AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Section 39.905 (Goal for Energy Efficiency), Utilities Code, establishes a legislative goal that electric utilities will administer energy efficiency incentive programs in a market-neutral, nondiscriminatory manner, and that all customers will have a choice of and access to energy efficiency alternatives and other choices from the market that allow each customer to reduce energy consumption, peak demand, or energy costs. Current law also provides that each electric utility will provide, through market-based standard offer programs or limited, targeted, market-transformation programs, incentives sufficient for retail electric providers and competitive energy service providers to acquire additional cost-effective energy efficiency for residential and commercial customers.
H.B. 3595 amends current law relating to energy efficiency goals and energy efficiency programs.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 39.905(a) and (d), Utilities Code, as follows:
(a) Provides that it is the goal of the legislature that:
(1)-(2) Makes no changes to these subdivisions;
(3) each electric utility will provide, through market-based standard offer programs or through targeted market-transformation programs, rather than limited, targeted market-transformation programs, incentives sufficient for retail electric providers and competitive energy service providers to acquire additional cost-effective energy efficiency for residential and commercial customers equivalent to at least:
(A) 10 percent of the electric utility's annual growth in demand of residential and commercial customers by December 31, 2007;
(B) 15 percent of the electric utility's annual growth in demand of residential and commercial customers by December 31, 2008, provided that the electric utility's program expenditures for 2008 funding may not be greater than 75 percent above the utility's program budget for 2007 for residential and commercial customers, as included in the April 1, 2006, filing; and
(C) 20 percent of the electric utility's annual growth in demand of residential and commercial customers by December 31, 2009, provided that the electric utility's program expenditures for 2009 funding may not be greater than 150 percent above the utility's program budget for 2007 for residential and commercial customers, as included in the April 1, 2006, filing; and
(4)-(6) Makes no changes to these subdivisions.
(d) Authorizes utilities to choose to implement any program option approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas after its evaluation in order to satisfy the goal in Subsection (a), including:
(1)-(3) Makes no changes to these subdivisions;
(4) the installation of variable speed air conditioning systems, motors, and drives;
(5) Redesignates existing Subdivision (4) as Subdivision (5). Makes no further changes;
(6) Redesignates existing Subdivision (5) as Subdivision (6). Makes no further changes;
(7) Redesignates existing Subdivision (6) as Subdivision (7). Makes no further changes;
(8) commissioning services for commercial and institutional buildings that result in operational and maintenance practices that reduce the buildings' energy consumption;
(9) Redesignates existing Subdivision (7) as Subdivision (9). Makes no further changes;
(10) Redesignates existing Subdivision (8) as Subdivision (10). Makes no further changes;
(11) Redesignates existing Subdivision (9) as Subdivision (11). Makes no further changes;
(12) Redesignates existing Subdivision (10) as Subdivision (12). Makes no further changes;
(13) Redesignates existing Subdivision (11) as Subdivision (13). Makes a nonsubstantive change;
(14) Redesignates existing Subdivision (12) as Subdivision (14). Makes no further changes;
(15) data center efficiency programs; and
(16) energy use programs with measurable and verifiable results that reduce energy consumption through behavioral changes that lead to efficient use patterns and practices.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.