| 1 | 1 | | 85R11897 GRM-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Farrar H.B. No. 4217 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to energy resources planning for electric generation in |
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| 8 | 8 | | ERCOT. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 39, Utilities Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 39.004 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 39.004. TEXAS ENERGY PLAN. (a) In consultation with |
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| 13 | 13 | | the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Railroad |
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| 14 | 14 | | Commission of Texas, the independent organization certified under |
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| 15 | 15 | | Section 39.151, the Texas Water Development Board, and |
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| 16 | 16 | | representatives of the academic community involved with state |
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| 17 | 17 | | university energy programs, the commission shall develop a plan to |
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| 18 | 18 | | maximize the use of energy resources of this state for the |
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| 19 | 19 | | generation of electricity in the ERCOT region. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) The plan must: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) recognize and encourage the competitive market |
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| 22 | 22 | | structure in ERCOT; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) encourage investments in energy resources and |
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| 24 | 24 | | development of jobs in this state; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) encourage the development of a diverse portfolio |
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| 26 | 26 | | of clean, reliable, and competitively priced energy sources in this |
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| 27 | 27 | | state; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (4) promote research, pilot projects, and |
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| 29 | 29 | | market-based incentives to explore and expand long-term energy |
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| 30 | 30 | | options; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (5) account for the statewide and regional water |
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| 32 | 32 | | planning process and means to reduce the use of water resources in |
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| 33 | 33 | | electric generation. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) The agencies and entities identified by Subsection (a) |
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| 35 | 35 | | shall use existing available resources to develop the plan. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (d) The commission shall submit the plan to the legislature |
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| 37 | 37 | | not later than December 31, 2018. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 39 | 39 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 40 | 40 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 41 | 41 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 42 | 42 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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