Today, Public Citizen and Environmental Defense Fund sent a letter to the Legislature calling on them to support the creation of a new state agency dedicated to efficiency. I tend to think in the problem-cause-solution framework about public policy issues so here’s the short version:
Problem: Energy efficiency languishes in Texas after years of progress. Indeed, the way Texas oversees its efficiency programs is ineffective, and ironically, inefficient.
Cause: There are at least five and potentially six state agencies that are involved in efficiency programs. They do not coordinate with each other. Many state employees probably do the same job. Meanwhile, the PUC fails to pass strong energy efficiency goals and they do not recognize energy efficiency as a pro-consumer and pro-business investment.
Solution: Consolidate all state efficiency programs into an entity that could independently review, approve and assess the current PUC and other state programs.
For the full letter sent to the Lege, click here.
What you can do about it: Call, email, your State Rep. and Senator. Tell them it’s time for energy efficiency reform. We can make it work better for all Texans.
-Matt
###
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 Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, Good Government, Sunset | Tagged EERS, Energy Efficiency, public citizen texas, PUC, Texas |
At a time when in much of the US we are facing the most significant heat waves in decades, global temperature averages have shown 2010 to be the hottest year ever in recorded history, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / Climactic Data Center just released its most comprehensive report on climate change which may as well have been called “It’s Real and It’s Here: NOW!”, and droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires are causing Armageddon-like conditions around Moscow, causing even the global warming denying Russian government to capitulate to the scientific consensus….. Even with all of that, it would seem like an odd time for the state of Texas to send a shot across the EPA’s bow, insulting them and goading them into a fight over Texas carbon emissions and the Clean Air Act.
But yet they have.
Monday August 2nd the state of Texas sent a letter to the EPA (original can be downloaded here) informing them that we would no longer be complying with the Clean Air Act, specifically provisions relating to the regulation of greenhouse gases. This letter signed by Attorney General Greg Abbott and TCEQ Commissioner Bryan Shaw is full of bluster and short on reasoned legal arguments with any real merit.
What it really remind me of is one of my favorite paintings, Запорожцы пишут письмо турецкому султану or, Zaprozhe Cossacks Writing a Letter to the Turkish Sultan by Ilya Repin. (For comparison’s sake, I would highly recommend following that link to read the text of the Cossack’s letter– it has language saltier than anything else I’ve heard this side of South Park) I just can’t help think of the unabashed joy that must’ve coursed through the veins of the Atty General and TCEQ Commissioner as they drafted this, using phrases like Continue Reading »
Posted in Global Warming, TCEQ | Tagged bryan shaw, carbon regulation, clean air act, deregulation, Dr. Al Armendariz, EPA, greenhouse gas emissions, greg abbott, Lisa Jackson, Massachusetts v EPA, public citizen texas, Rick Perry, tailoring rule, TCEQ, Texas, Texas Attorney General |
Public Citizen, Environmental Defense Fund Call for Independent State Agency to Coordinate State’s Energy Efficiency Efforts
AUSTIN – In response to the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) planned adoption of new energy efficiency goals, Public Citizen and Environmental Defense Fund today called for sweeping changes to the way Texas runs its energy efficiency programs. The groups said that a single independent state agency would better serve Texas because it could coordinate programs currently regulated by multiple agencies and reduce agency overlap.
“We have no confidence in the Public Utility Commission process,” said David Power, deputy director of Public Citizen’s Texas office. “The time has come to change the way Texas saves energy because the current setup is ineffective. It is time for the Legislature to take control and create a new state agency that can put consumers first and save more money.”
The groups plan to send a letter to state Sen. Troy Fraser, chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, and state Reps. Jim Keffer and Burt Solomons, chairs of the House Energy Resources and State Affairs Committees, asking them to support legislation in the upcoming session to create an independent efficiency agency.
Under current law, the PUC, the agency in charge of regulating most of the state’s “poles and wires” companies, is supposed to review and approve the energy efficiency programs of the utilities. But other state agencies oversee efficiency programs too, including the Department of Housing and Community Affairs and State Energy Conservation Office. Housing the coordination of these efforts under one roof would help streamline state regulation and create more savings potential for Texans, the groups said.
“Several agencies either run or oversee similar programs,” said Kate Robertson, energy efficiency specialist with Environmental Defense Fund. “In some instances, like market outreach, a single state agency could coordinate the activities of all efficiency programs instead of multiple people doing the same thing for their own programs.”
The groups also criticized the PUC’s negative attitude toward energy efficiency. Over the past year and a half, agency staff had been developing plans to increase the state’s goal for energy efficiency. On Friday, however, the three commissioners appointed by Gov. Rick Perry slashed the proposal dramatically, ostensibly for cost reasons, reducing the efficiency goal from 1 percent of peak demand by 2014 to a third of the growth in demand by 2013 – a much smaller increase. The PUC even has proposed curtailing the amount utilities can spend on efficiency measures.
“It is baffling to us that the commission thinks energy efficiency is not worth the cost,” said Matthew Johnson, a policy analyst with Public Citizen’s Texas office. “Ratepayers’ utility bills pay primarily for fuel like natural gas and coal, power plants and the grid infrastructure. Energy efficiency costs around a dollar per month on a typical $100 electric bill and it pays for itself by reducing the need for new, costly power plants.” Continue Reading »
Posted in Coal, Consumers, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, natural gas, Nuclear, Renewables | Tagged Burt Solomons, david power, Energy Efficiency, Jim Keffer, Kate Robertson, matt johnson, PUC, Railroad Commission, Rick Perry, seco, TDHCA, Texas, troy fraser, Water Development Board |
In their recent report on how energy efficiency is bad for consumers in Texas, the Texas Public Policy Foundation took some time to tout nukes.
To distinguish the development of new nuclear reactors from the previous generation which was frought with cost overruns and delays, they claim the following (page 7-8):
“But unlike consumers from the 1980s, today’s consumers won’t be taking on the risk of cost overruns. In fact, they won’t be taking any risk at all. Once the new nuclear plants are complete, the price of the electricity sold from the plants will be determined by market forces. If the price is higher than the cost of the electricity, the plants will be profitable. If not, the plants will lose money. But it is the investors–not consumers–who will bear that risk.”
The investors will bear all the risk? Really? Well, published today is a report from Forbes.com that, in addition to announcing NRG’s dramatic scaling back on nuclear development (by some 95%) quotes NRG Energy’s CEO David Crane as saying he is:
“more comfortable when someone else takes risk.” (as in, the citizens of San Antonio?)
Ouch! I encourage y’all to read the full Forbes article and this one from last December, which notes that a major part of NRG’s strategy is to sell to municipally-owned utilities and electric cooperatives. They are medicine for those that think new nuclear is cost-competitive because they’re all about how dependent nuke developers are on federal loan guarantees (aka subsidies).
EDITOR’S NOTE: Also of interest is an article from this morning’s NYTimes that shows the cost of solar is now cheaper than the cost of nuclear, and a hot-off-the-presses article from Greg Harman at the San Antonio Current saying that with NRG taking so much investment out of developing the plant, and the US gov’t balking at more subsidies for this nuclear pork behemoth, that the only way to make the deal work is to get the governments of France and Japan to also help bail out their investors with, you guessed it- more loan guarantees. How many countries and government bailouts does it take to build a nuke plant in Texas? Three, apparently. Ahhh, nuclear power- it’s like fiscal conservative kryptonite. One mention of it and any and all pretense of being pro free market just disappears as they can’t stop lining up to the gravy train of pork, loan guarantees and subsidies. ~~Andy
###
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 Consumers, Efficiency, Energy, Nuclear | Tagged david crane, Energy Efficiency, forbes, nrg energy, Nuclear, public citizen texas, renewable energy, Texas, texas public policy foundation |
The EPA is holding hearings on newly proposed coal ash regulations throughout the country. One of the few places they’ve decided to hold a hearing is Dallas. Coal ash waste facilities have never been properly regulated, despite the fact that coal ash is full of toxic pollutants and carcinogens. This is due primarily to the fact that the coal lobby wants to profit off of their waste by selling it to other industries for use in manufacturing products ranging from concrete to fertilizer.
Texas has 17 coal plants, all of which produce massive amounts of toxic coal ash waste that get stored either in slurry ponds (coal ash mixed with water) or in landfills.
Check out more info and find out how you can encourage the EPA to regulate this waste properly by visiting Sierra Club’s action page.
For some background info on the coal ash waste disaster in Tennessee go here.
###
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 arePublic Citizen Texas.
Posted in Coal, Energy, Good Government, Toxics | Tagged Coal, coal ash, dallas, EPA, hearing, Public Citizen, Sierra Club, Texas, tx, waste |
Perry Appointees Smitherman, Nelson, Anderson protect consumers from energy efficiency
There is a disturbing trend emerging in Texas. A once successful consumer-oriented program is floundering because of a deficit of perspective behind the dais at the PUC.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas proposed adopting an update to the state’s energy efficiency program that would cap the amount of money utilities could spend on programs that reduce the energy bills for homes and businesses.
Under the rule, utility expenditures on energy efficiency would be limited to one tenth of one cent per kilowatt-hour. That’s $0.001, which would amount to around a dollar a month for the average home. It’s worth pointing out that there are no cost caps for other energy resources, just the cheapest one.
This bears repeating: the PUC does not want utilities to spend more money to fund programs that make Texas homes more energy efficient and reduce their utility bills.
During today’s hearing, it was abundantly clear that Governor Perry’s appointees to the commission have folded to industry pressure and adopted the bizarre world view that energy efficiency costs consumers too much money. As evidence, in addition to only considering utility industry estimates on the cost of future efficiency resources, they frequently alluded to a report released this week by the conservative and industry-friendly Texas Public Policy Foundation which made unsubstantiated claims that the consumer benefits of energy efficiency programs could not only be less than currently estimated, but actually negative (page 3). (A more detailed critique of their report is coming).
At a workshop earlier this month, the commissioners only allowed industry representatives to present information. No consumer advocates, environmental groups, no academics were allowed to present and even the comments by ACEEE seem to have been ignored.
It’s now time for the Legislature to be the grownups in the room Continue Reading »
Posted in Air Quality, Coal, Consumers, Diesel, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, Good Government, green jobs, natural gas, Renewables | Tagged Barry Smitherman, Donna Nelson, EEIP, Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Ken Anderson, public citizen texas, PUC, Rick Perry, SB546, Texas |
Check out our final vlog on our visit to Las Vegas and Netroots Nation!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxH4TNl6NV4]
[vimeo 13744992]
###
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 arePublic Citizen Texas.
Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Good Government, green jobs, Renewables | Tagged climate change, Global Warming, nation, Netroots, Public Citizen, Texas, wrap up |
July 29, 2010 by Adrian Shelley
Phoenix, AZ – Today, the Arizona Corporation Commission acted to save consumers and businesses money by unanimously approving a final Energy Efficiency Standard Rule.
“There was strong support from all five commissioners to significantly increase Arizona’s commitment to energy efficiency via this landmark new standard,” said Jeff Schlegel with the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP). “Arizona’s utility customers benefit from this standard as they will have better access to energy efficiency measures that will reduce energy consumption and lower their utility bills. Consumers and businesses will save billions of dollars in lower energy costs.”
The Energy Efficiency Standard established in the Rule will achieve 22 percent energy savings in 2020 as a percent of retail sales from energy efficiency, with a credit of up to 2 percent for demand response. This will put in place one of the strongest energy efficiency standards in the country.
“The energy efficiency rule is a big step forward in decreasing energy use and reliance on polluting sources of energy,” said Sandy Bahr, Chapter Director of the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club. “This will mean less air pollution, decreased water use, fewer emissions that contribute to climate change, and a more sustainable future for all Arizonans.”
Reduced power generation associated with energy efficiency measures will result in a decrease of a number of pollutants including carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, mercury and other pollutants. This will reduce the public health impacts related to emissions of particulate matter and mercury, and also reduce our contribution to global climate change.
The energy efficiency measures that are contemplated by the rule must be cost effective and will result in saving ratepayers money by lowering their overall bills for electricity.
“Energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective resources around and is much less costly than constructing and operating new power plants,” said David Berry with Western Resource Advocates.
“The Commission deserves credit for doing their part to help a struggling economy. A strong energy efficiency standard is a win-win-win policy: ratepayers save money on their monthly electric bills; children, seniors and those with weak immune systems enjoy better health; and Arizonans continue to receive improved air quality,” stated Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of the Arizona PIRG Education Fund.
Well, somebody’s got their heads on straight. Arizona gets it– why not Texas? A little disheartening when you have the PUC deciding efficiency rules tomorrow and groups like the Texas Public Policy Foundation poo-pooing energy efficiency (they think we should build nukes! Amazing! Nuclear energy is like conservative “think” tank kryptonite– they HATE government subsidies and bailouts until it comes to nukes. Then they just can’t get enough of them.)
So, final word: Efficiency = lower bills, less pollution. Building more non-renewables power plants = high bills, more pollution. In this case, is this Arizona = good, Texas = needs to catch up to Arizona?
###
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 Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming | Tagged arizona, Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, public citizen texas, PUC, Texas |
Melissa Sanchez of Public Citizen Texas tells us about karaoke last night, Van Jones, and lots of good panels today.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZMnOBbVE_Y]
Links:
Van Jones Breakfast Keynote this morning
Speaking in Tongues movie site
Se y’all tomorrow for our final update from Vegas.
Posted in green jobs | Tagged climate change, documentary, karaoke, Las Vegas, Melissa Sanchez, netroots nation 2010, NN10, patriots, public citizen texas, speaking in tongues, Texas, van jones |
This is Andy checking in from Vegas and Netroots Nation: sheesh, we leave Texas for a few days and the wheels start to come off the bus, don’t they? Of course, our fearless and tireless leader, Tom “Smitty” Smith is there to handle everything, as he has done for the last 2 and a half decades.
This ran in today’s Texas Energy Report, but want to give all of our Public Citizen Texas members and followers a taste if you’re not a subscriber to the Energy Report.
SMITTY: TWO CITIES TOOK OPPOSITE PATHS IN SELECTING UTILITY GM
An Op-Ed by Public Citizen’s Tom “Smitty” Smith.
The recently announced new general managers for Austin and San Antonio couldn’t be more different, and may have huge economic repercussions for both cities.
Austin has chosen Larry Weis, a “green” general manager from Turlock, California, Irrigation District. San Antonio’s CPS Energy has chosen Doyle N. Beneby Jr., from Exelon Corp. While Mr. Weis opposes nuclear power due to its costs, Mr. Beneby comes from a utility that has the largest nuclear assets in the country.
The process that each city underwent in selecting their new managers stands in stark contrast with one another. Austin announced its finalists over a month ago and invited the public to question the candidates.
CPS kept its candidates secret. In light of this lack of information, I am left to wonder what San Antonio’s fate will be given the recent track record of Exelon. Could Mr. Beneby signal the re-nuclearization of San Antonio or does he represent a future of renewable energy and green power?
Although San Antonio is still reeling from the trebling of cost of expanding the South Texas Nuclear Project, the CPS board has chosen someone from Exelon, which has tried and failed to buy NRG Energy, CPS’s partner in the nuclear expansion project, while simultaneously trying to develop another nuclear plant near Victoria.
While Exelon does have a mix of fossil fuel, hydroelectric, solar, landfill gas and wind generation sources, it only amounts to a meager 7 percent of its generation assets. The other 93 percent is nuclear.
Since the public was not privy to the public utility’s selection process, we are left to speculate what Beneby ‘s plans are. Continue Reading »
Posted in Consumers, Efficiency, Good Government, Nuclear | Tagged Austin, Austin Energy, CPS Energy, public citizen texas, San Antonio, Texas, Tom "Smitty" Smith, transparency |
Hey all. We’re having a blast here at Netroots Nation so far. Here’s our first report telling you about the goings-on today, including the great Texas caucus, and several excellent environmental and climate change panels.
Keep up with us by following us on Twitter, where @CitizenAndy is live-tweeting most of the panels I sit in.
More tomorrow!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hYkJ02CzTg]
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged netroots nation 2010, NN10, Texas |
The concert is FREE to the public and welcomes all ages.
The Sierra Club and Texas Environmental Justice are rolling out
the Great Texas Clean-Up Festival, from 4-10 at the Discovery Green in Houston, an event expected to kick off a larger campaign to clean up Texas.
Public Citizen is a coalition partner and will be there! Check out our booth!
Headlining the event is Dallas native Ray Johnston with the Ray Johnston Band, a groovy, rock soul act with plenty of attitude. Rounding out the event are Los Pistoleros de Texas, bluesman Mrs. Glass, and country western singer songwriter Robert Ellis.
Expect keynote speaker State Senator Rodney Ellis of Houston to give a rip-roaring speech, flanked by the impassioned Ana Hernandez, three term representative from district 143 of Houston.
About a dozen Houston-based artists are expected to showcase, including Lizbeth Ortiz, who created this piece, “Nurturing Hands”.
There will be a Kids’ Corner and plenty of political activism.
Check them out at www.cleanuptexasnow.org
Hope to see ya’ll there!
###
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, Efficiency, Energy, natural gas, Nuclear, Renewables, solar | Tagged Air Quality, Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, Nuclear, renewable energy, Texas |
The Great Texas Clean-Up Festival is coming to Houston!
The Sierra Club and Texas Environmental Justice are rolling out the Great Texas Clean-Up Festival, from 4-10 at the Discovery Green in Houston, an event expected to kick off a larger campaign to clean up Texas. Public Citizen is a coalition partner and will be there! Check out our booth!
Headlining the event is Dallas native Ray Johnston with the Ray Johnston Band, a groovy, rock soul act with plenty of attitude. Rounding out the event are Los Pistoleros de Texas, bluesman Mrs. Glass, and country western singer songwriter Robert Ellis.
Expect keynote speaker State Senator Rodney Ellis of Houston to give a rip-roaring speech, flanked by the impassioned Ana Hernandez, three term representative from district 143 of Houston.
About a dozen Houston-based artists are expected to showcase, including Lizbeth Ortiz, who created this piece, “Nurturing Hands”.
There will be a Kids’ Corner [possibly spelled Kidz Korner, at presstime we weren’t sure] and plenty of political activism.
Check them out at www.cleanuptexasnow.org
Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Renewables, solar | Tagged ana hernandez, discovery green, houston, Lizbeth Ortiz, Los Pistoleros de Texas, Mrs. Glass, Nurturing Hands, Public Citizen, Ray Johnston Band, Robert Ellis, Rodney Ellis, Sierra Club, Texas |
(L to R) - Andy, Ryan, Melissa, and "Lady Bird" Liberty telling us how money we are (and we don't even know it! Vegas, baby!)
Yes, friends, it is that time again: Netroots Nation! Your favorite convergence of bloggers most likely to be called Lenin’s Pioneers by Fox News. And this time it’s in lovely Las Vegas, Andy’s personal least favorite city in the US (don’t drink, don’t smoke- what do you do?). Hey, I have an idea– let’s have a convention in the middle of the summer and put it someplace HOTTER than Texas! Top 3 choices: 3. Phoenix, 2. Vegas, 1. Hell (I’m just a little sour grapes because, nerd that I am, I’d rather be at the other major convention happening that week just a couple hundred miles down I-15 in San Diego.)
Ah well, it will be a party for everyone else, and I’m sure I’ll have some fun– I’ll take some comic books and it’ll be exactly the same for me. After all, I couldn’t ask for two better traveling companions: Ryan Rittenhouse, our illustrious anti-coal organizer, and Melissa Sanchez, master of… basically everything in our office.
But because we believe in breaking down the information silos, we hope you’ll join us in person if you’re there, or in spirit if you’re not. Highlights:
Public Citizen will have a booth. Come join us and grab some swag.
Texas Caucus and Environmental Caucus:unfortunately both are taking place at the same time, Thu at 3pm. Andy will be at the Enviro Caucus, Ryan and Melissa will be at the Texas Caucus.
Karaoke, Trivia Quiz, and Bowling Parties- oh my! Just because I don’t drink doesn’t mean I don’t love all of the activities that generally accompany it. Watch for us to be involved in these events. Want to join a trivia quiz or bowling team with us? Want to sing a duet with Ryan (and really, who doesn’t?) Come find us!
Follow us online: Continue Reading »
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Las Vegas, netroots nation, netroots nation 2010, NN10, Public Citizen, public citizen texas, Texas |
July 14, 2010 by Citizen Carol
On Thursday, July 15, the House Energy and Water subcommittee is scheduled to vote on $25 billion in loan guarantees for new nuclear reactors in the FY2011 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Only last month, the House passed $9 billion in nuclear loan guarantees in the 2010 Supplemental Appropriations bill (it has not yet passed the Senate). Together with the Department of Energy’s existing nuclear loan guarantee authority, the US taxpayer’s burden would be tripled to an enormous $52.5 billion.
The additional $25 billion in nuclear loan guarantees comes at the behest of Rep. Chet Edwards (D) to fund two proposed reactors at Comanche Peak in his district in Texas. The proposed new reactors have an uncertified and untested design, and are years away from licensing approval. There are also two reactors proposed for the South Texas Project site in Bay City, Texas.
Putting another $25 billion into costly, economically risky and polluting new reactors will be at the expense of solving climate change with clean, renewable energy and efficiency. Call or email your Representatives today and tell them that these subsidies are unacceptable!
(Find out who represents you at http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us)
Feel free to use this message or edit as you’d like:
————————————————————–
Dear Representative __________________,
I am writing to urge you to oppose $25 billion in additional nuclear loan guarantee authority in the FY2011 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Given the nuclear industry’s inability to reduce the soaring capital costs of new reactors, assure the safety of its technology, or resolve radioactive waste storage issues, burdening U.S. taxpayers with tens of billions dollars of additional liability for new reactors is irresponsible.
The Department of Energy currently has over $10 billion in unallocated existing authority. The House has passed an additional $9 billion in nuclear loan guarantees in its 2010 Supplemental Appropriations bill. Together, this would triple the nuclear loan guarantees to a massive $52.5 billion. Many of the proposed new nuclear projects even have designs that are certified.
Moreover, according to a recent Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) report, the DOE’s loan guarantee program does not even have a way to evaluate whether the program is meeting its goals. GAO also found that DOE has provided preferential treatment to nuclear applicants that it has not given to renewable and efficiency applicants. Additional nuclear funding will only exacerbate these structural problems.
Please oppose an additional $25 billion in nuclear loan guarantees in the FY2011 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. US taxpayers should not be expected to bail out yet another industry.
Sincerely,
—————————-
Posted in Global Warming, Good Government, Nuclear | Tagged chet edwards, comanche peak, economy, energy and water appropriations bill, loan guarantee, Nuclear, Texas |
« Newer Posts - Older Posts »
