MINUTES
ELECTRIC UTILITY RESTRUCTURING LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
Tuesday, August 22, 2000
8:30 a.m.
George R. Brown Convention Center
Houston, Texas
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Pursuant to a notice posted August 1, 2000, and in accordance
with Senate Rule 11.18, a public hearing of the Electric Utility
Restructuring Legislative Oversight Committee was held on
Tuesday, August 22, 2000, in the George R. Brown Convention
Center, Houston, Texas.
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MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator David Sibley, Co-Chairman Senator Frank Madla
Representative Steven Wolens, Co-Chairman
Senator David Cain
Senator Jane Nelson
Senator John Whitmire
Representative Kim Brimer
Representative David Counts
Representative Debra Danburg
Representative Sylvester Turner
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Co-Chairman Sibley called the meeting to order at 8:40 a.m.
There being a quorum present, the following business was
transacted. Senator Mike Jackson, Representatives Kevin Bailey,
Tommy Merritt and Jerry Madden were also present and
participated in the meeting.
Co-Chairman Sibley advised that the first order of business was
to hear testimony by Pat Wood, Chairman of the Texas Public
Utility Commission, who would testify concerning California's
experience with electric deregulation. Chairman Wood had
furnished the members with a copy of his presentation, and
commented on the Texas electric experience over the last five
years. He pointed out that this would be helpful in considering
events in California and their move toward electric competition.
At the conclusion of his testimony and response to members'
questions, Chairman Wood introduced Public Utility Commissioners
Judy Walsh and Brett Perlman, who were also attending the
hearing.
At 10:45 a.m., Panel One was called to present testimony
regarding emissions and reliability. The panelists are listed
below:
Jeff Saitas, Executive Director, Texas Natural Resource
Conservation Commission
Gregg Cooke, Regional Administrator, US Environmental
Protection Agency, Dallas
Edwin Meyer, Air Quality Headquarters, US Environmental
Protection Agency, NC
Dr. Jim Lester, Environmental Institute of Houston,
University of Houston
The following registered as resource witnesses but did not
testify:
Becky Weber, US Environmental Protection Agency, Dallas
David Gray, US Environmental Protection Agency, Dallas
At 12:15 p.m. Co-Chairman Sibley recessed the hearing until
after lunch and advised that testimony by Dr. Lester, Gregg
Cooke and Edwin Meyer would continue when the Committee
reconvened.
At 1:15 p.m. the committee reconvened and testimony resumed.
At the conclusion of testimony and the panelists' response to
members' questions, Panel Two was called. The panelists
presenting their testimony were:
Edward A. Feith, Manager, Environmental, Reliant Energy,
Houston
Steven Kean, Enron Corp., Houston
George Beatty, Business Coalition for Clean Air, Greater
Houston Partnership, Houston
The following registered as resource witnesses but did not
testify:
Elizabeth Hendler, Business Coalition for Clean Air,
Greater Houston Partnership
Robert M. Nolan, Business Coalition for Clean Air, Greater
Houston Partnership
Following the above panelists' testimony and response to members'
questions, Co-Chairman Sibley announced that the Oversight
Committee will hold a meeting on September 26 in Austin to take
public testimony.
There being no further business, at 2:45 p.m. Co-Chairman Sibley
moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of
the chair. Without objection, it was so ordered.
_____________________________
_____________________________
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Senator David Sibley, Co-Chairman Representative
Steven Wolens,
Co-Chairman
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Barbara Henderson, Clerk