With the end of the year steadily approaching, schedules are packed and the city is at full throttle preparing for a ruling on Austin Energy’s controversial rate review case. Last week, the Electric Utility Commission spent its meeting deliberating a draft resolution that would ask City Council to substantially deviate from Austin Energy’s proposed revenue […]
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
Starting next month, Austin Energy customers can expect a $15 increase on bills
Lee esta historia en Español If you’re an Austin Energy customer, your bill is going up soon, but City Council members passed a proposal Thursday to lower some increases – at least for now. On an 7-4 vote, Council members approved a proposal to lower a planned increase for average customers of $20 a month starting […]
Posted inCity Council
Council facing tough decisions on Austin Energy charges
Facing an increasing deficit in its collections for fuel costs to run Austin Energy, City Council must quickly make a decision about increasing the power supply adjustment that all customers pay. The matter is on this week’s Council agenda. While some members may wish to put off a decision that will increase customers’ bills, Tuesday’s […]
Posted inEnergy
Six weeks out from controversial base rate review hearings, Austin Energy proposes yet another rate hike
Despite the welcome relief of cooler temperatures, there appears to be no end in sight for Austin Energy’s woes, as the utility tackles yet another unpopular rate change. As the base rate review case approaches City Hall, Austin Energy has announced that its annual revision of pass-through rates could mean another hike in energy rates […]
Posted inEnergy
Workers demand labor protections at Austin Energy base rate rally
It was an unusually lively morning outside Austin Energy Headquarters last Saturday, as a coalition of workers, environmentalists and community leaders gathered to air their grievances with the publicly owned utility. With a potential increase to residential rates on the horizon, the Texas Climate Jobs Action Fund led the diverse group of unions and civic […]
Posted inEnergy
Are you an Austin Energy customer? Expect a $20 hike in your monthly bill starting Nov. 1.
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. […]
Posted inEnergy
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 […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin-Bergstrom airport faces power outage Wednesday morning, delaying flights
Lee esta historia en español. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport experienced a power outage Wednesday morning, delaying numerous flights throughout the rest of the day and prompting airport road closures. The power went out around 4:30 a.m., according to airport spokesperson Bailey Grimmett. Austin Energy was able to restore power shortly before 8 a.m. POWER UPDATE: @austinenergy […]
Posted inEnergy
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 […]
Posted inEnergy
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 […]
Posted inEnergy
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 […]
Posted inEnergy
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 […]