HB 3693 Reporting Data

HB 3693 requires governmental entities (including municipalities) to publish consumption and payment information for various utility services used by the entity annually.

House Bill 3693  (link) amends provisions of several codes relating primarily to energy efficiency.  The bill strengthens statutory requirements under which electric utilities must meet new electricity demand through cost-effective efficiency gains by incrementally increasing certain energy efficiency goals, measured as an increasing percentage of annual growth in demand, through the end of 2009 while limiting those goals to residential and customer demand.  The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) must take certain actions to allow cost recovery and establish incentives to promote meeting or exceeding the goals.  Additional provisions apply to industrial customers and to energy efficiency activities among municipal utilities and electric cooperatives on which those municipal utilities and cooperatives must report to the comptroller's State Energy Conservation Office (SECO).  The bill requires the PUC to study and report to the legislature on the potential for further energy efficiency in the electricity sector and on the installation and use of combined heating and power technology.  In consultation with SECO, the PUC for a period of five years must compute, and report annually to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), data on projected energy savings and demand impacts from specified energy management programs.  The PUC may encourage retail electric providers to deliver individualized home electric energy reports to educate consumers on electricity use and energy efficiency.