Austin Energy General Manager Jackie Sargent apologized to the community during Wednesday’s AE Utility Oversight Committee meeting for the suffering and hardships experienced during Winter Storm Uri as a result of electric system outages. Even though the outages were ordered by the state grid operator, ERCOT, Sargent said Austin Energy would work to do a […]
Environment
Posted inWater
Austin Water responds to ‘demoralizing’ water outages
Austin Water gave a presentation to the Water Oversight Committee on Wednesday detailing the timeline of the water outages last month, preparation for future disasters and upcoming utility bill relief measures. City Council members demanded to know how a substantial portion of Austin residents lost water during the freeze, among other questions about Austin Water’s […]
Posted inParks
PARD begins to reimagine public safety
Last summer, in the wake of protests against the police killings of Mike Ramos and George Floyd, Austin City Council announced its Reimagining Public Safety initiative. A timeline was released with the goal of reforming “public safety over the years, including conducting an investigation of systemic discrimination and bias within APD and establishing the Office of Police […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin utilities work to help those hit by storm
The wake of winter storm Uri brought recriminations, finger-pointing and at least one major utility bankruptcy, not to mention the sky-high prices charged to many Texas utility customers. Meanwhile, at Austin Energy, officials have been spending their time trying to figure out how to help their customers. Thursday’s City Council agenda includes items directing Austin […]
Posted inParks
Parks board endorses push for more benches in city parks
On Feb. 23, Janee Briesemeister, who chairs the Commission on Seniors, sought the Parks and Recreation Board’s endorsement for a recommendation passed by the senior commission back in January. The recommendation advocates for “the placement of benches on trails and other developed parkland areas” by promoting the Memorial Bench Program, a Parks and Recreation Department-run program […]
Posted inParks
PARD director estimates $1 million in weather-related damages
At last week’s Parks and Recreation Board meeting, Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeeley presented the most recent director’s report for the department, highlighting PARD’s response to the historic winter storms and the power outages in the region. According to McNeeley, PARD began opening shelters for Austin’s homeless population as soon as the temperature began to […]
Posted inEnvironment
Conservation groups promote ‘Lights Out’ to protect migrating birds
A coalition of organizations is working to promote a program to protect migrating birds as they pass through Austin this spring. Travis Audubon, Texan by Nature, Defenders of Wildlife, the Austin Office of Sustainability, Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, Audubon Texas, and the Texas A&M Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections are collaborating on the Lights Out program. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Cold weather kills bats across Texas
Large numbers of dead or dying bats are being discovered under bridges and overpasses in Texas after last week’s winter storm. One Austin resident sent KUT a video of what she saw downtown under a bridge at Henderson and Ninth Street. “It was really upsetting,” Amy Miley said. “A number of them were obviously dead, and […]
Posted inParks
Austin Parks Foundation gives an update on Zilker train restoration
The Austin Parks Foundation has laid out its plans to restore the beloved train formerly known as the Zilker Zephyr, which ceased operations last year. In January 2020, after more than two decades in operation, the owners of the Zephyr announced in a Facebook post that they were shutting down for good after rainstorms in […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy customers need not worry about skyrocketing bills
Austin Energy customers, like the customers of other utilities throughout the state, experienced power outages and water shortages caused by winter storm Uri. But unlike customers of other utilities, Austin Energy customers will not be facing a huge spike in their electric bills as a result. Austin Energy spokesperson Jennifer Herber points out that customers […]
Posted inEnergy
Just before the storms, Austin Energy gave Covid relief update
Before winter storm Uri wrought devastation and widespread power outages, Austin Energy was focused on the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and its accompanying economic damage. In April of last year, City Council approved measures collectively providing $46 million in utility bill relief for qualifying Austin residents. The plan was to end the new program in September. […]
Posted inWater
City says water outages could last for days
Many Austinites remain completely without water Friday as tens of thousands of cold-related leaks riddle water mains and pipes, leaving the city in a water crisis that is set to last days. “We never imagined the day where hospitals wouldn’t have water and large segments of our customer base wouldn’t have water,” Austin Water Director […]