Texas 2021 - 87th 1st C.S.

Texas House Bill HB246 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87S10833 JRR-F
2	2	By: Reynolds H.B. No. 246
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the creation of an energy efficiency loan guarantee
8	8	program under the Texas emissions reduction plan.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 386.051(b), Health and Safety Code, as
11	11	effective September 1, 2021, is amended to read as follows:
12	12	(b) Under the plan, the commission and the comptroller shall
13	13	provide grants or other funding for:
14	14	(1) the diesel emissions reduction incentive program
15	15	established under Subchapter C, including for infrastructure
16	16	projects established under that subchapter;
17	17	(2) the motor vehicle purchase or lease incentive
18	18	program established under Subchapter D;
19	19	(3) the air quality research support program
20	20	established under Chapter 387;
21	21	(4) the clean school bus program established under
22	22	Chapter 390;
23	23	(5) the new technology implementation grant program
24	24	established under Chapter 391;
25	25	(6) the regional air monitoring program established
26	26	under Section 386.252(a);
27	27	(7) a health effects study as provided by Section
28	28	386.252(a);
29	29	(8) air quality planning activities as provided by
30	30	Section 386.252(d);
31	31	(9) a contract with the Energy Systems Laboratory at
32	32	the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station for computation of
33	33	creditable statewide emissions reductions as provided by Section
34	34	386.252(a);
35	35	(10) the Texas clean fleet program established under
36	36	Chapter 392;
37	37	(11) the Texas alternative fueling facilities program
38	38	established under Chapter 393;
39	39	(12) the Texas natural gas vehicle grant program
40	40	established under Chapter 394;
41	41	(13) other programs the commission may develop that
42	42	lead to reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter,
43	43	or volatile organic compounds in a nonattainment area or affected
44	44	county;
45	45	(14) other programs the commission may develop that
46	46	support congestion mitigation to reduce mobile source ozone
47	47	precursor emissions;
48	48	(15) the seaport and rail yard areas emissions
49	49	reduction program established under Subchapter D-1;
50	50	(16) conducting research and other activities
51	51	associated with making any necessary demonstrations to the United
52	52	States Environmental Protection Agency to account for the impact of
53	53	foreign emissions or an exceptional event;
54	54	(17) studies of or pilot programs for incentives for
55	55	port authorities located in nonattainment areas or affected
56	56	counties as provided by Section 386.252(a);
57	57	(18) the governmental alternative fuel fleet grant
58	58	program established under Chapter 395; [and]
59	59	(19) remittance of funds to the state highway fund for
60	60	use by the Texas Department of Transportation for congestion
61	61	mitigation and air quality improvement projects in nonattainment
62	62	areas and affected counties; and
63	63	(20) the energy efficiency loan guarantee program
64	64	established under Section 388.013.
65	65	SECTION 2. Section 386.252(a), Health and Safety Code, as
66	66	effective September 1, 2021, is amended to read as follows:
67	67	(a) Money in the fund and account may be used only to
68	68	implement and administer programs established under the
69	69	plan. Subject to the reallocation of funds by the commission under
70	70	Subsection (h) and after remittance to the state highway fund under
71	71	Subsection (a-1), money from the fund and account to be used for the
72	72	programs under Section 386.051(b) shall initially be allocated as
73	73	follows:
74	74	(1) four percent may be used for the clean school bus
75	75	program under Chapter 390;
76	76	(2) three percent may be used for the new technology
77	77	implementation grant program under Chapter 391, from which at least
78	78	$1 million will be set aside for electricity storage projects
79	79	related to renewable energy;
80	80	(3) five percent may be used for the Texas clean fleet
81	81	program under Chapter 392;
82	82	(4) not more than $3 million may be used by the
83	83	commission to fund a regional air monitoring program in commission
84	84	Regions 3 and 4 to be implemented under the commission's oversight,
85	85	including direction regarding the type, number, location, and
86	86	operation of, and data validation practices for, monitors funded by
87	87	the program through a regional nonprofit entity located in North
88	88	Texas having representation from counties, municipalities, higher
89	89	education institutions, and private sector interests across the
90	90	area;
91	91	(5) 10 percent may be used for the Texas natural gas
92	92	vehicle grant program under Chapter 394;
93	93	(6) not more than $6 million may be used for the Texas
94	94	alternative fueling facilities program under Chapter 393, of which
95	95	a specified amount may be used for fueling stations to provide
96	96	natural gas fuel, except that money may not be allocated for the
97	97	Texas alternative fueling facilities program for the state fiscal
98	98	year ending August 31, 2019;
99	99	(7) not more than $750,000 may be used each year to
100	100	support research related to air quality as provided by Chapter 387;
101	101	(8) not more than $200,000 may be used for a health
102	102	effects study;
103	103	(9) at least $6 million but not more than $16 million
104	104	may be used by the commission for administrative costs, including
105	105	all direct and indirect costs for administering the plan, costs for
106	106	conducting outreach and education activities, and costs
107	107	attributable to the review or approval of applications for
108	108	marketable emissions reduction credits;
109	109	(10) six percent may be used by the commission for the
110	110	seaport and rail yard areas emissions reduction program established
111	111	under Subchapter D-1;
112	112	(11) five percent may be used for the light-duty motor
113	113	vehicle purchase or lease incentive program established under
114	114	Subchapter D;
115	115	(12) not more than $216,000 may be used by the
116	116	commission to contract with the Energy Systems Laboratory at the
117	117	Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station annually for the
118	118	development and annual computation of creditable statewide
119	119	emissions reductions obtained through wind and other renewable
120	120	energy resources for the state implementation plan;
121	121	(13) not more than $500,000 may be used for studies of
122	122	or pilot programs for incentives for port authorities located in
123	123	nonattainment areas or affected counties to encourage cargo
124	124	movement that reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate
125	125	matter; [and]
126	126	(14) at least $1 million and not more than $5 million
127	127	shall be allocated for the energy efficiency loan guarantee program
128	128	established under Section 388.013; and
129	129	(15) the balance is to be used by the commission for
130	130	the diesel emissions reduction incentive program under Subchapter C
131	131	as determined by the commission.
132	132	SECTION 3. Chapter 388, Health and Safety Code, is amended
133	133	by adding Section 388.013 to read as follows:
134	134	Sec. 388.013. ENERGY EFFICIENCY LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM.
135	135	(a) The comptroller and the State Energy Conservation Office by
136	136	rule shall establish and administer a program that issues or
137	137	guarantees loans to be used for improvements that increase the
138	138	energy efficiency of residences that are not newly constructed.
139	139	(b) Rules adopted under this section must establish
140	140	eligibility requirements for receipt of a loan issued or guaranteed
141	141	under this section, including emissions reduction
142	142	cost-effectiveness criteria.
143	143	(c) The State Energy Conservation Office annually shall
144	144	submit to the commission and the laboratory a report that:
145	145	(1) evaluates the effectiveness of the program
146	146	established under this section; and
147	147	(2) quantifies energy savings and emissions
148	148	reductions as a result of this program for consideration in the
149	149	state implementation plan for emissions reduction credit.
150	150	SECTION 4. Section 389.002, Health and Safety Code, is
151	151	amended to read as follows:
152	152	Sec. 389.002. USE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION FOR FEDERAL
153	153	RECOGNITION OF EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS. The commission, using
154	154	information derived from the reports to the commission under
155	155	Sections 386.205, 388.003(e), [and] 388.006, and 388.013, shall
156	156	take all appropriate and necessary actions so that emissions
157	157	reductions achieved by means of activities under Chapters 386 and
158	158	388 are credited by the United States Environmental Protection
159	159	Agency to the appropriate emissions reduction objectives in the
160	160	state implementation plan.
161	161	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the
162	162	last day of the legislative session.