Company: SREA
Filing Date: 2025-02-25
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001032208-25-000012
Chunk: 134

Company: SEMPRA
Filing Date: 2025-02-25
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 134
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55

Industry-Related Risks

Changes in the regulation of Oncor or the regulation or operation of the electric utility industry and/or the ERCOT market could negatively affect Oncor.

Oncor operates in the electric utility industry and is subject to many of the same or similar risks as SDG&E and SoCalGas as we describe above under “Risks Related to All Sempra Businesses” and “Risks Related to Sempra California,” particularly with respect to our operational risks, financial risks and specifically regulation by federal, state, and local legislative and regulatory authorities regarding rates and other financial and operational matters. Oncor operates in the ERCOT market. In ERCOT, rates are set by the PUCT based on a historical test year, and as a result, the rates Oncor is allowed to charge generally will not exactly match its costs at any given point in time and there is no assurance that it will be able to timely or fully recover its actual costs and/or earn its full return on invested capital, particularly during periods of increased capital spending by Oncor, high inflation, or increases in general interest rates relative to Oncor’s most recent base rate review. Further, the approved levels of recovery could be significantly less than requested levels, and the approved timing for recovery could differ from proposed timelines. In addition to requests to recover its costs, Oncor’s rate proceedings may contain other requests. Failure to receive approval of its requests in any rate proceeding could adversely impact Oncor, which could adversely impact us, and those impacts could be material. 

The costs and burdens associated with complying with the various legislative and regulatory requirements to which Oncor is subject at the federal, state, and local levels and adjusting Oncor’s business and operations in response to legislative and regulatory developments, including changes in ERCOT, and any fines or penalties that could result from any noncompliance, may have a material adverse effect on Oncor. In addition, insufficient electric capacity within ERCOT or significant changes within ERCOT or to the ERCOT market structure that impact transmission and distribution utilities, including adverse publicity or public perception, additional regulatory requirements or oversight, could materially adversely affect Oncor. Moreover, legislative, regulatory, market or industry activities could adversely impact Oncor’s collections and cash flows and jeopardize the predictability of utility earnings. For instance, the PUCT has instituted various projects reviewing the regulatory framework regarding DER and other non-traditional technologies. As DER usage continues to grow, related regulatory decisions, including with respect to ERCOT market rules and transmission and