Bill Text: TX SCR1 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 3rd Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requesting the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study the security of the Texas electric grid.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-10-05 - Co-author authorized [SCR1 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SCR1-Introduced.html
By: Hall | S.C.R. No. 1 | |
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WHEREAS, Our food and water supplies, communications, | ||
banking, hospitals, law enforcement, and countless critical | ||
functions depend on the electric grid, and its protection is vital | ||
to homeland security; and | ||
WHEREAS, In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri provided a harsh | ||
reminder of the importance of the Texas power grid as | ||
weather-related failures left many residents and businesses | ||
without access to heat; in April and June, the Electric Reliability | ||
Council of Texas responded to power generation outages by issuing | ||
requests for citizens to temporarily reduce energy use; and | ||
WHEREAS, Although more work remains to be done in preventing | ||
energy shortages, Texas is fortunate to have its own power grid; the | ||
state is thus capable of hardening its own electric system to ensure | ||
reliable electricity in any environment for residents, businesses, | ||
and state and local government, as well as for U.S. military bases; | ||
for example, during the 87th Regular Session, the Texas Legislature | ||
passed Senate Bill 3, which requires power generation companies in | ||
Texas to prepare their facilities for extreme weather; and | ||
WHEREAS, Protecting the grid from all threats would provide | ||
substantial economic benefits; as the federal government closes | ||
military bases around the country, Texas bases would likely survive | ||
closure because of their enhanced energy security; moreover, | ||
companies considering relocation or expansion would clearly find | ||
the assurance of secure power immensely valuable and look to the | ||
Lone Star State; and | ||
WHEREAS, The protection of the electric grid is essential to | ||
the security and continued prosperity of our state and nation, and | ||
Texas is prepared to do its part to ensure that citizens can rely | ||
completely on the power system that sustains our society; now, | ||
therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas, | ||
3rd Called Session, hereby request the lieutenant governor and the | ||
speaker of the house of representatives to create a joint interim | ||
committee to study the security of the Texas electric grid and its | ||
capacity generation capabilities; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the committee include members of the Electric | ||
Reliability Council of Texas and other relevant stakeholder groups; | ||
and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including | ||
findings and recommendations, to the 88th Texas Legislature in | ||
January 2023; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be | ||
governed by such general rules and policies for interim committees | ||
as the 87th Texas Legislature may adopt. |