By: Schwertner S.B. No. 2404
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of the Texas Energy Efficiency Council to
  foster collaboration, coordination, and communication to enhance
  the state's energy efficiency performance; and strategically
  utilize the state's resources to optimize the benefits of energy
  efficiency programs.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle A, Title 2, Utilities Code, is amended
  by adding Chapter 18 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 18. TEXAS ENERGY EFFICIENCY COUNCIL.
         Sec. 18.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Council" means the Texas Energy Efficiency
  Council.
               (2)  "Energy efficiency program" means a program that
  uses state or federal funding to:
                     (A)  effect more efficient energy use;
                     (B)  reduce energy consumption during periods of
  peak energy demand;
                     (C)  optimize energy consumption;
                     (D)  capture the benefits of energy efficient
  building design standards; or
                     (E)  fund the implementation of energy cost
  reduction measures.
               (3)  "Program administrator" includes any of the
  following entities that administer an energy efficiency program:
                     (A)  a state agency, including the commission, the
  Texas Water Development Board, the State Energy Conservation
  Office, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the
  Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs;
                     (B)  a political subdivision; or
                     (C)  a private or public provider of electricity,
  gas, or water utility service, including an electric cooperative or
  municipally owned utility.
         Sec. 18.002.  PURPOSE. The Texas Energy Efficiency Council
  is a council established to:
               (1)  monitor energy efficiency programs in this state;
               (2)  make recommendations for improving energy
  efficiency programs in this state;
               (3)  monitor and facilitate for coordination and
  leveraging of federal funding from the United States Department of
  Energy, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development,
  and other federal agencies that can be used by state agencies and
  political subdivisions for the purposes of enhancing energy
  efficiency; and
               (4)  provide a central repository for information on
  statewide energy efficiency performance and opportunities to
  participate in energy efficiency programs in this state;
               (5)  provide a statewide collaborative approach to
  promoting energy efficiency;
               (6)  measure, evaluate, and report on energy efficiency
  performance in this state; and
               (7)  promote continuous improvement in energy
  efficiency performance in this state.
         Sec. 18.003.  ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM POLICIES. A program
  administrator shall establish measurable performance criteria and
  share the results with the council when creating or implementing
  energy efficiency programs.
         Sec. 18.004.  COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP. (a) The council is
  composed of the following 16 members:
               (1)  nine ex officio members as follows:
                     (A)  the presiding officer of the Texas Commission
  on Environmental Quality or their designee;
                     (B)  the chief executive officer of the Electric
  Reliability Council of Texas or their designee ;
                     (C)  the presiding officer of the commission or
  their designee;
                     (D)  the comptroller or their designee;
                     (E)  the presiding officer of the Texas Department
  of Housing and Community Affairs or their designee;
                     (F)  the executive director of the Texas Economic
  Development and Tourism Office or their designee;
                     (G)  the presiding officer of the Texas Water
  Development Board or their designee;
                     (H)  the director of the Energy Systems Laboratory
  at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station of The Texas A&M
  University System or their designee; and
                     (I)  the chief executive of the Office of Public
  Utility Counsel or their designee; and
               (2)  seven public members appointed by the presiding
  officer of the commission as follows:
                     (A)  one member must have experience in the field
  of engineering;
                     (B)  one member must have experience in the field
  of industrial operation;
                     (C)  one member must have experience in the field
  of environmental stewardship;
                     (D)  one member must have experience in the field
  of electric utility operation; and
                     (E)  one member must have experience in the field
  of business that implements energy efficiency programs.
                     (F)  one member must have experience in the field
  of public or private finance;
                     (G)  one member must have experience in the field
  of law or business.
         (b)  The ex officio members and the appointed members serve
  as voting members of the council.
         (c)  The presiding officer of the commission or their
  designee shall serve as presiding officer of the council.
         (d)  The council shall meet at least two times per year at the
  call of the presiding officer. The council may meet at other times
  the council considers appropriate. The presiding officer may call a
  meeting on the officer's motion.
         (e)  Council members may not receive compensation for
  services but, subject to the availability of funding, may receive
  reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred while
  performing council business.
         (f)  Appointments to council positions shall be made without
  regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or
  national origin of the appointees.
         (g)  An ex officio member may designate a person from the
  member's agency to represent the member in any meeting.
         (h)  The presiding officer of the council may designate a
  person to represent the public member in any meeting if the person
  meets the qualifications required by subsection (a)(2).
         Sec. 18.005.  TERMS; VACANCY. (a) Appointed council
  members serve staggered four-year terms, with the terms of two or
  three members, as applicable, expiring on February 1.
         (b)  A vacancy on the council in the position of an appointed
  council member shall be filled in the same manner as the original
  appointment. The person appointed serves for the remainder of the
  unexpired term.
         Sec. 18.006.  GROUNDS FOR REMOVAL. (a) It is a ground for
  removal from the council that a member:
               (1)  described by Section 18.004(a)(1) does not
  maintain during service on the council the qualifications required
  by that subdivision;
               (2)  cannot, because of illness or disability,
  discharge the member's duties for a substantial part of the member's
  term; or
               (3)  is absent from more than half of the regularly
  scheduled council meetings that the member is eligible to attend
  during a calendar year without an excuse approved by a majority vote
  of the council.
         (b)  The validity of an action of the council is not affected
  by the fact that it is taken when a ground for removal of a council
  member exists.
         (c)  If the presiding officer has knowledge that a potential
  ground for removal exists, the presiding officer shall notify the
  appointing authority and the attorney general that a potential
  ground for removal exists.
         Sec. 18.007.  ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. The commission shall
  provide the council with administrative support, including meeting
  space and staff necessary to assist the council in carrying out the
  council's duties under this chapter.
         Sec. 18.008.  ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM MONITORING AND
  RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The council shall measure, evaluate, and
  report energy efficiency performance in this state.
         (b)  The council may submit to a program administrator
  recommendations on means to encourage greater energy efficiency on
  a regular basis. The council may submit to a program administrator
  that administers a program described by Section 39.905
  recommendations to assure better coordination between local,
  state, federal, and private energy efficiency programs for the
  purposes of Section 39.905.
         (c)  The council shall monitor energy efficiency programs in
  this state.
         Sec. 18.009.  OFFICIAL INTERNET WEBSITES. The council shall
  use the following official Internet websites for the publication of
  information as required by this chapter:
               (1)  the website of the State Energy Conservation
  Office; and
               (2)  the website of the commission.
         Sec. 18.010.  LIST OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS. (a) The
  council shall:
               (1)  develop a list of currently operating energy
  efficiency programs in this state and publish the list on the
  official Internet websites under Section 18.009; and
               (2)  work with the State Energy Conservation Office and
  the commission to develop and publish on the official Internet
  websites under Section 18.009 a user-friendly page that allows a
  consumer to search by the consumer's address energy efficiency
  programs available in the consumer's service area.
         (b)  The State Energy Conservation Office and the commission
  shall each provide a link on their Internet websites to the page
  described by Subsection (a)(2).
         Sec. 18.011.  BIENNIAL PERFORMANCE REPORT. (a) The council
  biennially shall prepare a report on energy efficiency performance
  in this state. The council shall submit the report to the
  legislature not later than October 1 of each even-numbered year.
         (b)  The report must include:
               (1)  a comprehensive review of the energy efficiency
  programs on the list required by Section 18.010, including initial
  capital investment, ongoing operating expenses and energy savings
  benefits of the programs.
               (2)  statewide energy efficiency performance by sector
  and geographic region ; and
               (3)  recommendations for improving energy efficiency
  programs in this state.
         (c)  The report may include:
               (1)  recommendations for creating new energy
  efficiency programs in this state;
               (2)  criteria developed by the council for evaluating
  and measuring the effectiveness of energy efficiency programs in
  this state; and 
               (3)  opportunities for continuous improvement in
  energy efficiency performance in this state. 
         (d)  The council shall publish the report on the official
  Internet websites under Section 18.009.
         Sec. 18.012.  INFORMATION.(a) Except as provided by this
  section, meetings of the council and information obtained or
  created by the council are not subject to Chapter 551 or 552,
  Government Code.
         (b)  Information written, produced, collected, assembled, or
  maintained under law or in connection with the transaction of
  official business by the council or an officer or employee of the
  council is subject to Section 552.008, Government Code, in the same
  manner as public information.
         Sec. 18.013.  APPLICABILITY OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE LAW.
  Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the council.
         SECTION 2.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, the presiding officer of the Public Utility Commission
  of Texas shall appoint members to the Texas Energy Efficiency
  Council in accordance with Section 18.004, Utilities Code, as added
  by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.