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This month's updates:
- 15 Years of SPEER!
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Recap: SPEER/CleanTX Workshop, The Capacity Challenge: Collaborative Strategies for Texas Load Growth
- SECO Home Energy Rebate Programs Announced
- EEPR Forums
- Texas Legislature Interim Charges
- Oklahoma 60th Legislative Update
- Upcoming Events and Webinars
- What We’re Reading/Hearing
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SPEER celebrated Earth Day last week in conjunction with another important milestone worth celebrating: our 15 year anniversary as an organization!
In this time SPEER’s initiatives have had a significant impact on our region, and we look forward to continued progress in the next 15 years and beyond.
Check out our anniversary video for some thoughts on this significant milestone.
Thank you to SPEER members past and present, as well as all who have joined us in our efforts thus far. Here’s to many more!
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Recap: SPEER/CleanTX Workshop,
The Capacity Challenge: Collaborative Strategies for Texas Load Growth
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We had a great time in Austin last week with our friends at CleanTX discussing "The Capacity Challenge: Collaborative Strategies for Texas Load Growth."
Important and timely conversations were had re: how smart Texas policy and residential efficiency in the age of data centers and other hyperscalers can bring new energy demand online faster and more affordably.
Huge thanks to our sponsors Environmental Defense Fund and Daikin Comfort. And thank you to all panelists and attendees who joined us for these fantastic sessions!
SPEER's full photo library from the event can be found here.
| | SECO Home Energy Rebate Programs Announced | | |
Exciting news this week as the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) and APTIM announce launch of Texas Home Energy Rebate Programs!
SECO is partnering with APTIM to design and implement the HOMES and HEAR Rebate programs, with an anticipated rollout in fall 2026.
Learn more via SECO here.
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On April 22nd, the Energy Efficiency Division of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) hosted its first of two energy efficiency forums where stakeholders can hear directly from the investor-owned utilities in the state on their energy efficiency plan and reports (EEPR). These EEPRs provide in-depth information on the performance of each utility efficiency program and what they plan to do in the near future. The forum on April 22nd had the four outside of ERCOT investor-owned utilities, SWEPCO, El Paso Electric, Entergy, and Xcel SPS, present on their programs.
The four in ERCOT utilities, AEP, CenterPoint, Oncor, and TNMP, will present their programs on May 19th from 9:30-11:30am. This will be a virtual forum with more information to be provided by the PUCT shortly. Agenda and live stream info can be found here.
For more information or to see the presentations, please visit Project Number 59166 on the Interchange and on the Energy Efficiency webpage.
| | Texas Legislature Interim Charges | | |
In March, both the Texas House and Texas Senate leadership published their interim charges for respective committees to review before the start of the next legislative session beginning in January 2027.
Both the House Interim Charges and Senate Interim Charges contained charges that will directly influence energy policy in the state. These topics include data center growth and preparedness, grid modernization, impacts of 765 KV transmission lines and property rights, microgrids and DERs, and energy affordability.
For more information, please see the Texas Legislature's website.
| | Oklahoma 60th Legislative Session Commences | | |
The second half of Oklahoma’s 60th Legislative Session began in January. We have entered deadline season for legislation to be moving, with March 26th being the deadline for a bill to receive final passage in its chamber of origin. The deadline for third reading and final passage of bills received from opposite chamber is May 7th and Sine Die Adjournment is May 29th at 5PM.
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Bills on the Move:
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HB 3128 Labor; Actionable Response for Industry Skills and Excellence in Oklahoma Task Force (ARISE-OK); purpose; Task Force member guidelines; appointed members; duties; support staff; compensation; effective date. – Assigned to Senate Economic Development, Workforce, and Tourism Committee on 4/01/2026
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HB 3175 Nuclear energy; defining terms; creating the Oklahoma Advanced Nuclear Energy Office; effective date.- Assigned to Senate Appropriations Committee on 4/09/2026
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HB 3176 State development; Oklahoma Gas, Artificial Intelligence, and Space Research Hub; National Laboratory; Oklahoma Department of Commerce; effective date. – Assigned to Senate Appropriations Committee on 4/16/2026
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HB 3183 Electric utilities; creating the GET Over Congestion (Grid Enhancing Technology Over Congestion) Act; effective date. – Senate Energy Committee hearing on 4/23/2026
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HB 3464 Energy; creating the Energy Storage Resource Safety Act; energy storage resources; report; emergency operations plan; State Fire Marshall; fees; Solar Energy Development Act; statements; records; Corporation Commission; emergency. – Senate Energy Committee hearing on 4/23/2026
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HB 3989 Retail Electric Supplier Certified Territory Act; exclusive rights; services; fees; effective date. – Reported Do Pass as Amended in Committee on 4/23/2026
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SB 1191 Oklahoma Energy Initiative Act; repealing Oklahoma Low Carbon Energy Initiative Board. Effective date. - CR; Do Pass Energy and Natural Resources Oversight Committee on 4/13/2026
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SB 1510 Energy; Oklahoma Wind Energy Development Act; modifying property restoration requirements; modifying allowable financial assurance instruments. Effective date. – Coauthored by Representative Turner on 03/04/2026
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SB 1732 Professional licensing fees; establishing license fees. Effective date. - Recommendation to the full committee; Do Pass Appropriations and Budget General Government Subcommittee on 4/13/2026
If you are interested in reviewing what bills we are tracking, our priorities for the session, and any other OK specific information please see our Oklahoma Policy page.
| | Upcoming Events & Webinars | |
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SPEER Dallas Heat Pump Contractor Training Workshop
April 29 @ 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
We’re partnering with SPEER member LG Electronics for another free Heat Pump Contractor Training Workshop, taught by experts at LG.
*Coffee, breakfast, and snacks provided.
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CELC Webinar – Utility-Sponsored Energy Efficiency Programs in Texas
April 30 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Learn about utility-sponsored programs in Texas designed to help commercial and industrial customers reduce energy demand and implement cost-effective efficiency upgrades. This webinar will provide an overview of different utility energy efficiency programs and eligible projects, available incentives, and how to take advantage of these programs.
Speakers:
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Alexandra Blair, Program Consultant, Frontier Energy
- Scott Wishart, Senior Program Consultant, Frontier Energy
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CELC Virtual Coffee Hour: Energizing Connections
May 5 @ 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Join fellow CELC members for a 10-minute presentation on boosting energy efficiency in our communities followed by an open group discussion and thought sharing. Learn more on our event page and see current CELC members.
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SPEER Houston Heat Pump Training Workshop
May 13 @ 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
Where: GHBA Education Room
9511 W Sam Houston Pkwy N
Houston, TX 77064
We're partnering with SPEER members CenterPoint Energy, Daikin, and LG Electronics for an upcoming session in Houston.
*Coffee, breakfast, and snacks provided.
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CELC Webinar - From Utility Billing to Insights: Electricity Monitoring and Energy Conservation at Municipal Facilities
May 14 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
This session will walk through how the City of Frisco built an automated pipeline to track electricity consumption across municipal facilities and develop an internal reporting infrastructure.
We'll briefly touch on the reporting requirements that influenced these efforts, then dive into how the pipeline was designed, what the monitoring dashboard looks like as an end product, and how it opens the door to broader energy conservation opportunities for the City.
Speaker: Haris A.Y. Khan, Sustainability Analyst, Environmental Services, City of Frisco
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