MINUTES
ELECTRIC UTILITY RESTRUCTURING LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
Thursday, December 12, 2002
11:00 a.m.
Capitol Extension, Room E1.036
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted on December 5, 2002, and in
accordance with Senate Rule 11.18, a public hearing of the
Electric Utility Restructuring Legislative Oversight Committee
was held on Thursday, December 12, 2002, in the Capitol
Extension, Room E1.036, at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Troy Fraser, Co-Chairman Representative Steven
Wolens, Co-
Senator Teel Bivins Chairman
Representative Kim Brimer Representative David
Counts
Representative Debra Danburg Senator Frank Madla
Senator Jane Nelson Representative Sylvester
Turner
Senator John Whitmire
*****
Co-Chairman Fraser called the meeting to order at 11:15 a.m.
The following business was transacted:
Co-Chairman Fraser thanked everyone for attending the meeting
which would be the last hearing of the year. Throughout the
interim, the Committee meetings were focused on market structure
and market mechanics with the purpose of ensuring a successful
transition to electric deregulation. At this hearing, the
Committee would hear testimony on competitive market experiences
from various groups. Following the invited testimony, public
testimony would be heard.
The Co-Chairman then called the first panel to present their
testimony. The panelists were:
Richie Jackson, Executive Vice President/CEO, Texas
Restaurant Association,
Chris Szaniszlo, Chief Financial Officer, Texas Association
of School Boards,
Scott Norwood, Electric Utility Consultant, Texas
Association of School Boards,
Scott Hart, President, Texas Commercial Energy, and
Jon Hockenyos, Managing Director, Texas Perspectives, Inc.
Following testimony by Panel One, Co-Chairman Fraser called
Panel Two. The panelists were as follows:
Tim Morstad, Policy Analyst, Consumers Union Southwest
Regional Office,
Suzi McClellan, Public Utility Counsel,
Carol Biedrzycki, Texas Ratepayers Organization to Save
Energy, and
Randy Chapman, Texas Legal Services Center.
Rebecca Klein, Chairman of the Public Utility Commission, was
called to answer questions which arose during Suzi McClellan's
testimony concerning price increases based on rising fuel costs
which are not decreased when fuel prices drop.
Upon completion of invited testimony, the Co-Chairman advised
that public testimony would commence. The following witnesses
testified as a panel on the System Benefit Fund and
weatherization:
Carol Biedrzycki, Texas Ratepayers Organization to Save
Energy,
Karen Swenson, Community Action Agencies, Nacogdoches,
Texas, and
Stella Rodriguez, Texas Association of Community Action
Agencies.
Co-Chairman Fraser then called the witnesses listed below who
testified regarding the development of new technology:
Robert King, Consultant, Good Company Associates,
Paul Wattles, Good Company Associates,
Ward Camp, Vice President, Distribution Control Systems,
Inc., Hazelwood, MO,
Jeffrey Trucksess, Consultant, Ridge Energy Storage, and
Chris Herbert, Executive Director, Fuel Cells Texas.
The remaining public testimony was presented by:
Vanus Priestley, Constellation New Energy/Alliance for
Retail Markets,
Matthew Berke, Lower Power Bill, Energy Consultants,
Dallas,
Geoffrey Gay, Cities Aggregation Power Project and South
Texas Aggregation, and
Brett Perlman, Commissioner, Public Utility Commission.
There being no further business, at 3:02 p.m. Co-Chair Fraser
ELECTRIC UTILITY RESTRUCTURING LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
Minutes
Thursday, December 12, 2002
page 3
moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of
the Co-Chairmen. Without objection, it was so ordered.
___________________________________
________________________
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Senator Troy Fraser, Co-Chairman Representative
Steven Wolens, Co-Chairman
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Barbara Henderson, Clerk