1-1 By: McClendon (Senate Sponsor - Barrientos) H.B. No. 3415 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 23, 2001; 1-3 April 24, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Natural Resources; May 2, 2001, reported favorably by the following 1-5 vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 2, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the development and use of landfill gas for state 1-9 energy and environmental purposes. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 361, Health and Safety 1-12 Code, is amended by adding Section 361.040 to read as follows: 1-13 Sec. 361.040. DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF LANDFILL GAS. (a) The 1-14 legislature finds that: 1-15 (1) there are many municipal solid waste landfills in 1-16 this state that produce economically recoverable amounts of methane 1-17 gas; 1-18 (2) those landfills currently generate approximately 1-19 100 million cubic feet of methane gas per day; 1-20 (3) cost-effective recovery of landfill gas will have 1-21 both environmental and economic benefits; and 1-22 (4) it is in the state's interest to encourage and 1-23 assist the development and use of landfill gas in a timely fashion. 1-24 (b) The commission and the Public Utility Commission of 1-25 Texas shall jointly promote the economic development and use of 1-26 landfill gas by, at a minimum: 1-27 (1) publicizing agency information on identified 1-28 landfills with the potential for economic landfill gas development, 1-29 including an estimate of that potential; 1-30 (2) assisting gas developers, landfill owners and 1-31 operators, electric utilities, and gas utilities in exploring 1-32 partnership opportunities with regard to landfill gas; and 1-33 (3) establishing a clearinghouse of information on 1-34 landfill gas development and use. 1-35 (c) If the commission requires a person to register with the 1-36 commission before undertaking landfill gas recovery activities, the 1-37 commission shall give priority to processing applications for 1-38 registration. 1-39 (d) The commission and the Public Utility Commission of 1-40 Texas shall jointly report to the legislature by November 1 of 1-41 2002, 2004, and 2006 on the status of the development of landfill 1-42 gas in this state. Each report shall: 1-43 (1) summarize the activities of the agencies in 1-44 fulfilling the requirements of this section; 1-45 (2) identify landfills with gas recovery projects; 1-46 (3) state the amount of gas produced from landfill gas 1-47 recovery projects; 1-48 (4) state the amount of electricity generated from 1-49 landfill gas recovery projects; 1-50 (5) identify the environmental benefits of the 1-51 recovery and use of landfill gas; and 1-52 (6) identify any legal, administrative, economic, or 1-53 other obstacles to the further development and use of landfill gas. 1-54 (e) This section expires September 1, 2007. 1-55 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 1-56 * * * * *