After Vowing to Ditch Coal a Year Ago, CPS Energy Should Also Quit Fracked Gas
Despite the energy utility’s phase-out of coal, San Antonio would still miss its climate goals by trading one fossil fuel for another
SAN ANTONIO – One year ago today, the largest municipally-owned energy utility in the country – San Antonio’s CPS Energy – announced it would end its use of coal to generate electricity by 2028.
The welcome news came with a catch: the utility will shutter one of two coal-burning units at the J.K. Spruce Station and continue to use the other by converting it to run on fracked gas. CPS Energy acknowledges that its gas conversion at Spruce means San Antonio would miss the emissions reduction targets in the city’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP).
DeeDee Belmares, clean energy advocate for Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“The announcement by CPS Energy a year ago was welcome and celebrated. But, to be clear, it was a half-measure. Switching out one fossil fuel for another only prolongs San Antonio’s dependence on dirty energy and wastes valuable time in the fight against the global climate crisis. CPS Energy can do better than committing to decades of burning a fossil fuel that failed Texas during Winter Storm Uri and whose price has proven volatile. There are better, cleaner and increasingly affordable ways to power the city, and CPS Energy should move swiftly to bring more renewable alternatives online.”