Policy
Areas

TEJED Working Policy Document

The Texas Environmental Justice, Energy, and Democracy (TEJED) coalition works in the pursuit of a sustainable and equitable energy future for Texas.

TEJED aligns its vision with the fundamental belief that everyone deserves access to affordable, non-polluting renewable energy. Our collective mission is rooted in the commitment to shield communities disproportionately impacted by fossil fuel-related environmental and health hazards. We advocate for a just transition to clean energy that generates quality jobs, enhances public health, and safeguards our water, land and air from pollution.

Below is our working document outlining four policy areas. We include frameworks, recommendations and strategic thinking. Some policies will be part of legislative strategy, some will be local, and others will combine the two. This document will be used to formulate statewide strategies and initiatives.

Policy Areas

Transparency + Accessibility

We seek all government agencies follow the same set of guidelines for accessibility to the public and open transparency of operations.

Energy Democracy

This work seeks democratic control of energy resources and for green infrastructure to be built with commitments to equity.

Waste Management

This is about pollution - Full Stop - the contamination of our air, land and water - the health of our communities and ecosystems - what our children inherit.

Industrial Facilities + Infrastructure

This is about stopping the bad stuff we dont want from being built.

1. Transparency and Accessibility Policy Framework

Our coalition is dedicated to making Texas’ regulatory agencies more transparent and accessible to constituents/residents, addressing the issues we face. With political power being inherent to the people, we are committed to ensuring the State acts as a guarantor to the right of residents to be informed citizens and have equal access to government. To accomplish this, we are committed to ensuring we protect against political corruption, improve current regulatory practices, establish meaningful engagement of residents with governing bodies, and fortify accessibility of information.

Texas has a long history of close ties between elected officials, regulatory bodies, and the powerful oil and gas industry. This has led to concerns about lack of transparency, potential conflicts of interest, and policies that favor industry over the public interest. The 2021 Texas power crisis, which left millions without electricity for days, highlighted the need for better oversight and enforcement of regulations on energy providers.

Transparency + Campaign Finance

We condemn the patterned behavior of regulatory/oversight bodies allowing for open policies that permit businesses to take advantage of taxpayers. The Texas Ethics Commission (TEC), which oversees campaign finance disclosure, has been criticized for lax enforcement and inadequate disclosure requirements. The negligence of the TEC has allowed for a status quo, granting public officials to have financial interests in, and take campaign contributions from the same companies they regulate. We support strong recusal policies and prompt enforcement of standards to prevent conflicts of interest in decision making.

Policy Recommendations:

Legislation requiring full disclosure of all campaign contributions over $1,000, including names of donors and sources of funds. This data should be posted online in a searchable database managed by the TEC.
Mandate elected officials and candidates disclose personal financial interests, including investments, paid positions, and gifts from businesses they regulate.
Mandate electeIncrease funding and authority for the TEC to vigorously enforce disclosure laws and levy larger fines/penalties for violations.d officials and candidates disclose personal financial interests, including investments, paid positions, and gifts from businesses they regulate.
Strengthen Open Records laws to limit exceptions and require faster response times for public information requests related to regulatory bodies.

Policy Recommendations:

Restricting elected officials from owning stock or paid positions with companies their office directly regulates.
Implementation of "revolving door" cooling off periods before former regulators can take industry jobs.
Requiring elected officials and commissioners to recuse themselves from decisions where a conflict exists.
TEC to proactively review financial disclosures for potential conflicts.

Conflict of Interest + Recusal Policies

There are numerous examples of Texas officials voting on matters involving companies they have financial ties to or have received campaign funds from, such as Public Utility Commissioners with investments in regulated energy companies.

Enforcement of Existing Rules + Integrity of the Law

Fines for violations by polluting industries are often treated as anticipated business expenses as opposed to effective deterrents. For this reason, stakeholders of the oil and gas industry argue that existing rules lack strict and consistent enforcement within recurrent regulatory bodies, such as TCEQ. We fervently support the expansion and increased funding for oversight bodies to ensure strict adherence to rules set forth by multi-sector experts and community input.

Policy Recommendations:

Increasing maximum fines and penalties for polluting industries and energy providers that violate rules.
More funding for TCEQ inspectors and enforcement staff to ramp up monitoring and site audits.
Mandating public disclosure of all industrial air pollution and emissions data in real-time.
Empowering the Texas AG to proactively investigate and prosecute violations.
Oppose any legislation that absolves carbon capture and storage operators from liability even after a site has been “closed”

We advocate for prioritizing the fiscal responsibility towards and fair treatment of taxpayers over the influence of private business interests.

We value financial prudence, accountability, and equity in decision-making processes. Information should also be made accessible for all Texans within a 1,000-foot radius, with all materials translated into requested languages and language interpretation present at all public meetings or education level. We uphold the adherence to accountability measures and strict compliance to established pollution transparency measures, urging policymakers to ensure enforcement of these policies.

2. Energy Democracy Policy Framework

Our proposed policy framework for Energy Democracy is centered around reimagining the grid by transitioning to distributed renewable energy sources and consumer-owned utilities. We advocate prioritizing consumer protections with the core tenets of affordability, safety, reliability, and security in our energy systems.

This work encompasses decision-making on power generation, labor considerations, rate structures, economic implications, and addressing the inefficiency and mismanagement that results in excessive costs for Texas residents and businesses. The deregulation of the Texas energy market was intended to drive down costs through market competition. However, it has struggled to provide affordable and reliable electricity, as evidenced by the 2021 winter storm that left millions without power for days and resulted in hundreds of deaths. In fact, Texas has averaged more power outages than any other state in the last five years.

Lower Utility Bills + Fair Corporate Contributions

In the face of energy providers like Vistra and NRG Energy making billions in profits on the wallets of Texas consumers, we emphasize the need for lower utility bills and fair corporate contributions to the energy landscape. Ownership of power production is a deeply held Texan value exemplified by municipal utilities and electric cooperatives. This is particularly significant in light of the natural monopoly aspects of electricity distribution, with Texas’ deregulated grid creating excessive profits for private providers that raise costs for all Texans who pay electricity bills.

Policy Recommendations:

Implement a Fair Pricing Regulation overseen by the Public Utility Commission to prevent unjustified rate hikes and ensure transparent billing practices from retail electric providers.
Establish a Corporate Responsibility Fund managed by the Texas Comptroller's office, where private energy companies contribute a percentage of their profits above a certain threshold to assist low-income Texans with their energy bills.

Policy Recommendations:

Enact legislation similar to the Philadelphia Utility Emergency Services Fund to prevent energy shut-offs for vulnerable populations without a grace period and opportunity for assistance.
Establish a statewide Energy Access Fund administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs using a portion of the System Benefit Fund. This fund would assist low-income residents with energy bill payments during financial hardships.

Energy Bill of Rights

Forty percent of low-to moderate income households have difficulty in paying their energy bills. We advocate for an Energy Bill of Rights based on the principle that access to energy is a human right. This would urge cities to protect individuals from energy shut-offs during crisis periods and assert the right to affordable energy access. Our approach involves dismantling barriers and ensuring no Texan goes without power through cross-sector collaborations between government, non-profits, and energy providers committed to affordable energy.

Community Guarantors + Consumer Protections

Predatory business models and misleading pricing schemes have proliferated in the deregulated energy market, leading to rampant slamming and cramming cases where companies switch customers’ providers without consent or mislead customers on rates. We advocate for community organizations to act as guarantors for energy bills, fostering consumer education, ameliorating mistakes, and offering protections against corrupt business practices.

Policy Recommendations:

Develop a Community Guarantor Program overseen by Community Advisory Board, where trusted non-profit/community organizations can vouch for and submit payment plans for residents unable to pay their energy bills outright, reducing shut-off risk.
Strengthen consumer protection rules enforced by the Public Utility Commission and allow more rigorous oversight over retail electric providers' marketing practices and billing transparency to prevent misleading pricing tactics. Increase fines for slamming/cramming violations.

Policy Recommendations:

Expand funding for the Texas LoanSTAR Revolving Loan Program and Weatherization Assistance Program to subsidize large-scale residential and commercial building weatherization, energy efficiency retrofits, and renewable installations.
Develop a Resilient Grid Initiative within the Public Utility Commission focused on grid modernization and hardening through burying power lines, diversifying energy sources with more renewable integration on the distribution system level, and widespread battery storage deployment to provide backup power reserves. This can be funded by a Grid Resilience Fee on energy providers not to be pushed to consumers.

Weather Efficiency Measures + Grid Resilience

Much of Texas’ energy generation capacity relies on thermal sources like natural gas that are vulnerable to extreme weather events and are often more expensive. Energy efficiency measures are the least costly expenditures utilities can make to reduce demand and strain on the grid. Transitioning to more distributed renewable sources like rooftop solar can also increase grid resilience.

We advocate for prioritizing the fiscal responsibility towards and fair treatment of taxpayers over the influence of private business interests.

3. Waste Management Policy

The TEJED coalition is committed to addressing the critical issue of pollution in Texas, recognizing its profound impact on the health of our communities and the environment. Our approach embodies our core values of corporate responsibility, environmental stewardship, and community well-being.

At this point in our state energy history, we recognize a pattern of negligence by companies in extractive industries that has led to increased waste materials polluting our natural landscapes. These waste materials take the form of air and water pollution or sludge, with a lack of sufficient oversight leading to increased public exposure to toxic chemicals affecting our health and excessive greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, multiple state, local, and federal agencies are responsible for overseeing the same industries and even the same waste streams within each industry, creating a complex enforcement mechanism that prevents toxic waste streams from being properly managed and puts the public at risk.

Mining and Drilling Standards, Emissions Regulations + Responsible Waste Management Practices

We advocate for robust mining and drilling standards, emissions regulations, and prudent waste management practices, emphasizing the shared goal of safeguarding public health and preserving our natural resources and reducing the toxic legacy inherited by future generations. Industries must be responsible for reducing and remedying the environmental impacts stemming from their operations, rather than transferring the burden to taxpayers.

Policy Recommendations:

Implement stringent mining and drilling standards overseen by the RRC and the TCEQ, incorporating health impact assessments to evaluate the economic impact of areas too toxic to develop.
Advocate for stronger methane regulations, clean air standards, and robust enforcement of industrial emissions regulations, emphasizing the importance of community engagement, accountability, and enforcement mechanisms.
Develop a comprehensive list of all types of waste that need to be regulated and create a distinction between intentional and unintentional emissions. Strengthen enforcement mechanisms for waste management standards and asset retirement obligations, ensuring compliance and the integrity of the law by the RRC, TCEQ, and the Texas Legislature.

Policy Recommendations:

Implement a cumulative emissions (such as those existing in New Jersey) rule to ensure that no community is overburdened by emissions, acknowledging this in federal documents about Environmental Justice and developing legislation to enforce it.
Mandate public Health Impact Assessments and enhanced community engagement requirements for all new/expanded industrial projects. Learn more >
Implement Fenceline Monitoring requirements to measure emissions levels at site boundaries to neighboring communities and enforce limits. Learn more >
Advocate for equitable policy frameworks and health impact assessments to ensure that the burden of pollution is not disproportionately affecting certain communities, emphasizing a public health-centered approach.
Promote job creation potential in waste management when standards and asset retirement obligations are fully enforced and paid for by responsible operators.

Equitable Solutions + Community Well-Being

In addressing the divergent local, state, and federal concerns over waste and public health, we propose equitable solutions that prioritize community well-being and environmental stewardship. Ensuring a robust, safe, and healthy workforce will require job training programs and the ability for workers to collectively bargain for workplace health and safety measures and compensation packages that acknowledge risk in the workplace.

Innovate Cross-Border Collaboration + International Waste Management

Being located on an international border where the Rio Grande is affected by waste streams from both sides of the border, we see tremendous potential for collaboration on these issues.

Some of the greatest challenges facing rivers that transcend international boundaries are the differing standards for pollution imposed by each country and contrasting ideas regarding the management of water resources. The Rio Grande is a prime example of these issues as various stakeholders in both the US and Mexico must coordinate their efforts to maintain the health of the river system. There is not currently an effective governance mechanism for managing waste streams and pollution in this shared water resource between the U.S. and Mexico and see tremendous potential for bi-national collaboration.

Policy Recommendations:

Develop a collaborative approach to managing waste streams and pollution in the Rio Grande, involving both U.S. and Mexican regulatory agencies and governments. Foster binational agreements and joint task forces to reduce pollution and improve water quality through shared initiatives and technology solutions
Develop joint waste management plans to address pollution in shared water resources. Promote the adoption of advanced re use or treatment technologies that can effectively remove contaminants before they reach the Rio Grande
River Restoration: Implement comprehensive river restoration projects focusing on reforestation, erosion control, and habitat rehabilitation along the Rio Grande. Efforts should aim to remediate defragmented habitat loss, improve water quality and water availability, and support biodiversity

Policy Recommendations Continued:

Invasive Species Management: Develop and enforce policies aimed at controlling and eradicating invasive species such as Arundo donax and Tamarisk. Utilize both mechanical, biological, and other ecologically responsible removal methods, and engage community residents in restoration efforts
Water Reclamation and Advanced Reuse: Support the development and expansion of Community Water and Energy Resource Centers (CWERCs), models developed by RGISC which serve as local-scale, decentralized wastewater reclamation systems. These facilities not only reduce the operational costs associated with large, centralized wastewater treatment plants but also transform waste into valuable by-products and resources. Promote the adoption of CWERCs across municipalities, leveraging their financial viability and environmental benefits to foster widespread implementation
Eutrophication: Address nutrient pollution by implementing stricter regulations on agricultural runoff and urban discharge. Promote best management practices among farmers such as managing riparian buffer zones and nutrient management plans to minimize runoff
Border Waste Management: Advocate for improved solid waste management practices that minimize river contamination. This includes increasing recycling rates, properly disposing of hazardous materials, and developing public education programs on the impacts of solid waste on the rivers health
Enhanced River Monitoring: Strengthen river monitoring programs, such as the Texas Clean Rivers Program, to include more frequent testing (continuous or daily) for key indicators of water quality. Use this data to inform management decisions and public health advisories
Sustainable Groundwater Management: Promote policies that limit the extraction of groundwater to sustainable levels. Encourage the use of alternative water sources and conservation measures to reduce the pressure on groundwater supplies, ensuring long-term water security for the region

Policy Recommendations:

Monitoring + Legislative Proposals

Furthermore, we monitor legislative proposals related to produced water management and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding distribution, advocating for balanced approaches that prioritize water infrastructure development over short-term solutions like desalination.

Our commitment extends to advocating for stronger methane regulations, clean air standards, and robust enforcement of industrial emissions regulations, emphasizing the importance of community engagement, accountability, and enforcement mechanisms that transcend political divides.

4. Industrial Development + Infrastructure

Our state stands at a pivotal crossroads in its industrial buildout trajectory. As one of the nation’s leading energy producers, our state has stood at the forefront of oil and gas exploration and production. As we navigate the challenges in the coming years, it is imperative we recognize the evolving landscape of energy production and consumption for all residents, in addition to our historical role as a sacrifice zone. Despite producing more energy than we consume, the industry continues to promote overconsumption and unchecked expansion. Texans want comprehensive reforms that address environmental degradation, health disparities, and the economic challenges our communities— urban and rural— face.

The Need for Comprehensive Reforms

Organizations and communities across Texas are calling for policy changes that balance environmental stewardship, public health, and economic interests. Central to this movement is the call for a transparent permitting process that empowers both affected and interested parties. Enhanced notice requirements for individuals living near industrial facilities ensure that communities have a platform to voice concerns and demonstrate the potential or actual impacts on their well-being.

Policy Recommendations:

Implement robust public notice and 90-day comment periods any time new permits are requested within ____ miles of populated areas, with extended time frames for non-English speakers.
Implement a transparent permitting process that empowers both affected and interested parties, ensuring free, prior, and informed consent and meaningful public participation in decision-making processes.
Strengthen notice requirements for individuals living near industrial facilities to ensure communities have a platform to voice concerns and demonstrate the potential or actual impacts on their well-being.

Policy Recommendations:

Enact a moratorium on new drilling permits to safeguard local ecosystems and catalyze a broader call for stronger environmental protections.
Require companies to manage existing liabilities fully before issuing new permits and ensure TCEQ and RRC communicate about violations and enforcement actions before considering permit renewals.
Support the transition to renewable energy sources, such as green hydrogen and lithium mining, by setting clear principles for decision-making to set good boundaries and ensuring community involvement in the decision-making processes.

Moratorium on New Drilling Permits, Responsible Resource Management + the Renewable Energy Transition

Parallel to this advocacy for community engagement is the urgent demand for a moratorium on new drilling permits. Grassroots organizations are pushing for an immediate halt, not only to safeguard local ecosystems but also to catalyze a broader call for stronger environmental protections that affect local ecologies, communities, and economies. Responsible resource management must be central to defining new standards for our policies, offering regulatory certainty for businesses while addressing pressing environmental concerns. This must also be coupled with the broader global trend towards renewable energy sources, presenting opportunities for innovation, diversification, and sustainable growth within the energy sector.

Carbon Capture, Utilization + Storage (CCUS) Regulations

In the realm of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) regulations, grassroots efforts are focused on ensuring responsible development and environmental protections. Proposals to prohibit eminent domain for CCUS pipelines underscore the importance of safeguarding land rights, while demands to regulate injection wells emphasize the need for long-term carbon storage solutions. Additionally, addressing orphaned wells through increased financial assurance bonding reflects a commitment to responsible well management, environmental protection, and job security within the oil and gas industry.

Policy Recommendations:

Prohibit the use of eminent domain for siting CCUS pipelines and preventing private companies from seizing public land.
Require comprehensive studies on geologic storage capacities, leak remediation protocols, and mandate full bonding of estimated costs be paid by industry upfront, rather than public liability.
Increase regulation of injection wells to ensure long-term carbon storage solutions and responsible development.
Establish stringent design standards, continuous monitoring, and public reporting requirements for any injection wells to verify no leakage into water aquifers over the long-term.

Policy Recommendations:

Agency Oversight + Public Participation Reforms

Accountability within the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) remains a critical focus for grassroots organizations. Issues such as mineral disputes, misapplication of regulations, and lack of public participation in permit hearings due to accessibility issues highlight the need for transparency, fairness, and regulatory efficiency. Members of our coalition are actively working to address these concerns, advocating for increased public participation and accountability.

The grassroots environmental justice movement in Texas is united in its demand for transformative changes in industrial buildout policies.

By prioritizing environmental protection, public health, community well-being, and equitable development, we can pave the way for a resilient, sustainable, and just future for all Texans. It is imperative for policymakers to heed these demands and take decisive actions to fix a broken political landscape from further harming our communities and our ecosystems.