Austin Energy says customers should expect to pay an extra $20 a month for their electricity starting in November. In a memo to City Council, the publicly owned utility said the increase is due to the rising cost of natural gas, among other factors. Council members are expected to sign off on the rate increase next week. […]
Energy
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Impartial examiner report backs up Austin Energy base rate proposal, but critics aren’t giving up
As the November deadline to update utility rates approaches, the pressure is on for Austin Energy and its stakeholders to make their final arguments before city policymakers. Following the release of the impartial hearing examiner’s report earlier this month, participants in the base rate review process stopped by the Electric Utility Commission to break down […]
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Council to debate controversial rate increase for Austin Energy customers this fall
With stakeholders awaiting the conclusion of the hearing review process, City Council’s Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee heard updates Tuesday from the electric utility on what to expect as the 2022 base rate review case approaches the homestretch. Following a lengthy series of hearings last month, the city-appointed independent hearing examiner is slated to issue […]
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Austin Energy amends initial proposal at base rate review conference, but critics say it’s not enough
As the grid works overtime to absorb record-breaking heat, the battle over energy prices continues. Austin Energy met face-to-face with stakeholders earlier this month with its proposal to raise and restructure rates, citing mounting revenue gaps threatening the utility’s finances. The three-day hearing consisted of hours of cross examination, with interest groups disputing the case from […]
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Here’s what it would take for ERCOT to start rolling blackouts
Texans woke up Monday morning to a familiar fear, worried that the state’s electric grid may not provide enough energy to see them through the day. While the anxiety is understandable, a shortfall of energy reserves on the system does not automatically mean the grid operator will order rolling blackouts. If you, like millions of […]
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Environmental advocates say Fayette coal plant is ‘poisoning’ residents, push city to test water
Danny Fetonte worked at a coal power plant decades ago in Pennsylvania. He was responsible for taking the lids off the ovens so more coal could be dropped in to run the generators. “Everybody that worked in it was black … because we were totally covered with coal ash,” he told KUT in April. Fetonte […]
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Consumer advocates warn Austin Energy’s rate increase could have devastating impact on residents
As they prepare for next month’s public hearing, participants in Austin Energy’s rate review case are pushing back against a proposal to significantly alter pricing of the city’s electricity supply. The utility proposes to reorganize the five-tiered structure used to calculate residential service rates into three tiers, eliminating existing premiums for higher consumption brackets and […]
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Austin Energy ramps up outreach for proposed rate changes
Austin Energy has entered the public hearing phase of its base rate review process, following its proposal to raise service costs. The monthslong dialogue with stakeholders and city staff, slated for resolution by City Council in November, has surfaced predictable conflicts over the price hike. Released late April, Austin Energy’s proposal includes an overall base […]
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Extreme heat in June offers a test and a warning for the Texas grid
The weather forecasted for much of Texas this week would be considered extreme in the month of August … but it’s still spring. The heat will likely drive energy use to new highs and test the resilience of the state’s electric grid ahead of what’s expected to be a scorching summer. Current forecasts have Dallas […]
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Utility commission ponders letting new developments shoulder rate increase
Austin’s Electric Utility Commission is thinking over some suggestions to offer to City Council about Austin Energy’s rate review, which as currently proposed would increase the utility’s base rate by 7.6 percent to make up for a $48 million deficit. The commission’s budget and audit work group came to this week’s EUC meeting with some […]
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Austin Energy’s proposed rate increase would hit lower-use residential customers hardest
Austin Energy recently launched a public input process to collect feedback on a proposal to increase its base rates by 7.6 percent. The city-owned utility says the price hike is necessary to balance a $48 million shortfall between its costs and revenue. But some lower-use residential customers fear they will disproportionately bear the brunt of […]
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Austin Energy wants to raise its rates. Here’s how you can give feedback.
Residential customers could see a nearly $16 bump in their monthly electric bills under a rate hike proposed by Austin Energy. But before it can raise base rates, the city-owned utility must first go through a public input process. Austin Energy says it needs to bridge a $48 million gap between its costs and revenue. […]