Honorable Charles Perry, Chair, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB991 by Rodríguez (Relating to a requirement that the General Land Office and the Texas Water Development Board conduct a study regarding the use of wind and solar power to develop and desalinate brackish groundwater.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would require the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and the General Land Office (GLO) to conduct a study on brackish groundwater desalination using wind and solar power as an energy source, and submit a report to the governor and legislature summarizing the results of the study by December 31, 2016. The bill provides that the agencies may coordinate with a research division of a university in conducting the study. Both agencies assume the study would be performed through an external contract, the costs of which are not anticipated to be significant. The bill would take effect immediately upon receiving a two-thirds majority vote in both houses; otherwise, the bill would take effect September 1, 2015.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
305 General Land Office and Veterans' Land Board, 580 Water Development Board