President and CEO Richard Perez testified before the CPS Energy public input session this week to express Chamber members’ concerns regarding the City of San Antonio’s draft Climate and Adaptation plan. The City’s plan proposes San Antonio become "carbon neutral" by 2050. The draft plan has drawn mixed reactions since its release in late January, and many of our business members have expressed concerns about the plan being far too aggressive and not clear about the associated costs of implementation for individuals and the various businesses sectors in our community. What is most concerning is that environmental activism groups say the City needs to adopt a stronger plan as the current iteration isn't aggressive enough when it comes to the timeline for reducing emissions and the use of coal as fuel by CPS Energy.
The draft plan details changes in five categories that would decrease greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on carbon-based fuels: energy and buildings; transportation and land use; waste and consumption; water and natural resources; and climate equity. Regarding climate equity, the City believes that people who are already socially vulnerable (for example, the elderly, the sick, and the poor) are less able to adapt to climate impacts and to prioritize climate action, and it is therefore the City’s responsibility to eliminate theses inequities.
It is imperative that the business community weigh-in on this issue. Your Chamber hosted a roundtable discussion last week to gather member input in preparation of the upcoming community input sessions. In addition, Chamber councils and committees have and will continue to host the City to present the elements of the plan. The 30-day comment period for the plan ends February 24, but we understand there is flexibility with the deadline.
In his public testimony, Richard Perez conveyed that our members are concerned about how much implementation will cost both small businesses and large businesses, as that is not clearly outlined in the proposed plan. He highlighted how CPS Energy prides itself on having a diverse portfolio which has led to their affordable energy prices. In addition, the proposed plan will no doubt drive up the cost of electricity, housing, real estate and transportation, all of which will make San Antonio more expensive and less competitive. This could ultimately drive away jobs. You can view Richard's talking points here.
You can also access a snapshot of the plan here. Finally, we encourage you to complete the SA Speak Up online survey about the draft here.
Count on your Chamber to keep you updated on this very important issue. For more information, please contact Stephanie Reyes, Vice President of Public Policy at sreyes@sachamber.org.
