LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 19, 2011

TO:	Honorable John Carona, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
FROM:	John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB3595 by Chisum (Relating to energy efficiency goals and energy efficiency programs.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Government Code to create an energy efficiency council composed of 16 members as identified in the bill. The bill would require the council to meet at least twice each year and would authorize council members to receive reimbursements for expenses incurred while performing council business, subject to availability of funding. The State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) would provide the council with administrative support, including meeting space and staff necessary to assist the council in carrying out its duties. The bill would authorize the council to solicit gifts, grants and donations. The bill would require the websites of SECO and Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to include publications of the council. The bill would require the council to develop a list of currently operating energy efficiency programs in the state. SECO and PUC would be required to develop and publish on their websites a user-friendly page allowing consumers to search by address energy efficiency programs available in the consumer’s service area. The bill would require the council to submit to the Legislature not later than October 1 of each even-numbered year a report on energy efficiency programs in the state. The report would include: a comprehensive review of programs; comparisons of the programs with similar programs in other states; and recommendations for improving and creating new programs.

The bill would amend the Utilities Code relating to the State’s energy efficiency programs to provide additional options for market-transformation programs and to require an entity that conducts an energy efficiency audit for a customer to include certain information in the audit.

It is anticipated that any additional costs associated with implementation of the legislation could be absorbed within existing resources.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 332 Department of Housing and Community Affairs, 473 Public Utility Commission of Texas, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices

LBB Staff:

JOB, AG, LCO