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By: SARAH MOORE, The Enterprise

The Texas Attorney General released an opinion today saying that a bill passed by the Texas Legislature during the last session concerning clean energy projects is not restricted to the generation of electricity by coal burning plants, but could include refineries.


However, the AG did not say that the bill expanded property that qualified for tax exemption, said Don Lee, executive director of the Texas Conference of Urban Counties.

Under current standards, to qualify for exemption, the equipment must reduce pollution at the site, not simply produce a product that will be cleaner when used.

Jefferson County and other areas have feared that the inclusion of certain refinery equipment on a list of exempt equipment would result in the potential loss of $8 million in tax revenues to the county.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will meet Jan. 16 to vote on rules for administering HB 3732.