Public Citizen Texas

On this day in 1965, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act.

Are you registered to vote? Today is a good day to check: https://bit.ly/3yimI0J

Probably nothing. 😬😬😬

“[CenterPoint's] only real competition is government regulation and the cost recovery that it’s allowed by the Public Utility Commission, and ultimately, our lawmakers,” Public Citizen’s Adrian Shelley said. “Because of what it is — a for-profit company operating as a monopoly utility in one area — it’s got an unusual incentive to influence political decision-making in Houston and in Texas. And so that’s why I think we see some pretty substantial donations over the recent years.”

CenterPoint has contributed at least $1.4M to Texas lawmakers since 2022 CenterPoint Energy and its political arms have donated about $1.4 million to state legislators since the beginning of 2022 — the vast majority to Republicans.

🚨GREAT JOB ALERT🚨

Public Citizen's TX office needs a new team member! The TCEQ Campaign Director will run a new effort to hold the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality accountable for failing to protect public health and the environment. Details👇

TCEQ Campaign Director - Public Citizen - Career Page Apply to TCEQ Campaign Director at Public Citizen in Austin, TX.

Today, Public Citizen joined its partners in the Texans for Local Energy Freedom Coalition to release a new study detailing how energy supplied by rooftop solar is much more valuable than the average kilowatt-hour sent to the ERCOT grid by other means,

“The cost is passed directly on to ratepayers,” said Adrian Shelley, Texas director of Public Citizen. Bitcoin miners “are ideally positioned to manipulate the energy market in a way that will drive up prices for consumers.”

Texas Leaders Worry That Bitcoin Mines Threaten to Crash the State Power Grid - Inside Climate News Residents in the small town of Granbury are raising alarms over noise from a local Bitcoin mine, while state lawmakers warn that the energy-hungry facilities risk “crashing” the electrical grid.

A day after landfall, millions are without power. Here is how to help and get help.

Tropical Storm Beryl: how to get help and help Texans Officials warn of continued flooding and other risks as Beryl leaves. Groups are mobilizing to help affected Texans.

Storm Resources: Essential Links & Information

Report power outages to CenterPoint Energy
Downed lines - 713-207-2222
Report outage: CenterPointEnergy.com/PowerAlertService

View road closures
TXDOT - drivetexas.org
Houston Transtar - traffic.houstontranstar.org/roadclosures/

Self Report Storm Damage
TDEM iSTAT - The Office of the Governor is asking for residents to self-report storm damage here: damage.tdem.texas.gov

Chambers County residents self report storm damage
Chambers County residents are encouraged to report damages to their homes here: https://arcg.is/GOmWu or 409-267-4500.

Downed Trees/Debris Reporting
Report downed trees and debris on the roads and sidewalks to Baytown Public Works & Engineering here: Better Baytown App, baytown.org/1063 or 281-420-5300

911 Emergencies:
Reserve 911 for life-threatening emergencies
Non-emergencies: 281-422-8371
Police Report: baytown.org/548

Traffic Signals
Blinking or non-operational traffic signals should be treated as four-way stops.

Important links and resources. Thank you, City of Baytown - Government!

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Thank you Baytown Police Department for the translation below.

Traducción al Español⬇️

Recursos para Tormentas: Enlaces e Información Esenciales

🔹Reportar cortes de energía a CenterPoint Energy
Líneas caídas - 713-207-2222
Reportar corte: CenterPointEnergy.com/PowerAlertService

🔹Ver cierres de carreteras
TXDOT - drivetexas.org
Houston Transtar - traffic.houstontranstar.org/roadclosures/

🔹Auto Reportar Daños por Tormenta
TDEM iSTAT - La Oficina del Gobernador solicita a los residentes que informen sobre daños causados por la tormenta aquí: damage.tdem.texas.gov

🔹Residentes del Condado de Chambers auto reportan daños por tormenta
Se anima a los residentes del Condado de Chambers a informar sobre daños a sus hogares aquí: https://arcg.is/GOmWu o al 409-267-4500.

🔹Reportar árboles caídos/escombros
Reporta árboles caídos y escombros en las carreteras y aceras a Baytown Public Works & Engineering aquí: Better Baytown App, baytown.org/1063 o 281-420-5300

🔹Emergencias 911:
Reserva el 911 para emergencias que amenacen la vida
No emergencias: 281-422-8371
Reporte policial: baytown.org/548

🔹Señales de tráfico
Las señales de tráfico parpadeantes o no operativas deben tratarse como paradas de cuatro vías.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that cryptocurrency miners operating in the United States consume as much energy to power 3-6 million homes. The biggest crypto miners are located in Texas, where the state's electricity grid can struggle to meet demand, especially in the hot summer months.

And get this: The state pays some crypto miners to shut down when the electricity supply is tight. It's a way of turning imaginary money into real money at taxpayer expense.

A new Public Citizen report describes a family oil and gas empire with ties to Texas regulators facing increased scrutiny. Pioneer, its former CEO and his son have contributed $4.1 million to state and federal candidates since 2020, according to the report.

Former Pioneer CEO and Son Make Significant Political Contributions to Trump, Abbott and Christi Craddick - Inside Climate News

Hurricane Beryl is now a Category 5 Hurricane and the earliest in the season a Category 5 Hurricane has occurred in the Atlantiic Basin.

The storm may eventually affect northern Mexico or Texas by late this weekend...but intensity and track will need to be determined.

Significant eakening is likely if the storm first passes over the Yucatan.

KOB 4
Eddie Garcia KOB 4

An unnamed Texas state agency sought to block the release of records and shield some employees from testifying before a federal grand jury. The details line up with the accusations former top deputies made against Ken Paxton.

Court ruling suggests recent activity in federal investigation of Ken Paxton Records don’t name the attorney general’s office, but their details line up with the accusations former top deputies made against Paxton.

The Texas office of Public Citizen recently welcomed a new team member. Meet Haley Schulz, Public Citizen's organizer in Houston.

Q&A: Meet Houston Organizer Haley Schulz - Public Citizen Haley Schulz is a Houston-based community organizer for the Texas office of Public Citizen. Haley is a born-and-raised Houstonian and…

"The lesson from this is about organizing: building power and using it strategically. If change seems impossible, keep building power and wait for the opportunity. And when it comes, be ready."

ASES Conference: A Convening on the ‘Smaller Size’ With Big Implications - Public Citizen My colleague in the Public Citizen Texas office, climate policy and outreach specialist Kaiba White, and I recently participated in…

Friends in Austin,

This is an opportunity to get involved in deciding how your city is powered and responds to the climate crisis.

Details ⬇️

Austin Energy is hosting facilitated Resource Generation Plan Workshops with invited stakeholders from key community groups. Stakeholders will learn the basics of building a generation plan, assess risk tolerance, and how to balance affordability, reliability, and environmental sustainability. The goal is for these conversations to lead to community-supported goals that will ultimately be considered by the Austin City Council.

Community members are welcome to attend and listen to and learn from these conversations. A virtual option will also be provided.

Friday, June 7, 2024
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Austin Energy HQ
4815 Mueller Blvd.
Shudde Fath Conference Room
Learn more: publicinput.com/generation

San Antonio friends,

Join Climate Justice San Antonio this Wednesday and gather with local organizers fighting the climate crisis in your community.

Universities are incubators for future leaders, professionals, and policymakers, making them ideal cultivators of environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

The Importance of Sustainability in Higher Ed - Public Citizen Universities are incubators for future leaders, professionals, and policymakers, making them ideal cultivators of environmental stewardship and social responsibility. By…

"Starting last November, I've had the privilege of collaborating with ten neighborhood associations. Their passionate leaders have come together to drive change and address recycler emissions. We are united in our call for recyclers to be responsible community members."

Safe Recycling and Protecting Public Health: An Update on Efforts to Reduce Metal Recycler Emissions in San Antonio - Public Citizen As the climate justice organizer for Public Citizen in San Antonio, I’m deeply invested in fighting climate redlining, particularly in…

Federal Disaster Recovery Assistance Available for Residents in Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker Counties • Lone Star Legal Aid President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has declared a major disaster in Texas due to severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding. Federal assistance is now available in Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker counties for temporary housing, home repairs, low-cost loans, and more. Appl...

Don't mess with Texas? Consumer advocates say state falls short enforcing environmental law Despite the state's famous "Don't mess with Texas" ad campaign, the TCEQ only investigated half of the complaints it received last year.

Does Congressman Crenshaw know the extent of the risk from chemical facilities in his district? Does he know how long communities have waited for this rule?

Does he care?

Public Citizen Op-ed in the Houston Chronicle: Did Dan Crenshaw Forget the KMCO Explosion in His Own District? - Public Citizen The following op-ed first appeared in the Houston Chronicle on April 12, 2024 Five years ago this month, there was…

Earlier this month, Lt. Gov. Patrick called on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to pause issuing permits for cement kilns.

Patrick's request raised a bunch of questions. We try to answer some here 👇

Dan Patrick Learns What Many Texans Already Know: TCEQ Permitting Doesn’t Work - Public Citizen Last week, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick sent a letter to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Chairman Jon Niermann…

The expansion of carbon capture infrastructure in Texas presents a threat to communities' drinking water. Carbon capture and storage projects need rigorous regulatory oversight or proper community engagement.

Tell the EPA: Don’t let carbon waste injection poison our future Efforts to expand carbon capture and storage, or 'CCS,' projects are underway in Texas. This new CCS effort presents a new risk to communities' drinking water. CCS involves injecting highly pressurized carbon dioxide waste deep into the earth below our communities into wells and pipelines – and if...

If we have any hope of protecting our communities from extreme heat impacts, the Bexar County Medical Examiner and San Antonio Metropolitan Health District must prioritize the tracking and recording of heat-related deaths.

Bexar County and San Antonio have to do better!

Sign the petition if you live in the county 👇

Count the Bodies! Extreme Heat is Killing Us. We Demand a Better Medical Response. Last year was the hottest year on planet Earth in 125,000 years, heat being driven, according to NASA and NOAA, “primarily” by the burning of fossil fuels. It was the hottest in San Antonio, too, as residents sweltered through months of 100+ temperatures. This summer is loaded to be that extreme...

Fort Bend friends,

Join us this Wednesday for an environmental awareness town hall. We'll gather at the Missouri City Community Center Auditorium and start at 6 p.m. Bring a neighbor! Register here: bit.ly/fortbendepa