Houston Chronicle by Perla Trevizo Sep. 7, 2019
Industry-funded group calls for natural gas to be part of Houston’s climate plan
While the city’s proposed climate action plan has been generally well received, an industry-funded group is calling Houston out for not explicitly mentioning natural gas as a solution.
Houston’s 16-page plan calls for increasing the generation of renewable energy, greater investment in “green infrastructure†and expanding the use of alternative modes of transportation by making it easier for residents to walk, ride their bikes or use public transit.
The plan includes a goal that municipal operations are powered with 100 percent renewable energy and advocates for renewable energy policies at the state and federal levels.
“The first thing that struck us is the lack of acknowledgment of natural gas as a key tool in the tool box,†said Steve Everley, a spokesman for Texans for Natural Gas. “You are in Houston of all places and you are going to release a climate plan that effectively kicks out natural gas?â€
Texans for Natural Gas, founded in North Texas in 2014 and supported by the state’s leading energy companies, recently launched a campaign asking people to let the mayor and city council members know they were concerned about the city’s plan and supported the continued use of natural gas as part of any climate change strategy.
For Texans for Natural Gas, “no climate plan for Houston can be considered legitimate unless it utilizes an abundant, clean burning, and Texas made fuel like natural gas,†according to the online petition.
Oil and natural gas in Texas generated more than $12 billion in taxes in 2017 alone, the group says. And the industry directly supports nearly 350,000 jobs at an average salary of more than $130,000, Everly said, and natural gas can be credited for Texans paying less than the national average for electricity.
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