| |
| |
|
|
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Our food and water supplies, communications, |
|
|
banking, hospitals, law enforcement, and countless critical |
|
|
functions depend on the electric grid, and its protection is vital |
|
|
to homeland security; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri provided a harsh |
|
|
reminder of the importance of the Texas power grid as |
|
|
weather-related failures left many residents and businesses |
|
|
without access to heat; in April and June, the Electric Reliability |
|
|
Council of Texas responded to power generation outages by issuing |
|
|
requests for citizens to temporarily reduce energy use; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Although more work remains to be done in preventing |
|
|
energy shortages, Texas is fortunate to have its own power grid; the |
|
|
state is thus capable of hardening its own electric system to ensure |
|
|
reliable electricity in any environment for residents, businesses, |
|
|
and state and local government, as well as for U.S. military bases; |
|
|
for example, during the 87th Regular Session, the Texas Legislature |
|
|
passed Senate Bill 3, which requires power generation companies in |
|
|
Texas to prepare their facilities for extreme weather; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Protecting the grid from all threats would provide |
|
|
substantial economic benefits; as the federal government closes |
|
|
military bases around the country, Texas bases would likely survive |
|
|
closure because of their enhanced energy security; moreover, |
|
|
companies considering relocation or expansion would clearly find |
|
|
the assurance of secure power immensely valuable and look to the |
|
|
Lone Star State; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The protection of the electric grid is essential to |
|
|
the security and continued prosperity of our state and nation, and |
|
|
Texas is prepared to do its part to ensure that citizens can rely |
|
|
completely on the power system that sustains our society; now, |
|
|
therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
|
|
2nd Called Session, hereby request the lieutenant governor and the |
|
|
speaker of the house of representatives to create a joint interim |
|
|
committee to study the security of the Texas electric grid; and, be |
|
|
it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the committee include members of the Public |
|
|
Utilities Commission, Electric Reliability Council of Texas and |
|
|
other relevant stakeholder groups; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including |
|
|
findings and recommendations, to the 88th Texas Legislature in |
|
|
January 2023; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be |
|
|
governed by such general rules and policies for interim committees |
|
|
as the 87th Texas Legislature may adopt. |