Texans Overwhelmingly Oppose Gov. Goodhair-Backed Plan To Fast-Track 11 Coal Plants

Texans overwhelmingly oppose Gov. Rick Perry's fast-tracking of permits for new coal-burning electric plants and prefer renewable energy and conservation over construction of new power plants, according to a poll released Wednesday by a group fighting the new coal plants.

Dallas-based TXU, which wants to build 11 coal-burning units, challenged the neutrality of the poll's questions, saying they seemed intended to steer responses. A spokesman for Mr. Perry dismissed the poll as the product of "a left-leaning group." The Texas office of the Environmental Integrity Project, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that advocates stronger environmental enforcement, commissioned the poll.

The poll found that 81 percent of those interviewed said they opposed Mr. Perry's effort to speed up coal plant permitting unless the state fully considers environmental and health concerns. The governor's October 2005 order cuts the time for state hearings on new coal plants' permits from about a year to six months. "The good news today is that Texans are giving a big thumbs-down" to that accelerated permit process, said Ilan Levin, counsel to the Environmental Integrity Project. "To say that Governor Perry has no mandate from the public for his plan to rubber-stamp these dirty power plants may be the understatement of the year."

The poll found two-thirds opposed to the construction of new coal plants, with 47 percent strongly opposed. Three-fourths of those interviewed said they would favor new coal plants only after stronger state efforts for conservation and energy efficiency.

EDIT

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-poll_07met.ART.North.Edition1.3e96a5a.html

Harvests are down and some places look scorched in photos.

Then there's the fact that many Houstonians thought that Rita was headed their way. Remember the giant traffic jams?

Do you expect that some Texans think that something's up?

Guess it must not matter that much....