Money paid by city of Austin taxpayers and Austin residents who pay monthly bills for water and wastewater, electricity, trash and recycling collection (as well as a drainage utility fee and a clean community fee) will see their cost-of-living increase starting in October. That’s pretty much the case every year, and this year the city […]
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 inBudget
Austin Energy makes a case against giving more to the city’s General Fund
During a budget work session on July 30, Austin Energy made a case for not transferring an extra $4 million to the city’s General Fund, which goes toward basic city services like parks, fire, police and EMS. The city’s ratepayer-owned utility is the largest of the city’s enterprise funds and currently transfers $115 million every […]
Posted inEnergy
Major gas bill hike to be contested by city this fall
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 […]
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 inEnergy
Austin Energy on track on its goals for assisting low-income customers
A year and a half into Austin Energy’s campaign to expand its Customer Assistance Program, the utility says it’s on track to enroll 90 percent of eligible ratepayers by June of next year. The enrollment target dates back to December 2022, when Council asked the utility to tackle its underwhelming 37.5 percent participation rate among […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy dialing in to climate protection plan
After pausing to rethink its approach, Austin Energy is revisiting its update to the 2030 Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan with a series of workshops set to begin next month. The first of four workshops, scheduled for June 7 at the utility’s Mueller headquarters, will focus on the fundamentals, bringing newly participating stakeholders up […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy’s climate protection plan timeline comes under fire
After an unpopular first draft, Austin Energy is taking a new approach to update its Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan. Staff says the approach, led by a newly hired mediation specialist, will employ strategies that bring new voices to the table for more collaborative conversations ahead of the utility’s second shot at a policy […]
Posted inTransportation
New rules in the works for electric vehicle charging stations
In addition to changes to major portions of the city’s land use regulations, City Council heard at last week’s meeting about proposed changes to rules governing where public electric vehicle charging stations can be located in the future. Because of Austin’s ambitious climate protection goals and strategies, which include reaching net-zero communitywide greenhouse gas emissions […]
Posted inEnergy
Panelists: Transmission lines, local generation needed to meet Austin’s energy demands
Keeping up with aggressive business and residential growth throughout the Austin area is a persistent challenge for those involved in supplying energy reliably to the city while also trying to move away from fossil fuel sources for generation needs. Speakers at a recent Austin Chamber infrastructure summit said the demand coming into the area means […]
Posted inEnergy
Some vulnerable residents can’t use Austin Energy’s program
Some Austin Energy customers who are categorized as medically vulnerable and need electricity to operate life-saving equipment have not been able to sign up for the utility’s program to assist them in emergency situations, according to an audit report from the Austin Office of the City Auditor. Members of City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee […]