El Paso Electric and residents of a Montana Vista neighborhood have reached an agreement which will see to the company moving forward with the construction of a natural gas power plant. Plans for the project stalled as a result of opposition from activists of the Far East El Paso Citizens United. The group cited safety and environmental concerns as the basis for attempting to block the construction of the plant.
Only four power plant units can be constructed by El Paso Electric in the neighborhood under the agreement. However, the electric company has the option of building solar panels on the site. Employees will sit on an citizens advisory panel established by the company to hear environmental issues that relate to the operation of the plant. In addition, homeowners in the community will benefit from a fund established by El Paso Electric to obtain energy efficient materials for their homes. Texas electricity is generated primarily from natural gas.