Texas Coast Utilities Coalition v. Railroad Commission

The sole issue in this appeal is whether the Railroad Commission of Texas had authority to adopt a gas utility rate schedule that provided for automatic annual adjustments based on increases or decreases in the utility’s cost of service. We agree with the court of appeals that the Commission acted within its authority, and affirm.

I

Background

CenterPoint Energy Resources Corporation is a gas utility1 that distributes natural gas to customers located within the Texas Coast Division.2 In 2008, Center-Point filed a “statement of intent” to raise its rates with each of the Division’s forty-seven…