BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1687
By: Watson
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
There is little dispute that human activity contributes significantly to global warming. Today, nationwide, Texas is the number one emitter of carbon dioxide, the primary global warming gas. Globally, Texas also ranks seventh, among nations, for emissions of carbon dioxide.
As proposed, S.B. 1687 requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to develop and present a report to the legislature by December 31, 2008, of strategies to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that, over the life-time of the strategy, will result in a net financial saving, or not financial cost to businesses and consumers of the state. The bill requires TCEQ to look at programs implemented by other states and in other countries. This bill requires the strategies identified by the report to become law by June 1, 2010, if they present no conflict with other state law.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
[While the statutory reference in this bill is to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), the following amendments affect the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, as the successor agency to TNRCC.]
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 382, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section 382.0174, as follows:
Sec. 382.0174. EMISSION REDUCTION STRATEGIES FOR GREENHOUSE GASES. (a) Defines "greenhouse gas."
(b) Requires TRNCC to prepare and deliver to each member of the legislature a report including a list of strategies for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases in this state that will have no financial cost or net savings to consumers or businesses in this state, not later than December 31, 2008.
(c) Requires TRNCC, in preparing the list of emission reduction strategies, to consider the strategies for reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases that have been implemented in other states or nations.
(d) Requires TRNCC, in determining under Subsection (b) whether an emission reduction strategy may result in a financial cost to consumers or businesses in this state, to consider the total net costs that may occur over the life of the strategy, as opposed to the short-term capital costs that may result from the implementation of the strategy.
(e) Authorizes TRNCC to appoint advisory committees to assist TRNCC in identifying and evaluating greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies.
(f) Requires TRNCC to adopt rules implementing each of the strategies in the report to the extent that the implementation does not conflict with other state law, not later than June 1, 2010.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2007.