Renner Barsella, renner.barsella@sierraclub.org
BEAUMONT, TX. - Entergy Texas, a utility company headquartered in the Woodlands, received an “F” for its lack of plans to transition to clean energy in a new report by Sierra Club. The Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges report and research tool grades utilities based on their plans to retire coal plants, not build new gas plants, and invest in clean energy. This is the report’s second edition. The first report, published in 2021, also gave Entergy Texas an F, demonstrating that little has changed regarding the utility’s plans to reduce climate emissions.
“Entergy Texas is riding on false promises when it comes to their commitment to climate action and transition to clean energy,” said Emma Pabst, a Campaign Representative with Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “The company has set a goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Not only does that goal fall short of what the climate emergency demands, Entergy has failed to make adequate strides in that direction. Entergy continues to run its coal plants, drag its feet on clean energy, and has even proposed building a massive new methane plant on the Texas coast. Utilities across the country are doing better. Texans deserve better.”
The findings of this year’s report show the consequences of inaction and overdependence on fossil fuels. Entergy Texas is seeking approval from the Public Utility Commission of Texas to raise rates considerably. The company’s average residential bill this September was already a whopping $156 – up 40% from 2019. In addition, Entergy’s controversial proposal to build a 1,200 Megawatt gas and hydrogen-fired power plant in Bridge City, TX could move ahead despite the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) making clean energy an even more affordable option.
“Texans are already paying an arm and a leg for their electric bills,” said John Beard Jr., founder and CEO of the Port Arthur Community Action Network. “It is unacceptable for Entergy to raise rates right now as so many Texans are struggling. The Public Utility Commission should reject Entergy’s rate-increase proposal unless they agree to invest in clean energy and retire coal.”
“The Dirty Truth Report proves what people around the country are feeling as they struggle with grid reliability crises, blackouts, energy price spikes, and extreme weather events caused in large part by utilities’ stubborn reliance on expensive and unreliable fossil fuels,” Sierra Club Senior Director of Energy Campaigns Holly Bender said. “Utilities aren’t doing nearly enough to address climate change and ensure a liveable future for our children, despite their attempts at persuading folks otherwise by greenwashing and sowing climate denial.”
In addition to the report, Sierra Club also launched an interactive website which displays numerical and geographical data from the report, including scores for Entergy Texas and Xcel Texas / New Mexico. This data includes the utility’s grade, how much coal their utility is retiring, its planned gas plant capacity, and its investments in clean energy. Sierra Club’s Texas Clean Energy Scorecard also provides resources for the general public to learn about their utility, grading 77 investor-owned utilities, rural cooperatives, retail electricity providers and municipally-owned utilities for their efforts to invest in renewable energy and implement energy saving initiatives.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.