UPDATE with a FLIR video showing emissions from the exact plants Denton wants to build.
I apologize for my absence here and offer two lame excuses:
- I’ve been running around all over the place, mostly while sick, doing things I think you will like.
- There is so much to tell that I get overwhelmed.
But after today’s events in Denton, I feel compelled to make a chronicle. So what follows is information with a few rumors gathered from Facebook, the city website, emails and phone calls and is peppered with opinion.
For background: Early in October, I sent out an SOS because we learned that Denton Municipal Electric wants to build two natural gas power plants in the city. The next day I highlighted the intense greenwashing applied to the plan. Someone said the city spent $24,000 on that greenwashing
Today (or maybe it was last night) we saw on the City Council Agenda an item to purchase 166.79 acres out by the airport. And the council wanted to give the city manager authority to spend $6.5 million dollars of taxpayer money on this acreage.
Do the math: At that price, the 166 acres would be roughly $40k per acre. I’m pretty sure there is no land in Denton worth that much. The land was recently valued at $5,000 per acre according to some research by a resident, who said the owner is John W. Porter who happens to, conveniently, be in the oil and gas business. It was also said that he is one of the 1% in Denton who owns minerals.
Speaking of doing the math: Denton is 78% renewable energy according to the EPA.
Denton ranks 16 with 78% renewables on @EPA Top 30 Local Guv Green Power https://t.co/wVHYGbzRYK
— Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe (@phwolfeDRC) October 26, 2015
Needless to say, Denton burned the Internets down today. And how sad that residents have to spend so much intense time and energy on these things. No one in Denton wants this crazy land deal except, perhaps, Mr. Porter and whomever else profits. No one in Denton wants two natural gas power plants. Natural gas power plants are terrible investments.
…a recent report from the operator of the Texas grid – the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) – says that between 2007 and 2013, new natural gas-fired power plants would have lost money every year except 2008 and 2011… When the major financial annalists are saying that large power plants aren’t going to be as profitable as smaller renewable energy developments, why would Austin chose to stick with the technology of the past? Source
The Associated Press reports that investors have lost $8 of every $10 invested in fracking shale. Investing in fossil fuel is foolish. See this presentation from Smitty at Public Citizen. Here are slides 2, 3 and 4. 
Postponement: Then suddenly this evening we learn the council meeting has been canceled and moved to Friday at 2:30 in the afternoon when no one can attend when the work session starts. But these two agenda items were taken off the agenda to be taken up again sometime in the future, perhaps on November 10th. 
If any of the above is incorrect, I hope someone at the city will set me straight with the correct information. 
Serving as a city councilman in Denton is an unpaid position where you make complicated decisions that are bound to make someone mad. But there are all kinds of perks and advantages for those who have businesses and investments such as land development. I want to believe that there are good guys on the council. (We know the two women council members are “good guys.”) But this deal looks and smells fishy. Aren’t there governmental agencies that investigate this type of thing? I tweeted to Kevin Roden today but received no reply.
WTH? @KevinRoden A $6.5 million overpriced land deal? Is Denton’s investment in #natgas a done deal or U still open to alternatives? — TXsharon (@TXsharon) October 26, 2015
I called Mayor Watts asking for a conversation but received no reply.
What I want is some assurance that the residents will be given some time. There are consultants who can help Denton with more energy options but we need some time and some expectation that an honest look will be given to other options.
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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Please keep me posted on up coming event’s. I want to help!
Hi Sharon,
I have been fighting the city over DME issues for over 10 years. I have to say at this point in time, I believe DME is more out of control than I have ever seen. FYI . In 2010 John Porter Jr. cut a deal with DME to buy an easement and a temp. easement for the power lines that were constructed along Bonnie Brae at the corner of University Drive.. He was paid 293,778.00 plus paid closing cost for the easement, which came out to approx 10 dollars per sq. foot. NOT ONE OTHER PROPERTY OWNER ALONG BONNIE BRAE WAS OFFERED A DIME OR EVEN TOLD THE HUGE STEEL POLES WERE COMING. IT took me and others including a lawyer to take them to court to get those folks paid. It took two and a half years to get the city to pay. On top of that, the property owners still did not get what Mr Porter got per square foot. The city charter says a project like these power plants require a vote by the citizens of Denton which are the OWNERS of DME. Not only are these plants a slap in the face of all the folks that voted in the fracking ban, but to all the voters of Denton. The citizens of Denton need to stop this abuse of power and stop it now. The two ladies on the council are putting up a valiant fight to stop the crazy ideas that are coming before the council. It is time for the citizens of Denton to take a stand with these ladies. If all the anti frackers want their voices to continue to be heard I suggest you look around you and see what is happening and get off your ass and do something. The city has laughed in your face over your successful vote and now it is pay back time.
Our neighborhood fought porter investments. They knocked down a small one acre lot that was completely forested, and added a nice break of natural environment on 389, to build a apartment complex. Now at least 20 homes in out at neighborhood, which had beautiful views of that wooded area, now get to see 3 story apartment complex wedged into a tiny space. The noise, lights, and what we challenged the most.. The poor drainage in our neighborhood and the traffic is all going to bring down all of our values significantly. Porter insisted he builds beautiful properties… Come look at this wall he put up. It is a cheap piece of crap of a nice mason wall. I am very disappointed. The whole process is/was ridiculous. The council wouldn’t give us our 13 minutes to talk as a neighborhood representative. Since they packed so much into the meeting it went on till after midnight. We didn’t get to present our side well. They made promises…. Now I understand why they voted in favor. I knew it was all a convoluted mess. (This is not edited because I’m on my phone and can’t see) anyway… He screwed our neighborhood over. I don’t think he has the city’s best interest at heart.
Thanks for the information here Sharon and yes, it has come fast and furious and hard to stay on top of. Some of us with the frack free denton movement met last night to discuss our options on how to put the brakes on this move for 2 gas power plants. One thing that seems to go missing in these conversations is what you have brought up in your post about cost and decreasing supplies of natural gas. Experts outside the gas and oil industry have been telling us for sometime that shale gas reserves are being depleted for more quicker than industry specialists are telling us. I wrote on this nearly 3 years ago and time since then continues to bear this out. It seems nuts to invest in an energy source whose life expectancy will be short-lived
http://woodgatesview.com/2012/11/27/whats-behind-the-pretty-face-and-promises-of-the-energytomorrow-ads/