Bill Text: TX SB347 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of the Texas Center for Sustainable Business.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-02 - Referred to Natural Resources [SB347 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SB347-Introduced.html
| 82R2237 JAM-F | ||
| By: Watson | S.B. No. 347 | |
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| relating to the creation of the Texas Center for Sustainable | ||
| Business. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 447, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Section 447.014 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 447.014. CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS. (a) The | ||
| state energy conservation office shall establish and oversee the | ||
| Texas Center for Sustainable Business to assist Texas businesses in | ||
| reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning successfully | ||
| to a low-carbon economy. | ||
| (b) The center shall develop a sustainable business action | ||
| plan that will provide a balanced assessment of strategies for | ||
| assisting businesses in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. | ||
| (c) The state energy conservation office may employ an | ||
| executive director for the center and may contract with a private | ||
| entity or an institution of higher education to assist in | ||
| performing the duties of the center. | ||
| (d) The state energy conservation office shall appoint the | ||
| sustainable business advisory council. Membership on the advisory | ||
| council shall consist of at least one representative from each of | ||
| the following: | ||
| (1) the electric utility industry; | ||
| (2) the manufacturing industry; | ||
| (3) the petrochemical industry; | ||
| (4) the environmental industry; | ||
| (5) the transportation industry; | ||
| (6) the building industry; | ||
| (7) higher education; and | ||
| (8) state government. | ||
| (e) The center may establish other advisory councils, task | ||
| forces, or commissions it deems necessary to accomplish the | ||
| center's purposes under this section. | ||
| (f) In developing the sustainable business action plan | ||
| required by Subsection (b), the center shall: | ||
| (1) work with the Texas Commission on Environmental | ||
| Quality and the United States Environmental Protection Agency to | ||
| create an accounting of greenhouse gas emissions in this state; | ||
| (2) determine the total amount of carbon dioxide | ||
| emissions in this state in 2005 and recommend practices, | ||
| strategies, and policies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions | ||
| in this state to an amount that is: | ||
| (A) within a range of 97 percent to 102 percent of | ||
| 2005 levels by 2014; | ||
| (B) within a range of 80 percent to 86 percent of | ||
| 2005 levels by 2020; | ||
| (C) 58 percent of 2005 levels by 2030; and | ||
| (D) 20 percent of 2005 levels by 2050; | ||
| (3) establish a registry of actions to reduce carbon | ||
| dioxide emissions that have been taken by Texas businesses since | ||
| January 1, 2000, and work with the United States Environmental | ||
| Protection Agency to recognize and give credit for early action | ||
| under federal carbon emissions limits adopted after September 1, | ||
| 2011; | ||
| (4) identify and prioritize strategies for reducing | ||
| emissions of greenhouse gases in this state that will result in net | ||
| savings or in no additional financial cost to consumers or | ||
| businesses of this state; | ||
| (5) identify, assess, and promote commercialization | ||
| of technology that will achieve the greatest greenhouse gas | ||
| reductions at the lowest cost; | ||
| (6) identify available grants for applied research to | ||
| develop new technologies and other practical solutions to reduce | ||
| greenhouse gas emissions; and | ||
| (7) assess the costs and benefits of joining the | ||
| Southwest Climate Change Initiative or another regional | ||
| initiative. | ||
| (g) The center annually shall submit the action plan to the | ||
| governor and the legislature presenting the assessments and | ||
| recommendations required by Subsection (f). | ||
| SECTION 2. During the state fiscal biennium beginning | ||
| September 1, 2011, the Texas Center for Sustainable Business is | ||
| eligible to receive grants from the Texas Enterprise Fund to fund | ||
| its duties under Section 447.014, Government Code, as added by this | ||
| Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. 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, 2011. | ||
