Visionary Leader Needed to Run Austin Energy
The hunt is on. The City of Austin is searching for a new general manager for Austin Energy. It should take this opportunity to find a visionary leader who can prepare our city-owned utility to remain...
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Is This What Democracy Looks Like?
If you pay any attention to politics, you might often wonder if the decisions being made are really what people want. The answer is often no. Wealthy donors, including corporations and individuals,...
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Austin Energy Rate Case Environmental Impacts
A rate case is fundamentally about determining how much money an electric utility needs to collect from ratepayers to pay for expenses (and make some return on investment), how those expenses will be...
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Austin Energy to Lower Rates while Advancing Environmental Initiatives
Mayor Adler speaking about the Austin Energy rate case settlement on Aug 25, 2016. Council Members Casar and Pool also spoke at the press conference focused on environmental aspects of the rate case....
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The Beginning of the End for Texas Coal Plants
The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) released a study today that examines the finances of seven large Texas coal plants. The news isn’t good for the owners of those...
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Public Citizen’s Texas Office Seeks Press Officer
The Press Officer will work with the Director and other staff in the Texas office to develop press strategies that will augment our organizing and policy work, will provide rapid response when events...
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Amplify Public Citizen!
Amplify Austin – Austin’s annual day of giving – starts today at 6 p.m.! For the first time every, you can donate to support the work of Public Citizen’s Texas office through Amplify Austin. We’re...
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Putting the Brakes on Texas Wind – The Solution to Cheap Energy, Job Creation...
You might think that an industry that manages to reduce electricity prices, create over 23,000 Texas jobs and reduce air pollution all at the same time might have just about universal support. But...
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Austinites Call for More Ambitious Plan for Austin Energy to Protect the...
Janis and Evan Bookout speaking in support of renewable energy to protect the climate (Photo courtesy of Al Braden, www.albradenphoto.com) Yesterday morning, Austinites took time out of their day to...
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San Antonio Climate Action
San Antonio rally to support signing on to the Climate Mayor’s pledge. Photo by Brendan Gibbons /San Antonio Express-News With the recent election of Mayor Ron Nirenberg and six new council members,...
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Austin Commits to Making Solar Accessible for Low-Income Residents and Renters
Austin City Council adopted a resolution yesterday to direct $500,000 of Austin Energy’s fiscal year 2018 budget to prove solar to “multi-family affordable housing, low-income residents, renters, and...
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San Antonio Moving Forward with Climate Action Planning
Last week, people gathered at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio to learn about the science of climate change and local climate action planning. The event was attended by students...
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Texas Cities Taking on Climate Change
Texas cities are stepping up to take on the climate change crisis. Austin was an early leader, but now San Antonio, Dallas and Houston are in the game too. Instead of waiting for leadership at the...
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Climate Action SA Coalition Calls for CPS Energy to Phase out Fossil Fuels
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Yesterday, a few days after the one-year anniversary of President Trump announcing US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the Climate Action SA coalition called on the City of...
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Crafting a Paris Compliant Climate Action Plan
What does it mean to make a climate action plan “Paris compliant”? You may have heard this phrase, but do you really know what it means? “Paris” refers to the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, which...
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Twice Spurned, Capital Metro Wary – Let’s Show Them Austin is Ready for Mass...
Capital Metro’s Project Connect system plan is heading for a vote with the board of directors on December 17. The idea is to adopt a system plan and identify routes to submit for funding to the Federal...
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San Antonio’s Draft Climate Plan Step in the Right Direction, but Needs...
San Antonio’s draft climate plan – SA Climate Ready – is out for public comment until March 26 and is expected to be up for a vote at City Council in May. We hope that city staff will take the next...
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Texas Solar Bill of Rights
On Monday, the committee substitute for House Bill 2860, was up for a public hearing in the Texas House Committee on State Affairs. We delivered testimony in support of the bill, while also asking for...
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Public Citizen Opposes Anti-Free Speech Bill in TX House
A pair of bills under consideration in the Texas Legislature would diminish some free speech protections for Texans, and today Public Citizen joined other First Amendment champions to speak out on the...
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Invited Testimony Only at TX Legislative Hearing on ITC Disaster, but Public...
In the past few weeks, the Houston area has experienced three major chemical fires, releasing toxic pollution into the air and water and killing one person. The Texas House Committees on Environmental...
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