Public Citizen Texas (PCT) is a branch of the left-of-center Public Citizen, founded by left-wing consumer advocate and politician Ralph Nader. It advocates, lobbies, and supports local and state action in favor of weather-dependent solar and wind energy production and against the use of oil, gas, and coal. ¹

PCT advocates the appointment of Texas judges as opposed to the current election process and the elimination of free speech in elections for lobbyists and businesses. ^{2 3}

Founding and History

Public Citizen, Texas is the left-of-center Texas branch of the national Public Citizen organization founded by left-wing politician and activist Ralph Nader. It was formed in 1984 following a successful Public Citizen campaign that forced a withdrawal of Southwestern Bell’s proposed phone rate hike on Texans. ^{4 5}

Advocacy

Coal Power

Public Citizen Texas participated in The Recall CPS coalition’s failed recall petition that sought to place San Antonio, Texas’s city-owned gas and electric company, CPS Energy, under city council control and require the retirement of its remaining coal-fired power plants by 2030. The coalition became Climate Justice San Antonio after the failure. Its members include Southwest Workers Union, left-of-center MOVE Texas, Texas Rising, Texas Organizing Project (TOP), and the Sierra Club. CPS Energy has since announced the closure of its Spruce coal plant. ^{6 7}

Wind Energy

Public Citizen Texas claims credit for legislation that led to a boom in and dependence on intermittent wind energy, the passage of new building energy codes, and the passage of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan in San Antonio that sets the goal of carbon neutral emissions by 2050, and climate equal outcomes. ^{8 9}

Nuclear Energy

Public Citizen Texas is a member of the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Coalition that opposes carbon-emissions-free nuclear energy and the construction of the nuclear energy Comanche Peak and South Texas Project. ¹⁰

Solar Energy

PCT advocated for incentives for more local weather-dependent solar energy and battery storage after the ERCOT electric grid experienced widespread blackouts during and after a 2021winter storm. ¹¹

City Zero Carbon Plans

Public Citizen Texas backed the Houston Climate Action Plan that targets carbon neutral emissions by 2050. The plan proposes planting more trees, adopting electric vehicles for public transport and city-owned vehicles, reducing landfill waste and burning waste to provide electricity, and ensuring equal climate outcomes for all residents. ¹²

Other Activities

PCT’s Facebook page in May 2023 advocates for urban forestry, the failed El Paso Climate Charter, Medicare for All in Austin, and opposition to property tax relief for business. ¹³

Associated Organizations

Public Citizen Texas joined with the Seed Coalition to publish a report purporting to show the economic benefits of intermittent wind and solar energy that included ideas on how to expand its adoption. ^{14 15}

PCT joined with the Sierra Club in calling on Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) to issue an executive order to ensure that all residents have electricity and water service during the COVID-19 pandemic. ¹⁶

The group is part of the Texas Anti-Corruption Campaign alliance along with Texans for Public Interest; Clean Elections Texas, an organization that campaigns to restrict campaign speech; Texans for Public Justice; and Common Cause Texas, a left-of-center voter registration and activation group. ¹⁷

Public Citizen Texas is part of the Texas Fair Courts Network, an organization that advocates for merit based selection of judges, along with member groups Common Ground for Texans, Clean Elections Texas, Texas Civic Engagement Table, and Texas Research Institute. ¹⁸

Political Advocacy

Public Citizen Texas supported the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) through Facebook posts during May 2023. ¹⁹

People

Adrian Shelley became Public Citizen Texas’ office director in 2017. His prior experience includes running the Air Alliance Houston (AAH) of which PCT is a member. ²⁰

Tom “Smitty” Smith was appointed PCT’s office director in 1985, a position he held until his retirement in 2017. He also has held board positions at Clean Water Action, the Texas Wind Power Coalition, and Texans for Public Justice and Campaigns for People. ^{21 22}

1. “474,000+ Coordinator Jobs in United States (12,970 New).” 474,000+ Coordinator jobs in United States (12,970 new). Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/climate-justice-organizer-at-public-citizen-3502702160/.
2. “Anti-Corruption Campaign Calls for Improved Texas Ethics Rules.” Public Citizen, May 1, 2019. https://www.citizen.org/news/anti-corruption-campaign-calls-for-improved-texas-ethics-rules/.
3. “About – Clean Elections Texas.” Home – Clean Elections Texas. Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.cleanelectionstx.org/about.
4. “474,000+ Coordinator Jobs in United States (12,970 New).” 474,000+ Coordinator jobs in United States (12,970 new). Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/climate-justice-organizer-at-public-citizen-3502702160/.
5. “Public Citizen Celebrates 20 Years in Texas.” Public Citizen. Accessed June 11, 2023. https://www.citizen.org/news/public-citizen-celebrates-20-years-in-texas/.
6. Gibbons, Brendan. “Climate Activists’ Petition Drive to Reform CPS Energy Falls Short on Signatures.” San Antonio Report, January 21, 2021. https://sanantonioreport.org/cps-energy-reform-petitions/.
7. “484,000+ Coordinator Jobs in United States (12,322 New).” 484,000+ Coordinator jobs in United States (12,322 new). Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/climate-justice-organizer-at-public-citizen-3502702160/.
8. “474,000+ Coordinator Jobs in United States (12,970 New).” 474,000+ Coordinator jobs in United States (12,970 new). Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/climate-justice-organizer-at-public-citizen-3502702160/.
9. The City of San Antonio – official city website > home. Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/0/Files/Sustainability/SAClimateReady/SACRReportOctober2019.pdf.
10. “Fighting Dirty Energy in Texas.” Public Citizen. Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.citizen.org/article/fighting-dirty-energy-in-texas/.
11. Texas, Public Citizen. “Regular Citizens Can Be a Part of the Solution If Texas Offers Incentives to Invest in Local Solar Energy and Battery Storage. It Would Cut Peak Energy Demand during Extreme Weather like the 2021 Winter Storm.#texasblackout #texasfreeze #abbottblackout Pic.Twitter.Com/0espqJBMjC.” Twitter, April 21, 2021. https://twitter.com/PublicCitizenTX/status/1384853000296960015.
12. Watkins, Katie, and Jen Rice. “5 Things You Should Know about Houston’s Climate Action Plan.” Houston Public Media, June 17, 2020. https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/2020/06/17/376385/5-things-you-should-know-about-houstons-climate-action-plan/.
13. “Log into Facebook.” Facebook. Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/publiccitizentx.
14. Renewable resources: The New Texas Energy Powerhouse – Citizen. Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.citizen.org/wp-content/uploads/migration/tx20energy20powerhouse.pdf.
15. “Anti-Corruption Campaign Calls for Improved Texas Ethics Rules.” Public Citizen, May 1, 2019. https://www.citizen.org/news/anti-corruption-campaign-calls-for-improved-texas-ethics-rules/.
16. “Sierra Club, Public Citizen, and Others Call on Gov. Abbott to Ban Utility Disconnections.” Sierra Club, April 8, 2020. https://www.sierraclub.org/texas/blog/2020/04/sierra-club-public-citizen-and-others-call-gov-abbott-ban-utility-disconnections.
17. “About – Clean Elections Texas.” Home – Clean Elections Texas. Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.cleanelectionstx.org/about.
18. Money and justice: Is Texas ripe for judicial reform? Accessed June 5, 2023. http://info.tpj.org/pdf/Fair%20Courts%20White%20paper.pdf.
19. “Log into Facebook.” Facebook. Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/publiccitizentx.
20. “Adrian Shelley Named as New Director of Public Citizen’s Texas Office.” Public Citizen, May 1, 2019. https://www.citizen.org/news/adrian-shelley-named-as-new-director-of-public-citizens-texas-office/.
21. Ramsey, Ross. “Analysis: ‘Smitty,’ A Texas Lobbyist for the Small Fry, Hanging It Up.” The Texas Tribune, September 21, 2016. https://www.texastribune.org/2016/09/21/analysis-smitty-texas-lobbyist-small-fry-hangs-it-/.
22. “Adrian Shelley.” Public Citizen, October 28, 2022. https://www.citizen.org/about/person/adrian-shelley/.