State oil and gas inspectors are not adequately verifying that Texas natural gas production and delivery systems are prepared to keep running in severe winter storms. Regulators have also failed to hold natural gas operators to winter weatherization standards, according to a new report from the State Auditor’s Office. The state mandate requiring natural gas production and […]
Energy
Posted inEnergy
Austin will lose $32 million for solar power projects after federal funding cuts
Austin Energy stands to lose $32 million for solar power projects for low-income people. The loss comes after the Trump administration announced plans to cancel a Biden era clean energy program called “Solar for All.” According to the utility, the funds would have helped 2,500 residential low-income homes and 25 multifamily buildings and community centers […]
Posted inEnergy
Commission rejects resolution opposing Austin Energy’s revenue plan
Under Austin Energy’s proposed budget for the 2025-2026 year, utility customers will, on average, see a drop in their monthly bill of $4.89. Low income customers on the Customer Assistance Program, also known as CAP, will see a $7 decrease on average. After hearing a briefing on the utility’s plan for increasing revenue while lowering customers’ […]
Posted inEnvironment
City saves $2.5M by electrifying fleet with plans to nearly double EV count by 2030
At the Climate, Water, Environment and Parks Committee meeting Monday, Austin officials reported $2.5 million in savings from electrifying the city’s fleet and outlined plans to nearly double the electric vehicle fleet size by 2030 as part of a broader push to cut emissions and grow citywide charging infrastructure. “Every electric vehicle that we deploy […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin could soon see more rooftop solar power systems on public buildings
If you thought the city of Austin already had a program to install rooftop solar systems on its municipal buildings, you weren’t alone. Many others believed the same, according to Kaiba White of Public Citizen’s Texas office. ‘I don’t know anybody who thinks it’s a bad idea,’ she added, summing up the results of solar […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin gas rates are up and they’re set to go higher. Here’s why.
Between recording sessions in KUTX’s music studio a while back, sound engineer Jake Perlman brought up something decidedly un-rock-and-roll: his gas bill. The first few months of the year, Perlman said, he paid about double what he had paid during the same months the previous year — despite using less gas at times. “I could […]
Posted inEnergy
New Data Center Planned for Lockhart in 2028
Only a few weeks after Austin City Council passed a resolution requiring various regulations on artificial intelligence operations, a new 2GW data center is coming to Lockhart. Tract, a Colorado-based developer, has secured 1,500 acres for a “megasite” in Caldwell County, only about six miles away from famous barbecue joints Smitty’s Market, Kreuz Market, and […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy’s annual report highlights growing demand, help for ratepayers
Austin Energy set new peak demand records for both summer and winter, according to a new report from the utility’s departing General Manager, Bob Kahn. Kahn released the utility’s FY2024 annual report last week. In addition to setting new records, the utility finalized work on its Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035. As […]
Posted inEnergy
Resource Management Commission continues to explore potential audit of Austin Energy district cooling system
Austin Energy may soon be on the hook to set the record straight on its District Energy & Cooling System, as a proposal to conduct an audit on its finances gathers momentum at the Resource Management Commission. The resolution, brought forward by Commissioner Paul Robbins, comes after the utility proposed selling the system to a […]
Posted inEnergy
Panelists talk pipelines, batteries and other answers to Austin’s energy demands
Austin’s fast-paced growth and the increasing energy demands of large industries like data centers and advanced manufacturing are pushing the region’s energy infrastructure toward a critical juncture, according to experts who spoke at the Austin Chamber of Commerce’s recent Infrastructure Summit. Energy leaders from major regional suppliers, utilities and infrastructure companies participated in a panel […]
Posted inEnergy
Resource Management Commission, Austin Energy discuss reforms to homeowner solar incentives
The Resource Management Commission held an extended discussion on March 25 on a resolution urging Austin Energy, by way of City Council, to undertake several key reforms to residential solar incentive programs. The resolution, titled “Resolution on Changes to Residential Rooftop Solar Program,” was presented by Commissioner Dino Sasaridis, who co-authored it along with commissioners […]
Posted inEnergy
Burying Austin’s power lines would cost $50 billion (and is pretty much impossible)
Two years ago, after Austin’s lush urban tree canopy froze and downed power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands without power, the city resolved to look into a simple solution: burying the power lines. Now, a new city-commissioned study shows that would be damn near impossible. The draft study from consulting firm 1898 & Co. found […]