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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a grant and loan program to promote the installation of |
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on-site solar energy and energy storage for resilience. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 2305, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 2305.040 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 2305.040. SOLAR ENERGY AND ENERGY STORAGE RESILIENCE |
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GRANT AND LOAN PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "solar energy device" |
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means a system or series of mechanisms designed primarily to |
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provide heating or cooling or to produce electrical or mechanical |
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power by collecting and transferring solar-generated energy. |
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(b) In this section, "energy storage device" means a |
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mechanical or chemical device that has the ability to store |
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solar-generated energy for use in heating or cooling or in the |
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production of power. |
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(c) In this section, "essential community services" means |
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those providing the public with free water, food, shelter, medical |
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services, emergency response operations, and other services that |
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the local county deems essential. |
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(d) The energy office is the supervising state agency of the |
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solar energy and energy storage resilience grant and loan program. |
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The program is established to encourage the installation of solar |
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energy and energy storage devices to enable locations that provide |
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essential community services during emergencies to continue |
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operating autonomously when electricity from the grid is not |
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available. |
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(e) The energy office shall award grants or make or |
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guarantee loans for the the solar energy and energy storage |
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resilience grant and loan program. |
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(f) Grants shall be made available for government |
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facilities. The energy office shall distribute grants in a manner |
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that ensures an equitable geographic distribution. |
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(g) The energy office shall determine the terms under which |
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a loan may be made under this section and shall set the interest |
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rate for a loan at a low rate that the energy office determines is |
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sufficient to recover the cost of administering the loan program. |
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(h) Before awarding a grant or making a loan under this |
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section, the energy office shall enter into a written agreement |
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with the entity to which the grant is to be awarded or the loan is to |
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be made. The agreement may specify that if, as of a date specified |
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by the agreement, the entity has not used the grant or loan for the |
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purposes for which the grant or loan was intended, the entity shall |
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repay the amount of the grant or the amount of the loan and any |
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accrued interest, as applicable, under terms specified by the |
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agreement. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |