| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to authorizing certain alternative fuel programs as |
|
|
eligible for local government energy savings performance |
|
|
contracts. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 302.001(4), Local Government Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(4) "Energy savings performance contract" means a |
|
|
contract between a local government and a provider for energy or |
|
|
water conservation or usage measures in which the estimated energy |
|
|
savings, increase in billable revenues, or increase in meter |
|
|
accuracy resulting from the measures is subject to guarantee to |
|
|
offset the cost of the energy or water conservation or usage |
|
|
measures over a specified period. The term includes a contract for |
|
|
the installation or implementation of the following in new or |
|
|
existing facilities, including all causally connected work: |
|
|
(A) insulation of a building structure and |
|
|
systems within the building; |
|
|
(B) storm windows or doors, caulking or weather |
|
|
stripping, multiglazed windows or doors, heat-absorbing or |
|
|
heat-reflective glazed and coated window or door systems, or other |
|
|
window or door system modifications that reduce energy consumption; |
|
|
(C) automatic energy control systems, including |
|
|
computer software and technical data licenses; |
|
|
(D) heating, ventilating, or air-conditioning |
|
|
system modifications or replacements that reduce energy or water |
|
|
consumption; |
|
|
(E) lighting fixtures that increase energy |
|
|
efficiency; |
|
|
(F) energy recovery systems; |
|
|
(G) electric systems improvements; |
|
|
(H) water-conserving fixtures, appliances, and |
|
|
equipment or the substitution of non-water-using fixtures, |
|
|
appliances, and equipment; |
|
|
(I) water-conserving landscape irrigation |
|
|
equipment; |
|
|
(J) landscaping measures that reduce watering |
|
|
demands and capture and hold applied water and rainfall, including: |
|
|
(i) landscape contouring, including the use |
|
|
of berms, swales, and terraces; and |
|
|
(ii) the use of soil amendments that |
|
|
increase the water-holding capacity of the soil, including compost; |
|
|
(K) rainwater harvesting equipment and equipment |
|
|
to make use of water collected as part of a storm-water system |
|
|
installed for water quality control; |
|
|
(L) equipment for recycling or reuse of water |
|
|
originating on the premises or from other sources, including |
|
|
treated municipal effluent; |
|
|
(M) equipment needed to capture water from |
|
|
nonconventional, alternate sources, including air-conditioning |
|
|
condensate or graywater, for nonpotable uses; |
|
|
(N) metering or related equipment or systems that |
|
|
improve the accuracy of billable-revenue-generation systems; [or] |
|
|
(O) alternative fuel programs resulting in |
|
|
energy cost savings and reduced emissions for local government |
|
|
vehicles, including fleet vehicles; or |
|
|
(P) other energy or water conservation-related |
|
|
improvements or equipment, including improvements or equipment |
|
|
relating to renewable energy or nonconventional water sources or |
|
|
water reuse. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |