AUSTIN -- As the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) prepares to hear from Chairman Wayne Christian’s Blue Ribbon Task Force for Oil Economic Recovery next Tuesday, June 16, Environment Texas Research and Policy Center has released a new report urging the RRC to address environmental damage from oil and gas production and to pause construction of new oil and gas infrastructure.
The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 100 miles off the Texas coast provides critical habitat for sea turtle, manta rays, and the healthiest coral ecosystems in the world. NOAA has proposed an expansion that would tripple the size of the sanctuary, expanding it from 56 to 160 square miles. They are asking for public comment through July 3rd on the size of the expansion, weather to allow longline and spear fishing inside the boundries, and other details of the proposal. Sign up to give public testimony today!
AUSTIN - Austin Energy ranks first in the nation among municipally owned utilities for per capita solar installed, according to the seventh edition of an annual report by Environment Texas Research & Policy Center. Shining Cities 2020: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy found that by supplying more than 1,500 watts per person of solar energy to its customers, Austin Energy edged out the municipally owned utilities of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Antonio.
HOUSTON - Solar capacity in Houston more than doubled last year, from 20.6 megawatts (MW) in 2018 to 42.53 MW in 2019. In a sign of a surging solar market, the increase marked the second year in a row of triple digit growth. The results come from the seventh edition of Shining Cities 2020: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy, a new report released today by Environment Texas Research & Policy Center. It is the most comprehensive survey available of installed solar capacity in major U.S. cities.
SAN ANTONIO - San Antonio moved up to 5th place nationally for solar energy capacity, according to the seventh edition of an annual report by Environment Texas Research & Policy Center. Shining Cities 2020: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy found that solar capacity in the Alamo City increased 36% last year to a total of 254.47 megawatts (MW) within city limits. San Antonio also maintains its 1st place spot in Texas for solar within city limits and 1st in the South Central region the report has defined. The report also found that CPS Energy ranked 2nd nationally among municipally owned utilities for total solar, owned or contracted. It is the most comprehensive survey available of installed solar capacity in major U.S. cities.
Environment Texas Research and Policy Center is part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to social change.
