Environment Texas, Environmental Defense Fund and Public Citizen have joined forces to broadcast this ad for solar energy in Dallas-Fort Worth, Abilene, Wichita Falls and Tyler-Longview. Take a look – it’s terrific!

Here are three of the renewable energy bills ACT supports:

SB 545 – Senator Fraser: relating to the creation of a distributed solar generation incentive program.
This bill creates a five-year incentive program, administered by electric utilities, for commercial and residential customers to increase the amount of distributed solar generation installed.  The incentive program would be funded by a nominal monthly fee on residential, commercial and industrial customers. The program would generate an estimated $50 million per year and lead to ap-
proximately 70 MWs of on-site renewables by 2015.

HB278 – Representative Anchia: relating to energy demand and incentives for distributed renewable generation.
This bill creates incentive programs, administered by electric utilities, for commercial customers, residential customers, and homebuilders to build on-site solar and geothermal generation. It also sets the goal of an additional 2,000 MWs of generating capacity from distributed renewable energy sources to be installed by the state by 2020, and at least 1,000 MWs by 2015.

SB 541 – Senator Watson: relating to incentives for Texas renewable energy jobs and manufacturing.
Seeks to create renewable energy manufacturing jobs in Texas by giving extra credit for electricity produced by equipment that is made in Texas.  The bill increases the goal for renewable energy and seeks to expand on Texas’ success with wind power, by setting a 3,000 megawatt goal for non- wind renewable generation in Texas

It’s a big week coming up. Wednesday’s Earth Day. The Senate’s going to vote on SB 545. Time to go solar, Texas!

As the pace begins to pick up in the 81st Session, committees will hear testimony on ACT issues throughout the week.  This morning, the House Committee on Technology, Economic Development and Workforce heard Rep. Strama’s bill on a green jobs skills training program (HB 516). Cyrus Reed of the Sierra Club, Lone Star Chapter testified in support of the bill; he noted that Sierra Club is active on this issue at the national level. At the end of the testimony on the bill, Rep.  Strama described the potential for major investment in green jobs training via the federal stimulus package and urged fellow committee members to remember that state-level investment  in these programs may have the effect of drawing down significant federal funds.

Tomorrow, House State Affairs will hear Rep. Turner’s bill regarding the use of the State Benefit Fund (HB 1182). To learn more about the role of the System Benefit Fund in helping to achieve greater energy efficiency among low income homeowners and renters (thus lowering their electricity bills), please see the Additionally, the House Carbon Management Caucus, chaired by Rep. Chisum, meets at 2:00 pm Tuesday. ACT will be in attendance and will report on the bills discussed during the meeting. (Please note that while the original plan of this meeting was to hear from members from members in both houses who’ve filed carbon management legislation, Tuesday’s meeting of the Committee of the Whole in the Senate will likely prevent senators from attending.)

Wednesday, the House Committees on House Energy Resources and Environmental Regulation will meet jointly to hear invited testimony on carbon issues. Several 2009 ACT issue team members will testify. ACT will post a report on this joint meeting on Wednesday evening, as well as link to video of the meeting. Clearly, these two committees oversee the majority of legislation that will affect the Texas environment. Throughout the session, ACT will report on these two committees.

Thursday, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources is scheduled to hear testimony on Senator Watson’s bill “Relating to ‘no regrets’ greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategies” (SB 184). This bill is among several that address climate change. Later this week, ACT’s climate change and coal issue pages will link to all legislation in these areas filed.

Finally, Friday is the filing deadline for bills. Once all the bills for the session have been filed, ACT will begin providing updates weekly updates on bills that address ACT 2009 legislative recommendations. Lists of bills ACT is tracking will be linked from each issue page. Additionally, the Get ACTive section will include specific recommendations for how to advocate for specific issues such as jumpstarting the solar energy industry in Texas, promoting energy efficiency as an “alternative energy resource,” electronic waste recycling, and increased environmental integration in the sunset legislation for the Texas Department of Transportation.