You might have a much higher gas bill next year, pending an upcoming decision this fall by the Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees the state’s oil and gas industry. Texas Gas Service proposed a rate hike this year that could raise some Austin-area residents’ bills by up to $10 a month next year. It was […]
Environment
Posted inParks
Parks board to ask Council to explain why it bypassed public input on a Lady Bird Lake boat rental concession
Members of the Parks and Recreation Board said Monday they will ask City Council to reexamine a 2019 ordinance that circumvented public input to allow an adventure excursion company to operate a boating concession on Lady Bird Lake. The request for Council reconsideration may be futile, board members also acknowledged. By the time the board […]
Posted inBudget
Audit committee wants to keep a close eye on upcoming bond packages
The City Council Audit and Finance Committee wants staff to deliver quarterly updates to all relevant City Council committees on all projects being considered for Austin’s next bond package – mainly related to climate change and the effects of severe weather. At Monday’s meeting, members of the committee said they would prefer a “parallel collaborative […]
Posted inEnvironment
The Austin area will see cooler temperatures this week. But it’s not as ‘crazy’ as you think.
Temperatures in Central Texas will trend below average with highs only in the 80s in most areas this week, according to the National Weather Service. Normally, high temperatures this time of year range in the high 90s. The cooler weather is not as “crazy” as this one Reddit user would have you think, though. “Our perception, I think, […]
Posted inResources
At Council Member Alison Alter’s urging, city commission may have input on natural gas matters
Members of the city’s Resource Management Commission have been trying for months to find out how they can weigh in on the current rate case for Texas Gas Service. They have passed a number of resolutions seeking to have input – not only on the cost of natural gas to consumers, but also on prioritizing […]
Posted inBudget
Parks board recommends beefing up funding for city parks maintenance
With increasing challenges in maintaining grounds within Austin’s busy parks system, the Parks and Recreation Board voted Monday to recommend that City Council allocate an additional $2.62 million to the Parks and Recreation Department budget for the new fiscal year. Of that amount, the board requested that $2.24 million be allocated toward parks maintenance, including […]
Posted inEnvironment
Regional EPA grant will go toward mitigating I-35 construction traffic and pollution
On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $47.9 million grant to a coalition of transportation organizations in the Austin region that could go toward mitigating the worst environmental effects of Interstate 35’s inevitable expansion. The city of Austin will lead implementation of this Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG), as both I-35 and Project Connect’s […]
Posted inEnvironment
Balancing conflicting public interests, Watershed Protection aims to promote native aquatic vegetation
Austin’s reservoirs do a lot of double duty. They’re known both as top-tier recreation spots for Central Texans and our source of dwindling drinking water. Subject to invasive species, drought and big rainfall events that bring in pollutants, they’re still doing remarkably well, all things considered, a reservoir ecologist told the Environmental Commission on Wednesday. […]
Posted inEnergy
Facing increased need for power generation, Austin Energy continues to work on climate plan
Austin Energy is working with a variety of community representatives to inform new power generation goals targeting 2035. The city adopted its 2030 plan about five years ago but a number of factors have changed, including increases in peak demand. The utility is still committed to being carbon-free by 2035 and will leverage the work […]
Posted inEnergy
Commission resolution aims to slow down sale of district chilling system
City Council is scheduled to consider hiring J.P. Morgan Securities LLC to advise on the potential sale of Austin Energy’s district cooling system, but not everyone thinks that is a good idea. The Resource Management Commission will likely ask Council to postpone evaluation of the sale of the chilling system at its meeting next Tuesday, […]
Posted inEnergy
City to consider selling its district cooling system
City Manager T.C. Broadnax has notified City Council that staff will be seeking approval during the July 18 meeting to hire J.P. Morgan Securities LLC to provide “strategic advice about the potential sale of Austin Energy’s district cooling system.” The system provides chilled water to help air conditioners efficiently cool large buildings occupied by thousands […]
Posted inWater
Austin Water tees up to propose rate increases to Council
Austinites can prepare to add their water bill to the list of services getting increasingly more expensive, as a proposal for hikes in utility rates makes its way through City Council’s pipeline. The proposal, which Austin Water unveiled early last week, would see residential rates increase by 9.5 percent on average, bumping the combined water […]