1-1 By: Armbrister S.B. No. 690 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 20, 1997; February 25, 1997, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; 1-4 April 17, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 12, 1-5 Nays 1; April 17, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to state government's purchasing and use of electricity. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Section 447.008, Government Code, is amended by 1-11 amending Subsections (b) and (d) and adding Subsections (f), (g), 1-12 and (h) to read as follows: 1-13 (b) Using available state, federal, or oil overcharge funds, 1-14 the energy management center may assist state agencies and 1-15 institutions of higher education in analyzing and negotiating rates 1-16 for electricity and natural gas supplies from locally certificated 1-17 electric suppliers, natural gas suppliers, or state-owned energy 1-18 resources, including transportation charges for natural gas. The 1-19 provisions of this section shall not be construed to empower the 1-20 energy management center to negotiate rates for natural gas 1-21 supplies on behalf of state agencies or institutions but rather to 1-22 provide technical assistance as needed. 1-23 (d) Any state agency or institution of higher education with 1-24 expertise in rate analysis, negotiation, or any other matter 1-25 related to the procurement of electricity and natural gas supplies 1-26 from locally certificated electric suppliers, natural gas 1-27 suppliers, or state-owned energy resources may assist the energy 1-28 management center whenever practicable. The attorney general on 1-29 request shall assist the energy management center and other state 1-30 agencies and institutions of higher education to negotiate rates 1-31 for electricity and other terms of electric utility service. 1-32 (f) The energy management center on request may negotiate 1-33 rates for electricity and other terms of electric utility service 1-34 for a state agency or institution of higher education. The energy 1-35 management center may also negotiate the rates and the other terms 1-36 of service for a group of agencies and institutions together in a 1-37 single contract. 1-38 (g) The energy management center shall analyze the rates for 1-39 electricity charged to and the amount of electricity used by state 1-40 agencies and institutions of higher education to determine ways the 1-41 state could obtain lower rates and use less electricity. State 1-42 agencies, including the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and 1-43 institutions of higher education shall assist the energy management 1-44 center to obtain the information the center requires to perform its 1-45 analysis. 1-46 (h) The energy management center and the attorney general 1-47 shall cooperate in monitoring efforts to deregulate the electric 1-48 utility industry and in reporting on the ways in which deregulation 1-49 would affect state government as a purchaser of electricity. The 1-50 energy management center, represented by the attorney general, may 1-51 intervene in proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of 1-52 Texas that are related to deregulating all or part of the electric 1-53 utility industry to represent the interests of state government as 1-54 a purchaser of electricity in those proceedings. 1-55 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-56 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-57 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-58 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-59 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-60 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-61 passage, and it is so enacted. 1-62 * * * * *