HB 145

"🔴 HB 145 – When Wildfire Safety Becomes Corporate Immunity

At first glance, HB 145 looks like a wildfire prevention bill. It says that electric utilities need to submit wildfire mitigation plans...strategies to reduce fire risks like clearing vegetation, inspecting lines, and shutting down power in extreme conditions.

That sounds like a good thing, especially after the devastating 2024 Panhandle fires. But here’s what the bill actually does:

It lets utilities shield themselves from lawsuits...even if a fire happens... as long as they followed the plan they submitted to the Public Utility Commission (PUC). And here’s the kicker: there’s no requirement that the plan be proven effective, only that it be approved.

In plain terms?
If a utility’s power lines cause a wildfire that destroys your home, your land, or your livestock...but they followed their plan on paper...you may have no way to hold them accountable in court.

And that’s just the start.

What HB 145 actually changes:
Utilities can self-insure, meaning they no longer need wildfire coverage from commercial insurers. This saves them money...but shifts risk to you.

Once the utility’s plan is approved, it becomes a legal shield in civil lawsuits, unless you can prove they acted with gross negligence or intent...a near-impossible bar for most victims.

The PUC becomes the gatekeeper, deciding whether a plan is “good enough” to grant immunity. There’s no required public input, no mandatory performance audit, and no community oversight.

So who pushed for this?
✅ Oncor, AEP, Entergy, Xcel, Vistra...big utilities with infrastructure across Texas
✅ Association of Electric Companies of Texas...the main lobbying arm of these utilities
✅ Texas Electric Cooperatives...supporting legal shields for smaller co-ops too
✅ Texas Association of Manufacturers...interested in stable, lawsuit-proof power supply

And who opposed it?

❌ Insurance groups...who warned this will erode accountability
❌ Trial lawyers...who fight for fire victims in court
❌ Some landowners...who want legal recourse when utilities fail to protect their communities

Who benefits:
Utilities: They get to write their own safety plan and use it as a courtroom defense.

PUC: Gains broad discretion to approve or deny plans, with little public visibility.

Major corporate players: Now shielded from liability in high-risk areas.

Who’s left out:
Rural Texans and landowners: Whose property may burn, with no recourse.

Victims of utility-caused fires: Who now have to meet an almost impossible legal standard to sue.

Local governments and fire responders: Who bear the cost when utilities fail but escape liability.

And here’s what makes it worse:
There’s no mandate for utilities to follow best practices...just to follow their own plan.
There’s no requirement for public reporting or external audits.
There’s no way for landowners or communities to challenge an approved plan.

This is not a fire prevention bill.
It’s a lawsuit prevention bill...for corporations.

And it sets a dangerous precedent: submit a plan, avoid liability. If that model spreads, expect more industries to seek “paper shields” to block accountability...whether it's for pipelines, chemical plants, or telecoms.

Bottom line:
HB 145 uses the language of public safety to quietly shift legal power away from landowners, courts, and communities...and hand it to regulated monopolies and state commissions.

If your land burns because of utility negligence, this bill makes it easier for them to walk away.

🔴 #HB145 #CorporateImmunity #WildfireAccountability #TexasPolicy

Quick ask, y’all...likes help the algorithm, but shares are what get the truth out.

If this bill affects you, your kids, your patients, your neighbors...please share it.

Too many Texans don’t know what’s being signed into law. And if we don’t share it, they won’t hear it. These bills move quietly. The consequences don’t.

It’s not about going viral. It’s about making sure the people who need to know...do know.

So if this post made you pause, think, or get fired up… don’t just like it. Send it. Share it. Say something.

We don’t get transparency unless we demand it together."