Bill Text: TX HB70 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 2nd Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of an energy efficiency loan guarantee program under the Texas emissions reduction plan.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-08-06 - Filed [HB70 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB70-Introduced.html
By: Reynolds | H.B. No. 70 |
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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. |