| This weekend 170+ students from more than 25 colleges and five high schools descended on Austin for the ReEnergize Texas Summit to demand bold clean energy solutions.
The students held a rally at the Texas Capitol Monday morning and followed up with more than 50 visits to their legislators. Students rallied behind calls to end dependence on coal and nuclear power and to create new green jobs with investments in wind, solar and energy efficiency.
While the event went largely unnoticed by the media, the coal industry was apparently watching. The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity issued a statement following the event:
"The Re-energize Texas Summit rallies behind laudable goals including the continued development of renewable energy sources and increased energy efficiency measures; however the group's support of legislation to place a moratorium on new coal plants in Texas is misguided, economically unfeasible and environmentally unnecessary," said Joe Lucas, Senior Vice President of Communications at ACCCE.
The ACCCE statement appears to come in response to the students' support of legislation placing a temporary moratorium on coal-fired power plants without carbon capture and sequestration (SB 126, sponsored by state Sen. Rodney Ellis and its companion bill HB 4384, sponsored by Rep. Allen Vaught).
According to the National Wildlife Federation's Praween Dayananda: "Halting the construction of proposed coal plants will help curb climate change and protect local communities from dangerous health impacts. Texas has incredible potential to produce renewable energy, clean up its skies, and become a leader in the new energy economy."
Speakers at the rally that scared the coal industry were Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Representative Tara Rios Ybarra, Doug Lewin from Senator Shapleigh's office and Public Citizen Director Tom "Smitty" Smith.
For more information about the summitt, go to www.reenergizetexas.org. |
