Check out our final vlog on our visit to Las Vegas and Netroots Nation!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxH4TNl6NV4]
[vimeo 13744992]
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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 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 |
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?
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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 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 |
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!
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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, 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 |
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:
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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,
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Posted in Global Warming, Good Government, Nuclear | Tagged chet edwards, comanche peak, economy, energy and water appropriations bill, loan guarantee, Nuclear, Texas |
The Great Texas Cleanup: Outdoor Art & Music Festival
July 24th in Houston at Discovery Green
On July 24th, the Sierra Club and Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Service (TEJAS) will host The Great Texas Cleanup: A Rally & Concert for Clean Energy and Clean Air. Environmental and community groups from Houston, Texas and around the country will join local, state, and national businesses in taking a stand to cleanup Texas now!
The concert is FREE to the public and welcomes all ages.
Local musicians will play an eclectic variety of music that will unite youth, students, young professionals, families, and different communities in the fight for a future we all share. Community leaders and distinguished speakers will talk about urgent issues that have culminated into our best opportunity to cleanup Texas now. Artists, businesses, and local nonprofits will share with you what they are doing to help and how you can get involved!
Hope to see ya’ll there! CleanupTexasNow.org
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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, Energy, Global Warming | Tagged Air Quality, Clean Energy, Coal, coal plant, Texas |
It is frustrating that our local and federal governments are strained from taking action to ameliorate our air and water quality because once they try to do so, the other side recites loss in jobs as the result– but never do they mention any public health concerns and the effect that has on the economy. Continue Reading »
Posted in Coal, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, green jobs, natural gas, Renewables, solar, TCEQ | Tagged Air Quality, cap and trade, drilling, drilling moratorium, EPA, TCEQ, Texas |
On Monday, when many of us were celebrating the 4th of July holiday, two State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) administrative law judges (ALJs) released their ruling in a controversial case over whether to permit the proposed 1,200 MW “White Stallion” coal plant near Bay City, Texas.
AJLs Kerrie Jo Qualthorough and Paul Keeper announced they could not recommend issuance of the permit, that they found the application to be deficient in several respects. In sending their proposed findings to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the ALJs recommended TCEQ gather more information from White Stallion to address specific deficiencies within the next 180 days.
Specifically, the ALJs found White Stallion:
Posted in Coal, Global Warming | Tagged Coal, EPA, TCEQ, Texas, white stallion |
A report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO
) says the climate & energy bill currently stalled in the Senate would reduce the federal deficit by about $19 billion over the next ten years. The CBO is responsible for providing Congress with nonpartisan analyses of economic and budget issues, and lawmakers rely on it for guidance. This is the second positive analysis of the bill by a government agency in a month. A similar report was issued by the Environmental Protection Agency in June.
Many senators have said they flatly oppose legislation that adds even a penny to the federal deficit, and these two reports should force them to look anew at this initiative which will actually reduce it.
In its report Wednesday, the CBO said the energy bill would increase federal revenues by about $751 billion from 2011 to 2020, mostly though the sale of carbon credits in a cap-and-trade plan to be applied to utilities and other sectors of the economy. Continue Reading »
Posted in Coal, Energy, Global Warming | Tagged American Power Act, APA, CBO, CBO score, climate bill, climate change, Coal, deficit, Global Warming, public citizen texas, Texas |
Anthropogenic global warming (AGW) deniers went crazy a few months ago with an email controversy involving the University of East Anglia in Britain. Joining an earlier finding by the House of Commons, a British panel has just issued a sweeping exoneration of all scientists involved. Climatologist Phil Jones was immediately reinstated in his position at the research unit (he had “stepped aside” during the investigation proceedings). Check out the New York Times for more info.
AGW deniers will likely spin this any number of different ways, probably including something along the lines of “the entire British government is simply in on this vast, global conspiracy of man-made global warming!” Why? Because the hysteria over AGW denialism is not based on science and facts – it is based on preconceived world views , propaganda and self-interests.
The truth has always been, and remains, that the overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree AGW is real and likely one of the greatest threats mankind has ever faced. There is a vast amount of scientific research and study from many different fields of science that confirm AGW, and no evidence coming out of the scientific community that anything else could account for the changes we are seeing in our climate.
This war against science is led by large fossil-fuel corporations and their sponsored think-tanks who want to defer their accountability and responsibilities for as long as possible. In light of the BP Gulf spill the time has finally come when all people on this planet, even staunch, right-wing Americans, need to join in solidarity and move our country and our planet away from a fossil-fuel reliant economy and forward into an energy future based on renewable energy and social justice.
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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 Coal, Energy, Global Warming, Good Government, green jobs | Tagged anthropogenic, britain, climategate, controversy, denial, denier, Global Warming, house of commons, man made, panel, phil jones, Texas, university of east anglia |
Ted Glick, policy director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network was just sentenced for his demonstration on September 8.
I am on one year’s probation, I need to pay an $1100 fine, I need to do 40 hours of community service in D.C. and if I’m arrested over the next year I automatically go to jail for 30 days on each of the two misdemeanor counts I was convicted of.
What was Ted’s heinous crime? He hung two banners saying “Green Jobs Now” and “Get to Work” in the Hart Senate Office Building. Continue Reading »
Posted in Coal, Energy, Global Warming, green jobs, Renewables | Tagged activist, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, climate change, Coal, Glick, Global Warming, green jobs, hart senate, Public Citizen, sentence, sentenced, Ted Glick, Texas |
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