Bill Text: TX HB246 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 1st Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of an energy efficiency loan guarantee program under the Texas emissions reduction plan.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-07-12 - Filed [HB246 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB246-Introduced.html
| 87S10833 JRR-F | ||
| By: Reynolds | H.B. No. 246 | |
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| relating to the creation of an energy efficiency loan guarantee | ||
| program under the Texas emissions reduction plan. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 386.051(b), Health and Safety Code, as | ||
| effective September 1, 2021, is amended to read as follows: | ||
| (b) Under the plan, the commission and the comptroller shall | ||
| provide grants or other funding for: | ||
| (1) the diesel emissions reduction incentive program | ||
| established under Subchapter C, including for infrastructure | ||
| projects established under that subchapter; | ||
| (2) the motor vehicle purchase or lease incentive | ||
| program established under Subchapter D; | ||
| (3) the air quality research support program | ||
| established under Chapter 387; | ||
| (4) the clean school bus program established under | ||
| Chapter 390; | ||
| (5) the new technology implementation grant program | ||
| established under Chapter 391; | ||
| (6) the regional air monitoring program established | ||
| under Section 386.252(a); | ||
| (7) a health effects study as provided by Section | ||
| 386.252(a); | ||
| (8) air quality planning activities as provided by | ||
| Section 386.252(d); | ||
| (9) a contract with the Energy Systems Laboratory at | ||
| the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station for computation of | ||
| creditable statewide emissions reductions as provided by Section | ||
| 386.252(a); | ||
| (10) the Texas clean fleet program established under | ||
| Chapter 392; | ||
| (11) the Texas alternative fueling facilities program | ||
| established under Chapter 393; | ||
| (12) the Texas natural gas vehicle grant program | ||
| established under Chapter 394; | ||
| (13) other programs the commission may develop that | ||
| lead to reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, | ||
| or volatile organic compounds in a nonattainment area or affected | ||
| county; | ||
| (14) other programs the commission may develop that | ||
| support congestion mitigation to reduce mobile source ozone | ||
| precursor emissions; | ||
| (15) the seaport and rail yard areas emissions | ||
| reduction program established under Subchapter D-1; | ||
| (16) conducting research and other activities | ||
| associated with making any necessary demonstrations to the United | ||
| States Environmental Protection Agency to account for the impact of | ||
| foreign emissions or an exceptional event; | ||
| (17) studies of or pilot programs for incentives for | ||
| port authorities located in nonattainment areas or affected | ||
| counties as provided by Section 386.252(a); | ||
| (18) the governmental alternative fuel fleet grant | ||
| program established under Chapter 395; [ |
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| (19) remittance of funds to the state highway fund for | ||
| use by the Texas Department of Transportation for congestion | ||
| mitigation and air quality improvement projects in nonattainment | ||
| areas and affected counties; and | ||
| (20) the energy efficiency loan guarantee program | ||
| established under Section 388.013. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 386.252(a), Health and Safety Code, as | ||
| effective September 1, 2021, is amended to read as follows: | ||
| (a) Money in the fund and account may be used only to | ||
| implement and administer programs established under the | ||
| plan. Subject to the reallocation of funds by the commission under | ||
| Subsection (h) and after remittance to the state highway fund under | ||
| Subsection (a-1), money from the fund and account to be used for the | ||
| programs under Section 386.051(b) shall initially be allocated as | ||
| follows: | ||
| (1) four percent may be used for the clean school bus | ||
| program under Chapter 390; | ||
| (2) three percent may be used for the new technology | ||
| implementation grant program under Chapter 391, from which at least | ||
| $1 million will be set aside for electricity storage projects | ||
| related to renewable energy; | ||
| (3) five percent may be used for the Texas clean fleet | ||
| program under Chapter 392; | ||
| (4) not more than $3 million may be used by the | ||
| commission to fund a regional air monitoring program in commission | ||
| Regions 3 and 4 to be implemented under the commission's oversight, | ||
| including direction regarding the type, number, location, and | ||
| operation of, and data validation practices for, monitors funded by | ||
| the program through a regional nonprofit entity located in North | ||
| Texas having representation from counties, municipalities, higher | ||
| education institutions, and private sector interests across the | ||
| area; | ||
| (5) 10 percent may be used for the Texas natural gas | ||
| vehicle grant program under Chapter 394; | ||
| (6) not more than $6 million may be used for the Texas | ||
| alternative fueling facilities program under Chapter 393, of which | ||
| a specified amount may be used for fueling stations to provide | ||
| natural gas fuel, except that money may not be allocated for the | ||
| Texas alternative fueling facilities program for the state fiscal | ||
| year ending August 31, 2019; | ||
| (7) not more than $750,000 may be used each year to | ||
| support research related to air quality as provided by Chapter 387; | ||
| (8) not more than $200,000 may be used for a health | ||
| effects study; | ||
| (9) at least $6 million but not more than $16 million | ||
| may be used by the commission for administrative costs, including | ||
| all direct and indirect costs for administering the plan, costs for | ||
| conducting outreach and education activities, and costs | ||
| attributable to the review or approval of applications for | ||
| marketable emissions reduction credits; | ||
| (10) six percent may be used by the commission for the | ||
| seaport and rail yard areas emissions reduction program established | ||
| under Subchapter D-1; | ||
| (11) five percent may be used for the light-duty motor | ||
| vehicle purchase or lease incentive program established under | ||
| Subchapter D; | ||
| (12) not more than $216,000 may be used by the | ||
| commission to contract with the Energy Systems Laboratory at the | ||
| Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station annually for the | ||
| development and annual computation of creditable statewide | ||
| emissions reductions obtained through wind and other renewable | ||
| energy resources for the state implementation plan; | ||
| (13) not more than $500,000 may be used for studies of | ||
| or pilot programs for incentives for port authorities located in | ||
| nonattainment areas or affected counties to encourage cargo | ||
| movement that reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate | ||
| matter; [ |
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| (14) at least $1 million and not more than $5 million | ||
| shall be allocated for the energy efficiency loan guarantee program | ||
| established under Section 388.013; and | ||
| (15) the balance is to be used by the commission for | ||
| the diesel emissions reduction incentive program under Subchapter C | ||
| as determined by the commission. | ||
| SECTION 3. Chapter 388, Health and Safety Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Section 388.013 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 388.013. ENERGY EFFICIENCY LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM. | ||
| (a) The comptroller and the State Energy Conservation Office by | ||
| rule shall establish and administer a program that issues or | ||
| guarantees loans to be used for improvements that increase the | ||
| energy efficiency of residences that are not newly constructed. | ||
| (b) Rules adopted under this section must establish | ||
| eligibility requirements for receipt of a loan issued or guaranteed | ||
| under this section, including emissions reduction | ||
| cost-effectiveness criteria. | ||
| (c) The State Energy Conservation Office annually shall | ||
| submit to the commission and the laboratory a report that: | ||
| (1) evaluates the effectiveness of the program | ||
| established under this section; and | ||
| (2) quantifies energy savings and emissions | ||
| reductions as a result of this program for consideration in the | ||
| state implementation plan for emissions reduction credit. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 389.002, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 389.002. USE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION FOR FEDERAL | ||
| RECOGNITION OF EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS. The commission, using | ||
| information derived from the reports to the commission under | ||
| Sections 386.205, 388.003(e), [ |
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| take all appropriate and necessary actions so that emissions | ||
| reductions achieved by means of activities under Chapters 386 and | ||
| 388 are credited by the United States Environmental Protection | ||
| Agency to the appropriate emissions reduction objectives in the | ||
| state implementation plan. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the | ||
| last day of the legislative session. | ||
