79R9466 MTB-F
By: West H.B. No. 3096
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the energy efficiency goal of electric utilities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 39.905, Utilities Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 39.905. GOAL FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY. (a) It is the
goal of the legislature that:
(1) electric utilities will administer energy savings
incentive programs in a market-neutral, nondiscriminatory manner
but will not offer underlying competitive services;
(2) all customers, in all customer classes, have a
choice of and access to energy efficiency alternatives and other
choices from the market that allow each customer to reduce energy
consumption and reduce energy costs; [and]
(3) electric utilities will support transmission and
distribution research, development, and demonstration initiatives
by universities in this state and by others in order to ensure that
all customers, in all customer classes, receive the benefits of
emerging technologies that may result in:
(A) the modernization of the transmission and
distribution grid; and
(B) increased security, safety, reliability, and
efficiency; and
(4) each electric utility will use the amount approved
for energy efficiency programs in the utility's most recent full
rate proceeding before the commission as follows:
(A) 90 percent of the money to provide[, through]
market-based standard offer programs or limited, targeted,
market-transformation programs designed to encourage[, incentives
sufficient for] retail electric providers and competitive energy
service providers to acquire additional cost-effective energy
efficiency savings; and
(B) [equivalent to at least] 10 percent of the
money for the purpose described by Subdivision (3) [the electric
utility's annual growth in demand].
(b) The commission shall provide oversight and adopt rules
and procedures, as necessary, to ensure that the goal of this
section is achieved by January 1, 2006 [2004].
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.