The Texas Progressive Alliance congratulates the Packers and the Steelers as it brings you this week’s roundup.
WhosPlayin helped organize a cleanup for an historic African American cemetery dating back to about 1845 that had been the target of litterbugs and illegal dumpers. Respect for the dead, and respect for the land are still values that people from left and right can agree on. Continue Reading »
Posted in News Roundup | Tagged Texas, Texas News Roundup, texas progressive alliance |
After Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst‘s remarks, made during his session-opening luncheon just a week ago, about his plans to push for “regulatory and fiscal incentives” to phase out the heavy-polluting coal plants that were built back to the 1970s and replace them with natural gas plants, the Lt. Governor is now back pedalling saying he’s NOT pushing for fast shutdown of Texas’ aging or inefficient coal-fired power plants. Instead, he wants to gradually increasing the use of cleaner-burning, Texas natural gas through market-based incentives.
Dewhurst backed off his earlier stance after the Dallas Morning News suggested the plan would mean lights out for Texas, since those old plants account for some 8,300 megawatts.
Coal vs gas could be yet another controversy as the 2011 session heats up. There’s pressure from the EPA and elsewhere for Texas to lower its pollution levels, and the feds show little sign of backing away from their efforts to regulated greenhouse gas emissions.
One thing is obvious, Dewhurst doesn’t want to caught in crossfire of the coal vs. gas battle. Instead, he is falling back on standard industry language, meant to placate everyone. “In order to meet our current energy demands and fuel our economy, Texas will continue to rely on the use of coal, wind, nuclear and solar power, in addition to natural gas, as part of our diversified energy portfolio.”
Oh for the days when occasionally a politician would take a position – right or wrong, popular or unpopular – and stand by it.
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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.
Posted in Air Quality, Coal, Global Warming, natural gas | Tagged Coal, Dallas Morning News, david dewhurst, Texas, United States Environmental Protection Agency |
Brazos Wind Farm in the plains of West Texas - by Wikipedia
The Public Utility Commission passed a scaled-back version of a controversial power line project through the Hill Country to bring West Texas wind energy to the urban centers on Thursday, January 20th. The commission was under a Monday deadline to act on the project.
The three-member panel spent much of that morning tweaking the routes of the lines and towers that will be built by the Lower Colorado River Authority for the project that covers portions of Schleicher, Sutton, Menard, Kimble, Gillespie, Kerr and Kendall counties.
The case had been ongoing for well over a year and was even sent back to the drawing board once due to protests from property owners concerned that the lines would mar scenic Hill Country vistas.
During PUC’s deliberations, Smitherman spoke at length on the need for affordable, reliable power – saying that the state cannot prosper without it. He also pointed out that even though the project is part of a $5 billion package called the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones, the transmission lines would also be available to traditional fossil-fuel generating plant. And, there is also the potential for utility scale solar in parts of West Texas served by the new transmission lines.
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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.
Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Renewables | Tagged CREZ, Electric power transmission, lower colorado river authority, Public utilities commission, Texas, Texas Hill Country, west texas |
It’s been a while since a status update has been given on the Keystone XL pipeline project here at Public Citizen so the time has come!
The Keystone pipeline project is Canadian initiated undertaking involving both TransCanada and ConocoPhillips. The pipeline is set out to be about 1380 miles long and the pipe itself is projected to be about 36 inches in diameter. The Keystone pipeline will enter the United States from Alberta, Canada through Montana, cross through South Dakota and Nebraska to send its 700,000 barrels/day supply into stations in Oklahoma and East Texas. In doing so, this means the pipeline would be crossing 554 acres of wetlands and 91 streams that support either recreational or commercial fisheries.
The Keystone pipeline will also run right through the Ogallala Aquifer, meaning potential damage to one of the country’s largest sources of water if a spill should occur. 
And we all know how easy it can be for an oil spill to occur. (see the recent WSJ article on the BP Alaskan pipeline leak)
In fact, TransCanada is supposed to construct the actual pipes to be made out of a thinner material, but the oil will be pumped at a higher pressure than normal, which increases the risks of spills even more. The last thing we need is another BP disaster in the gulf or pipeline leak in Alaska. But suppose you say, “So what, what’s another oil spill?” Well, it just so happens that this pipeline will be transporting some of the dirtiest oil in the world.
This type of oil, known as tar sands oil, produces more global warming pollution than our normal conventional oil, 20% more to be exact. It also makes conventional oil seem pretty darn clean. Tar sands oil is full of toxic and harmful materials not only dangerous to the environment but the health of the communities surrounding the pipelines are endangered as well. Producing this oil for the Keystone XL will essentially result in the emittance of 11 million more tons of carbon dioxide. Continue Reading »
Posted in Global Warming, Tarsands | Tagged Global Warming, Keystone Pipeline, obama, ogallala aquifer, Oil sands, public citizen texas, Texas, transcanada |
SPECIAL GUEST COLUMN FROM JIM HIGHTOWER
Originally posted at http://www.jimhightower.com/
Thank you, California. And you, too, Florida, Maine, Missouri, and the 32 other states that intend to send a very special gift to Texas – namely, their radioactive waste. Now there’s a gift that truly keeps on giving!
Of course, Texas asked for it. Well, actually, only two Texans. They had the clout to open a private radioactive waste dump in our state. First approved in 2003, the 1,300 acre site, which endangers fresh water aquifers that supply water to thousands of people in West Texas, was originally meant to take waste from just two states. But now – thanks to this pair of insistent Texans – the dump is being opened to 36 more states! Continue Reading »
Posted in Campaign Finance, Energy, Nuclear, Radioactive Waste | Tagged Harold Simmons, Jim Hightower, Rick Perry, Texas |
In December Texans for Public Justice reported that Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons had contributed $620,000 to Governor Rick Perry. TPJ’s publication Lobby Watch questioned how Perry’s appointees could objectively regulate Simmons’ nuclear ambitions. That question looms larger after Simmons gave Perry another $500,000 this in 2010. Having given him a total of $1,120,000, Simmons now ranks as the governor’s No. 2 individual donor.1
And now, Harold Simmons, is the largest benefactor for the new Railroad Commissioner, David Porter. According to the report filed yesterday with the Texas Ethics Commission, which covered the period from late October until the fundraising moratorium triggered by the 2011 legislative session, Porter’s largest single donation came from Harold Simmons, the owner of Dallas-based Waste Control Specialists, who delivered a check for $25,000 to Porter on Oct. 27. . . .and another check for $25,000 the same day. Simmons also made contributions to Porter in June to the tune of $10,000, according to Ethics Commission reports.
I think the giving levels of Harold Simmons warrant watching, especially given the fact that much of his business is regulated by state agencies, and his predilection for spending money late in the election cycle (such as a gift of half a million dollars to Texans for Lawsuit Reform- a notorious tort reform super-PAC), a trick employed by Karl Rove to escape campaign finance scrutiny until an election is looooong over.
Posted in Campaign Finance, Nuclear, Radioactive Waste | Tagged David Porter, Harold Simmons, radioactive waste, Rick Perry, Texas, Texas Ethics Commission |
CPS Energy CEO Doyle Beneby announced that the utility will acquire an additional 50 megawatts of solar power and that the company chosen to build the new plants for it will be required to locate a portion of its business in San Antonio. Currently the negotiations include a leading solar manufacturer to locate a small office in the area and invest in an educational center at one of the solar sites with a larger goal of having a solar company locate a manufacturing plant or perhaps an assembly plant in San Antonio.
San Antonio is trying to do locally, what the State should be doing – luring new renewable industries and jobs to Texas. As CPS and San Antonio take the lead in fulfilling their potential as a clean energy hub, let’s hope the State takes notice and begins to follow suite.
Posted in Energy, green jobs, Renewables, solar | Tagged CPS Energy, Energy, renewable, San Antonio, solar power, sustainable energy, Texas |
The United State’s much-touted nuclear renaissance is in jeopardy, but it is not primarily from environmental and safety concerns. The industry is finding it increasingly difficult to make the economic case for building new nuclear plants.
The enormous capital cost of building reactors is just one factor holding back the long-promised nuclear revival. Just as critical is the risk that the already high costs will balloon as companies build new-generation plants that must be able to withstand the impact of a terrorist crashing an airliner into one. Companies are facing difficulties financing their plants due to the long lead times needed for permits and construction before they can begin to recoup capital expenditures. Then there’s the potential for cost overruns, so companies are looking for political and regulatory support to shift financial obligations onto customers and taxpayers to minimize risk in what Moody’s Investor Service Inc. has dubbed a “bet-the-farm” type of project.
That effort to offload financial risk to partners, customers and governments is the hallmark of the 21st-century nuclear industry. Continue Reading »
Posted in Nuclear | Tagged Nuclear, Nuclear Power, Texas, U.S. Energy Information Administration, United State, wall street |
The Dallas-Fort Worth area has long been recognized as among the most traffic-congested areas in America, and immediately following the MLK holiday, it will be recognized by the federal government as having some of the most polluted air as well.
Five other regions in the country are even worse, labeled either “severe” or “extreme,” with Houston also considered a severe offender.
In order to deal with this designation, the state will need to chart a new compliance plan for the region, something that could govern the kinds of highway projects and other infrastructure that is built in North Texas.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will be required to develop a clean-air plan tailored to the nine-county DFW nonattainment area by July 2012. Much of this is already under way.
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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.
Posted in Air Quality | Tagged air pollution, Air Quality Index, Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, Texas, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, United States Environmental Protection Agency |
As an end of the month deadline looms, PUC once again postponed a final decision on the route of a controversial portion of the lines and towers that will carry wind power from West Texas through the Hill Country and on to the state’s more populated regions
At this point it looks like PUC will likely act next week at their Jan. 20 meeting, following a marathon meeting Thursday.
The proposal has drawn fire from hundreds of Hill Country property owners on grounds that the power lines and towers would severely damage the area’s natural beauty and devastate property values.
Tune in after January 20th to find out what is finally decided.
Posted in Energy, Global Warming | Tagged Electric power transmission, hill country, renewable energy, Texas, Texas Hill Country, west texas, wind power |
Luminant, operator of the two-unit Comanche Peak nuclear power plant 45 miles southwest of Fort Worth, shut down the facility’s Unit 1 reactor about 7 p.m. Thursday and they were still working earlier today to correct the problem that caused the shutdown. No word yet as to when the unit would be back online.
Luminant says they were investigating the cause of this issue, but decided to to take the unit offline to ensure the continued safety of plant employees and plant reliability due to a problem related to an under-voltage relay, which ensures the appropriate amount of voltage is provided to a pump motor.
This outage comes on the heels of STP’s almost month long shutdown back in November of 2010. See our earlier blog post about that outage.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Comanche Peak’s Unit 1 was reported back on on Saturday, January 15th. We were unable to find out what time the nuclear reactor was brought back on line that day, but know that the unit was off line for more than 24 hours.
Posted in Nuclear | Tagged Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Luminant, Texas |
The much anticipated hearing between the Environmental Protection Agency and Texas regarding the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions will occur this morning in Dallas, Texas. The hearing is set to begin at 10:00 AM and is expected to continue through 7:00 PM this evening. The hearing will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Market Center and will assemble both the public and concerned citizens of Texas for dissent and opinion on the issue. Many members of the community will be in attendance, as well as other battlemen fighting for justice, including the Sierra Club and of course, Public Citizen, represented by our very own pirate coal activist Ryan Rittenhouse! We will be making our voice heard this morning in Dallas in hopes of changing the current regulations concerning emission standards. Businessweek has quoted Neil Carman of Sierra Club on the issue, who has assessed that the new rules of the EPA will not in fact be costly to implement whatsoever.
The latest controversy involves the decision made late last year that the EPA would in fact be taking over the permitting process regarding emission regulation in Texas. In response, Texas is now currently suing the EPA to try and halt their implementation plan which would essentially call for more rigid regulation standards in either new or existing power plant and/or oil facilities.
EPA vs. Texas: Emissions Shootout
Texas claims that the EPA is overstepping the state’s authority with respect to emission setting standards. The EPA’s justification for taking over the permitting process is related to Texas rejecting to comply with the EPA’s new greenhouse gas rules issued earlier this year. The EPA claims that Texas has left them no other choice but to take over, not only because of the hot-headed letter we sent to EPA refusing to comply with the Clean Air Act, but also since Texas is also the leading nation in greenhouse gas emissions as well as industrial pollution. By holding this hearing, the EPA is allowing both environmental advocacy groups as well as the public to voice their opinion before the final decision is rendered concerning emission standards.
Will the outcome of this battle prove to be victorious? Tune in next time to find out!
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Posted in Global Warming | Tagged clean air act, climate change, dallas, Environmental Protection Agency, Global Warming, greenhouse gas, Public Citizen, TCEQ, Texas |
The industry group, Texas Competitive Power Advocates, today unveiled its spiffed-up new website to help drive its message in support of choice in the retail electric market.
In addition to advocacy information, the site provides links to state and local government regulatory agencies, the major news outlets and the association’s social media networks.
Check out their site and let us know if you think it provides information that helps you navigate the competitive electricity market here in Texas – http://www.competitivepower.org/.
If you get your electricity from a municipal utility or are a member of a rural electric cooperative, this does not apply to you. But if you are in an area where you have market choices and are wondering if you are getting the best deal, check it out. Much has been said about electric deregulation in Texas, and we are curious to hear from you to let us know how you think that has been going.
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged Electricity market, Texas, Utility cooperative |
The Texas Legislature opened its 2011 session yesterday amid a great deal of fanfare, but little substance at this point. However, we can expect more interesting things to happen starting today when the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission makes their legislative recommendations for such controvercial agencies as the Texas Railroad Commission, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and even the Public Utility Commission, who have come under some scrutiny during the hearings that were held back in December of last year.
Yesterday the Republican caucus gathered to hash out what turned into a fizzled leadership challenge. Today the Texas House met and affirmed Speaker Joe Straus‘ leadership, so we will move forward. We still expect some changes in committee membership and leadership (in part due to the vast numbers of freshmen legislators that came out of the backlash elections in November), but perhaps not so much as might have been expected from a change in the speakership. Most interesting as we begin this session is the gigantic budget shortfall that could change state government as the people have come to know it.
Republicans, having amassed their largest House majority in Texas history, now dominate the Legislature. Most of them are promising to make deep cuts in spending, balance the budget without new taxes, re-visit ID requirements for voters, “crack down” on illegal immigration and require women to get a sonogram — and then look at it — before having an abortion.
In remarks to the Senate yesterday, Perry warned lawmakers it won’t be easy to balance a budget facing such a massive shortfall. The official revenue estimate shows the state is short billions — as much as $27 billion — of the amount that would be required to maintain the current level of services when adjusted for inflation and caseload growth. Proportionally, Texas’ budget shortfall is worse than that of California and it is likely that any new initiatives that have a fiscal impact on the state’s budget bill, will go down in flames.
Democrats blamed Republican leaders for creating the shortfall and posit that critical programs will be curtailed as a result.
In the inimitable words of Bette Davis in All About Eve, “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged Joe Straus, Texas, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Railroad Commission |
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