1. (a) Applicability. This section applies to all items required to be filed with the commission using the Interchange Filer.

2. (b) Form standards.

   1. (1) Unless otherwise authorized or required by statute, the presiding officer, or commission rules, items filed physically or electronically with the commission must include in the item or specify on a cover sheet included with the item the following information:

      1. (A) the style and control number of the proceeding for which the item is submitted, if available;
      2. (B) a heading identifying the nature of the item submitted and the name of the filer; and
      3. (C) the signature of the filer or the filer's representative in accordance with subsection (e) of this section, if applicable.

   2. (2) The following apply to any submission of electronic material submitted on an external storage device for digital media.

      1. (A) A filer is prohibited from submitting electronic material on an external storage device for digital media, unless the request is authorized by Central Records in writing under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, required by a presiding officer in a proceeding, or permitted by the commission.

      2. (B) The procedure for filing an external storage device for digital media is as follows:

         1. (i) The filer must demonstrate to Central Records via written correspondence that the material is unique and not ordinarily capable of being electronically filed using the Interchange Filer. Central Records will review the written correspondence and make a determination regarding the request within a reasonable time period.
         2. (ii) Upon authorization by Central Records, a filer may submit one or more acceptable external storage devices for digital media to Central Records. Such devices must be physically delivered at a designated shipping or mailing commission address listed on the commission's website by mail, courier, or hand delivery to Central Records.
      3. (C) Central Records will maintain a list of acceptable external storage devices for digital media on the commission website.

3. (c) Format and filing standards.

   1. (1) The following format standards are applicable to all filings.

      1. (A) Items must be formatted in a manner that renders the information legible and generally accessible. Items must be formatted as follows, unless doing so would render the content illegible or the native format of the file uses another generally acceptable structure or format. A filed item must:

         1. (i) be double-spaced with left and right margins not less than one inch wide, except that any letter, tariff filing, rate filing, or proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, and ordering paragraphs may be single-spaced;
         2. (ii) indent and single-space any quotation which exceeds 50 words;
         3. (iii) be printed or formatted in a legible font and not less than 12-point type; and
         4. (iv) be formatted to print on 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
      2. (B) All pages of a filing, starting with the first page of the table of contents, must be consecutively numbered through the last page of the document, including any attachments, except attachments and exhibits to an application for electric, water, or wastewater certificate of convenience and necessity do not need to be consecutively numbered with the rest of the application.

   2. (2) The following general standards are applicable to all filings, except subparagraph (A) does not apply to a filing made by a presiding officer, the Office of Policy and Docket Management (OPDM), or the Rules and Projects division (RAP).

      1. (A) Each item that is ten or more pages in length and has multiple headings or subheadings must have a table of contents that lists the major sections of the item, the page number for the start of each major section, and identifiers for each major section of the item. Discovery responses and items filed in a rulemaking are exempt from this subparagraph.
      2. (B) If a filing contains a barcode, the barcode must be covered or redacted.
      3. (C) If a filing contains sensitive personal information of the filer or any other person that is not required for the disposition of the case, such as social security numbers, driver license numbers, or account numbers, that sensitive personal information must be redacted.

   3. (3) Items, except for maps, that are filed physically must be:

      1. (A) printed on both sides of the paper or, if it cannot be printed on both sides of the paper, every page of the copy must be single sided; and
      2. (B) printed on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, or if the content cannot be formatted legibly on letter-size paper, be folded to a size no larger than 8.5 x 11 inches.
   4. (4) Handwritten documents must be legible and must comply with the requirements of paragraphs (2)(B) and (2)(C) of this subsection.
4. (d) Citation form. An item filed with the commission must substantially comply with the commission's Citation and Style Guide for the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Any citations to law or other legal authority in an item filed with the commission must also substantially comply with the Texas Rules of Form: The Greenbook (for Texas authorities), The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (for all other authorities).

5. (e) Signature and other standards. All filings must:

   1. (1) be signed by the filer or the filer's authorized representative. If the person signing the pleading or document is a licensed attorney, the attorney's state of licensure and bar number must also be provided;

   2. (2) include the contact information of the filer or authorized representative of the filer, consisting of the following:

      1. (A) a physical mailing address;
      2. (B) a telephone number;
      3. (C) an email address, unless the filer or the filer's authorized representative has filed a statement under §22.106 of this title (relating to Statement of No Access).
   3. (3) include the date the document was signed and, if a proceeding involves parties, a certificate of service in accordance with §22.74 of this title (relating to Service of Pleadings and Documents).
6. (f) Page limits. The commission may establish page limits for filings in any proceeding. Additionally, commission counsel or the presiding officer may establish page limits for filings in a proceeding with an assigned tariff or docket control number. In establishing page limits, the commission, commission counsel, or the presiding officer may consider such factors as which party has the burden of proof and the extent of opposition to a party's position that would need to be addressed in the document. The commission or commission staff may establish page limits for filings in projects.

7. (g) Electronic filing standards. An electronically filed item must comply with the requirements of this subsection. Central Records will maintain a list of preferred electronic file formats on the commission's website. This subsection does not apply to items filed by a presiding officer, OPDM, or RAP.

   1. (1) Electronic items must be filed in the native file format used to create and edit the file.
   2. (2) Electronic items that are filed in a portable document format (PDF) must be filed in a format that permits searches of text.
   3. (3) Electronic filings with interactive content, such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, must have active links and formulas that were used to create and manipulate the data in the filing. Links and formulas may include descriptive and technical metadata required for electronic records to maintain and retain reliability, including metadata necessary to adequately support the usability, authenticity, or integrity as well as the preservation of a record.
   4. (4) If the filing cannot be uploaded, the filer must contact Central Records to determine an alternative means of filing.

8. (h) Maps and GIS data filing standards.

   1. (1) Electronic and physical copies of maps and GIS data must be filed in accordance with §22.71 of this title.

   2. (2) Commission staff will maintain on the commission's website:

      1. (A) a list of acceptable file formats for maps and GIS data in accordance with subsection (g) of this section; and
      2. (B) a procedure for filing physical maps, including oversized maps, that a filer must comply with.

Source Note:The provisions of this §22.72 adopted to be effective December 10, 2025, 50 TexReg 7889.