🟡An Act relating to the creation of the Texas Energy Waste Advisory Committee
HB 5323
🟡 HB 5323: Creates a closed-door state committee on energy efficiency
What it says it does:
HB 5323 sets up the Texas Energy Waste Advisory Committee to help agencies cut energy waste, improve efficiency, and make the ERCOT grid more reliable. It promises smarter coordination and better use of existing programs.
What it actually changes:
The bill does not fund new programs. It creates a permanent committee made up only of state agency heads. The group meets quarterly, reports to the Legislature every two years, and is exempt from the Open Meetings Act and the Public Information Act. That means Texans cannot watch or easily access its discussions.
Who is pushing for it:
Supporters listed in the files include the Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance, the Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter, Texas Impact, and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Texas chapter. The Public Utility Commission testified “on” the bill.
Who benefits:
Efficiency and energy management companies gain a formal policy pathway to promote demand-response and retrofit programs. State agencies gain more control over coordination and planning without public input.
Who gets left out or exposed:
Local governments, consumer advocates, and regular Texans lose visibility into decisions about state energy priorities. With no open meetings and no public seats, the process favors insiders.
Why this matters long term:
The committee’s recommendations will shape future legislation and funding decisions that could affect billions in energy and building projects. Its secrecy limits accountability and locks influence inside the executive branch.
What to watch next:
Whether future sessions use this committee’s closed-door recommendations to justify new programs or contracts without public debate. Also whether lawmakers revisit the transparency exemptions.
Bottom line:
HB 5323 aims to make the grid more reliable, but it does so by concentrating power among agency heads and industry allies while shutting the public out of the process. The goal sounds good, but the structure leaves Texans in the dark.