Energy Data Collection and Metering in Texas State Agencies

Abstract

The State of Texas is probably the largest utility consumer in Texas. Each year, more than 130 separate agencies purchase some form of energy (electricity, natural gas, steam, and hot or chilled water). Annual energy bills for state agencies range from a few hundred dollars to over $20 million, and the total for all agencies is currently near $200 million. To keep pace with the trend of energy consumption in state facilities, the Governor's Energy Management Center (GEMC) requests agencies to mail in energy cost and consumption reports semiannually. This method of energy consumption reporting is proving inadequate, so the GEMC is investigating the use of computerized reporting to obtain this data from state facilities. Similarly, as energy retrofit projects at state facilities become funded, remote monitoring devices to track and document actual energy savings are being considered. A pilot project is underway in conjunction with a cogeneration feasibility study at Austin State Hospital in Austin, Texas. This paper will discuss past, present and future methods of energy data collection for state agencies, and the proposed method of monitoring retrofit projects.