Texas Gas Service, which serves 260,000 customers in Central Texas, including 220,000 within Austin’s city limits, is proposing a new rate design that will give customers new options for how their bills will be calculated. Larry Graham, manager of community relations, and Stacey McTaggart, regulatory director for the company, told Council’s Audit and Finance Committee […]
Energy
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy seeks change in rebate approvals
City Council authorized Austin Energy to pay $4.45 million for multifamily and commercial customer rebates during the current fiscal year, which started Oct. 1. But the utility may not be able to provide all the rebates authorized because some property owners find the lengthy time frame for getting approval from two commissions and Council to […]
Posted inEnergy
Commission supports energy rebate program change, calls for more information
Austin Energy has long struggled to find enough customers to take part in its multifamily energy efficiency rebate program. The trend continued last fiscal year when more than half of its rebate funds, which don’t carry over into subsequent years, never made it into customer hands. Denise Kuehn, the utility’s director of energy efficiency services, […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin joins a handful of cities where carbon emissions have fallen in recent years
Austin is among 30 cities worldwide where emissions have peaked, according to a new analysis from a coalition of cities dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The group, C40, defines “peaked” as having emissions fall by at least 10 percent since before 2015. On average, the 30 cities on the list, which includes New York, […]
Posted inEnergy
Hill Country landowners get ready for fight over another proposed pipeline
Charles Chaney Jr. has Utopia on his mind. The Texas City resident is a month away from retirement and Utopia is the name of the scenic Hill Country town where his family has lived for generations. He had planned to build a house on land he owns there near his brother and sister. Now, he’s […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy plans to purchase more wind energy
The Electric Utility Commission unanimously recommended the approval of a new energy contract that would bring Austin Energy’s percentage of renewable energy up to 61 percent by the middle of 2021. That is only 4 percentage points below the City Council-approved goal of generating 65 percent of the city’s energy from renewable sources by 2027. […]
Posted inEnergy
Electric Utility Commission unanimously declares climate crisis must be addressed
In a unanimous show of hands, the Electric Utility Commission passed a resolution July 15 asserting that the time has come for Austin to declare support for climate change mitigation policies and to adopt its own resolution declaring a climate emergency. The need to take a stance against climate change is nothing new, Commissioner Stefan […]
Posted inEnergy
Council denies request for mobile energy community center
City Council rejected a costly Austin Energy mobile outreach program in June that would have acted as a “community center” on wheels for customers to learn about energy programs offered by the utility. Austin Energy currently uses two sport utility vehicles for mobile outreach and support, but this contract would feature a 27-foot modular trailer […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy says Decker employees will be prepared for transition
Belated plans to decommission two aging steam turbines at Decker Creek Power Station have brought into question the futures of the estimated 39 employees who will be out of work when the last steam unit shuts down in late 2021. In March, Council Member Kathie Tovo voiced her concern, requesting monthly updates from Austin Energy […]
Posted inEnergy
Should natural gas be a required secondary fuel source?
Even as the city strives to reach net-zero community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the Energy Code for Austin still, with some exceptions, requires the use of natural gas for water heating when a residential building is constructed adjacent to natural gas service. Recognizing this inconsistency with the city’s goals, the Resource Management Commission unanimously […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy updates multifamily weatherization program
Despite spending less than ever on multifamily weatherization and tightening restrictions on its multifamily weatherization rebate program, Austin Energy claims to be on track to meet the city’s energy efficiency goals while continuing to lower energy bills for its customers. Debbie Kimberly, an Austin Energy vice president, told the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee on […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy buys biomass plant for $460M
Austin Energy will, in fact, be purchasing the Nacogdoches Generating Facility for $460 million. Buying the East Texas biomass power plant is the city-owned utility’s way out of a controversial $2.3 billion contract that has been under intense scrutiny over the past few years. The 20-year contract has lost Austin Energy an estimated $54 million […]