Newman 6 is now online
This gas plant expansion is a huge problem for our health and climate.
by Miguel Escoto
Thursday, March 7th El Paso Electric Co. (EPE) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to promote the launch of a new fossil fuel project–a 228 MW fracked gas turbine (Newman 6). This “Newman 6” is the sixth gas turbine El Paso Electric has built at the Newman Gas Plant located in northeast El Paso and Chaparral, New Mexico. Attendees of this event included City Council District 4 Representative Joe Molinar, El Paso Electric CEO Kelly Tomblin, and other EPE executives. Despite the tone of celebration, the launch of Newman 6 is cause for immense concern for our community’s health and the worsening of the climate crisis.
“We live less than two miles from Newman 6. We see it from our bedroom window every morning. Me and my wife have suffered troubling respiratory illnesses since moving close to the gas plant. Despite our best efforts to oppose this increase in pollution, it is devastating to see Newman 6 online.” Dr. David Garcia, Chaparral Coalition on Health and Environment.
Community heavily opposes Newman 6
Amanecer People’s Project (then Sunrise El Paso) and frontline residents closest to the gas plant (including the Chaparral Coalition on Health and Environment) fiercely challenged El Paso Electric’s air permit to build this gas turbine. In 2021, our organizing efforts led to winning standing at a TCEQ Contested Case Hearing–essentially a lawsuit against the company. This legal struggle ultimately did not result in the rejection of Newman 6. Nonetheless the campaign did result in the community winning substantial material concessions from El Paso Electric. For example: a legal commitment to never expand the gas plant; a 40% reduction in NOx emissions (linked to asthma); a 40% reduction in CO2–this was the equivalent of taking 100,000 cars off the road or planting 8 million trees; and community settlement funds which were used to support the El Paso Climate Charter ballot initiative.
Newman 6 means more pollution and climate destruction.
Even before the addition of this 6th turbine, El Paso Electric’s Newman Gas Plant was a leading driver of pollution in the region. They emit toxins linked to asthma, respiratory illness, reproductive issues, and cancer (Nitrogen Oxides, Particulate Matter, Volatile Organic Compounds and more). Currently El Paso Electric emits 2.3 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2e). This new gas plant only worsens El Paso Electric’s pollution.
“I have documented the pollution of El Paso Electric’s Newman Gas Plant using my Optical Gas Camera. We detected massive amounts of methane and VOC emissions from this gas plant.” says Sharon Wilson, Director of watchdog group Oilfield Witness. “Despite what El Paso Electric claims, this plant is not good for the environment.”
Follow the money: the Permian Basin drives El Paso fossil fuel expansion.
The Newman Gas Plant is one of three fracked-gas power plants owned by El Paso Electric; these plants receive dirty gas from the Permian Basin oilfields via dangerous pipelines and convert it to electricity (the others include: Montana Vista Gas Plant and the Rio Grande Gas Plant. Fracked gas is the main form of energy production in El Paso. EPE choses to profit from its connection to the Permian Basin and only implements around 5% renewable energy in our grid–despite our city being the 10th sunniest city on the planet.
El Paso Electric, the private monopoly which controls our electric grid, proposed this fossil fuel project in 2020–soon after it was bought out by JP Morgan Chase. This bank is the largest financier of fossil fuels in the world. They invest heavily in the Permian Basin fracking operations which extract gas and feed it to El Paso’s gas plants (for example JP Morgan is a top investor of fracking company Diamondback energy).
The fight continues
El Paso Electric plans to add 270 MW of gas-fired generation to its fleet by 2040: 88 MW of gas-fired generation online in 2032; 52-MW gas-fired unit in 2034; an 80-MW unit in 2038; a 54-MW combustion turbine in 2040.
Newman 6 was not inevitable. Thanks to climate justice campaigning, their permit was nearly rejected. Amanecer People’s Project, now over 100 members strong, vows to continue fighting for clean air, clean water and community power.
“This gas plant expansion is exactly the reason why we need to build power.” Ana Fuentes, Executive Director of Amanecer People’s Project. “El Paso Electric plans to continue expanding fossil fuel production, but we will continue to grow.”
