Texas lawmakers unite over energy and climate issues amid record-breaking heat - Alabama's News Leader
Texas lawmakers unite over energy and climate issues amid record-breaking heat | WSBT
AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE) — Texas lawmakers are working together to address the issues that have only been exacerbated by the recent record-breaking heat.
When State Rep. Erin Zweiner was asked if energy or climate-related issues were worth calling a special session over, she said they are “absolutely worth calling a special session over. But I don't see that in the cards with our governor."
The Democratic representative of Driftwood, Texas, is the chair of Texas’ Energy and Climate Caucus. Zweiner, as well as her colleague, Republican Rep. Drew Darby, said they are proud of their caucus’ ability to work together on issues that impact all Texans.
"When we come together, we can be a powerful force and I think this caucus has done just that," said Darby.
"I think it's a lot of our challenge as a caucus and what we're rising to that we need to quit talking about 'Is climate change happening?' We see what's happening around us. Members are experiencing drought in their district. People have experienced the extreme heat of this year," said Zweiner.
The sweltering summer dropped Central Texas lakes to record lows, as well as caused most Texans to crank up their A/Cs, putting pressure on the state’s grid and resulting in calls for conservation by ERCOT.
"We've been working to encourage more energy efficiency and demand response programs that would help Texas be more flexible in times when we have high demand and would reduce our overall demand and save Texans money," said Zweiner.
"We have increased population, we have increased needs, so we want to make sure we have good sound policy, not only building -- making sure we have the correct energy mix but we also want to make sure that we focus on the demand side too," said Darby.
The members of the caucus said they’re also working on bringing new renewable energy opportunities to Texas.
When the grid was pushed to the brink over the summer, renewable energy is reportedly responsible for helping keep the A/Cs running.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”