After a lot of debate, Austin Energy has decided to back away from a plan to build a new natural gas plant in Austin. At last week’s Electric Utility Commission meeting, Austin Energy announced that it has at least temporarily abandoned the plan. The reason comes down to economics. The utility explained that the low cost and abundance of natural gas has made the construction of a new plant less profitable than they had originally predicted.

The announcement comes to the relief of many in the environmental community, who raised concerns about the long term greenhouse gas implications of a new fossil fuel-burning electricity source. More info>>