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

dub.taylor@cpa.texas.gov

www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us