By: Watson S.B. No. 1770

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the development of a comprehensive energy plan.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 31, Utilities Code, is amended by adding Sections 31.006 and 31.007 to read as follows:

Sec. 31.006. COMPREHENSIVE ELECTRIC ENERGY PLAN TASK FORCE. (a) In this section, "task force" means the comprehensive electric energy plan task force.

(b) The comprehensive electric energy plan task force is created to develop a proposed comprehensive electric energy plan that details this state's demand for electric generation capacity for the next 25 years, the infrastructure and technology for meeting that demand, and recommendations for meeting that demand.

(c) The task force is composed of:

(1) one member appointed by the governor;

(2) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor;

(3) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(4) one member appointed by the chairman of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee;

(5) one member appointed by the chairman of the House Committee on Regulated Industries;

(6) one member representing the commission;

(7) one member representing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality;

(8) one member representing Electric Reliability Council Of Texas;

(9) one member representing the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts;

(10) one member representing the Railroad Commission of Texas;

(11) one member of the academic community with expertise in energy, appointed by the governor;

(12) one member with expertise in public health, appointed by the governor;

(13) one member with expertise in photochemical air modeling appointed by the lieutenant governor;

(d) The member representing the commission is the presiding officer of the task force.

(e) An appointed member of the task force serves at the pleasure of the appointing official.

(f) An appointed member of the task force may not receive compensation but is entitled to reimbursement of travel expenses incurred while conducting the business of the task force, as provided in the General Appropriations Act.

(g) The task force may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and appropriations for purposes of this section.

Sec. 31.007. COMPREHENSIVE ELECTRIC ENERGY PLAN. (a) Not later than May 31, 2008, the task force shall develop and submit to the legislature and the governor the proposed comprehensive electric energy plan required by Section 31.006.

(b) In developing the proposed plan, the task force shall consider and discuss policies and strategies to ensure that fuel resources available to the state are used in a balanced and efficient manner while taking into consideration the reliability, economic viability, and environmental impact of fuels and technologies including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) strategies to protect and preserve the environment of the state while allowing for access to safe, economical, and reliable sources of energy;

(2) strategies to ensure that customers of this state have access to reliable energy;

(3) transmission, congestion, and transportation constraints and cost, and strategies to alleviate or prevent those constraints for sources of energy used to generate electricity;

(4) electricity generation capacity, reserve margins, market impact, environmental impact of sources of electricity generation, and strategies to ensure continued investment in clean fuels and clean generation technology;

(5) demand side management and response programs including but not limited to and cost-effective strategies for measuring and utilizing energy conservation, interruptible loads, loads acting as resources, the use of combined heat and power, and energy efficiency;

(6) policies to ensure that fuel resources available to the state achieve reliable supply and are used in a balanced, efficient, and environmentally conscious manner;

(c) If the task force concludes that future demand will exceed the estimated generation capacity, the proposed plan must include:

(1) recommendations for building additional electric generating facilities based on the committee's activities under subsection (b); and

(2) recommendations for demand side management and response programs based on the committee's activities under subsection (b).

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, 2007.