By Cyrus Reed
While we hear more and more scary news out of Trump’s White House and Pruitt’s EPA everyday, you might not have heard some good news right here in the capital of Texas. Austin City Council is gearing up to vote on updating the city’s long-term energy plan, which includes keeping our commitments to retiring dirty coal and gas and increasing our reliance on clean energy.
The Electric Utility Resource Planning Working Group, a 16-member independent committee made up of environmental, business, and low-income stakeholders, released its 11 recommendations for updating the Generation Plan (also known as "Gen Plan") after a consensus-driven process over many months.
The EUC Working Group recommendations mean Austin can be powered by 65% clean energy and shut down our dirtiest coal and gas plants by 2022 while keeping our bills within affordability goals.
But we need your voice to push this over the top. Tell City Council you support the Working Group recommendations and want Austin to be a climate justice leader!
Many people don’t know that a significant portion of our electrical power comes from dirty fossil fuel plants like the inefficient natural gas-powered Decker Power Plant and the coal-powered Fayette Power Plant. The emissions from these dirty power plants disproportionately affect lower-income communities and communities of color. The Working Group recommendations call for phasing out these plants within the next five years, as well as funding programs that assist low-income Austinites and spread the benefits of renewable energy.
The recommendations also include working towards zero carbon emissions by 2030 and moving towards more aggressive goals as prices change and technology evolves. In fact, one of the recommendations is to study getting to 75 - 80% renewable energy by 2027, and we want to make sure that study happens within the next two years! A full list of the working group’s recommendations can be found here.
We want to keep Austin Energy controlled by the people and not the Texas Legislature. We want more clean energy, cleaner air, and affordable utility bills. And we believe in the power of broad-based consensus reflected in the EUC Working Group recommendations.
This is a no-brainer and a win for Austin. Tell City Council to support the Working Group recommendations and keep Austin Energy clean, green and affordable for all!
Want to do more? Come to the City Council chambers on August 10 at 6pm and tell the City Council yourself that you support clean energy for all!