Dec. 9, 2024

Dec 09, 2024

In this edition: Wild turkeys on the South Side; Congressman Pfluger goes to Baku, but misses the point, while Radian Solar shows the future of renewables in Brown County. AND…The Tesla Connection….

A Rare Visitor in Town

Saturday morning, we were treated to an unusual sight in our back yard, in the Willis Creek floodplain: wild turkeys! We counted 3 toms, and 5 hens, striding slowly, deliberately, pecking at the ground, with an occasional and unmistakeable “gobble-gobble.”

The creek is a wildlife corridor, and over the years we’ve lived here we’ve seen a lot of critters on our small acreage—but never turkeys. Later in the afternoon they had wandered into our front yard, and across the street, feeding on fallen pecans. Sunday morning they were still in the neighborhood.

Overall, the biodiversity we see on and around our property has noticeably declined over the past 26 years. The beavers have left; it’s been a long time since we’ve seen a rabbit, roadrunner or fox; herons are rare now. Songbirds and even sparrows are noticeably fewer. The one species that seems to be rebounding is the red harvester ant, a primary food source for the horned toad lizard.

So it’s nice to be surprised by a bird that was once a contender with the bald eagle for being named the national bird. If you live on the south side of Brownwood, keep your eyes peeled, and listen up for a gobble! Maybe you’ll spot them too.

Pfluger’s Mistaken Destination

I don’t pay much attention to our District 11 Congressman, August Pfluger, or his “Pfluger Fly-By” newsletter (a reference to his 20-plus years’ career in the Air Force). His predictable positions, like those of his predecessor, Mike Conaway, are the opposite of my own, so why bother? (Hence, the motto of this newsletter).

So imagine my cartoonish double-take in shock and amazement when I spotted his Nov. 22 “Fly-By” with a photo of his attendance at the recent UN Climate Summit (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. Could Pfluger be joining the ranks of the “climate hawks?” Nope. False alarm.

He was just wasting taxpayer dollars, and massaging his Midland/Odessa donor base. Though he represents a huge swath of central Texas, his allegiance to the oil and gas interests of the Permian Basin always permeates his appearances, like that gaseous sulphur smell in the dusty Permian air. Read the newsletter here:

https://pfluger.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2205

If you’ve driven at all through the 11th Congressional District, then you already know how many solar and wind projects are popping up all over it, including right here in Brown County. Pfluger never mentions them. But he knows.

Radian Solar Project Benefits Brookesmith, and Beyond

Tucked away in the southwest corner of Brown County, west of Brookesmith, near the Coleman County line, the 2300 acre Radian Solar project is generating enough power for 114,000 homes. How is that number calculated? Learn more here:

https://seia.org/whats-in-a-megawatt/

The solar farm is owned by Intersect Power, based in Beaverton. Oregon. Commercial operation began in May 2023,

https://www.intersectpower.com/intersect-powers-415-mwp-radian-solar-project-in-texas-reaches-commercial-operation/

Prior to construction, Brown County commissioners denied a request from the company for a tax abatement, but the Brookesmith ISD Board of Trustees voted to create a Radian Reinvestment Zone to help seal the deal. The School District will receive $50,000 per year from the company, and much more. Read about the benefits to Brookesmith ISD here, in a Brownwoodnews.com report by Mike Blagg:

https://www.brownwoodnews.com/2021/12/15/solar-farm-under-construction-in-brown-county/

More recently, Intersect Power donated $145,000 towards construction of a Community Center addition to the Brookesmith Volunteer Fire Dept.

https://www.brownwoodnews.com/2024/09/19/brookesmith-vfd-intersect-power-celebrate-dedication-of-new-community-center/

The Tesla Connection

I drove down to the Radian site to take a look. A sign on the gate to the storage area read “Tesla BESS Radian.” BESS is a containerized Battery Energy Storage System, and Tesla is selling a lot of them to Intersect Power for use at the Radian site, among others. According to an Intersect press release last July, “Intersect Power is currently installing the additional 1 GWh of Tesla Megapacks at its Radian and Lumina solar + storage facilities in Texas, which will be fully operational within the year.”

https://www.intersectpower.com/tesla-provides-intersect-power-with-15-3-gwh-of-megapacks-for-solar-storage-projects/

According to the Tesla website, “Megapack is a powerful battery that provides energy storage and support, helping to stabilize the grid and prevent outages.” Learn more here:

https://www.tesla.com/megapack

The Tesla BESS is part of the fast-evolving solutions to the intermittent nature of solar and wind power generation, which opponents claim makes them unreliable.

Please feel free to share this with your friends and family who are skeptical about the current and future role of renewable energy in America!

I turned off on a county road on a ridge line overlooking the Radian solar farm. I could see our climate-driven energy transition on the horizon—literally. In the foreground, acres of solar panels; just beyond, the tall high-voltage transmission line towers; and on the distant horizon, west of Brady, windmills, turning in the setting sun.

Support Your Green News

Your feedback is always welcomed, especially updates and corrections to keep the Civic Calendar current.

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Send story leads anytime, or drop by to see me at the Brownwood Art Center, 215 Fisk, weekdays, 2-6 pm. I’ll be the Gallery Guy greeting you at the front desk.

Civic Calendar: Your shortcut to citizenship and political participation

Brownwood City Council 501 Center Ave City Hall

9 am every 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday

https://brownwoodtexas.gov/150/City-Council

City of Brownwood Agenda Center posts agendas for Boards and Commissions including:

City Council, Airport Board, B’wd Municipal Development District Board, Building and Standards Commission, Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, Planning and Zoning Commission and more….

https://www.brownwoodtexas.gov/AgendaCenter

Early City Council 960 Early Blvd. City Hall

6 pm every 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday

https://www.earlytx.net/96/City-Council

Blanket City council 718 Main St. Blanket Lions Club

5:30 pm Third Monday

https://www.facebook.com/cityofblanket/photos

Bangs City Council 109 S. First St. City Hall

6 pm 2^nd and 4^th Monday

https://cityofbangs.org/government/city-council/

Brown County Commissioners 200 S. Broadway County Courthouse

9 am most Mondays confirm on county calendar