AT THE CAPITOL
News from the 88th legislative session
NUMBER TO KNOW That is how many bills and joint resolutions Texas lawmakers filed by March 10, the 60th day of the 2023 legislative session. All legislation, except for local bills, emergency appropriations and emergency matters from the governor, must be filed by the 60th day. 8,153
Senate unveils bills to reform the power grid after failures in 2021
FOCUS ON THE GRID
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and a group of Texas senators created a nine-bill plan to improve the state power grid. Some details on the top bills in the package include:
BY HANNAH NORTON
Dispatchable power comes from sources such as natural gas and coal, and both Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott said supporting those sources is a top priority. Schwertner also highlighted SB 7, which would “level the playing field” between dispatchable and renewable power by providing incentives for companies to create new dispatch- able energy. SBs 6 and 7 were filed by Schwert- ner and Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, the chair and vice chair of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee. Two other bills that are key to the nine-bill plan include SB 2012, which would protect Texans from price gouging, and SB 2013 which would strengthen the state's grid infrastructure. Schwertner said senators were working closely with the Texas House to pass the reform package.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and a biparti- san group of Texas senators shared the details of a nine-bill plan to improve the reliability of Texas’ power grid. The March 9 announcement came about two years after Winter Storm Uri devastated Texas and revealed issues with the state’s power grid in 2021, which lawmakers and energy regulators are still working to fix. The first bill in the package, Senate Bill 6, would create the Texas Energy Insurance Program. Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, said the program would add 10,000 megawatts of energy—enough to power 7.5 million homes—to the state power supply. SB 6 would also establish a low- cost loan program to “maintain, restore and keep in operation current dispatchable generation here in Texas,” Schwertner said.
HIGHLIGHTS
Senate Bill 6
• Add 10,000 megawatts of energy to the state power supply • Create backup power for the state in times of crisis or severe weather • Provide low-cost loans to help communities generate power from natural gas and coal The Texas Energy Insurance Program
HB 25 Referred to as the Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program, the bill would help implement cost savings by allowing drug wholesalers to contract with the state to import eligible prescription drugs from a Canadian supplier. REP. JAMES TALARICO District 50 • Democrat • Elected: 2018 HB 4491 The bill defines improvements to homes that increase the property value and are made after the most recent appraisal of the property for the purposes of ad valorem taxes. The improvements must not have been applied to the valuation of the previous fiscal year. REP. CAROLINE HARRIS District 52 • Republican • Elected: 2022
Senate Bill 2012
• Prevent power companies from charging high prices for energy • Create legislative committee to oversee grid reliability Protecting Texans from price gouging
Senate Bill 2013
SOURCE: TEXAS SENATE/COMMUNITY IMPACT • Increase security of Texas power grid • Protect grid from cyber and physical attacks Strengthening grid infrastructure
HOME EDITION COMMUNITY IMPACT’S COMING SOON
LOCAL BUSINESSES: CONTACT US FOR ADVERTISING
DIGITAL
DIRECT MAIL
�866� 989�6808 � COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM�ADVERTISE
21
ROUND ROCK EDITION • APRIL 2023
Powered by FlippingBook