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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the powers, duties, and composition of the electric |
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utility restructuring legislative oversight committee. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 39.907, Utilities Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (b), (e), and (h) and adding Subsections (i), |
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(j), and (k) to read as follows: |
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(b) The committee is composed of six members as follows: |
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(1) the chair of the House Committee on Regulated |
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Industries; |
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(2) the chair of the Senate Committee on Business and |
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Commerce; |
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(3) two [three] members of the senate appointed by the |
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lieutenant governor; and |
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(4) [(3)] two members of the house of representatives |
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appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. |
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(e) The committee shall: |
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(1) meet at least annually with the commission; |
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(2) receive information about rules relating to |
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electric utility restructuring proposed by the commission and may |
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submit comments to the commission on those proposed rules; |
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(3) review recommendations for legislation proposed |
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by the commission; [and] |
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(4) monitor the effectiveness of electric utility |
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restructuring, including the fairness of rates, the reliability of |
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service, and the effect of stranded costs, market power, and |
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regulation on the normal forces of competition; and |
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(5) study and seek policies to ensure that fuel |
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resources available to the state are used in a balanced and |
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efficient manner and consider the reliability, economic viability, |
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and environmental impact of new fuels and generation technologies. |
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(h) The chair of the House Committee on Regulated Industries |
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and the chair of the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce [one
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of the members of the senate serving on the committee, designated by
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the lieutenant governor,] shall serve as joint chairs of the |
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committee. |
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(i) In addition to the duties under Subsection (e), the |
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committee shall meet at least twice annually to encourage |
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cooperation and coordination with the following entities: |
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(1) the commission; |
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(2) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; |
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(3) the Railroad Commission of Texas; |
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(4) the Electric Reliability Council of Texas; and |
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(5) the office of the comptroller of public accounts. |
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(j) The committee shall consider and discuss policies and |
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strategies to ensure that fuel resources available to the state are |
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used in a balanced and efficient manner while taking into |
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consideration the reliability, economic viability, and |
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environmental impact of fuels and technologies, including, but not |
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limited to, the following: |
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(1) strategies which protect and preserve the |
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environment of the state while allowing for access to safe, |
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economical, and reliable sources of energy; |
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(2) strategies to ensure that customers of this state |
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have access to reliable energy; |
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(3) transmission, congestion, and transportation |
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constraints and cost, and study strategies to alleviate or prevent |
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those constraints, for the following sources of energy: |
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(A) oil and natural gas; |
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(B) coal and lignite; and |
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(C) electricity; |
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(4) capacity needs, reserve margins, market impact, |
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environmental impact, and reliability of generation, and recommend |
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strategies to ensure continued investment in generation; |
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(5) cost-effective, renewable energy, conservation, |
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and energy-efficient technologies; |
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(6) policies to ensure that fuel resources available |
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to the state are used in a balanced and efficient manner; and |
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(7) the reliability, economic viability, and |
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environmental impact of new fuels and technologies. |
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(k) Not later than November 15 of each even-numbered year, |
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the committee shall report to the governor, the lieutenant |
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governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives on the |
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committee's activities under Subsection (j). |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |
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