While we at Public Citizen Texas are fighting the building of new coal power plants in Texas and the surrounding states, the focus has largely been on the CO2, sulfur and other pollutants emitted into the air by the burning of coal, not to mention its inefficiency as a fuel source. We often over look or neglect to think about the huge environmental destruction associated with getting coal out of the ground, as well as the history of health and safety risks associated with coal mining.
Historically these issues were brought up as some of the biggest objections to the use of coal as an energy source. One just needs to listen to John Prine’s “Paradise” or read any of the works by Wendell Berry on the topic (both document destruction caused by strip mining in Kentucky) to see how important the impact of coal mining was to environmentalists of past generations. This shift in focus has in no doubt been due the transfer of mining away from more populated regions to remote regions like the Powder River Basin, in Wyoming.
Traditionally coal mining has taken place underground and has been done by miners with shovels and picks (often exposing workers to dangerous and health compromising conditions). This is still the image of coal mining that resides in America’s popular consciousness. However this image is no longer accurate, as 67% of America’s coal is now extracted from the earth above ground. Surface mining techniques have become very popular for coal production since the development of steam shovels in the early twentieth century. Surface mining techniques revolve around removing the layers of Earth (overburden) above with large machines to expose the coal field to the surface where workers can easily extract it. This technique can be used to extract coal that is up to 200 ft deep within the Earth. Continue Reading »
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged Carbon Dioxide, Coal, coal mines, Kentucky, Leaching, Mines, Mining, Moutain Top Removal, Open Pit Mining, Powder Creek, Strip Mining, Tar Sands, Texas, Wyoming |
Last week we saw the Waxman Markey bill go to the Energy and Commerce committee. Watching the markup process increased my interest in the role special interest money plays in the political process.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce is responsible for oversight in legislation concerning: telecommunications, energy, international commerce, public health, consumer protection and much more. The Energy Department, Health and Human Services, the Transportation Department to the Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and Federal Communications Commission all fall under this committee’s jurisdiction.
Being that this is the committee that was given the responsibility of approving the Waxman Markey bill (the legislation that will determine our future energy policy); I was particularly interested in the amount of influence the energy industry had on shaping these positions of its members. The only way I could actually come close to measuring this is by looking at how much energy companies contribute to these candidates and how much their votes reflect the contributions they receive. As a control for this highly informal quasi-experiment I compared the contributions Energy and Commerce Committee members received from the energy industry the amount of contributions members of the Ways and Means Committee (which deals with taxation and welfare) received from the same industries. I limited this to congressmen who received $10,000 or more in contributions from energy companies during the 2008 election cycle.
I found that in the 65.52% of energy and commerce committee members received energy contributions above $10,000, while 58.53% of Ways and Means members received contributions above $10,000, during the 2008 campaign season. On average Energy and Commerce members received $53,972, while Ways and Means members only received $35,986, on average. The biggest recipients of both parties on the Energy and Commerce Committee got substantially more than their counterparts on Ways and Means Committee. In fact the biggest recipient on Energy and Commerce got $267,559 more than the largest recipient in Ways and Means. The Democrats in both committees received fewer contributions from these industries than the republicans, but the biggest recipient among Energy and Commerce Democrats, Louisiana’s Charlie Melancon, received $40,176 more than Charles Rangel the biggest Democrat recipient on the Ways and Means committee. It should be noted that a bigger percentage of Republicans on both committees received contributions above $10,000 in Energy Contributions. 100% of Republicans on Energy and Commerce received $10,000 or more while only 44% of Democrats did. Continue Reading »
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged Air Quality, campaign contributions, Clean Energy, Contributions, Energy, Energy and comm, energy and commerce, energy and commerce committee, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, house energy and commerce committee, house of representatives, jim matheson, oil, renewable energy, Texas, waxman-markey, Ways an, ways and means committee |
A bill currently moving in the Texas Legislature, HB 4525, would create new state subsidy of $50 million each for new nuclear and coal plants.
We need your help to stop this pork bill from passing. Call your Senator now and tell them that nuclear power doesn’t need taxpayer help!
Although the claim of HB 4525 is that subsidies are necessary to attract new manufacturing plants to Texas, the bill would actually primarily reward plants already intending to build here with a totally unjustified housewarming gift.
In particular, the two nuclear projects singled out by the Legislative Budget Board analysis as the most likely beneficiaries of these subsidies –the South Texas Project and Comanche Peak — are expansions of existing complexes. We aren’t in danger of these facilities relocating to out of state, and giving them $50 million a pop “to stay” is an extravagant waste of taxpayer money.
At a time of economic crisis, when state tax revenues are plummeting, Texas cannot afford to give that kind of money away, especially to such financially and environmentally risky projects.
Nuclear plants are already the most heavily subsidized energy industry in the United States at both the state and federal level. Coal plants are heavily subsidized as well, and the Texas Legislature is currently considering two new subsidies for “clean coal” projects. Considering the likelihood that a cap-and-trade bill will take effect soon, this is the wrong time to be adding financial support to the quickly changing energy industry.
Call your Senator today, and tell them to STOP this new coal and nuclear subsidy by voting NO on HB 4525.
Posted in Coal, Energy, Nuclear | Tagged cap and trade, clean coal, Coal, comanch peak, hb 4525, manufacturing plants, Nuclear, risk, South Texas Project, subsidy, Texas, Texas Legislature, texas senate |
The House has been moving very slowly in an effort to kill a Voter ID bill, but it appears the logjam has been broken. Now we have to pass our key solar and clean air bills before midnight Tuesday, May 26, which is the deadline for the House to pass any bills from the Senate.
We need YOU to pick up the phone and call your representative to say that you support solar energy and clean air.
Click here to find out who represents you, then call their office at the Capitol. Tell them:
I support SB 545, which would give homeowners incentives to put solar on their rooftops and create new green jobs.
I also support SB 541, which would support more large scale solar projects and repeat the success of our wind industry.
I also support SB 16, which would improve air quality through reducing auto emissions, better building codes, more energy efficiency, and plug-in hybrids. **If Texas does not adopt these 2009 IECC building codes, we could miss out on hundreds of millions in federal stimulus funds for weatherization.
Please support these bills in order to create tens of thousands of new green jobs in Texas and ensure a cleaner, cheaper, cooler energy future.
There are dozens of dirty energy lobbyists working to try to kill these bills as we speak. Will you stand up to them? Will you make your voice heard?
Call your Representative now!
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged 2009 iecc building codes, Air Quality, auto emissions, building codes, clean air, dirty energy, Energy Efficiency, federal stimuls funds, green jobs, lobbyists, plug-in hybrids, sb 541, sb 545, sb16, solar energy, Texas, texas capitol, texas house, voter id |
Check out the following letter to the editor from the Abilene Reporter News. Turns out a local resident of Sweetwater recently had a revelation about the nature of coal and carbon sequestration. Interesting theory…
Why are we digging up stuff God wants buried?
I believe that God has a purpose for coal, and it’s up to us to figure out what that purpose is. When I was posting to an Abilene Reporter-News thread on Monday, I believe he gave me the answer! God developed and implemented the Carbon Capture And Sequestration system on Earth! He captured the carbon dioxide, the mercury, the arsenic, the leadque and many of the other hazardous chemicals and bound them up in a matrix that we call coal! He bound up this matrix in such a way so that the materials he put into it would stay sequestered forever! He took that matrix and buried most of it, so it would be well below the life zone of Earth. Locked away forever.
He knew the planet would produce more carbon dioxide than the plants could ever recycle. He knew the mercury would contribute to autism in his children. He knew that arsenic caused death and that lead would cause nerve damage and learning disabilities. He knew if he buried it, it would make it more difficult for us to use it to screw up his creation! And here we are today, digging up what he has covered up, releasing the poisons he so lovingly protected us from, releasing them into death and destruction in his world! Releasing them into the life zones of his creation!
God invented the sequestration concept, why do we have to keep digging up his work and bringing the pollution back into our lives!
Jimmy Headstream
Sweetwater
Posted in Coal | Tagged abilene, Carbon Dioxide, carbon sequestration, Coal, mercury, pollution, sweetwater, Texas |
As expected, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved climate change legislation last night and sent it along in the legislative process. We strongly urge lawmakers to make major overhauls to this bill or go back to the drawing board.
The problem? Oil, coal and nuclear industries had far too much say in its shaping, and it shows.
Now more than ever, Public Citizen needs you to tell your representatives that climate change legislation should not be weakened by the corrupting influence of big money.
Those who say this bill is the best the legislative process can produce are wrong: The American people demanded strong climate legislation, and polluters are subverting these goals.
Public Citizen supports strong, effective climate legislation, but this bill won’t achieve it. We can talk about hoping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly, but this bill won’t do it.
It creates a legal right to pollute for industries and gives away credits for free to allow companies to meet those targets without having to pay for them. That is not going to spur the kind of investments we need.
We must act fast to influence lawmakers to fix this piece of legislation. Please take action so that our voices can be heard loud and clear over those of the oil, coal and nuclear industries.
For more information about the climate change bill and how it needs to be fixed, visit our Web site and watch Tyson Slocum explain Public Citizen’s position in an interview on Democracy Now!
Take action today, and let your representatives know you want them to put interests of consumers above those of the energy industries.
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged carbon credits, climate change, climate change bill, climate change legislation, Coal, Democracy Now!, emissions, giveaways, greenhouse gasses, house energy and commerce, industry, Nuclear, oil, Public Citizen, Texas, tyson slocum |
Let the news storm begin. For those thirsting for more information on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee, a few recommendations:
Watch Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program, weigh in on Democracy Now! — Environmental Groups See Divide over Landmark Climate, Energy Bill Weakened by Industry Lobbying
Greg Harman at the San Antonio Current takes Charlie Gonzalez to task for his efforts to weaken ACES (look for a cameo quote from our very own Andy Wilson, Global Warming Program Director here at the Texas office — Gonzalez bombs climate change bill
The Washington Post’s business column op-ed: Climate-Change Bill Hits Some of the Right Notes but Botches the Refrain
The Economist breaks down the Handouts and loopholes
And to close out, words from the President:
I commend Chairman Waxman and the Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee for a successful effort to pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill out of their committee today. We are now one step closer to delivering on the promise of a new clean energy economy that will make America less dependent on foreign oil, crack down on polluters, and create millions of new jobs all across America. The bill is historic for what it achieves, providing clean energy incentives that encourage innovation while recognizing the concerns of sensitive industries and regions in this country. And this achievement is all the more historic for bringing together many who have in the past opposed a common effort, from labor unions to corporate CEOs, and environmentalists to energy companies. I applaud the committee for its action and look forward to signing comprehensive legislation.
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged ACES, america, american clean energy and security act, charlie gonzalez, climate change, Democracy Now!, economist, Energy, environmental groups, Global Warming, Greg Harman, house energy and commerce committee, hr 2454, industry lobbying, Markey, president obama, Public Citizen, san antonio current, Texas, tyson slocum, Washington Post, Waxman |
Public Citizen disappointed by process as Big Money works to weaken, kill bill
Statement by Andy Wilson, Global Warming Program Director, Texas Office
This evening, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed HR 2454, The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES or ACESA), sponsored by Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Ed Markey (D-MA), by a margin of 33 – 25.
We would like to thank Gene Green (D-Houston) and Charlie Gonzalez (D-San Antonio) for their support of this step towards clean energy and saving the climate from runaway global warming. It is unfortunate, however, that they chose to weaken the energy efficiency and renewable energy sections of the bill, as stronger mandates would mean more local jobs and more savings for Texans.
They also supported giving away billions of dollars worth of carbon credits to polluters for free, despite knowing that these giveaways hurt low income households the most.
Big money was the deciding factor in this process, with the energy industry donating a total of $3.1 million on all members of the Energy and Commerce Committee in the 2008 campaign cycle, with nearly $2.3 million of that going to committee Republicans, who presented nearly monolithic opposition to the bill and attempted to weaken it at every turn. Ranking member Joe Barton (R-TX) received $406,887 in campaign contributions from the energy industry, the largest amount of any member on the panel, and orchestrated the GOP opposition. Notable opposition to the bill came from Jim Matheson (D-UT), who received $103,097, Charlie Melancon (D-LA), who received $125,100, John Barrow (D-GA) who received $88,743, and Mike Ross (D-AR) who received $59,800. The first three of these received more money from the energy industry than any other Democrats on the panel, while Ross was the fifth largest recipient among Democrats.
The architects of the compromises which weakened the bill also received large contributions from the energy industry, including Rick Boucher (D-VA) who received $67,300 and was the architect of the plan to give coal-fired electric utilities nearly all of their pollution credits for free. A similar deal was struck with oil refineries, whose donations to Gene Green (D-TX) and Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX) along with other energy industries was equal to $84,500 and $51,250, respectively.
Unfortunately, the bill leaves the committee weaker than it came in. It has moved to a short term reduction of CO2 emissions of only 17%, even though the research by the Nobel Prize winning IPCC shows that target needs to be closer to 30%. This bill is also potentially a budget buster, as it has moved away from President Obama’s original position of auctioning all of the pollution credits to giving away credits worth billions in revenue to industry for free. By giving away 85% of all carbon credits to industry, the Congress has also limited their ability to help low-income consumers and invest in efficiency, renewable energy, and international programs to aid lesser developed countries. Furthermore, they have added unlimited loan guarantees to the nuclear industry, even though the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has stated that it is likely that more than 50 percent of all nuclear loans will fail. The loan guarantees would be used to
Even worse, by giving away too many credits to special interests, we will repeat the mistakes of the European carbon market, where too many credits were given away at the outset and actual carbon reductions did not occur. Utilities still passed on “compliance costs” to their customers and prices increased, which led to the EPA’s analysis of the Waxman-Markey draft that any giveaways to industries are “highly regressive.”
A well designed cap and invest program with strong efficiency and renewable energy standards would save the average Texas household $900 per year according to a study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. We fear that by weakening the bill, as the Energy and Commerce Committee has, this savings could evaporate.
Now that the committee process has ended, it is now the responsibility of every Texas Representative to strengthen HR 2454. The bill needs to move back to scientifically and economically based goals in order to protect consumers and create a green jobs future for every family in the country.
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged ACES, allowances, american clean energy and security act, andy wilson, cap and trade, carbon credits, Carbon Dioxide, charlie gonzalez, charlie melancon, climate change, ed markey, energy and commerce committee, EPA, Gene Green, giveaways, Global Warming, government accountability office, green jobs, henry waxman, hr 2454, ipcc, jim matheson, Joe Barton, john barrow, mike ross, president obama, rick boucher, Texas, union of concerned scientists |
Bad news from the big pink dome. Looks like two of our key bills to promote solar power this session, SB 545 (Fraser/Strama) and SB 541 (Watson/Farabee) are getting stuck in the gummy gears of the legislative process. These bills have both made it through committee and the Senate, but still need to be voted on by the House. Unfortunately, they may never make it that far due to the tremendous power of a little group called the House Committee on Calendars.
At this point, Calendars has an incredible amount of power over what bills will make it to become laws this session. There are now just ten days left before sine die, and hundreds of bills left waiting to go to the House floor. Calendars is like the legislative bouncer at this point, only letting certain skinny, sexy, well-dressed bills into the club.
SB 545 has yet to come out of Calendars, and SB 541 hasn’t even made it onto the list yet. If 541 isn’t at least on the list by tomorrow, it is dead. If 545 hasn’t made it from the list and into the club by Sunday, it’ll be the bill’s last chance to shine.
You think old Bill had it had it bad, at least he didn’t have a Calendars committee to hold him up.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouZTIqcvb30]
House Reps on the Calendars committee need to hear that these bills are necessary to jump-start Texas’ solar future. If one of the following members is YOUR representative, please give them a call today and tell them that you want these solar bills moved up the calendar and out to the dance House floor!!
Rep. Brian McCall (Chair) — (512) 463-0594
Rep. Eddie Lucio III (Vice Chair) — (512) 463-0606
Rep. Norma Chavez — (512) 463-0622
Rep. Garnet Coleman — (512) 463-0524
Rep. Byron Cook — (512) 463-0730
Rep. Brandon Creighton — (512) 463-0726
Rep. Charlie Geren — (512) 463-0610
Rep. Jim Keffer — (512) 463-0656
Rep. Lois W. Kolkhorst — (512) 463-0600
Rep. Jim McReynolds — (512) 463-0490
Rep. Allan Ritter — (512) 463-0706
Rep. Burt R. Solomons — (512) 463-0478
Note: Word on the street is that the Calendars committee has locked its door and taken the phone off the hook. How’s that for open government? This shouldn’t keep you from calling individual members though, their offices will still be answering the phone.
Posted in Energy, Renewables | Tagged Allan Ritter, Brandon Creighton, Brian McCall, Burt R. Solomons, byron cook, Charlie Geren, conference committee, Eddie Lucio III, Edmund Kuempel, farabee, fraser, Garnet Coleman, Jim Keffer, Jim McReynolds, Lois W. Kolkhorst, Norma Chavez, pink dome, Renewables, sb 541, sb 545, sine die, solar, solar power, strama, Texas, texas house, Texas Legislature, texas senate, watson |
Excellent news from San Antonio!
One: According to a new poll by the Willie Velasquez Institute, the majority of Texans are in favor of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA), the big cap and trade bill currently being debated in Congress.
Two: Latino leaders and organizations in San Antonio have formed a coalition called Tejanos for a Better Future to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation from a Latino perspective.
Hope Texas leadership **cough, cough Charlie Gonzalez and Gene Green** is listening because it looks as if ACESA will be voted out of committee tonight, and these Congressmen’s’ opportunity to hold heavy sway over this legislation is fast reaching an end.
WCVI Calls for Congressmen Green and Gonzalez to Vote for Landmark Climate Change Bill
San Antonio, TX – The William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI) recently completed a flash poll of registered voters in Texas Congressional Districts 20 and 29 and the preliminary findings imply strong support for the landmark Climate Change bill, American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACESA).
WCVI, which held Latino Leadership meetings in San Antonio and Los Angeles on April 25th and in Houston on May 21st to discuss this bill, is urging community members to contact Representative Charlie Gonzalez’s and Gene Green’s Offices to support the bill. As members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, they hold important swing votes, which could be scheduled as soon as today.
Further, WCVI, along with other Latino leaders, have formed Tejanos for a Better Future, a coalition of leaders and organizations in San Antonio. Its goal is to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation from a Latino/Hispanic perspective.
“The climate crisis will disproportionately impact Latinos. ACESA, now being discussed in Congress will create new economic opportunities for our community through green jobs and a new green economy.” said Antonio Gonzalez, WCVI President.
Preliminary survey data shows 58% of voters support the ACESA. An overwhelming 87% of voters want to see Texas increase its production and use of renewable energy and 95% want to see the state become more energy efficient. And finally, 55% of voters believe green house gases can be reduced while creating economic opportunities and jobs at the same time.
Added Gonzalez, “The work of Tejanos for a Better Future is very timely with the climate change legislation moving through the US House of Representatives this week. This bill is vital to our planet and to Latinos, and we have high expectations that Congressmen Gonzalez and Green will support a strong bill that protects the environment and our community.”
WCVI plans to hold additional Climate Change briefings in Arizona, California and Texas. For more information, call 210-922-3118 or visit www.wcvi.org.
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged acesa, american clean energy and security act, arizona, California, cap and trade, charlie gonzalez, Congress, Gene Green, house energy and commerce, latino leadership, los angeles, San Antonio, tejanos for a better future, Texas, wcvi, willie velasquez institute |
A message from Public Citizen, SEED Coalition, and Environment Texas:
Your help is needed right away to put energy efficiency into place!
Please call or email your city councilmember today to tell them you support STEP – the new energy efficiency program for San Antonio!
Tomorrow, San Antonio City Council will decide on how CPS Energy can fund their energy efficiency programs known as STEP (Save for Tomorrow Energy Plan). CPS Energy has set a goal to save 771 Megawatts of power through energy efficiency programs by 2020. This would be one of the most aggressive efficiency goals in the country and we support it!
Energy efficiency is the cheapest energy resource CPS Energy can invest in. By spending money on weatherizing low income homes and providing rebates for people to purchase high efficiency appliances, CPS avoids having to purchase more expensive energy that would cost everyone more. In addition, people who take advantage of these programs will begin saving money on their utility bills immediately, offsetting the cost of the programs!
Call or email your city councilmember today to tell them:
-I support energy efficiency and urge you to approve STEP
-I want public accountability for these programs through quarterly reporting including information such as the amount of money spent on and energy saved from each program
-I want to be sure that CPS spends the money they collect for STEP on energy efficiency and solar rebates, not for other purposes like coal or nuclear plants!
Mayor Phil Hardberger (210) 207-7060 phardberger@sanantonio.gov
District 1 Mary Alice P. Cisneros (210) 207-7279 district1@sanantonio.gov
District 2 Sheila D. McNeil (210) 207-7278 district2@sanantonio.gov
District 3 Jennifer V. Ramos (210) 207-7064 district3@sanantonio.gov
District 4 Philip A. Cortez (210) 207-7281 district4@sanantonio.gov
District 5 Lourdes Galvan (210) 207-7043 district5@sanantonio.gov
District 6 Delicia Herrera (210) 207-7065 district6@sanantonio.gov
District 7 Justin Rodriguez (210) 207-7044 district7@sanantonio.gov
District 8 Diane G. Cibrian (210) 207-7086 district8@sanantonio.gov
District 9 Louis E. Rowe (210) 207-7325 district9@sanantonio.gov
District 10 John G. Clamp (210) 207-7276 district10@sanantonio.gov
If you don’t know who your councilmember is, find out here.
If you are able to, show up at City Hall tomorrow and talk to City Council about STEP. It is agenda item #5 and should be up before lunchtime. If you would like to speak, though, you have to sign up in person between 8-9 AM (114 W. Commerce). If you can’t sign up in time, come by and be there for support!
Posted in Efficiency | Tagged CPS Energy, Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, San Antonio, SEED Coalition, STEP, Texas |
Carson, California was recently on the path to becoming home to a pet-coke power plant, situated conveniently next door to the BP Carson refinery. The project, though touted as the “cleanest and greenest of energy plants possible,” would really have been an environmental and possibly a public safety nightmare. Luckily the project was scrapped, largely due to the activities of the Wilmington Coalition for a Safe Environment and other grassroots organizers.
Pet-coke, short for Petroleum Coke, is a petroleum by-product that can be burned to produce energy in a manner similar to coal. The proposed plant, which would have been built by BP America in conjunction with Edison International, would burn pet-coke as a means of producing energy — hydrogen. 90% of the carbon dioxide used would be pumped into the Wilmington oil field (This is a common method of enhanced oil recovery. The CO2 pushes the oil closer to the surface, making recovery more economic), which is a massive oil field stretching through Los Angeles county from San Pedro Bay to Long Beach. Needless to say, much of the land above this oil field is heavily populated with Los Angeles residents.
Recently I was able talk with Jesse Marquez, founder and Chief Director of Wilmington Coalition for a Safe Environment, about his victory over BP and Occidental and why this proposal was such a bad idea. Continue Reading »
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, Toxics | Tagged Air Quality, bakersfield, bp carson, california communities against toxicity, carbon capture and sequestration, Clean Energy, fire hazard, hydrogen, jesse marquez, kern county, los angeles, occidental, pet-coke, petroleum coke, refinery, Texas, wilmington coalition for a safe environment |
Original post found at Alliance for a Clean Texas.
With the deadline for House bills to pass third reading last Friday at midnight, the 81st Session entered its final phase. The good news is that seven of ACT’s high priority bills have made it to the last two weeks of the session. Here’s a run-down of the bills’ current status:
SB 545 Fraser — Passed the Senate; currently in House Committee on Energy Resources
SB 541 Watson — Passed the Senate; currently in House Committee on State Affairs
SB 546 Fraser — Passed both Senate and House
HB 280 Anchia — SB 546 is companion (HB 280 made it through House)
SB 16 Averitt — Passed the Senate; committee substitute adopted by House Committee on Environmental Regulation (5/18).
HB 1553 Burnam — Left pending in House Calendars Committee (no longer moving)
SB 184 Watson — Passed Senate; in House Committee on Environmental Regulation
HB 821 Leibowitz — Passed House; in Senate Committee on Business and Commerce
HB 300 Isett — Passed House; in Senate Committee on Transportation & Homeland Security
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, Renewables | Tagged 81st session, alliance for a clean texas, anchia, averitt, burnam, business and commerce, energy resources, environmental regulation, fraser, house, isett, leibowitz, senate, state affairs, Texas, Texas Legislature, transportation and homeland security, watson |
Buried in the language of the “Clean Energy Bank” legislation sponsored by Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman and Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) is a blank check to the nuclear industry.
This bill includes unlimited availability of taxpayer loan guarantees for construction of new nuclear reactors.
Unlimited guaranteed loans. As in, as many as the industry could possibly want, no matter the cost, no matter the default rate. Which for the record, is 50% according to the Congressional Budget Office.
This is one of the most audacious, nasty, pork-laden bill I have heard of in a really long time. How do they even think that they can get away with this?
Write your House member and Speaker Nancy Pelosi now. And then forward this message to everyone you can think of.
For more information on the “clean energy” bank, check out this NIRS post on Daily Kos.
Since our own Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is encouraging lawmakers to give the nuclear industry even more money, it is more important than ever that we make sure folks on the Hill know that Not All Texans support nuclear power. Make your voice heard today!
Posted in Energy, Nuclear | Tagged clean energy bank, congressional budget office, jay inslee, jeff bingaman, kay bailey hutchinson, Loan Guarantees, nirs, nuclear industry, nuclear information and resource service, Nuclear Power, Rep. Jay Inslee, senate energy committee, Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman, Texas |
Over the weekend we had a little more time to look over the language in the American Clean Energy and Security Act, and have found it wanting. Check out this thoughtful statement from our Energy Program Director for the skinny on the bill and what went wrong:
Statement of Tyson Slocum, Director of the Energy Program at Public Citizen
The climate change legislation that will be debated this week is a huge disappointment. Not only will it prove a boon to energy industries, but it won’t protect consumers and may very well not even curb global warming. The first draft, penned months ago, was on track to accomplish these goals, and we applauded it as a great start. Since then, however, lawmakers have met in secret with representatives of the coal and oil industries and facilitated industry efforts to gut the bill.
The Obama administration got it right when officials released a budget that would auction 100 percent of pollution allowances. As long as pollution allowances are auctioned, the government will have the revenue necessary to mitigate energy price increases through rebates while having money to invest in the sustainable energy infrastructure we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels.
This was further reinforced by President Obama’s selection for the new chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Jon Wellinghoff, who said that “we may not need any” new nuclear or coal power plants because we have yet to harness the capacity of renewables and energy efficiency.
But the House of Representatives has not followed the administration’s lead.
When Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) released a draft climate bill in March, we praised it as a great first step but noted that it needed to be improved during the committee mark-up process.
But instead of a transparent process involving debate and voted-upon amendments, committee leadership conducted closed-door negotiations with polluters. The result: The bill was radically altered to accommodate the financial interests of big energy corporations while giving nothing new for the environment or for working families. This is hardly the transformation this country needs to jump-start its economy and curb climate change. This is more of the same old wait-and-see, special-interest-bailout approach that has gripped Washington for ages. Continue Reading »
Posted in Global Warming | Tagged auction, charlie rangel, clean energy bank, climate change, coal and oil industry, Congress, energy and commerce, energy prices, Environmental Protection Agency, ferc, fossil fuels, Global Warming, goldman sachs, highly regressive, james hansen, john wellinghoff, Obama administration, pollution allowances, Public Citizen, renewable energy, sustainable energy, temple of doom, Texas, tyson slocum, Waxman, ways and means |
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