Bob Kahn, who has served as general manager of Austin Energy for nearly two years, is officially retiring at the end of June, but he will be leaving his post on April 30.
City Manager T.C. Broadnax has announced that Stuart Reilly will serve as Interim General Manager beginning on May 1. Reilly, whose current title is Deputy General Manager of Business Services, also served as interim general manager when Jackie Sargent retired.
Kahn has had a long career in the utility industry. Prior to taking his current position, he served general manager of the Texas Municipal Power Agency and as the Chief Executive Officer of ERCOT. He served in a number of roles at Austin Energy before taking jobs outside the utility. Those included deputy general manager and general counsel at the utility.
In announcing Kahn’s retirement, Broadnax wrote, “At Austin Energy, Bob previously served as Deputy General Manager, following eight years as General Counsel and Vice President for Legal Services. He played a pivotal role in shaping electric utility policy and was instrumental in drafting Texas’s retail deregulation legislation. Earlier in his career, he served in private practice and as a staff attorney at the Public Utility Commission of Texas, representing the public interest in regulatory proceedings. Since returning as General Manager in 2023, Bob has led Austin Energy through a period of meaningful progress. Under his leadership, the utility strengthened its financial position, improved system reliability, and successfully advanced a new Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035.”
Mayor Kirk Watson and the Council thanked Kahn for his service at Thursday’s Council meeting, noting it would be Kahn’s final meeting.
In a memo to mayor and Council, Broadnax wrote, that Reilly “brings over 18 years of experience in the municipal energy sector, including six years at the executive level. With expertise in strategic leadership, problem-solving, and operational oversight, he has a proven track record of driving sustainable, cost-effective, and equitable energy solutions while ensuring safe, reliable service for the Austin community. He began his service with the City of Austin in 2007.”
As he departs from Austin Energy, Kahn has some good news for utility customers. Effective May 1, Austin Energy will lower its power supply adjustment charge by 5 percent. According to the memo, that means the average customer will see a $2 per month decrease in their utility bill. The charge is passed through to customers based on how much the utility has to pay suppliers for power plant fuel, for electricity purchased from the grid and for net charges stemming from when Austin Energy sells power to the grid.
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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.
