Great joint op-ed by our friend McCall Johnson over at Environment Texas and State Rep. Rafael Anchia, winner of Public Citizen’s Legislator of the Year award. Following on the heels of TXU’s announcement last week that it will offer customers an affordable solar leasing program, the gist of it is that we can’t let the momentum for solar wane whenever the program’s money runs out. Sounds like Rep. Anchia may have some ideas for a legislative fix, check it out… (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘PUC’
Anchia and Johnson: A challenge to build on solar idea
Posted in Energy, solar, tagged 82nd legislature, carrollton, dallas, democrats, distributed energy, energy future holdings, environment texas, farmers branch, females, green jobs, hispanics, incentives, irving, jobs, legislator of the year, males, manufacturing, market development, mccall johnson, oncor, Public Citizen, public utility commission, PUC, rafael anchia, republicans, retail electric providers, silicon, solar, solar power, solarcity, Texas, TXU on March 12, 2010 |
PUC Chairman Ignores Impending Impact of Coal Emissions
Posted in Coal, Global Warming, tagged Barry Smitherman, carbon, co2, Coal, coal plant, Global Warming, greenhouse gas, Public Utilities Comissoin, PUC, renewable, Smitherman, Texas, Texas Energy Report on February 25, 2010 |
Barry Smitherman, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUC), made this statement regarding the “progress” Texas has been making in regards to green energy and “responsible” leadership:
Texas is the nation’s reddest state on the political map. But it produces more green energy than any blue state. The state’s top political leaders are fiercely fighting federal cap-and-trade legislation, but the state is No. 2 behind only New York when it comes to reducing the production of carbon dioxide emissions. (From the Texas Energy Report)
This is true, IF you completely ignore the plethora of new coal plants being proposed and built in Texas. Texas already has 17 coal plants (more than any other state), and there are 12 or 13 more being proposed or built (also more than any other state – by far). Current reductions in greenhouse gases include improved building codes, energy efficiency programs, replacement of pilot lights, air conditioning retrofitting, and wind farms. 
The reduction of greenhouse gases from all these amounts to about 16 million tons a year. If you add in the wind farms that still need transmission lines built to access their power you get around 43 million tons a year. This sounds great until you realize that the recent coal plant proposals would add 77 million tons of CO2 to our atmosphere every year – far more than offsetting these reductions.
While reductions in greenhouse gasses should, of course, be applauded, it is misleading for Chairman Smitherman to take credit for Texas reducing greenhouse gas emissions when he knows there are so many coal plants looming on the horizon that will completely overwhelm these significant reductions. If Texas were really serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions we would not allow anymore unnecessary coal plants to be built, and start replacing the old ones we have with renewable forms of power generation. This would do far more than anything to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and the public health and environmental health benefits from getting off a fossil-fuel based electric system would far outweigh the cost.
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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.
Texas Railroad Commission Trying to Block Renewable Energy Lines to Help Big Oil
Posted in Campaign Finance, Energy, Renewables, tagged Big Oil, Block Renewable Energy Lines, carbon dioxide emissions, Clean Energy, david power, deputy director, kay bailey hutchison, michael williams, natural gas, oil and gas companies, panhandle, public citizen texas, PUC, regulation, renewable energy, special interests, Texas, Texas Legislature, texas public utility commission, Texas Railroad Commission, transmission lines, US senate, west texas, wind farms on December 2, 2009 |
Statement of David Power, Deputy Director, Public Citizen’s Texas Office
Seemingly out of concern that competitive renewable energy will damage Big Oil’s bottom line, the Texas Railroad Commission wants to block renewable energy transmission lines that would put affordable energy from west Texas wind farms on an even playing field with the historical titans of Texas energy – oil and gas companies.
A new investment in these transmission lines would save ratepayers $2 billion a year, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 16 percent and create more than $5 billion in economic development benefits for Texas. Ratepayers, companies and organizations with an interest in seeing the further development of renewable energy and green jobs should contact the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) and tell them to deny the Railroad Commission’s request to intervene.
The Texas Legislature authorized these transmission lines in 2008 to address the lack of available transmission lines to deliver wind energy from the panhandle and west Texas to the major metropolitan areas in central Texas where demand is higher. This renewable energy helps reduce costs for ratepayers by providing abundant and inexpensive clean energy that helps offset the volatile price of natural gas.
In its filing with the PUC, the Railroad Commission inappropriately expressed concern for current and future oil and gas development in Texas. In doing so, the commission stepped outside of its regulatory role to promote the interests of Big Oil. While the commission’s stated task is “primary regulatory jurisdiction over (the) oil and natural gas industry,” in this case, it is attempting to pick winners and losers in regards to Texas’ energy future. It is also questionable whether Michael Williams, who sits on the Railroad Commission and who is currently in the running for Kay Bailey Hutchison’s U.S. Senate seat, is acting in the best interest of the public or doing favors for potential campaign contributors.
This is another example of outrageous overreaching by the Railroad Commission on behalf of the same industries it is supposed to regulate. The commission is charged with regulating the oil and gas industries, not with protecting their interests with taxpayer dollars. The Railroad Commission and Mr. Williams need to stick to their own jurisdiction, rather than making an inappropriate power play to earn favors with Big Oil.
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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, cleaner cars, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.
Electric Rate Discount for Low-Income Users Now Even Lower
Posted in Energy, tagged Consumers, electric rates, electricity discount, high electric prices, lite-up texas, low-income, public utilities commission of texas, PUC, summer heat, sylvester turner, Texas on July 15, 2009 |
Good news for the safety, comfort and health of Texans — the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) announced this morning that they would increase their special discount for low-income electricity users during these hot summer months.
Proof, via the trusted Associated Press:
PUC officials say discounts for low-income electricity users are being increased through Aug. 1 to about three cents per kilowatt hour. A PUC statement issued Wednesday says that means a rate cut of 17 to 30 percent.
Consumers can get immediate pricing information by phone at 866-797-4839 or on the Internet at http://www.powertochoose.org. LITE-UP Texas Program applications for low-income consumers are available at 866-454-8387 or 877-399-8939.
Anyone who lives in a competitive electric service market (that is, you have multiple electric providers to choose from — unlike Austin and San Antonio which are served by municipally owned utilities) and receives Medicaid and Food stamps is eligible. If you aren’t in either of those programs, you might still qualify if your household income comes in at or below that in the following chart.
For more information on the discount program, or to enroll, visit the PUC’s LITE-UP Texas website.
The PUC should be commended for this most recent action to protect Texas’ most vulnerable from scorching summer heat… but I can’t help but wonder if it has anything to do with the tongue-lashing they received from Sylvester Turner at their last open meeting. Whatever the motivation (or kick in the pants), the PUC has done a good thing… tip of the hat to you, sirs.
Texas Legislature Advances Clean Power and Green Jobs, but Loses Steam in Political Wranglings
Posted in Global Warming, tagged 81st Texas Legislative Session, AECT, andrews county, building codes, carbon sequestration, clean coal, Clean Energy, clean power, compact loophole, Cyrus Reed, distributed energy, Energy Efficiency, environment texas, environmental defense fund, environmental groups, fast tracked water permits, flynn, germaneness, Global Warming, green fee bill, green fleets, green jobs, greenhouse gas emissions, house committee on environmental regulation, Karen Hadden, lon burnam, luke metzger, mtbe, no regrets, Nuclear, plug-in hybrids, Public Citizen, PUC, radioactive waste dump, recycling, renewable energy, representative rafael anchia, SEED Coalition, senator ellis, senator troy fraser, Sierra Club, TAM, TCEQ, tdot, Texas, texas association of manufacturers, Texas Campaign for the Environment, Texas Legislature, Tom "Smitty" Smith, txdot, utility efficiency goal, voter id, water contamination, Weatherization on June 1, 2009 |
Environmental Groups See Clean Energy Groundwork Laid for the Future
(Austin) Senate and House members from both political parties showed unprecedented support for developing more renewable energy and energy efficiency in Texas by filing a large number of clean power, green jobs bills in the 81st Texas State Legislature. A number of major bills passed either the House or the Senate. Ultimately, political disagreements over other issues and over the size and extent of the programs delayed and killed most of these excellent legislative initiatives.
Environmental groups Sierra Club, SEED, Public Citizen, Environmental Defense Fund, and Environment Texas applaud the passage of some clean energy, green jobs legislation and view the Legislature as having laid ample groundwork for the future.
“The fact that both the House and the Senate passed major legislation on energy efficiency and renewable power with bipartisan agreement shows that Texas leaders are willing and able to develop clean power and green jobs for our state,” noted Cyrus Reed, Conservation Director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. “Nevertheless, leaders were distracted by undue influence from industry interests and by the Voter ID debate which hampered passage of clean energy bills and other more vital areas of legislation.”
“Texas is moving more slowly than a melting glacier toward developing global warming policy. Rather than implementing already available energy efficiency and distributed energy solutions, Texas’ response to global warming is to develop futuristic industrial-sized solutions. As a result the state has legislation pending that may develop standards for large scale carbon sequestration projects and provide incentives to get companies to develop the technologies,” said Tom “Smitty” Smith, Director of Public Citizen’s Texas office. “On the positive side, the state has passed a study to develop a series of ‘no regrets’ solutions to global warming that the State can achieve at no cost. Also, the Texas House, especially the House Committee on Environmental Regulation, should be applauded for their more open leadership style this session which lead to far more reasoned and less ideological bills being developed in the committee.”
Clean Power, Green Energy Bills that passed both bodies and will go to the Governor (as this release goes to press):
- Green fleets legislation to promote low emissions and plug-in hybrid vehicles for fleets of major State Agencies (HB 432);
- Legislation allowing cities to create financial districts to loan money for renewable power and energy efficiency (HB 1937).
- Legislation setting a ‘no regrets’ strategy for greenhouse gas reduction in the State; a study of the state’s energy use to find ways to reduce our emissions and save money at the same time (SB 184)
- A coordinated green jobs strategy including funds allocated for child care programs, vocational training initiatives, energy efficiency measures, the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), and/or any other recovery funds (passed as a Rider to Article 12).
- Green fee bill passed allowing governing board of public colleges and universities to institute an environmental service fee once approved by student body election.
“This has been a disappointing session,” said Luke Metzger, Director of Environment Texas. “However, with the passage of HB 1937, we can start the ball rolling on developing Texas’ solar future, working with local communities one at a time to start financing solar and energy efficiency projects.”
Groundwork Laid for Next Session
The major Clean Power, Green Jobs bills that passed the House or Senate but did not ultimately make it to the Governor’s Desk include:
- Raising the state’s minimum residential and commercial building codes from 2001 to 2009 standards (passed Senate as SB 16 and HB 2783 in House);
- Raising the utility efficiency goal (SB 546 passed both houses but no agreement was reached between Senator Fraser and Representative Anchia on the size of the goals)
- Adopting appliance efficiency standards for a variety of products, including pool pumps (passed Senate as SB 16)
- Creating a 1,500 MW Emerging Technology Renewable Standard (SB 541 – passed the Senate)
- Creating a $500 million solar incentive program (SB 545 – passed the Senate).
- Creating a Policy requiring utilities and retail electric providers to pay consumers fair buyback rates for excess electricity generation from renewable energy (HB 1243 – passed House and Senate, but was killed in the House through concerns over germaneness and Senate amendments.);
- High performance energy efficiency building standards for state buildings, including universities and public schools (HB 431). The Senate may pass the conference committee report today, on Sine Die.
Factors which prevented bills with bipartisan support from making it across the finish line:
- The issue of Voter ID, which put many major efficiency and renewable bills too far down the calendar for consideration in the House;
- A disagreement over the germaneness and concern over the possible costs to low-income residents of adding the solar incentive bill (SB 545) to the surplus electricity bill (HB 1234), which led Representative Turner to ultimately kill consideration of the bill on the House floor;
- The election of a new Speaker and the naming of new Committee Chairman understandable led to some delays in getting the committees up and running to begin to consider bills;
- Disagreement between House and Senate on size and scope of goals set by solar and energy efficiency bills (SB 545 & 546);
- Disagreement over the potential costs and benefits of the Renewable Portfolio Standard (SB 541);
- Opposition from the Texas Manufacturers Association, the Governor and many utilities against the Renewable Portfolio Standard.
“We were happy to find some new allies this session including certain members of the legislature and some electric utilities that said they supported renewable energy and energy efficiency legislation,” said Jim Marston, Director of Texas Regional Office of Environmental Defense Fund. “Sadly, some of the electric companies talked a good game, but their support evaporated when opposed by their affiliated retail electric providers or others in the industry. In the end, the Association of Electric Companies of Texas reverted to representing the interests of the regressive elements of their membership harming the ability of Texas to participate successfully in the new energy economy.”
“Moreover, the Texas Association of Manufacturers (TAM) while acknowledging that an expanded renewable portfolio standard was the way to bring clean technology jobs to Texas, distributed false cost information about solar legislation that was repudiated by the PUC and others. The bottom line, TAM fought legislation that would have brought new manufacturing jobs to Texas,” said Marston.
Nuclear Bills Blocked
Environmental groups blocked bad bills that would have removed citizen rights to contest permits and would have promoted nuclear power in the State which many view as a financial drain from investment in truly clean energy.
“Nuclear power is expensive, consumes vast quantities of water, comes with serious security and health risks and creates radioactive waste, for which there is no good storage solution. We were happy to block two bad bills this session that were designed to benefit proposed nuclear reactors in Texas,” said Karen Hadden, Director of the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Coalition.
The nuclear bills that were blocked:
- Fast tracked water permits for nuclear power plants and cut out contested case hearings (HB 2721 was left pending in House Environmental Regulation Committee)
- Subsidies for proposed nuclear power plants in the form of tax rebates (HB 4525 passed the House and was blocked in the Senate.)
“Representative Flynn’s bill would have fast-tracked water permits for nuclear plants, an outrageous attempt in a time of statewide drought,” said Hadden. “It would also have denied citizens an opportunity to contest issuance of the permits through hearings, an assault on democratic process. The other bad bill that we defeated would have given massive subsidies to nuclear power in the form of tax rebates.”
Miscellany
- A good bill to address the Compact Loophole for the Andrews County Low-Level Radioactive Waste Dump bill, HB 3423 Lon Burnam did not get out of Committee.
- Environmental groups blocked a bad provision that would have fast tracked water permits for “clean coal” plants in the final version of HB 469 and added cleaner emissions standards for those plants.
- HB 821 passed, requiring television manufacturers that sell televisions in Texas to make free and convenient recycling available. Texas Campaign for the Environment successfully advocated for this bill.
- Sen. Ellis used a threatened filibuster last night to kill HB 3827 which would have allowed oil companies to evade liability for MTBE water contamination;
- SB 2169 Sets up an interagency working group, co-chaired by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Texas Department of Transportation with other agencies to discuss smart growth and make recommendations for developing the state in a sustainable way.
- An amendment to HB 300 creates a certification program for environmental coordinators in Texas Department of Transportation district offices. This bill is still in conference committee as this release goes to press.
“As it concludes, environmentalists can view this legislative session with some hopefulness – the Legislature is definitely involved and interested in clean energy and green jobs and did move these issues forward. But there is also some sadness – an opportunity to move significantly forward on clean energy was lost,” Cyrus Reed added. “Jobs that could have been created, and new sources of clean energy that could have been advanced in Texas were delayed this Session.”
Waco Trib Weighs in on Renewable Portfolio Standard
Posted in Energy, Renewables, tagged democrat, environmentalism, Global Warming, kip averitt, kirk watson, PUC, republicans, Rick Perry, solar energy, Texas, texas house, texas public utility commission, texas senate, troy fraser, voter id bill, waco tribune on May 14, 2009 |
EDITORIAL: Seeing the light and all its power
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Dismiss talk of global warming and environmentalism if you must. But times are changing fast and, along with them, the very way we heat and cool our homes and businesses.
The Texas Senate signaled as much this week, approving a bill encouraging development of solar energy plants to generate electricity, much as the state has done in making wind an energy player in Texas and beyond.
Now it’s up to the House and Gov. Rick Perry to show similar vision for Texas.
We hope it isn’t much of a stretch. Sunshine is something we have plenty of in Texas — and we’re unlikely to run out of it anytime soon.
Passage of state Sen. Kirk Watson’s legislation, with help from Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, is remarkable for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the Senate is dominated by Republicans. Watson is a Democrat.
Yet many lawmakers on both sides want to encourage the solar, geothermal and biomass energy aims in this bill. Some see the writing on the wall.
A Texas Public Utility Commission report issued Tuesday concludes that electricity prices could jump as much as $10 billion a year — $27 a month in the average electric bill — if Texans don’t anticipate looming federal greenhouse regulations aimed at cutting carbon-based fuels like natural gas and coal.
Environmentalists and lawmakers see Watson’s bill as neatly bolstering our state’s energy arsenal, especially as Texas continues to grow. Solar could help ensure energy offerings at peak times of the day, while wind will prove of greatest impact during the night hours. (more…)
Public Citizen’s Energy Efficiency Op-Ed in Houston Chronicle
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, tagged Energy Efficiency, green jobs, houston chronicle, matthew johnson, president obama, Public Citizen, public utility commission, PUC, Texas, Texas Legislature, Tom "Smitty" Smith on March 4, 2009 |
The Houston Chronicle ran an Op-Ed Sunday entitled An energy winner: Big savings are possible by upgrading efficiency goals. Authors: Public Citizen’s Tom “Smitty” Smith and Matthew Johnson. Check it out:
In the world of energy, there’s one clear winner when it comes to cost, cleanliness and speed: energy efficiency.
Although regulated utilities in Texas, with few exceptions, met or surpassed all energy efficiency goals set by the Legislature in 2007, this is not the time for Texans to get complacent.
Rather, it’s time to increase our energy efficiency goals and give utilities more tools to achieve new, more aggressive targets. In this time of economic uncertainty and out-of-control utility bills, homes and businesses across Texas deserve more action.
Last year, the Public Utility Commission of Texas completed a study of the state’s energy efficiency potential. Conducted by the independent firm Itron, it concluded that there’s room for Texas to reduce its energy use by 18 percent. We could save even more during times of peak demand. The study also reported that if the Texas Legislature sets higher goals for energy savings, consumers could save $4 billion to $12 billion on utility bills over the next 10 years. (more…)
Energy Efficiency Stimulates, but Nuclear Pork Fizzles
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, Nuclear, tagged Congress, congressional budget office, economic recovery, Energy Efficiency, house, karnes city, kingsville, Luminant, Nuclear, nuclear loan guarantees, nuclear loans, nuclear waste, obama, Public Citizen, PUC, renewable energy, senate, senate appropriations committee, shovel ready, south texas nuclear plant, stimulus bill, stimulus package, Texas, Tom "Smitty" Smith, uranium mining, wall street on February 11, 2009 |
A message from our director, Tom “Smitty” Smith:
Today the House and Senate are working to reconcile their different versions of the long-awaited economic stimulus package. The stakes are now higher than ever for Texans, who stand to gain from billions that could go toward developing renewable energy and efficiency in the state, reducing pollution from diesel engines, and cleaning up abandoned nuclear waste sites.
But as much as the state needs that massive investment in our energy future, there is a troubling side to the senate version of the stimulus package: Senators amended the stimulus bill to include $50 billion in loan guarantees for new nuclear plants in Texas and elsewhere in the nation.
If Congress needs a reminder why this is a bad deal, it should just ask Wall Street why it doesn’t loan money for nuclear reactors. According to the Congressional Budget Office, nuclear loans default at a rate of 50%. Banks learned long ago that these plants simply can’t be built on budget and aren’t viable without massive taxpayer subsidies. Texans are still paying for the last generation of over-budget nuclear plants each month in a hidden charge on their electric bills. (more…)
The future of small-scale renewable energy: Project 34890
Posted in Energy, Renewables, tagged interconnection, net metering, PUC, solar, Texas, wind on August 8, 2008 |
This Tuesday I spoke at the PUC’s public hearing on Project 34890, which is charged with deciding on a net metering and interconnection policy for the deregulated markets in Texas. If that description sounds arcane and confusing to you, that’s because it is. In fact, in calling around to several investor-owned utilities last week, most of the people I spoke to had not a clue what I was talking about when I asked if they allowed net metering.
But the gist of it is this: if the rule proposed by the PUC passes, guaranteed incentives for individuals to invest in small renewable energy (putting solar panels on their roof, for example) will disappear.
You so CRE-Z
Posted in Energy, Renewables, tagged CREZ, PUC, Renewables, solar, Texas, wind on July 18, 2008 |
So the Public Utility Commission of Texas announced today that they will go with Scenario 2 on CREZ (Competitive Renewable Energy Zone).
This explains what’s going on pretty well.
[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7905263642828210852&hl=en]
CPS Energy looks kind of ridiculous in it. They originally endorsed Scenario 1b (the least amount of transmission to be considered), but last week the Express-News reported on their change of tune.
Cleaner cheaper energy for Texas? Coming soon! (We Won!!)
Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Renewables, tagged Global Warming, PUC, Renewables, solar, Texas, wind on July 17, 2008 |
This article originally posted at citizenvox.org
Global warming is the singular environmental challenge of our generation. Some people claim you cannot be green without sacrificing economic development. Actually, we can create a greener energy future for Texas and reduce our electric bills at the same time by investing in our electric infrastructure.
This week the Texas Public Utility Commission met to decide on upgrading the power grid infrastructure to make sure that we can build new clean, renewable sources of energy in West Texas (where all the sun and wind is) and get it to the people in the major population centers in East Texas. Of three options, they chose the medium, compromise amount of investment. While not as large as we would have liked (the best option was an “electric superhighway” that would have saved Texans billions in their energy bills), the PUC chose to make a large investment in the clean energy future of our state.
Wind power in Texas is now a cheaper source of electricity than fossil fuel alternatives. Building newer transmission lines is the best way to quit our addiction to fossil fuels.
Want to learn more? Read our press release about our news conference, or read the study and policy paper here. You can also watch a video about renewable energy in Texas and how we can save $1.2 billion dollars here.
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