| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Negative | Neutral |
Summary: SB 700 would make adjustments in the Government Code to align state agencies and institutions of higher education with energy and water conservation measures outlined in Executive Order RP49. Specifically, this legislation would require the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) to provide agencies and institutions with a template that they can use to create comprehensive energy and water management plans. The plans would require an annual update. Furthermore, the state agencies and institutions would be required to create percentage objectives as part of conservation goals within their plans. Lastly, the SECO would be required to compile and consolidate the reports from all the agencies and institutions and provide to the Governor's Office and Legislative Budget Board by December 1st of each even-numbered year as well as post the consolidated report online.
Analysis: SB 700 would make administrative changes to how SECO interacts with state agencies and institutions of higher education for compliance with Executive Order RP49 and work towards maintaining efficiency and effectiveness in obtaining conservation objectives. This legislation would essentially codify an executive order. This is, by definition, an expansion of government. Furthermore, mandated energy conservation programs often lead to greater upfront cost with questionable long term savings. We oppose this legislation.