Clean Energy In the News

By R.A. DYER

rdyer@star-telegram.com

AUSTIN — A proposed change in far-reaching utility legislation “would essentially destroy Texas’ renewable energy market,” an environmental group declared on Tuesday.

The change, proposed by state Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, would end a renewable energy program after certain mandates are met, according to information provided by Luke Metzger, director of the Environment Texas group.

“This amendment is a recipe for turning Texas from a leader in to a laggard in renewable energy production,” said Metzger, in a prepared release.

Metzger said the change was floated as a possible amendment to Senate Bill 483, which could make dramatic alterations in the Texas wholesale electricity market. Both the Texas House and Senate have approved separate versions of SB 483, and now House and Senate lawmakers are working out differences in those versions.

Fraser, chairman of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, is the author of SB 483 and is leading the Senate negotiators. It’s in that context that he floated the controversial change, according to the environmental group.

A spokesman for Fraser declined to comment Tuesday evening.

Fraser’s proposal relates to current requirements that a certain percentage of electricity generated in Texas comes from renewable sources. Environment Texas said Fraser circulated a proposed change to current law that would end the renewable energy program after the state reaches those mandates.

Environment Texas’s Metzger said the effect of the change would be to “completely destroy the Texas renewable energy market” and that regulators “would likely stop planning for transmission for new wind projects.” Metzger also said the Fraser change would gut a separate amendment that would encourage the development of biomass energy.

“At a time when the public is crying out for more investments in clean, renewable energy, this amendment goes completely in the wrong direction,” said Metzger. “With global warming and air pollution threatening our future, energy prices surging and war raging in the Middle East, we need to dramatically increase our use of renewable energy.”

He also accused a business lobby group of pushing for the changes. He noted that the House earlier had adopted an amendment to SB 483 supported by the business lobby group that would shield big industrial customers from the expense of meeting renewable energy mandates.

“This language puts the interests of a few greedy companies squarely before the wishes of the vast majority of Texans,” he said.

State Rep. Phil King, meanwhile, said that he’s close to reaching an agreement with Fraser on SB 483 and the separate Senate Bill 482, which could require rate decreases for Texans with the highest electric bills. The Weatherford Republican chairs the House Regulated Industries Committee, and authored the House versions of both SB 483 and SB 482.

After House and Senate negotiators come to an agreement on the legislation, both the full House and Senate must then give their approval again before they can send the bills to Gov. Rick Perry. \