Director's Message
My hope for the holidays and thereafter is for sanity to have a chance to spread - the world depends on us and it can’t wait much longer.
Happy holidays and a hopeful beyond.
EPA Moves to Protect Big Bend National Park and Other Wild Areas from Air Pollution
December had a lot of good news for the environment. In addition to the historic Paris climate agreement, the EPA finalized a plan in early December to address serious air pollution that is dramatically reducing visibility at the Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks in Texas and the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality put forward a do-nothing plan in 2009, now rejected by the EPA, that the commission admitted would not have cleared the air at Big Bend for more than 140 years and did not require a single Texas power plant to install pollution controls. Thousands of Texans and Oklahomans wrote to the EPA urging strong action on haze pollution. The clean-air protections put in place in December require pollution reductions from Luminant’s Big Brown, Martin Lake, Monticello, and Sandow coal plants; NRG’s Limestone plant; the GDF Suez Coleto Creek plant; Xcel Energy’s Tolk plant; and the San Miguel Electric Cooperative plant. Here's our press release.
We're Hiring... A Lot!
The Sierra Club's Lone Star Chapter is hiring for three new positions to fill capacities in conservation, communications, and organizing. Our new conservation and communications positions will be located in Austin, and our new organizer will be located in the Rio Grande Valley. Since you’re subscribed to the Lone Star Sierran, chances are you know something about the Sierra Club, but if you’re curious about what we do, check this video out. Read all about the new positions in Texas here: Clean Energy Program Coordinator, Communications Coordinator, and Conservation Organizer (in the Lower Rio Grande Valley). Sierra Club is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a diverse workforce.
Denton Citizens to City Council: Time-Out on Gas Plants, Go Big on Renewables
In a packed late night session on December 15, Dentonites told their Mayor and City Council that they loved Denton Municipal Electric’s plan to go big on renewables – getting to 70 percent by 2019 – but were against the plan to add 220 MW of natural gas power plants next year. The turnout was impressive. Scores of citizens showed up to speak at the evening hearing, which lasted until 12:30am. One by one, young and old, Dentonites argued that turning to natural gas was the wrong way to go. They continually stressed that with the recent Paris Accord on Climate, Denton’s history of the struggle with urban fracking, and the problems with urban ozone pollution in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, moving toward the use of natural gas was not the right way to go. In response, Council agreed to delay a decision on the “Denton Renewable Plan” at least until January to gather additional information.
Chronic Wasting Disease in Texas Deer - Parks & Wildlife Unanimously Approve New Rules
On November 5, Lone Star Chapter Conservation Chair Evelyn Merz delivered remarks at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Commission’s public hearing on rules to prevent Chronic Waste Disease (CWD) among deer. The Commission unanimously voted to implement temporary rules that help prevent the disease from spreading into deer populations. CWD is a neurological disease similar to mad cow disease and is spread among deer, moose, and elk. “The interim – not permanent – rule is a necessary, reasonable, fact-based and thoughtful response to protect the wild deer herd from the transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease from private deer breeding facilities,” Merz said at the hearing. Deer breeders play a prominent role in Texas’ $2 billion deer hunting industry, raising flocks that are released onto private hunting preserves. There they potentially interact with wild deer and spread disease. This summer, a deer in a breeding facility tested positive for CWD in Medina County, prompting the commission to enact emergency rules to prevent spreading.
Reed: Solar Energy Shines Bright in Texas
Conservation Director Cyrus Reed was invited by the Mitchell Foundation to write a blog on solar energy in Texas, given that it has been a historic year for solar in the Lone Star state. While private and public utilities are not done signing contracts with solar companies, the list of new solar contracts signed in the last few years in Texas is impressive. 2012: CPS Energy - 400 MW with OCI solar. In 2015, they increased the contract to 450 MW due to favorable pricing for a West Texas plant. 2014: Austin Energy - 150 MW of solar with Recurrent Energy. March 2015: Georgetown Utilities - 150 MW of solar with SunEdison. September 2015: Denton Municipal Electric - 173 MW of solar with Bluebell Solar. October 2015: Austin Energy - 450 MW with four different solar companies. In addition to these contracts, in 2015, First Solar began operating the first “merchant” solar plant — a 22 MW array near Fort Stockton that competes on the open market with no signed PPA for the majority of the energy it produces. Recently, First Solar announced they are adding more capacity at the site to bring the total capacity up to 40 MW.
We Are Seeking a Fundraising Volunteer or Intern for Amplify Austin Day - Could That Be You?
If you are interested in a career in development, fundraising, event planning, public relations, or social media coordination, we have an exciting opportunity for you. The Lone Star Chapter, in coordination with the Austin Sierra Club, is seeking a creative, motivated intern or volunteer to play a big role in organizing for a fundraising campaign called Amplify Austin. The position will be a great way to gain hands-on experience in the non-profit field while also making an impact on crucial environmental issues, such as climate disruption, air pollution, renewable energy, and water conservation. Amplify Austin Day is an annual, community-wide fundraising event that encourages online donations to local non-profits over a 24-hour period. This year, over 550 Austin-area non-profits are expected to participate in the event. With so many organizations participating, the Sierra Club needs your help to stand out from the crowd!
Jan 10 Last Day to Vote in Lone Star Chapter Executive Committee Elections!
Are you a Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter member? If so, it's time to cast your ballot to elect candidates for the Executive Committee (ExCom). Sierra Club members elect their leaders. Your vote is needed to elect three at-large members of the ExCom of the Lone Star Chapter for three-year terms beginning in January 2016. This year, there are three candidates for three seats. They were selected by the Nominating Committee who were appointed by the Chapter ExCom in keeping with the Lone Star Chapter By-Laws. Every Sierra Club Chapter has an Executive Committee to provide guidance and leadership, which essentially fulfills the functions of a Board of Directors. ExCom members are elected by Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club members like you. In the event of a mid-term vacancy, the seat is filled by an ExCom vote.
Regional Roundup
- Utilities must manage water in the most environmentally-friendly way. That's why we're co-hosting a SWIFT Funding Workshop in Houston on January 7 to help utilities find the best way to use the program in their conservation efforts. Is your water utility registered?
- Former Texas State Representative Lon Burnam (D-Fort Worth) tossed his hat in the ring for Railroad Commissioner this week.
- The Obama Administration recently announced the largest energy-saving standard in U.S. history . The updated commercial air conditioning and furnace standards will cut 885 megatons of CO2 and save $167 billion in costs over the life of the standard.
- Did you know Mexico suffered from the BP oil spill too? They just filed a class action lawsuit against BP.
- In case you missed it on our Facebook page, check out this very cool interview with University of Houston physicist Paul Chu, a leading researcher in the field of energy storage, in which he discusses the future of the technology in Texas.
- Travis County is exploring the possibility of building a wind farm on the 18,820 acres it owns in West Texas , which generates revenue for the Travis County Permanent School Fund.