The city’s purchasing officer has disqualified the sole remaining bidder on a contract to act as the consumer advocate in Austin Energy’s upcoming rate review. City Purchasing Officer James Scarboro informed the mayor and City Council about the disqualification of Oxford Advisors LLC in a memo on Wednesday. According to the memo, “This disqualification is […]
Austin Energy
As a municipally-owned electric utility, Austin Energy is a rarity in the largely deregulated State of Texas. Its annual budget clocks in at over $1 billion. The utility’s annual direct transfer of a Council-determined percentage of its revenues offers the city a notable revenue stream.
Posted inEnergy
Council delays decision on consumer advocate
Not just any old consumer advocate will do. City Council members made clear Thursday night that they were far from convinced that Oxford Advisors LLC, a firm proposed by Austin Energy to serve as an advocate for Austin ratepayers, was qualified to represent the best interests of average Austinites during the upcoming cost of service study. […]
Posted inWater
LCRA lowers water rate for cities, municipalities
The Lower Colorado River Authority is “making it rain” – savings, that is. The river authority’s board of directors approved a proposal on Wednesday to lower water rates for “firm” customers, typically cities and municipalities in Central Texas, starting in January. The measure will undo this year’s drought-related increase, dropping rates from $175 to $145 […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy’s GM resigns to take Seattle post
Austin Energy General Manager Larry Weis has given notice that he will be resigning effective Jan. 31, 2016, in order to become chief executive officer at Seattle City Light. Weis, who is the city’s highest-paid employee, submitted his notice to City Manager Marc Ott on Wednesday. Reached for comment in Seattle, Weis told the Austin […]
Posted inEnergy
Consultant endorses gas plant after study
Navigant Consulting, which the city hired to review the 500 megawatt natural gas plant proposed in the Austin Energy generation plan, has recommended the project. Dan Bradley and Matt Tanner, two of the report’s authors, presented the results at an Electric Utility Commission meeting on Monday evening, a few hours after Austin Energy released the […]
Posted inEnergy
Samsung, Freescale reject new energy tariff terms
Samsung Austin Semiconductor and Freescale Semiconductor – Austin Energy’s largest customers – have rejected the contract terms of a new tariff that City Council unanimously passed on Thursday. Catherine Morse and John Holmes, representing Samsung and Freescale, respectively, issued a statement on Friday. “After several hours in executive session and without public debate, our Council […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy supports Clean Power Plan
Although Texas is a major player in a legal challenge to the federal Clean Power Plan, Austin Energy and three utilities outside of Texas have joined Houston-based Calpine Corp. in a legal motion to support the plan. Austin Energy General Manager Larry Weis told the Austin Monitor on Monday what the move means for the […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Let the good times roll
Rock ‘n’ roll … and energy audits?… While touting an uptick in compliance with the city’s Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure ordinance at Thursday’s Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee meeting, Debbie Kimberly, Austin Energy’s vice president of customer energy solutions, pointed out that staff has taken some new approaches to getting people’s attention. One of […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy committee considers new tariff
City Council appears to be moving closer to deciding how to charge Austin Energy’s two largest industrial customers, an issue it has grappled with since May. Convened as the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee, Council heard a presentation Thursday from utility staff on the proposed “P4” tariff, which would replace the long-term contracts that it […]
Posted inEnergy
Council expands immediate solar energy purchase
Just two weeks after approving 288 megawatts’ worth of solar energy contracts, City Council upped the total on Thursday to between 400 and 450 MW. In addition to the immediate purchases, the body directed Austin Energy to reach an ultimate goal of 600 MW by the end of 2019 by either signing contracts with solar […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin makes major investment in new solar
The Austin City Council took a huge step toward achieving the city’s renewable energy goals on Thursday when it approved up to 300 megawatts’ worth of utility-scale solar contracts that will last for the next 15 to 25 years. The story isn’t over yet, though, as Council has additional contracts on the table that could […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy one step closer to energy storage
Local energy storage – essentially a giant battery connected to a power grid – seems like a simple idea, but for years it has been too costly for Austin Energy to pursue. That could change next year, though, when the utility hopes to have a Tesla-manufactured, 1.6 megawatt lithium ion battery – the same kind […]