Roll Beyond Coal for Clean Air/Energy in Texas (2009)

Did you know that Texas is still building and planning more dirty, coal-fired power plants, and that it is the only state in the nation with such a deadly, costly “coal rush” advancing (more info)?  Scary isn’t it?

Join us for an important and fun-filled Halloween event supporting renewable energy, green jobs, clean air and clean energy which moves us beyond coal and puts Texas on a path to brighter and cleaner energy future.

Date: Saturday – October 31st, 2009
Time: 8:30am – noon (Young Sierrans meet @ 9:30 at the registration table)
Cost: FREE to participate!!
T-shirts: Adults: $10, Students: $5 – Must be ordered by 10/23 to guarantee! * All donations benefit the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club to help fight against new coal plants in TX.
Location: Bath House Cultural Center, White Rock Lake, 521 E. Lawther Drive, Dallas, 75218 (map and directions)
Advanced Registration: Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club

Included Activities:

• Halloween costume contest (prizes awarded!)
• Basic bike check ups
• Facepainting
• Exhibitors on green living & transportation and sustainability
• Postcard signings to the EPA to enforce the Clean Air Act (more info OR speak out online)

Schedule:

• 8:30a – Event Begins – Includes Bike/Walk/Run Registration
• 9:30-10:30a – Speakers & Rally
• 10:30a – Bike/Walk/Run around the lake in support of Clean Air/Energy in TX.

To volunteer or for more event information, please contact organizer Lori Peniche (972-980-7176).  Follow these links if you can’t attend, but still want to support clean air/energy in TX, learn more about Sierra Club Beyond Coal initiatives or sign-up for TX Sierra Club Action Alerts.

Texas Legislative Update – June 1st, 2009

Quick Summary of today’s Clean Power & Green Jobs Press Release

Clean Power, Green Energy bills that passed both bodies and WILL go to the Governor’s Desk include:
• 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.

Clean Power, Green Jobs bills that passed the House OR Senate but DID NOT go 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.

The full press release contains information on factors which prevented bills with bipartisan support from making the Gov’s desk, other issues’ (nuclear, TV recycling, clean coal, transportation) successes/disappointments and perspectives on the session by the Sierra Club, Public Citizen, Environmental Defense Fund, Environment Texas and Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED).

The Alliance for a Clean Texas published its summary of the session and can be found on their website.

Texas Legislative Update – May 26th, 2009

ACTION REQUESTED!

SB16, SB 545 and SB 541 are on the House Major State Calendar today. This is great news! However, midnight tonight is the deadline for the House to pass Senate bills on second reading.

The Alliance for a Clean Texas asks all Texans who want clean air and clean energy to call their representatives immediately and ask them to vote for these three crucial bills.

SB 545 (Fraser/Strama) will:
* Build our solar technologies
* Creates TENS OF THOUSANDS of Texas jobs
* Lower electric costs in the long term
* Reduce pollution
* Create a program for solar on schools and churches
* Allow new home buyers to have a solar option

SB 541 (Watson/Farabee) will:
* Create a 1500 megawatt emerging renewables portfolio standard
* Encourage utility scale solar, geothermal, biomass, and small wind programs
* Attract industry investments in our state
* Create a ‘Made in Texas’ solar incentive that will attract manufacturing to Texas
* Create energy storage program for renewable power
* Set effective cost caps on the price of renewable energy

SB 16 (Averitt/Cook) will:
* Continue Texas’ most successful emissions reduction program that reduced smog pollution from diesel engines until 2019
* Update Texas Minimum Energy Efficiency Building Code Standards for residential and commercial buildings from 2001 to 2009 standards, meaning new homes and businesses will be 15 to 20 percent more energy efficient
* Allow the State Energy Conservation Office to contract with other state agencies and utilities to provide consumer rebates for energy efficient refrigerators and air conditioners
* Continue research into the causes of air pollution
* Create a new technology grant program for electricity projects related to renewable energy.

Texas Legislative Update – May 22th, 2009

From the Alliance for a Clean Texas:

Great News! Four of ACT’s top priority bills have made it one step farther in the legislative process. The House Committee on Energy Resources passed SB 545 out of committee yesterday afternoon. House Environmental Regulation reported the committee substitute for SB 16 out of committee last night. And this afternoon House State Affairs voted SB 541 out of committee.

The next step for these three bills is to be placed on the House calendar. ACT urges the members of the House Calendars committee to place SB 545, SB 16 and SB 541 on the calendar before Sunday (the deadline for Senate bills to be heard in the House). The Texas Legislature could make the 81st Session an historic one for the development of the next great Texas energy industries.

Another ACT high priority bill reaches the next step in the legislative process tomorrow morning. HB 821, the producer TV takeback bill, will be heard in the Senate Committee of Business & Commerce tomorrow morning. An unusual committee referral (most recycling and landfill bills are referred to Senate Natural Resouces), ACT hopes that the members of Senate B & C can see the value of this timely bill that will help keep more lead, mercury and other hazardous materials out of our landfills.

Texas Legislative Update – May 12, 2009

Great News! Senate passes SB 541 by a vote of 24-7. This bill would require electric companies to develop utility-scale solar, geothermal and biomass energy. SB 541 is one of the two major renewable energy bills supported by ACT this session (The other is Senator Fraser’s SB 545.).  Thanks to Senator Watson for his leadership in renewable energy this session!

Today, Tuesday, May 12th, the Texas House will consider HB 280 by Rafael Anchia that would increase the goals for meeting our electricity demand through energy efficiency programs. Existing law requires the nine investor-owned utilities to meet 20 percent of the growth in electrical demand in 2009. HB 280 and its companion in the Senate SB 546 would raise this to 30 percent of growth by 2012, and one percent of total peak demand by 2016. Today, HB 280 is scheduled to come to the House floor for debate.

Contact your Representative today to show support for HB 280!

Background: In 2007, the Legislature enacted a law that raised the goal that utilities must meet from energy efficiency programs to 20 percent this year and also required an exhaustive study of whether to raise the efficiency goal beyond 20 percent of growth in peak demand. The report found that raising the goal to 30 percent by 2010 and 50 percent by 2015 was not only achievable, but would save between $4 and $12 billion over the next 20 years to consumers. It will also lead to reductions in emissions of global warming gases, and create jobs in the energy efficiency industries according to the study.

HB 280 would follow the recommendation of the PUC study and raise the utility goal to 30 percent of growth in demand by 2012 giving an extra two years for utilities to meet the goals and then raise the goal to one percent of total peak demand, which is equivalent to a little more than 50 percent of growth in demand.

The above content is sourced from the Alliance for a Clean Texas and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Texas Legislative Update – May 8th, 2009

From the Alliance for a Clean Texas:

Great news! Senator Watson’s SB 541 has been placed on the Senate intent calendar and will soon be on the Senate floor. This bill would establish a 3,000 MW renewable portfolio standard for the state – a commitment to solar and other renewable energy very much like the one made to wind in 1999. This bill would pave the way for Texas to become the national leader in solar generation. (Today, Texas is ranked 9th in solar power generation, hard as that may be to believe.)

SB 541 is one of the two essential renewable energy bills ACT supports (ACT issues) this session. (The other bill, Senator Fraser’s SB 545, has been passed by the Senate and is now in the House Committee on Energy Resources.) Passing both bills is essential to making Texas the national leader in solar. SB 541 would establish solar and other renewable energy on a utility scale, as was done for wind. SB 545 would establish a statewide goal for distributed generation such as rooftop solar – the essential component to making Texas the leader in the booming solar manufacturing industry.

Contact your senator and simply ask him to support SB 541 and SB 545 today!
1. Who is my senator?  Click here.
2. How do I send them an email?  Click here.

Please contact Lize Burr (lize@acttexas.org), at ACT, directly with any questions about particular bills or issues.