A Big Day For Renewable Energy And Clean Air In Texas

We just got the following note from State Rep. Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio) about a little project we’ve told you about here at Capitol Annex before. Sadly, we’re at Netroots Nation today and in a time crunch, but we wanted to pass on the words from Rep. Villarreal:

This is a big day for renewable energy and clean air in Texas. The Public Utility Commission (PUC) selected a plan to build transmission lines that can carry up to 15,000 megawatts of wind – and eventually solar – energy from west Texas to consumers around the state. While I had urged the PUC to choose a larger plan, their decision is still a big step forward for cleaner air, affordable energy, green jobs and a stronger Texas economy. Texas was a world leader in oil and gas in the 20th Century, and I’m glad to see we’re putting ourselves in a position to be a world leader on renewable energy in the 21st Century. Thanks to the decision today, renewable energy will account for nearly one-quarter of energy consumption in the state by 2015, compared to around five percent today. By lowering consumers’ reliance on increasingly costly energy sources, such as natural gas, we will reduce their energy bills as well as the pollution in the air they breathe.

I particularly want to thank all the readers of Burnt Orange Report, Capitol Annex and other blogs who signed the petition on my website, www.leaderslisten.org. We delivered to the PUC the names of more than 5,000 Texans calling for an aggressive plan to build up the state’s renewable energy transmission lines.

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