By Wolens                                              H.R. No. 615
         77R11066 GMW-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, April 2001 marks Texas Electric Choice Awareness
 1-2     Month, and this special observance is an ideal way to heighten
 1-3     awareness among consumers about the evolution that is taking place
 1-4     in the electric industry in Texas; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, In 1999, the 76th Texas Legislature gave Texans the
 1-6     power to choose their own electricity company; official
 1-7     restructuring for the state begins on January 1, 2002, and the
 1-8     ensuing competition among electricity providers should keep the
 1-9     costs of electricity reasonable and lead to improvements in the way
1-10     the state uses electricity; and
1-11           WHEREAS, With wind, coal, natural gas, solar, water, and
1-12     other energy resources, Texas has diversity in its generation of
1-13     power, and with 35 new power plants, the Lone Star State is
1-14     expected to have an excess power reserve that is estimated at 23.3
1-15     percent above customer demand; and
1-16           WHEREAS, The Public Utility Commission of Texas will continue
1-17     to ensure the safety and reliability of electric service, while
1-18     consumers will be able to make their decision about purchasing
1-19     electricity based on what matters most to them, whether it is
1-20     price, use of renewable energy, customer service, or staying with a
1-21     company they know; and
1-22           WHEREAS, Consumers will be able to compare the rates and
1-23     services being offered by asking retail electric providers for
1-24     electricity facts labels, which will include information on prices,
 2-1     contracts, sources of power generation, and emissions; and
 2-2           WHEREAS, Preceding the official restructuring in January
 2-3     2002, five percent of Texas' electric customers will have the
 2-4     opportunity to sign up for the Texas Electric Choice Pilot Program
 2-5     that will run from June 1, 2001, to December 31, 2001; this pilot
 2-6     program and the subsequent restructuring of the electric industry
 2-7     in Texas marks a noteworthy development that most definitely merits
 2-8     widespread public attention; now, therefore, be it
 2-9           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-10     Legislature hereby recognize April 2001 as Electric Choice
2-11     Awareness Month in the State of Texas.