MINUTES

 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS & COMMERCE

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

9:00 a.m.

Betty King Committee Room

 

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Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Business & Commerce was held on Wednesday, May 19, 2010, in the Betty King Committee Room at Austin, Texas.

 

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MEMBERS PRESENT:		MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Troy Fraser, Chair Senator Chris Harris, Vice Chair Senator Kevin Eltife Senator Craig Estes Senator Mike Jackson Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. Senator Leticia Van de Putte Senator Kirk Watson		None

 

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Chairman Fraser called the meeting to order at 9:07 a.m. 

 

Chairman Fraser made opening remarks regarding Charge #4 on the generation costs of municipally owned electric utilities' planned generation portfolios.

 

At 9:16 a.m. the roll was called.  A quorum was present.

 

The following invited witnesses testified before the committee:

Mark Zion, Executive Director, Texas Public Power Association

Barry Smitherman, Chairman, Public Utility Commission

Lee Leffingwell, Mayor, City of Austin

Mark Dreyfus, Austin Energy

Jelynne LeBlanc-Burley, Acting General Manager, CPS Energy

Ward Tisdale, Coalition for Clean, Affordable, Reliable Energy

Bill Dollar, City Manager, Garland Power and Light

 

 

 

At 12:24 p.m. Senator Fraser moved that the committee stand recessed for 20 minutes; without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

At 12:45 p.m. the committee reconvened. 

 

Senator Fraser moved to close invited testimony.  Without objection, it was so ordered.

 

Senator Fraser moved to open up public testimony.  Without objection, it was so ordered.

 

Senator Fraser moved to limit public testimony to five minutes.  Without objection, it was so ordered.

 

At 12:50 p.m. Senator Watson assumed the chair. 

 

At 12:55 p.m. Senator Fraser resumed the chair. 

 

The following public witnesses testified before the committee:

Roger Borget, Attorney, Austinites for Action

Dick Brown, Consultant, Representing himself

Mark Zion, Executive Director, Texas Public Power Association

Robert Good, Interim General Manager, Austin Energy

Tom "Smitty" Smith, State Director, Public Citizen

Matt Johnson, Clean Energy Advocate, Public Citizen

Edward Henigin, Data Foundry, Inc.

Cyrus Reed, Director, Sierra Club, Lone Star Chapter

 

Senator Fraser closed public testimony on Charge #4.

 

There being no further business, at 1:29 p.m. Senator Fraser moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.

 

 

 

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Senator Troy Fraser, Chair

 

 

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Tatum Reagan, Clerk