By: Armbrister S.B. No. 690 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to state government's purchasing and use of electricity. 1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-3 SECTION 1. Section 447.008, Government Code, is amended by 1-4 amending Subsections (b) and (d) and adding Subsections (f), (g), 1-5 and (h) to read as follows: 1-6 (b) Using available state, federal, or oil overcharge funds, 1-7 the energy management center may assist state agencies and 1-8 institutions of higher education in analyzing and negotiating rates 1-9 for electricity and natural gas supplies from locally certificated 1-10 electric suppliers, natural gas suppliers, or state-owned energy 1-11 resources, including transportation charges for natural gas. The 1-12 provisions of this section shall not be construed to empower the 1-13 energy management center to negotiate rates for natural gas 1-14 supplies on behalf of state agencies or institutions but rather to 1-15 provide technical assistance as needed. 1-16 (d) Any state agency or institution of higher education with 1-17 expertise in rate analysis, negotiation, or any other matter 1-18 related to the procurement of electricity and natural gas supplies 1-19 from locally certificated electric suppliers, natural gas 1-20 suppliers, or state-owned energy resources may assist the energy 1-21 management center whenever practicable. The attorney general on 1-22 request shall assist the energy management center and other state 1-23 agencies and institutions of higher education to negotiate rates 2-1 for electricity and other terms of electric utility service. 2-2 (f) The energy management center on request may negotiate 2-3 rates for electricity and other terms of electric utility service 2-4 for a state agency or institution of higher education. The energy 2-5 management center may also negotiate the rates and the other terms 2-6 of service for a group of agencies and institutions together in a 2-7 single contract. 2-8 (g) The energy management center shall analyze the rates for 2-9 electricity charged to and the amount of electricity used by state 2-10 agencies and institutions of higher education to determine ways the 2-11 state could obtain lower rates and use less electricity. State 2-12 agencies, including the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and 2-13 institutions of higher education shall assist the energy management 2-14 center to obtain the information the center requires to perform its 2-15 analysis. 2-16 (h) The energy management center and the attorney general 2-17 shall cooperate in monitoring efforts to deregulate the electric 2-18 utility industry and in reporting on the ways in which deregulation 2-19 would affect state government as a purchaser of electricity. The 2-20 energy management center, represented by the attorney general, may 2-21 intervene in proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of 2-22 Texas that are related to deregulating all or part of the electric 2-23 utility industry to represent the interests of state government as 2-24 a purchaser of electricity in those proceedings. 2-25 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 3-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-5 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-6 passage, and it is so enacted.