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As I’m sure you’re all aware, we have an election coming up on November 5th. If you are not yet registered, there is still time! You'll be eligible to vote if you register by October 7th in Texas and by October 11th in Oklahoma. Early voting starts for both states in late October.

In this newsletter: 

• PUCT Updates: Demand-side Activities **ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES**
• Texas Interim Legislative Activities
• Oklahoma Interim Legislative Activities
• Local Policy Actions
• SPEER’s Industry & Policy Workshop: Recap Coming Soon
• Upcoming Events and Webinars
• What We’re Reading/Hearing

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PUCT Update – Demand-side Activities

**ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES**

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) has been busy this summer. The state set the new all-time peak demand record back in August and is working through the implementation of legislation from the 88th legislative session, including the generation-focused Texas Energy Fund. However, the PUCT has made moves in recent months to address the other side of the energy equation. Demand-side programs are critically important to creating a reliable grid at the lowest cost to consumers. With efforts around ADERs, residential demand response (DR), and energy efficiency, among other areas, the PUCT has the opportunity to help save Texans money on their energy bills without sacrificing reliability and comfort. 

Aggregated Distributed Energy Resources (ADER):

In August, Commissioner Glotfelty filed a memo in Docket 53911 requesting input from stakeholders in regards to the ongoing ADER Task Force, seeking to open up membership to the task force for additional industry membership, new leadership in the task force, and identifying the challenges for the ADER pilot program with the development of a roadmap. SPEER is proud to have joined Base Power Company and Sunnova Energy International, Inc., responding to the questions Commissioner Glotfelty asked in his memo. In the joint comments, we address concerns with DER system sizes, ADER and residential DER interconnection issues, and best practices and standardization. These comments can be found here. As the work of the Taskforce and ADER pilot program continues, we look forward to assisting our partner stakeholders in developing innovative solutions to ease access and build out DER accessibility in Texas.

Residential DR Program Development:

PUCT staff have released their proposed rules creating goals for reducing average total residential load in the ERCOT region in Project Number 56966. This rulemaking is the implementation of Senate Bill 1699 from the 88th Legislative Session that would establish a residential DR program offered through retail electric providers to residential customers. Demand response plays a critical role in slowing down and/or completely stopping energy consumption during times of highest grid stress due to demand. Currently, these programs have been used to incentivize industrial customers to reduce their consumption, however, residential customers were not included in the incentives. This is important because peak demand in Texas is driven by residential customers' heating and cooling needs.

PUCT commission staff have requested public comments be submitted through the PUCT website no later than September 27th. SPEER intends to file comments. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the proposed rules, please reach out to us.

Energy Efficiency Implementation Project (EEIP) Fall Meeting Scheduled:

The PUCT will be hosting the second EEIP public meeting of the year on October 15th from 9:30 am - 3:00 pm at the William B. Travis Building in Austin. These meetings allow for interested stakeholders to learn more about utility efficiency programs and meet directly with PUCT and utility staff. 

The agenda topics include: 

·      Welcome address by Commissioner Jackson

·      Introductions and a rulemaking update from the Energy Efficiency Division

·      An overview of Oncor’s Smart Thermostat Pilot with retail electric providers 

·      Key findings and recommendations from the Texas Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs) evaluation, measurement and verification effort led by Tetra Tech; 

·      Updates to the Technical Reference Manual (TRM) for program year 2025, led by Tetra Tech and the Electric Utility Marketing Managers of Texas

Texas Interim Legislative Activities

What’s next at the Lege?

The 89th Legislative Session begins in just a few short months, but committees have begun meeting to review the states needs. The House Natural Resources Committee is meeting on September 24th to review several water related issues for Texas. The Senate Business and Commerce committee will be meeting on October 1st, and will discuss managing Texas growth in electricity demand, innovated power generation, and the rising cost of insurance. Lastly, on October 8th the newly formed Texas Energy Fund Advisory Committee is meeting to review the operation, functions, and structures of the fund. These are all public meetings and available to attend in person or via the Legislature's website.

A few key dates to look forward to: As noted to start this newsletter,  November 5th is the general election, and on November 11th Texas legislators are able to begin filing new bills for the 89th session. The 89th session officially begins on January 14th, 2025. 

If you are interested in attending or viewing any of the interim legislative activities, you can find more information posted on the Texas Legislature website here. SPEER will be monitoring and will provide updates through social media and this newsletter. 

Oklahoma Interim Legislative Activities

What’s next at the Lege?

The Oklahoma 60th Legislative session will be kicking up in early 2025. Organizational Day is scheduled for January 7, 2025, with the official start of session beginning on February 3, 2025. With session not too far away, both the Oklahoma House and Senate have released their interim study assignments for the respective committees to investigate prior to the next legislative session. Both chambers have several items relating to energy, climate, and affordability for Oklahomans. Some materials are available already on the Oklahoma Legislature website. Committees will be holding meetings in the coming weeks to review progress. For more information you can visit the Oklahoma House site or the Oklahoma Senate site.

Local Policy Updates

Austin: The Austin City Council will hold its regular meeting on September 26th . On the agenda are three items related to Austin Energy. Item 3 on the agenda would authorize AE to issue rebates for multifamily and commercial energy efficiency measures for the next fiscal year in a combined amount of $6,750,000. Item 4 would authorize AE to issue commercial and multifamily solar incentives for the next fiscal year for a total amount of $7M. Item 5, if passed, would approve issuance of capacity-based incentive programs. For more information, please see the Austin City Council Agenda here.

If you are aware of upcoming policy discussions or actions in your area and would like to share them in this newsletter, please send information to noaks@eepartnership.org.

SPEER's Industry & Policy Workshop: Photo/Video Recap Coming Soon!

Wow! Last week's SPEER Industry + Policy Workshop was one for the books. Thank you to all the colleagues and industry partners who joined us in Austin for two days of fantastic conversations and fun. We'd also like to take a moment to thank the incredible lineup of sponsors who made this year's workshop possible and applaud our brilliant speakers.

Keep an eye on SPEER's social media and newsletters for a photo and video recap coming very soon!

Upcoming Events + Webinars

AEEOK/OREC EnVision the Future: On October 23rd AEEOK is hosting its annual energy conference at Oklahoma State University's Wes Watkins Center in Stillwater, OK. This is a great opportunity to learn about energy issues in Oklahoma, as well as network with industry stakeholders. For more information please see the AEEOK website.

GridNEXT Seminar:  On October 25th CleanTX DFW Chapter’s third annual one-day seminar GridNEXT – Meeting The Demand, hosted at the University of Texas at Arlington, will highlight thought leadership coming from the north Texas region. GridNEXT envisions the integrated infrastructure of our future by engaging industry partners, leaders, government, and private stakeholders across the vast Texas energy space to provide networking and discussion about the ERCOT Grid.

Visit SPEER's calendar for all upcoming events and training.

SPEER Resources

SPEER's State and Local Policy webpage features state-specific policy information, including links to key state agency webpages, our previous public comments, and additional information about our work in both Texas and Oklahoma. You will also find our released reports, templates and materials for engaging with policy leaders, and additional materials on how our Policy Program interacts with the ongoing Heat Pump Working Group, SPEER Codes Program, and SPEER Local Governments Program.

Missed our recent newsletters focused on energy codes, local government updates, powering efficiency forward in Oklahoma, and other regional energy news? Head over to our archive page to catch up.

Did you know SPEER's YouTube page has over 180+ recorded webinars? Topics include: Energy Code Basics, Building Thermal Envelope 101 & HVAC Energy Savings, Heat Pump Rooftop Units, Understanding Table R402.1.1 and air barriers, and much more. Subscribe now!