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Environment
Should natural gas be a required secondary fuel source?
Even as the city strives to reach net-zero community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the Energy Code for Austin still, with some exceptions, requires the use of natural gas for water heating when a residential building is constructed adjacent to…
Energy • By Jessi Devenyns • Apr 23, 2019
Austin Energy updates multifamily weatherization program
Despite spending less than ever on multifamily weatherization and tightening restrictions on its multifamily weatherization rebate program, Austin Energy claims to be on track to meet the city’s energy efficiency goals while continuing to lower energy bills for its customers.…
Energy • By Ryan Thornton • Apr 22, 2019
Austin Energy buys biomass plant for $460M
Austin Energy will, in fact, be purchasing the Nacogdoches Generating Facility for $460 million. Buying the East Texas biomass power plant is the city-owned utility’s way out of a controversial $2.3 billion contract that has been under intense scrutiny over…
Energy • By Elizabeth Pagano • Apr 19, 2019
Summer pilot aims to save Zilker from parking overload
The first piece of a long-term effort to systematically rethink Zilker Park’s parking, transportation and environmental needs may come into play this summer with a short-term transportation pilot program aiming to reduce traffic and parking demand in and around the…
Parks • By Ryan Thornton • Apr 16, 2019
Region failing to keep up with expectations of clean air
The city of Austin may soon lose its standing as the largest city in the nation that is in conformity with federal air quality standards. If air quality doesn’t improve from last year, Austin and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning…
Environment • By Ryan Thornton • Apr 11, 2019
Project Catalyst and Country Club Creek Trail: An 'inopportune' overlap
At the same meeting of the Environmental Commission where citizens aired their concerns about the Northern Walnut Creek Trail, commissioners had questions about the Country Club Creek Trail off of Riverside Drive. Commissioners wanted to know how plans for the…
Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Apr 10, 2019
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Public expresses concern about Urban Trails causing erosion
In 2014, the city of Austin approved an Urban Trails Master Plan that laid out the path forward to construct 300 miles of non-motorized trails throughout the city. Five years later, construction is well underway, but community members have raised…
Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Apr 8, 2019
Contractors cry foul over changes to Austin Energy's weatherization program
Why is Austin Energy spending so much less on its weatherization program than in the past? The answer depends on whom you ask. In the 2017 fiscal year, the utility spent $1.6 million on a long-standing program that offers free…
Energy • By Jack Craver • Mar 25, 2019
City electric water heating restrictions not plugged in to affordability, climate reality
The Joint Sustainability Committee is asking the city to reconsider an outdated prohibition on electric water heating as part of the upcoming code rewrite process. The committee passed a resolution Feb. 27 claiming the prohibition is a barrier to affordability…
Energy • By Ryan Thornton • Mar 4, 2019
TCEQ OKs Dripping Springs discharge permit
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a wastewater discharge permit to Dripping Springs on Wednesday, giving the city authority to expand its existing wastewater plant and discharge up to 822,500 gallons of effluent per day into Onion Creek. However,…
Environment • By Jo Clifton • Mar 1, 2019
Austin Water touts water conservation efforts
Despite Austin’s consistent growth and the city demographer’s prediction that city utilities will need to serve 4 million residents in the next 100 years, Austin Water feels confident that its facilities are up to the challenge. In terms of today’s…
Water • By Jessi Devenyns • Feb 25, 2019
Permanent zebra mussel solution still 18 months out
Following the odorous indication that a zebra mussel infestation had arrived in Austin waterways earlier this month, Austin Water has been working to come up with a solution to prevent a similar instance from recurring. Austin Water is already working to…