Benefits of Austin's 'No Coal by 2014' Scenario -- 1. Local Jobs

by: chris_searles

Thu Oct 15, 2009 at 09:36 AM CDT

Replacing Austin's coal plant means installing everything from solar panels to caulk seal. Local jobs will need to be filled, from teenagers to engineers. Millions of dollars will stream into Austin instead of its clunker coal plant -- rated #7th worst polluter in the state by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Hutchison Takes Head-in-the-Hot-Sand Approach to Climate Bill

by: Citizen Andy

Thu Sep 10, 2009 at 00:55 PM CDT

Senator Hutchison (who you might have heard is running for governor), published an op-ed last week in a couple of Texas papers about how the ACES Bill would cripple Texas.  We've pushed back, and actually got something printed in one of those old-timey-newspaper thingies in one of the papers that ran her op-ed, the Round Rock Leader.  (I know, quaint-- right? newspapers?  Who reads those anymore?  < end sarcasm>)

Have a read here  for the whole thing, or if you're in North Austin or WillCo, go pick up a Round Rock Leader.  I've posted an except below:

United States Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison takes a head-in-the-hot-sand approach to climate change that will get Texas burned and drive tens of thousands of new jobs elsewhere ("Cap and Trade is No Good For Texas," Aug. 27 Leader). She misses the mark on energy policy, using discredited industry statistics to drum up fear about a Cap and Trade policy that represents just a small portion of the initiatives proposed in the energy bill that passed the House of Representatives in July.

She fails to acknowledge that the bill includes provisions for renewable energy and energy efficiency - the real solutions to climate change. Hutchison's solution is no solution at all: more oil, more coal and more nuclear, with absolutely no coherent policy on how to lower energy costs and find alternatives to dwindling resources.

America is faced with the worst economic crisis in generations, Sen. Hutchison is turning away opportunities to create new jobs while slavishly clinging to the talking points of the oil industry.

Texas Delegation provides key swing votes on ACESA Climate Bill

by: Citizen Andy

Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 07:24 PM CDT

The US House of Representatives passed HR 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, sometimes referred to as the Waxman-Markey Bill, or ACES, by a vote of 219-212.  A majority in the House of Representatives in 218 votes.

While I wish I could say this vote went along party lines, it did not.   8 Republicans (none from Texas) voted for the bill, while an amazing 44 Democrats voted against President Obama, the environment, and green jobs (including three from Texas). 

These Dems should be whipped and whipped hard.  The consensus in the enviro community was that this bill was watered down and wouldn't meet the promise of a truly great energy and climate bill. But it would be the best we could get.  The closeness of the vote shows that every compromise literally had to be made to get any climate bill passed.

As for our Texas delegation, we have good news and bad news. (more after bump)

Net Metering and Resurrected Solar Bill Passes Texas Senate

by: citizen.sarah

Thu May 28, 2009 at 03:27 PM CDT

Well, we did our homework, and here's what we've found.

HB 1243 will ensure that owners of solar installations, small wind turbines, or biogas generators get paid a fair price for the excess power they produce.  SB 545 - which after the Voter ID slowdown, we thought was dead - increases incentives for distributed solar power generation by creating a pool of $500 million in solar rebates over the next 5 years.  It also calls for a pilot program with a minimum funding of $4 million to put solar on schools (nudge: the State Energy Conservation Office could potentially spend considerably more of their pending stimulus funds to further these projects) and will create thousands of green, local jobs across the state of Texas.

Another amendment to the bill added on SB 2349.  This provision would allow oil wells that create natural gas, but not enough to justify paying for collection, to build a generator to run the gas through, make electricity, and sell it back into the grid.  The bill would limit production to 2 MW so that they can provide distributed generation.  As of right now, they're just flaring that gas off, so this is definitely a good thing.

According to our friends at Environment Texas (via the Houston Chronicle's NewsWatch: Energy blog), the amended HB 1243 also:

• Requires home builders to offer solar as a standard option in developments with 50 homes or more.

• Prevents homeowners associations from blocking solar panel installations

• Allows up to 70% of incentive funds to be used for utility-scale solar projects

• Allows the Public Utility Commission to extend the program for an additional five years and another $500 million if it determined that a "substantial" amount of manufacturing of solar generation products located in Texas after the initial five-year program

• Requires electric co-ops to allow consumers to interconnect solar to the grid

• Clarifies that consumers will not have to register as a utility and that third party ownership of solar is allowed

• For the next two years, requires retail electric providers to pay at least five cents per kilowatt hour for surplus solar and four cents for other renewable technologies and directs the PUC to determine a fair market price that will become a new "floor" following the two years

• Creates a "Made in Texas" program to certify and encourage Texans to buy locally manufactured solar panels and other energy products.  As a result, locally produced products qualify for a 20% larger rebate than imports.

Now that HB 1243 has successfully passed through both chambers of the legislature, we've just got to wait and see what comes out of conference committee, where bill authors from both sides will smooth out the differences between their bills.  Many thanks to all of you that wrote e-mails and made phone calls in support of these bills.  This is a tremendous victory for Texas solar.  Keep your fingers crossed that we can send this bill to Governor Perry's desk!

Original post written by Citizen Sarah at Texas Vox  

Taking Care of Texas & Promoting Renewable Energy

by: Rep. Solomon Ortiz Jr.

Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 00:29 PM CDT

There's a great opportunity to do something for the environment this Saturday, April 25th, when volunteers all across the state join forces for Texas' annual Adopt-A-Beach cleanup. This is important not only for the environment, but for our state's economy. Clean, beautiful beaches are key to our tourism industry and our fishermen.

To locate and register for a Texas Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup in your area, visit:
www.TexasAdoptABeach.org

Taking care of Texas also means doing our part to reduce fossil fuel consumption and minimize emissions that can harm our air quality. One way to do this is to promote the use of renewable energy technology. Earlier this week, the House Committee on Energy Resources held a hearing on my bill that exempts small-scale renewable energy devices for homes and businesses from state sales tax, making them more affordable for consumers.

Johnny O'Neal, one of my constituents in Flour Bluff, made the news last year when he installed a small-scale wind generator in his back yard. At the hearing, the Texas Renewable Industries Association and Public Citizen spoke out in favor of HB 1823, recognizing the need to make renewable energy devices more affordable for consumers like Johnny.  

Also moving through the state legislature is SB 545, a measure that  implements a $500 million rebate program to  encourage solar power projects. Bills like this have the potential to help make Texas, and the Coastal Bend in particular, a center for renewable energy jobs and development. The recent completion of the Peñascal wind project is further evidence that Texas and Coastal Bend can be a leader in the new green economy.

To learn about ways to save energy and find out other things you can do to help take care of Texas, visit  www.TakeCareOfTexas.org.

Clean Power, Green Jobs!

by: citizen.sarah

Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 11:22 AM CST

Rodney Ellis opened up the press conference, stating that this year's legislative session looks to be a very green session.  He also mentioned, as he has before, that the legislature is at a crucial moment in terms of climate change action. If the legislature doesn't act this year, the federal government will likely pass and begin implementing comprehensive global warming legislation before the state legislature will have a chance to meet again.  If Texas is not prepared for this kind of drastic policy change, we may not have a chance to address these issues again until 2011.

Senator Ellis then gave the mic over to the group he termed the "Dapper Three" (swoon!).

Austin City Council follies

by: texaspowerman

Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 10:07 PM CST

Rumor has it that  Austin City Councilman Mike Martinez is the force pushing hard to bring back the Nuclear proposal and to dump the Solar project. With the big city right down 35 rolling out a major new green agenda and huge proposed changes in their utility, are we going to see San Antonio leave us and the Green jobs agenda behind in a cloud of brown dust. We've got Grandma coming back, like some of the nuclear waste that we cant get rid of, and now this, is it going to be 1978 all over again?

On Thursday, Austin City Council will take up the issues of nuclear energy and solar energy. We can't think of a better picture to illustrate the
fork in the road we face when it comes to Austin's energy future.

Item 3 on the agenda: Austin Energy will appropriately recommend, again, that the City of Austin not invest in expansion of the South Texas Project. Austin Energy hired the pro-nuclear consulting firm Worley Parsons to examine the proposal, which concluded that Austin's share of the proposed 3rd & 4th reactors would cost around $2 billion (that's only 16% of the total). Our solid credit rating would likely decline due to the large amount of debt the city would have to issue coupled with the high risk of cost overruns and schedule delays typically associated with nuclear power plants. Furthermore, the addition of 432 megawatts of baseload nuclear power does not fit with Austin's projected electric demand forecast. This deal didn't make sense in 2007 or 2008.  It makes even less sense in 2009.

New nuclear power economics are frightening (numerous studies show the cost range from $12.5-17.5 billion and up), and it's a down right nasty way to make electric power. Uranium mine sites plague groundwater sources, there is no plan in place to deal with the waste, and Texas can ill-afford to devote its precious water resources to running a radioactive water boiler.

We don't need to go down the nuclear path again. We've learned from the mistakes of previous councils. Remember, Carole Keeton McClellan [Strayhorn] was mayor of Austin (1977-1983) when the city trapped itself in the boondoggle that was the first two units at STNP. Read the Austin Chronicle article from 2006 (scroll down to "Nailed to the Nuke"):

http://www.austinchronicle.com...

She is running for mayor again.  We wonder where Strayhorn, Leffingwell, and McCracken stand on this issue, which could become a larger issue in the mayoral election.

Better options exist. Come out and voice your opposition to new nuclear power.

Item 16 on the agenda: Austin Energy will recommend that Council approve a plan to invest in 30 megawatts of solar power from the proposed solar plant near Webberville. This project is a good start down the path toward a renewable energy future for Austin. The 25 year $250 million contract with California-based Gemini Solar Development Company will provide Austinites clean, renewable power from one of the largest photovoltaic arrays in the world. Solar beats new nuclear power on cost, environment and meeting peak demand.

Solar power may seem expensive, but compared to what it costs to run natural gas plants to cover the same peak period and it's associated environmental impacts, it's a winner.

Some have raised objection to the fact that the solar panels are not local. Buying local is always preferable, but it's not always feasible. There are no Texascompanies that can currently manufacture panels for this sized plant. And while a California company has gotten the first contract because of California's commitment to solar, local contractors and products can be used to construct and maintain the facility. Austin will still own the land too. We hope that with more plants like this one, solar companies will get the message that Texas is open for business.

We expect a large pro-nuclear/anti-solar turnout, so it is critical you come out to City Council this Thursday, Feb 12, and sign up to speak. Voice your support for solar power. Tell City Council you want more!

Council convenes at 10 AM.

Learn more about the agenda items:

CoA background material on nuclear agenda item:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/cou...

IEER cost estimate comparison study:

http://www.nukefreetexas.org/d...

CoA background material on solar agenda item:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/cou...

Learn more about Clean Energy options for Texas at:

http://www.cleanenergyfortexas...

Public Citizen and a host of other organizations recently released a report on Texas and its solar potential:

http://www.cleanenergyfortexas...

David Power
Public Citizen