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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to reports on energy use at buildings of certain |
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governmental entities and energy efficiency projects for those |
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buildings. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. SECTION 1. Section 2265.001, Government Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 2265.001. RECORDING AND REPORTING OF ELECTRICITY, |
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WATER, AND NATURAL GAS CONSUMPTION. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Benchmark" means to enter data on the total |
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energy consumed for a building and other descriptive information |
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for a building as required by the benchmarking tool. |
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(2) "Benchmarking information" means a building's |
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energy consumption information generated by the benchmarking tool |
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and descriptive information about the building and its operational |
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characteristics. The information includes: |
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(A) the building's address; |
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(B) energy use intensity for the building; |
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(C) water use for the building; and |
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(D) the energy performance score that compares |
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the energy use of the building to energy use of similar buildings, |
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if available. |
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(3) "Benchmarking tool" means the United States |
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Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager |
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tool, or an equivalent tool adopted by the comptroller's state |
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energy conservation office that can be used to collect energy use |
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data for a building and track energy use over time. |
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(4) "Governmental [, "governmental] entity" means: |
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(A) [(1)] a board, commission, or department of |
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the state or a political subdivision of the state, including a |
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municipality, a county, or any kind of district; or |
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(B) [(2)] an institution of higher education as |
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defined by Section 61.003, Education Code. |
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(b) Notwithstanding any other law, a governmental entity |
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responsible for payments for electric, water, or natural gas |
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utility services shall record in an electronic repository the |
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governmental entity's metered amount of electricity, water, or |
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natural gas consumed for which it is responsible to pay and the |
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aggregate costs for those utility services. The governmental |
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entity shall report the recorded information on a publicly |
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accessible Internet website with an interface designed for ease of |
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navigation [if available, or at another publicly accessible
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location]. The governmental entity shall submit to the |
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comptroller's state energy conservation office a link to the |
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recorded information. A governmental entity may benchmark public |
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buildings using a benchmarking tool and submit the benchmarking |
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information to the office. A governmental entity may not apply for |
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a grant under Subchapter E, Chapter 386, Health and Safety Code, |
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unless the governmental entity submits the benchmarking |
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information to the office. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 386.202, 386.203, and 386.205, Health |
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and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 386.202. GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The [utility] commission |
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shall develop an energy efficiency grant program for energy |
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efficiency projects in governmental entity buildings and |
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facilities [using program templates that are consistent with rules
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of the utility commission adopted under Section 39.905, Utilities
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Code]. |
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(b) Energy efficiency projects awarded a grant [Programs
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approved] under this subchapter [and other energy efficiency
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programs administered by the utility commission] must include |
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energy conservation projects that improve the operational energy |
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efficiency of buildings or facilities or that retire [programs for
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the retirement of] materials and appliances that contribute to |
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energy consumption or peak energy demand to ensure the reduction of |
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energy consumption, energy demand, or peak loads, and associated |
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emissions of air contaminants. |
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Sec. 386.203. ADMINISTRATION OF GRANTS. Money allocated to |
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[by the utility commission under] the grant program developed under |
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this subchapter shall be administered by the commission [electric
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utilities, electric cooperatives, and municipally owned utilities.
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A participating electric utility, electric cooperative, or
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municipally owned utility shall be reimbursed from the fund for
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costs incurred by the utility in administering the energy
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efficiency grant program established under this subchapter.
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Reimbursable administrative costs of a participating entity may not
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exceed 10 percent of the entity's total program budget before
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January 1, 2003, and may not exceed five percent of the entity's
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total program budget on or after that date]. |
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Sec. 386.205. EVALUATION OF STATE ENERGY EFFICIENCY |
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PROGRAMS. In cooperation with the laboratory, the comptroller's |
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state energy conservation office [utility commission] shall |
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provide an annual report to the commission that, by county, |
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quantifies the reductions of energy demand, peak loads, and |
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associated emissions of air contaminants achieved from the projects |
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awarded a grant [programs implemented] under this subchapter [and
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from those implemented under Section 39.905, Utilities Code]. |
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SECTION 3. Sections 386.201 and 386.204, Health and Safety |
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Code, are repealed. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |