ReEnergize Texas is a coalition of students who represent more than 20 university and high school campuses across the Lone Star State fighting against climate change and for the promise of a green economy. We have central staff on duty to assist young people and student groups who want to get active on their campuses and/or in their communities. The work of Re-Energize Texas is focused on four strategic areas: campuses, communities, corporate practices, and politics. The network operates under the principles of anti-oppression and environmental justice.

Mission Statement

The ReEnergize Texas regional coalition unites a diversity of students and youth leaders in an alliance that supports and strengthens the student and youth climate movement in Texas. The members of Re-Energize Texas work together to leverage our collective power and create change for energy solutions that are safe, clean, efficient, renewable and just.

We envision a future and a planet that are both sustainable and equitable.

Looking Forward

As ReEnergize Texas looks toward the end of the school year and the beginning of the summer, we plan to continue engaging youth by adopting and organizing a summer program known as Summer of Solutions where students will work alongside a community and with other local non-profits to build a model for environmental initiatives and projects, such as the weatherization of older homes, that are then sustained by the communities themselves. We will hire, train, supervise, and provide living stipends for summer interns who will commit to contracts and workweeks of a variety of times (2 months, 1 month, 2 weeks.)

In addition to Summer of Solutions, ReEnergize Texas seeks to recruit participants for the Sierra Student Coalition (SSC) Summer Program known as “SPROG” and will collaborate with the SSC to organize the regional Texas event. 

Major Accomplishments

81^st Texas Legislature (January-June 2009)

• Organized lobby visits and hearing testimony during the 81^st Legislative Session, targeting key members and committees on legislation including
  • Green Jobs Training Programs
  • Distributed Renewable Energy Incentive Programs
  • Sustainable Youth Program to provide at-risk youth with green job training and while completing high school
• Enlisted support from campuses all over Texas, getting students from El Paso, College Station, San Antonio, McAllen, Houston, and many other locations to call members and send letters on specific legislation
• Passed the “Green Fee Bill” which will give student bodies the option to create an environmental service fee and is projected to raise millions of dollars for campus sustainability through 2015

ReEnergize Texas Summit II (March 2009)

• Registered 170 Texas student leaders for the 2^nd annual ReEnergize Texas Summit
• Offered trainings on leadership development and media relations by Sierra Student Coalition trainers, as well as workshops on current issues in the movement such as “The Myth of Clean Coal” and “The Real Cost of Nuclear” by area experts
• Brought speakers such as US Representative Lloyd Doggett and Dr. Robert Bullard, “Father of Environmental Justice”
• Organized a ReEnergize Texas Rally and subsequent Lobby Day at the Texas Capitol where students from across the state lobbied Texas Representatives and Senators concerning environmental legislation

Power Vote 2008 (August-November 2008)

• Gathered more than 10,000 signed pledges from students on Texas campuses to vote for candidates who championed clean energy solutions to the climate crisis
• Engaged local and state candidates through video interviews posted to our website

Presidents’ Climate Commitment Tour (April 2008)

• Engaged 7 campuses on the ACUPCC
• Brought Michelle McKay, Vice President of Second Nature, to speak with top campus administrators
• Ultimately contributed to the signing of commitments on 3 Texas campuses

Why Sign Up On Our Site?

We are hosting campus specific blogs for everyone who signs up with our site. When you sign up, we will automatically create a blog page for your campus (if one is not already up). You can use this page to post info on local issues, projects on your campus, or elections. Want to shoot an interview with your local candidates for State Representative? Do it! Once you’ve put it on YouTube, you can also add it to your blog page and maximize exposure to like-minded people in your community.

The beauty of this site is it’s created by you! Our staff couldn’t possibly keep up with all the great projects going on everywhere in Texas. We couldn’t possibly read and post all the local articles about your policy-makers and representatives. But if students in your community will post the information to the blog, all of us can read it, comment on it, and act together with a unified voice.