🟡Relating to connection of utilities by certain entities in certain subdivisions formerly located in a municipality’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.

🟡 SB 1566: Utility service after city jurisdiction removal

What it says it does:
Allows utilities to connect water, sewer, and electric service in areas removed from a city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction when the utility already has a state certificate of convenience and necessity.

What it actually changes:
Removes the need for a city-issued plat certificate before service can begin in those areas. Once land is released from a city’s control, utilities can connect directly under their state certificates.

Who is pushing for it:
Supporters in the files include the Texas Association of Builders and law firms representing developers and special districts.

Who benefits:
Developers and utilities gain faster project timelines and fewer city-driven requirements. Landowners in newly released areas get service sooner.

Who gets left out or exposed:
Cities lose their last checkpoint to ensure infrastructure standards before connections. Counties may inherit growth without new authority or resources. Neighbors could face drainage or road issues if growth moves faster than planning.

Why this matters long term:
Shifts real power over development from cities to utilities and developer-run districts. It sets up a model where utility coverage, not city planning, decides when and where growth happens.

What to watch next:
Whether counties push for new review powers or funding to handle increased infrastructure responsibility in released areas.

Bottom line:
SB 1566 simplifies service rules after ETJ release, but it also reduces local oversight and may leave counties and residents carrying the costs of uncoordinated growth.

#SB1566 #TexasPolicy #WatchTheRules #Infrastructure #LocalControl #TexasGrowth