Is EPEC's Strategy To Be Bought Out?

El Paso Electric Company looks toward the Public Utility Commission of Texas to save their rate hike proposal in El Paso which includes putting rooftop solar customers into a special rate class while raising their rates by nearly 25%.  On December 8th, the El Paso City Council voted unanimously against the proposed rate increases and the “attack” on solar homeowners.

The El Paso Sierra Group has supported Eco El Paso financially in its effort to intervene against El Paso Electric both at City Council and now, most probably, in front of the PUCT.

Jefferies, a stock analysis group, predicted that EPEC’s game plan all along has been to take the matter before the Utility Commission. Jefferies reported: “[T]he company will take the long road to Austin for a litigated decision.” 
However, EPEC’s longer-range game plan may be more contemptible. In an interview with outgoing EPEC CEO, Tom Shockley, the El Paso Times revealed that he had been an officer of a company in the 1990’s which tried to take over El Paso Electric. Although that attempt failed, the EP Times reports that “Shockley said El Paso Electric may be courted by larger utility companies in the future.”

The implications of his statement are shocking. It seems that El Paso (and New Mexico) ratepayers are footing the bill for large infrastructure projects and exorbitant rates attractive to shareholders in order to make EPEC a more viable and lucrative takeover target.

The PUCT hearing is set for early next year.

Visit www.ecoelpaso.org to help the fight against EPEC.

O'Rourke Seeks National Monument Designation for Castner Range

The office of Beto O'Rourke announced just a few minutes ago that Rep. O'Rourke has introduced legislation to preserve Castner Range. The proposed legislation is in concert with a current letter campaign which asks President Obama to use his "authority under the Antiquities Act to protect the Castner Range landscape in western Texas as a national monument that honors the cultural, historical, scientific and environmental connections to the region."

You can download the letter from HERE. After printing it and signing, send to Janaé Reneaud Field, Executive Director, Frontera Land Alliance, 3800 N. Mesa St., Suite A2-258, El Paso, TX 79902 or email Janae@Fronteralandalliance.org.

Congressman O'Rourke's office issued this press release:

"Today Congressman Beto O'Rourke introduced the Castner Range National Monument Act. Castner Range is a 7,081-acre mountain range surrounded by the Franklin Mountains State Park in Northeast El Paso. This bill would protect Castner Range in perpetuity by making it a national monument.

The bill is the result of a community effort led by the Frontera Land Alliance, the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition and other environmental community leaders who have been working to protect Castner Range since the 1970s.

O’Rourke’s legislation will ensure that the public can continue to enjoy these lands forever while shining a national spotlight on El Paso. Castner Range would become the first national monument in West Texas and also the largest in any major metropolitan U.S. city. A national monument designation would also help El Paso realize new opportunities for economic development through tourism and outdoor recreation.

This legislation eventually transfers the mountain range from the Department of Defense (DoD) to the Department of Interior.

Congressman Beto O’Rourke said, “Castner Range is the crown jewel of West Texas. It deserves to be protected and preserved in its natural state. This legislation is written to do just that. I am grateful to the Frontera Land Alliance, the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition and our environmental and community partners for helping me write this legislation.”


For more information:
The Frontera Land Alliance's Castner Range Facebook page and Twitter page. 

Castnerrangenationalmonument.org should soon be live.

Unnatural Paths at Wilderness Park

I've been posting about Parks and Rec's exploits on the land surrounding the Museum. (The 17 acres owned by the City were first known as “the Wilderness Park.” There have been some objections to using that old name for the Museum grounds.) I visited there today and will have more to say in the days to come about what is happening. For now, I just want to point out one horrendous fact: El Paso's Parks and Recreation Department is contributing to the destruction of the Franklin Mountains.

The work on the old paths includes spreading red rock chat (screenings) which most probably came from the CEMEX quarry at McKelligon Canyon. (I'm checking.) Although pretty, red rock paths are not natural. What they really are is rock dynamited out of the side of the mountain, crushed and then spread in landscapes.

If you like the destruction of the Franklin Mountains, you will love how Parks and Rec is contributing to it. Red chat screenings do not rock.

Makes me sick.

The Friday Video: A Sneak Peek at the Benefits of Transit Oriented Development (TOD)

[If you receive elpasonaturally by email, the video will not be embedded. Go to www.elpasonaturally.blogspot.com to view.]

Big thanks to Rep. Peter Svarzbein for today's video. In his District 1 email today, Rep. Svarzbein announced two initiatives. Here is what he wrote:

"This week, our office made significant advancement in placing two policy items on council’s agenda related to transportation oriented development (TOD) and the renewable energy industry here in the El Paso Borderplex. The purpose of which is to think visionary, grow the commercial tax base so we can keep good jobs here, and hold the line on taxes for homeowner’s while making El Paso more competitive economically and culturally.

"The first item discussed and acted upon by council will expand the city’s Sustainable City Center economic incentives along our BRIO transit corridors. Currently, we offer developers incentives in the form of tax rebates, fee waivers, and construction material rebates when they design and build with TOD guidelines. TOD encourages multi-mixed use development and enhances quality of life giving access to multiple transit opportunities (rail, bus, etc.) for commuters to live, work, and play. The goal is to reduce our carbon footprint, as well as make El Paso more attractive in retaining and attracting an educated and mobile workforce. This is important for our current residents, millennials and future community members. Studies show that this is part and parcel to a nation-wide vision for more sustainable cities. In El Paso, growing transit oriented development will positively impact the economy, stretch our local resources and improve quality of life for residents.

"The second agenda item establishes El Paso’s first ever Regional Renewable Energy Industry Advisory Board. This comes on the tails of Council’s rejection of El Paso Electric’s rate increase case, which is on its way to Austin for state level Public Utility Commission review. During the process it became evident that solar has been left out of our community dialogue with regard to policy making and solar industry development. Imagine that… in a place called the Sun City, where sun is king, our city still has a gap in how we think and what we do about solar power, not only as an energy efficient way of using power but also as a homegrown economic industry. It is 2015, solar has been around long enough to now become an affordable way of generating and using power, and this board will have the responsibility to explore and make recommendations to Council about how to think larger about this and other revolutionary industries."

BRAVO!

You may also want to read Better Cities & Towns Freeway Free: A vision for the city.

IMAGINE.

Work at Archaeological Museum Raises Many Issues

I emailed Mr. Tracy Novak, Director of Parks and Recreation, Mrs.Tracey Jerome, Director of Museums and Cultural Affairs and Mr. Larry Nichols, Director of Planning. I simply asked whether anyone consulted with a hydrologist prior to beginning work at the Museum of Archaeology including the demolition of the gazebo and the bulldozing of the biocrust.

Response: It's been pretty quiet so far.

Now this: the city sent out a press release yesterday saying that the El Paso Museum of Archaeology and students from St. Mark's School are "working together to rehabilitate and repair the trail system around the museum as part of a community partnership." (Members of the archaeological community have been conveniently left out.) The students will work one Saturday of each month and "learn" prehistory while they are doing it.

As a result of severe weather and flooding the trails on the museum grounds have been closed for several years now. The Press Release states: "The city actively reached out to the community to find ways to improve the museum’s outdoor facilities." What it doesn't state is that members of the community reached out to city officials with some serious questions including why a hydrologist shouldn't be hired since the flood zone has changed and the design of the museum grounds is in conflict with the flood pattern.

In response to the city's press release, John Miller, a botanist and active Master Naturalist, asks:

"Can anyone point out to me a single thing which has been done towards the end of 'reopening the trails'?  Not a single thing accomplished to this point has contributed in any way towards any trail being reopened.

"The answer to re-opening the trails is not to be found in a volunteer workforce one Saturday a month; it will require ongoing attention from the City which has been sorely lacking to this point."

The problem, John, is that city officials believe that they are experts when they are anything but.

Parks and Recreation Plows through Another Arroyo

Photos above taken by Marilyn Guida on 12/7/15
at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology

Need to rent a bulldozer? Need to destroy yet another arroyo? Call Parks and Rec. Actually the last arroyo was Arroyo Park and it was EPWU that bulldozed outside of their right-of-way. However, Parks, which manages Arroyo Park, did not bother to contact the neighborhood association. Now they (Parks and Rec not EPWU) have plowed through another arroyo. This time at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology.

Maybe as early as last August, members of the archaeological community contacted Parks and recommended consulting with a hydrologist prior to doing any work to remediate the arroyo at the museum since it had suffered flood damage a year ago. 

It appears that they have just proceeded with their work without consulting any engineers or hydrologists. They removed the beloved gazebo in November.

I've been told that the flood plain changed from the southside to the northside of the museum. This occured when Trans Mountain was created in 1969 and has changed how water flows out of the Indidan Springs Canyon. The result has been the devastating flooding and a loss of life at Fairbanks and the need to constantly remove soil underneath Highway 54. Just something else for you and me to pay with our onerous property taxes.

I am no expert on the situation and will bring you more as I learn more. For now, if elpasonaturally were to hand out an environmental idiot award, Parks and Rec would be the top contender.

As Predicted

Here is an email from Shelby Ruff the Co-Founder of Off Grid Hardware:

"City Council Voted NO [unanimously] against El Paso Electric’s proposed rate increases & attacks on solar homeowners.  A letter will be sent to the Utility CEO Today to make it official.

"Please continue to support your local non-profits that are paying for the lawyers to intervene on behalf of the citizens of El Paso so we can have a voice. Eco El Paso (www.EcoElPaso.org) is a major voice in this case. EPEC may appeal the ruling to the PUC of Texas so we’re not done yet.  We need your support at Eco El Paso and every dollar and volunteer matters a great deal!

"We will keep you posted as the case continues with the Public Utility Commission of Texas and our lawyer will continue to battle on our behalf." 

Senator Rodríguez issued the following statement regarding El Paso City Council's unanimous vote to oppose El Paso Electric Company's proposed rate increases:


"The City Council did the right thing in deciding to contest El Paso Electric's rate proposal, which would raise rates for all residential customers by about 10 percent, and at least double that for customers with rooftop solar. This is particularly troubling because residential solar installation is rapidly growing in El Paso, providing relief to the grid and well-paying building trades jobs for community members. I look forward to the City vigorously advocating for all El Paso Electric customers as the rate case progresses."

Count on EPEC appealing the case to the PUCT. That has been there plan all along.