Tag Archives: Austin Energy
Austin Energy: Storage is the next hurdle to Austin’s renewable energy plan
The big conundrum facing energy utilities today is how to balance supply and demand for every second of every day. Although there are debates around the subject, the answer, albeit simple, seems to lie with storage. In the Austin Energy…
Energy • By Jessi Devenyns • Oct 19, 2018
AE seeks code change to support fast car charging
Austin Energy estimates that there were 5,873 electric plug-in vehicles in its service territory as of Sept. 30. Karl Popham, AE’s manager for electric vehicles and emerging technologies, told City Council during Tuesday’s work session that about 85 percent of…
Energy • By Jo Clifton • Oct 18, 2018
Property taxes, Austin Energy top city's worry list
Once again, the city of Austin, along with other large Texas cities, will face a grueling task as the 2019 legislative session begins in January. Intergovernmental Relations Officer Brie Franco told City Council during Tuesday’s work session that she and…
Texas State Legislature • By Jo Clifton • Oct 17, 2018
Austin Energy proposes local solar farm
In spite of the tremendous appetite for renewable energy in Austin, the city doesn’t offer many opportunities to build the kind of large-scale wind and solar farms necessary to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. “It’s an issue of land,” explained…
Energy • By Jack Craver • Oct 1, 2018
Ethics commission pushes Austin Energy for info on retiree's overtime case
An Austin Energy retiree who is being investigated for allegedly misusing his sick and vacation time will get more evidence from his former employer to possibly contest the city’s case against him. The Ethics Review Commission voted 9-0 last week…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 26, 2018
An update on the Fayette Power Plant reveals no news, inspires working group
Almost five years ago, Council recommended that Austin Energy retire its portion of the Fayette Power Plant, which is run on coal, by 2022. Despite intense pressure from environmentalists to move that date up, the city utility is sticking to…
Energy • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 20, 2018
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Austin Energy shifts money away from apartment weatherization program
Every year, Austin Energy pays contractors to make apartment buildings more energy-efficient. They put in place new duct sealant, solar screens and attic insulation, which helps tenants reduce their energy consumption and lower their utility bills. This year, however, the…
Energy • By Jack Craver • Sep 6, 2018
Final hearing scheduled for fraudulent vacation time case
After retiring in June of last year, Curtis Graves, a former superintendent of system operations at Austin Energy, found out that he was under investigation for his use of vacation and sick time by both Austin Energy’s internal Human Resources…
City Hall • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 13, 2018
Despite water bill debacle, Austin's utility customer service rating remains unharmed
The wounds that last fall’s water bill catastrophe left behind had the potential to open up once again as Austin Energy reviewed its customer service ratings and presented the findings at the July 16 meeting of the Electric Utility Commission. “Didn’t…
City Hall • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 24, 2018
Where are Austin Energy's generation metrics?
For three years, the Electric Utility Commission has not received an annual performance report from Austin Energy. Concerned about the lack of the familiar financial and operational reporting format, Commissioner Michael Osborne has repeatedly discussed its merits and requested its…
Energy • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 19, 2018
Commissioners: Water bills should be overseen by Austin Water
Following the water bill fiasco from last fall, Austin Energy and Austin Water teamed up on a working group to uncover the puzzling reasons behind the unusual spikes. Although the group started off with one question, Commissioner Mickey Maia reported…
Water • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 18, 2018
Austin's electric vehicle programming is revving up
Thanks to the city’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2050 and Austin Energy’s commitment to adding 330 plug-in electric vehicles by 2020, Travis County recently passed Harris and Dallas counties and now has more electric vehicles than either. Now…
