Media Contact:
Angel Ulloa, Sunrise El Paso, sunriseelpasotexas@gmail.com; Miguel Escoto, Earthworks, Miguel Escoto, mescoto@earthworksaction.org; Chaparral Parents in Action, Dr. David Garcia, drdavidjgarcia@yahoo.com
December 8th — Today a coalition of regional and local groups sent a letter to El Paso City Councilors outlining their powers to delay or stop the proposed Newman 6 fracked gas fueled expansion to the Newman Power Plant. The letter urges the Councilors to use their powers to provide transparency to affected residents and accountability to El Paso Electric.
On October 12th the El Paso City Council unanimously expressed its disapproval of El Paso Electric’s proposed Newman 6 fracked gas power plant expansion, but did not take action to stop it. Today the opposition coalition, led by Sunrise El Paso, held a press conference announcing the letter and their intention to press Councilors to take a position on using their power.
‘’With power comes responsibility. The Council knows Newman 6 is a bad idea, they have the power to to reject it. They have the responsibility to protect us. On Friday, we’re going to make public every Councilor’s position on using their power, whether in support, opposition or silence.” — Angel Ulloa, Sunrise El Paso organizer
“Newman 6 is harmful to our community and should be rejected. As a Councilmember, I call on my colleagues to join me in following the advice of this letter. Our City Council must do more to prevent this gas-plant expansion” — El Paso City Councilor Alexsandra Annello, District 2
Along with the Council, Newman 6 is opposed by a local, regional, and national coalition of groups because the plant would negatively impact local health and the global climate by locking in decades more of fracked-gas demand in the 10th sunniest city in the world.
“As a former Doña Ana County Commissioner that represented New Mexico cities and communities threatened by Newman 6, I know citizens of these communities are strongly opposed, as I am, to El Paso Electric’s proposal.” — Dr. David J. Garcia of Chaparral Parents in Action, a fenceline resident who is about a mile from the proposal
“This summer in the middle of a pandemic, elders in our community had to leave their homes to visit cooling centers to avoid heatstroke. Those of us lucky enough to have air conditioning paid either high electricity or water bills, depending on our a/c unit. To break the vicious cycle of fossil fuels causing higher temperatures causing more fossil fuel use, we need to stop relying on fossil fuels. In the 10th sunniest city in the world, that means rejecting the Newman 6 fracked-gas power plant in favor of renewable energy.” — Veronica Carbajal
For More Information:
• Coalition letter to El Paso City Councilors outlining their legal powers with respect to El Paso Electric’s proposed Newman 6 fracked-gas power plant expansion
• Background information the Newman 6 fracked gas power plant proposal, and the effort to reject it.
• EPE’s public notice of application for permit for Newman 6