Public Utility Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman recently sat down with Texas Tribune reporter Kate Galbraith to talk about energy efficiency, CREZ, smart-meters, non-wind renewables, the switch-hold rule, the Lege, and Federal climate legislation (or lack thereof?). It’s a good read/listen if you have some time. Some interesting highlights: On the efficiency agency idea (we’ve had something [...]
Archive for the ‘Consumers’ Category
Press Release: Perry Government Mishandles Programs that Benefit Consumers, Groups Say
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, troy fraser, Water Development Board on August 4, 2010 | 3 Comments »
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 [...]
NRG Energy Scales Back Nuke Investment; Makes TPPF Look Bad
Posted in Consumers, Efficiency, Energy, Nuclear, tagged david crane, Energy Efficiency, forbes, nrg energy, Nuclear, public citizen texas, renewable energy, texas public policy foundation on August 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
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 [...]
Smitty: Austin and San Antonio took different paths when choosing new electric utility management
Posted in Consumers, Efficiency, Good Government, Nuclear, tagged Austin, Austin Energy, CPS Energy, public citizen texas, San Antonio, Tom "Smitty" Smith, transparency on July 23, 2010 | 3 Comments »
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 [...]
Memorial Day Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday!!
Posted in Consumers, Efficiency, Energy, tagged Ed Begley Jr, Energy Efficiency, Energy Star, Representative Veronica Gonzalez, rio grande valley, sales tax, south texas chisme on May 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
I’ve told my parents and now I’m telling you. ¡Si se compran una lavadora o un aire condicionado marcado Energy Star este weekend, no tienen que pagar sales taxes! If you buy an Energy Star appliance this Memorial Day weekend you won’t have to pay a sales tax! Representative Veronica Gonzalez announced the third annual [...]
Cap Metro’s debut at the Sunset Commission
Posted in Consumers, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, Good Government, Renewables, Transportation, tagged Austinites for Action, Cap Metro, Coalition for Sustainable Transportation, Dennis Bonnen, eddie rodriguez, Jim Skaggs, John Whitmire, kirk watson, light rail, mass transit, mike martinez, Pedernales, SB 2015, StarTran, sunset commission on May 26, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Cap Metro’s hearing at the Sunset Advisory Commission on Tuesday wasn’t the public flogging many might have expected, given the mass transit authority’s myriad problems over the past several years. It came as a shock to no one as Sunset staff delivered testimony that centered on the financial crisis the transit authority faces. Several commissioners, [...]
Week in Review
Posted in Coal, Consumers, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, Good Government, green jobs, Nuclear, Renewables, solar, tagged matt johnson, mona avalos, Public Citizen, ryan rittenhouse, texas vox, week in review on May 21, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Busy, busy, busy. Public Citizen staff have been making the rounds this week, traveling all over Texas in order to educate, empower, and organize citizens. From Beaumont to Dallas. From tar sands to the Public Utility Commission, we are working to protect the economic and environmental well-being of all Texans. The Week in Review:
Green-up Your Life! Holiday Edition
Posted in Consumers, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, tagged Christmas, eat less meat, Energy Efficiency, environment, food, gift, green, holiday lights, holiday meal, holiday travel, holidays, new year's resolution, organic, oxfam, presents on December 17, 2009 | 10 Comments »
By Kirsten Bokenkamp Happy Holidays! Just saying those words is enough to evoke joyful images of families gathered in the kitchen preparing a succulent holiday meal to be enjoyed together, or excited and wide-eyed children opening gifts next to a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. When I close my eyes, I can almost taste the cinnamon-spiced [...]
You CAN teach an old dog new tricks . . .
Posted in Coal, Consumers, Energy, Global Warming, tagged Carbon Dioxide, climate change, Coal, coal plant, Dr. Al Armendariz, EPA, Global Warming, las brisas coal plant, TCEQ, Texas on November 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Las Brisas Energy Center, a proposed pet coke power plant, is still in the midst of a protracted permitting process which most recently has taken the form of a state hearing. Opponents have claimed that projected pollution from the proposed plant has been under-estimated by engineers. Testimony ended in the hearing last Thursday, and closing [...]
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Externalities of Coal
Posted in Coal, Consumers, Energy, Global Warming, Renewables, Toxics, tagged Clean Energy, climate change, Coal, coal industry, coal plant, externality, Global Warming on November 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Coal has been used by man for several centuries as a means of warmth, transportation (via Watt’s steam engine) and most recently electric power. It is currently used nearly exclusively for the generation of electricity in the US (in 2001: 86% of total US coal production). It has always been claimed that coal makes good [...]
Green-up your life! Go Organic.
Posted in Consumers, Global Warming, tagged climate change, consumer, consumption, Global Warming, organic on October 8, 2009 | 3 Comments »
By Kirsten Bokenkamp Do you ever find yourself in the grocery store stuck in a moment of indecision? Should you go with the $2 conventionally grown – flawless enough to win a beauty contest – cantaloupe, or the $4 smaller, uglier, but organic one; a regular tube of toothpaste for $3.50 or the organic brand [...]
Green-up your life! Oct 1- Eat less meat.
Posted in Consumers, Global Warming, tagged climate change, consumer, food, Global Warming on October 1, 2009 | 5 Comments »
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is going to be one of our ongoing series on climate change and how we can all make a personal impact. Since today is World Vegetarian Day, I think this is an appropriate way to kick things off. With various climate change proposals circulating on Capitol Hill, and the Climate Change Conference [...]
Energy Efficiency & East Austin
Posted in Consumers, Efficiency, tagged Austin Energy, Energy Efficiency, Public Citizen, reenergize texas on July 21, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Tomorrow from 8am till noon, Public Citizen and ReEnergize Texas will be at the Rosewood Zaragoza Community Center in East Austin handing out free compact fluorescent focos and registering community residents for free energy efficiency upgrades. ¡Gratis! Free low flush toilets, insulation and windows and doors to keep your hogar cool in the summer and [...]
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