Hill Country Chronicle

Devils River Conservancy President Randy Nunns said his association was deeply gratified to see Senate Bill 2116, dubbed the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott.

The bill was written to prevent adversarial foreign nations from taking control of Texas infrastructure. It targets China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, in addition to any country that the governor may deem a threat to Texas infrastructure. The sectors protected by the bill include the power grid, water treatment facilities, chemical plants and communication and cyber networks.

“Actually we were the impetus to Senate Bill 2116 and its companion House Bill 4359, and House Bill 783,” Nunns told the Hill Country Chronicle. “While we initially opposed this project with environmental and adjacent property rights concerns we soon became concerned about the long-term mission of Laughlin Air Force Base's pilot training program, and so we created the ‘Don’t Blow It’ campaign. Meaning — we aren’t opposed to renewable energy projects in general but don’t blow it with inappropriate siting.”

He said the coalition worked with members of Congress and also has sought the support of Abbott.

“In the past we worked with Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas), and Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn [both Texas Republicans] to bring this situation to the attention of the Trump administration," Nunns said. "We were assured that it did reach the top levels [but] that avenue was a dead end. I can’t say I’m pleased with everything that came out of the 87th session but I’m very proud that SB 2116 was heard and gained great traction and passed both chambers unanimously, and signed by the governor June 7.”

The bill was sponsored by 10 state senators and the official title is, “Relating to prohibiting contracts or other agreements with certain foreign-owned companies in connection with critical infrastructure in this state.”

Texas legislators can and should prevent environmental problems like this from arising in the future, Nunns said, adding that they have the tools to do so.

“Enact some type of reasonable zoning," he said. "We supported zoning bills in the 87th such as Rep John Cyrier’s (R-Bastrop) HB 783, which would give Texas Parks and Wildlife a say on the proximity of wind farms to state parks. Also House Bill 623 would allow the county commissioners court to zone for wind farms. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department bill got much farther than the county bill but eventually both bills died.”

Senate Bill 2116 was created among increasing national security concerns regarding China’s influence and control over Texas infrastructure. Cruz has expressed particular concern over a Chinese-owned energy company building a wind energy plant in Laughlin.

“China has demonstrated a willingness to invest billions of dollars in specific, targeted economic initiatives through private companies to expand the global reach of their security and espionage capabilities," a spokesman for Cruz told Foreign Policy. "Not only will these wind farms near Laughlin affect training routes, they could also risk our national security.”

Many analysts question whether Chinese-backed energy plants can be used to conduct espionage or even wage economic warfare within the United States.

In addition to the national security concerns, other groups are highlighting environmental issues with Chinese-backed energy projects in Texas. The Devils River Conservancy opposed a massive wind development in Blue Hills proposed by Chinese billionaire Sun Guangxin, a veteran of China's People’s Liberation Army.

Not only is Guangxin’s proposed energy plant located next to the U.S. military’s Texas Laughlin Air Force Base, the plant is also poised to disrupt the scenic environment and wildlife patterns in Val Verde County, according to DRC. The Devils River Conservancy is dedicated to preserving the national wonders of the area.

“Not only will 700-foot wind turbines obstruct the view and destroy the natural beauty of the land, but they will also impact local and migrating populations of bats and birds, as well as disrupt the delicate and rich biodiverse ecosystem of the region,” the conservancy states. “The Devils River is a true national treasure and wind farms would destroy the region’s natural beauty and environmental values.”

Nunns told Hill Country Chronicle there are myriad reasons to protect this area.

“Migratory birds, bats, and monarchs come through the area. Fern Cave is Texas’ third-largest bat roost," Nunns said. "The Devils River State Natural Area and the Nature Conservancy’s Dolan Falls Preserve have been designated ‘important bird areas’ by both the Audubon Society and American Bird Conservancy. With ecotourism being a major economy plus all the state and national parklands in the county, we want to preserve the public’s wilderness experience away from industrial projects.

“The Blue Hills Wind Project sits between the Pecos and Devils River," Nunns said. "The Devils basin, in particular, is at the intersection of three eco regions: Edwards Plateau, Tamaulipan Brush, and the Chihuahuan Desert. This overlap provides incredible biodiversity add to that Edwards Aquifer spring water makes the Devils the benchmark for Texas river water quality.”

Nunns said it’s also a valuable historical site.

“The 15,000-year history of early humans is written on the rock shelter walls as what the Shumla Center considers ‘the oldest books in North America,’” he said. “The U.S. Department of Interior just named the Lower Pecos Canyonlands (of which the Devils Basin is part of) a National Historic Landmark. The TPWD Devils River State Natural Area was awarded Texas’ first designation of an ‘International Dark Sky Sanctuary’ by the International Dark Sky Association.

“And although you might not think of hunting as ecotourism, it is a major revenue source for most of our ranches, thanks to no season or limits on harvesting exotics such as Aoudad sheep and Axis deer,” Nunns said. “Our kayakers, hunters, bird watchers and park visitors need one last refuge of wilderness to recharge their souls, and not their phones.”