Benchmarking
Regulatory Performance Benchmarking
SAIDI and SAIFI reliability metrics are benchmarked against PUCT standards and comparable Texas utilities, where supported by available data. Findings document whether reported performance meets regulatory expectations and whether documented conditions may support formal engagement in rate or reliability proceedings before the PUCT.
City Advocacy Package
Municipal Advocacy and Stakeholder Package
The advocacy package includes written correspondence to the utility documenting findings and requested corrective actions, council briefing materials, and resident communication guidance. Where supported by the data, materials for a PUCT complaint or rate-proceeding participation are prepared in coordination with municipal counsel. All materials are prepared for use by municipal staff and legal counsel.
Infrastructure Condition by Service Area
Executive Decision Items
Engineering
Engineering conclusions, certifications, or professional engineering services are performed or reviewed by appropriately licensed engineering professionals when required by scope.
Legal
Legal filings, legal opinions, and representation are coordinated with or performed by the client's legal counsel or appropriately licensed legal professionals.
Records
Availability, completeness, and granularity of utility records vary by utility, jurisdiction, and engagement.
Typically Relevant For
- City managers
- Assistant city managers
- Public works leadership
- Municipal utility leadership
- City councils
- Municipal legal teams
Request an Initial Consultation
Initial consultations cover assessment scope, methodology, timing considerations, and project requirements for your municipality's specific situation — at no cost and without obligation. Engagement scope and structure vary based on municipality size, infrastructure complexity, and assessment requirements.