Voters in El Paso will make their intentions known later this week on a controversial charter amendment known as the Climate Charter which seeks to address a wide range of climate issues locally.
Appearing on city ballots as Proposition K, the proposal, if passed, would establish a Climate Department allowing for the public ownership of the utility company El Paso Electric.
The proposal also calls for creation of a city-wide solar energy plan, a blueprint for preparing the city’s infrastructure for extreme weather events, and a ban on the sale of city water for any fossil-fuel related activities beyond the physical boundaries of El Paso.
The new charter would additionally mandate that 80% of the energy used by the city must be composed of “clean renewable energy” by the end of the decade.
A further item in the proposal would see the establishment of a Climate Commission tasked with advancing the goals of the Climate Charter.
The proposal has won support from a number of community and labor groups. In fact, its appearance on the ballot is the result of a successful petition drive late last year securing upwards of 36,000 signatures.
Among those groups supporting the Climate Charter: the Sunrise Movement of El Paso, Justicia Fronteriza, and the Washington-based Earthworks.
Those in opposition, charging that the Climate Charter will prove too cumbersome and expensive to enforce, include the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and a group called the Consumer Energy Alliance.
By Garry Boulard
