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Keep Your Promise, ATX: Stop Burning Coal!

After years of pressure from the community, the Austin City Council adopted a plan in 2014 that committed to shutting down Austin Energy's portion of the coal-burning Fayette power plant by the end of 2022. This pledge has been a cornerstone of meeting our climate goals, but in November, Austin Energy announced that they haven't come to an agreement with the co-owner of Fayette that will allow them to keep that promise.

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) - which co-owns the Fayette coal plant - is a captive agency controlled by Gov. Abbott’s political appointees, but that doesn't mean there aren't ways to pressure them into cooperating. We're asking the Austin City Council to direct Austin Energy to get tough with their negotiation tactics.

First: Stop investing in coal. Austin Energy shouldn't be approving any more investments in maintaining the Fayette coal plant. Why put money into a facility you're trying to shut down? Each year, the Fayette Management Committee, which is half Austin Energy and half LCRA representatives, votes on a capital budget for the plant. That vote happens in May or June and we want Austin Energy to vote "no." If LCRA wants to keep running the plant against our will, the least they can do is pay for its maintenance.

Second: Invest in groundwater testing. A 2019 report by the Environmental Integrity Project presents data showing groundwater contamination at and around Fayette that is likely coming from the coal ash disposed of at the site. Coal ash is full of toxic substances that cause cancer, heart disease, reproductive failure, and stroke, and can inflict lasting brain damage on children. LCRA should have added additional testing wells when this problem was first noticed, but that hasn't happened. Even if the LCRA doesn't want to take action to protect the local community and ecosystems, Austin should.

Email the Austin City Council to ask that they direct Austin Energy to stop funding coal and immediately invest in additional groundwater testing.

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Austin City Council

Subject: Financial oversite of Fayette is essential

Message:

I’m writing today because I’m deeply concerned that Austin’s portion of the coal-burning Fayette power plant may not be shut down at the end of this year as was promised by the Austin City Council in 2014 and reaffirmed in 2017 and 2020. Continuing to burn coal makes it impossible for Austin to meet our climate goals because it accounts for about 80% of Austin Energy’s emissions and nearly 30% of the whole Austin community’s emissions. Climate action and burning coal simply don’t go together. I realize that the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) – which co-owns Fayette – is trying to block Austin Energy (AE) from keeping this promise to the Austin community. That’s why I’m asking you to take additional action. Specifically, I call on you to: 1.	Exercise your right and responsibility to provide robust financial oversight. Austin Energy should be required to get Council approval before they sign-off on Fayette budgets or any capital expense over $43,000. It is the council’s job to provide financial oversight to protect ratepayers and I am calling on you to exercise that right and responsibility. Ideally, Council would direct Austin Energy to reject all proposed budgets and expenses for repairs at Fayette. The Fayette Management Committee (which AE controls 50% of) keeps approving budgets and large capital expenses, even as AE says they want to shut the plant down. There is no reason for Austin ratepayers to keep paying to repair a facility we want to retire. 2.	Expose the extent of water pollution at Fayette: A 2019 report by the Environmental Integrity Project presents data showing groundwater contamination at and around Fayette that is likely coming from the coal ash disposed of at the site. Coal ash is full of toxic substances that cause cancer, heart disease, reproductive failure, and stroke, and can inflict lasting brain damage on children. The LCRA should have added additional testing wells when this problem was first noticed, but that has not happened. Even if the LCRA does not want to take action to protect the local community and ecosystems, Austin should. Austin’s responsibility for the pollution at and around the Fayette site will continue even after the plant is shut down. We must repair the harm we helped to create. Please direct Austin Energy to pay for additional groundwater testing at and around the site and make all data publicly available. As the climate crisis continues to accelerate, it is essential that we meet our local emissions reduction goals. We must stop burning goal to protect the climate and reduce air and water pollution. I appreciate your time and service and look forward to hearing from you soon on this critical issue.

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Keep Your Promise, ATX: Stop Burning Coal!

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