EE/RE in the 83 rd Texas Legislature
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Transcript of EE/RE in the 83 rd Texas Legislature
EE/RE in the 83rd Texas Legislature
Dub TaylorDirector, SECO
Background Legislature meets 140 days every odd-numbered year
(plus any Special Sessions)
181 Legislators 150 House Representatives 31 Senators
2012 Election Results House: 95 R / 55 D (41 Freshmen)
More than ½ of the House has 2 or fewer sessions of experience Senate: 19 R / 12 D (6 Freshmen)
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Historical Comparison of Bills and Resolutions Filed, Passed and Vetoed (83rd-79th Legislatures)
FiledPassedVetoed
www.texastribune.org/session/83R/bills/
Energy Efficiency Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) (SB 385 – Carona/Keffer)
Enables commercial and industrial customers to utilize loans repaid through property assessments to fund water and energy efficiency projects, including renewable energy improvements
State Agency and Higher Education Energy and Water Efficiency (SB 700 – Hegar/Kacal) Requires state agencies and institutions of higher education to set goals for reducing
their use of water, electricity, gasoline, and natural gas and include those goals in their comprehensive energy and water management plans
Energy Savings Performance Contracts (SB 533 – Zaffirini/Keffer) Requires the State Energy Conservation Office and the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board to review measurement and verification reports applicable to energy savings performance contracts and periodically provide an analysis of the savings realized to the entity that executed the contract and the Legislative Budget Board
Combined Heating & Power Expanding Sales from Cogeneration Facility (HB 2049 –
Huberty/Williams) In ERCOT, a qualifying cogenerator may sell electric energy at
retail to more than one purchaser of the cogenerator’s thermal output
CHP Evaluation (HB1864 – Wu/Estes) Adds higher education to "critical governmental facility”
definition Requires SECO to establish guidelines for the evaluation to
determine the feasibility of equipping a critical governmental facility with a combined heating and power system
TERP TCEQ Grant Program Revisions (SB 1727 – Deuell/Isaac)
Assures the program will continue through 2019 $1 million of funds in 2014 and 2015 for new technology implementation
grant program that may support electricity storage projects Amends the Health and Safety Code to revise provisions of the Texas
emissions reduction plan relating to the plan's uses Requires TCEQ to provide specific eligibility requirements under the Texas
clean fleet program and under the Texas natural gas vehicle grant program Amends certain provisions relating to the light-duty motor vehicle
purchase or lease incentive program Revises the overall allocation of Texas emissions reduction plan funds,
authorizes TCEQ to allocate unexpended money designated for certain programs
Includes nonattainment areas and affected counties of Texas among the areas for which TCEQ is required to award grants to support the development of a network of natural gas vehicle fueling stations
Renewable Energy Accelerated Depreciation for Solar Energy Property (HB 2500 –
Bohac/Watson) Requires a tax appraiser to use the cost method for appraising solar energy
property and use a useful life of not more than 10 years Sets a floor for the depreciated value of 20 percent of the cost value
adjusted for physical, functional, or economic obsolescence
Chapter 313 Modifications (HB3390 – Hilderbran/Duell) Amends the Tax Code and Education Code to revise and update provisions
relating to the Texas Economic Development Act Postpones from December 31, 2014, to December 31, 2024, the expiration
date of the act's provisions relating to a limitation on the appraised value, for school district maintenance and operations (M&O) property tax purposes
Job creation review and biennial report by Comptroller
Water State Water Plan (HB 4 – Ritter/Fraser)
Overhauls the Texas Water Development Board Authorizes issuance of revenue bonds Creates special funds outside the state treasury to implement the state
water plan
Funding State Water Plan (SJR 1 – Williams/Pitts and HB 1025 - Pitts/Williams) Creates a revolving water infrastructure fund of $2 billion (20% for
conservation/re-use) - voters approved in November 2013
Xeriscape in HOA Jurisdictions (SB198 – Watson/Dukes) Helps ensure rights of Home Owners Association (HOA) members to
xeriscape or otherwise have a drought-resistant, water-conserving lawn
Taxes Pollution Control Property Ad Valorem Tax Exemption (HB 1897 –
Eiland/Carona) Clarifies the application of the exemption from ad valorem taxes for
pollution control property Prohibits a chief appraiser from accepting an application for a
pollution control property tax exemption until the property owner provides a copy of the letter issued by the TCEQ determining that the property is pollution control property
Regulatory PUC Sunset – HB 1600 (Cook/Nichols)
Changes to PUC Commissioner Qualifications Transfers water and sewer utility regulation from TCEQ to PUC
System Benefit Fund Phase Out (HB 7 – Darby/Williams) Surcharge eliminated effective Sept. 1, 2013 Balance of fund used by Sept. 1, 2016
Limitation on Data Sharing from Smart Meter (HB 1600 – Cook/Nichols) Utility may not share or disclose information from a smart meter except to
an affiliated corporation or third party entity unless the information is used for the purpose of providing electric utility service to the customer.
Customer may approve release of information for other services
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Questions?
Dub Taylor, DirectorState Energy Conservation Office
www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us