City Council members have their work cut out for them this month, with the first of six work sessions leaving a lot of ground to cover before their vote on Austin Energy base rates for 2023. With the independent hearing examiner ruling largely in its favor, Austin Energy is continuing to propose a shift to […]
Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee
The Austin City Council committee on Austin Energy was created in May 2013 to provide oversight of the city’s electric utility. It’s creation was marked by political maneuvering that ultimately resulted in a committee comprised of every member of the Austin City Council.
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 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 seeks to bridge revenue gap through changes to service costs
Austin Energy customers can anticipate changes to their bills in the near future, as the utility gears up to revise its base rate charges by 2023. Russell Maenius, vice president of finance, and Tammy Cooper, vice president of communications, spoke to City Council’s Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee on Tuesday to propose a timeline for […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy price on coal energy reduces emissions 20 percent since March
In a little over four months, Austin Energy’s carbon pricing program, REACH (Reduce Emissions Affordably for Climate Health) has cut the utility’s carbon emissions by roughly 20 percent, saving more than 480,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere since the end of March. Looking ahead to the end of 2020, Charles Dickerson, chief operating officer […]
Posted inEnergy
Council members discuss how Austin Energy’s billing system disproportionally affects vulnerable customers
Austin Energy makes its revenue from customers purchasing energy from the fourth and fifth tiers of its five-tiered residential billing structure. However, with more Austinites living in multifamily units and homes becoming more energy-efficient, 76 percent of residential energy consumption is being sold below the utility’s cost to serve. Those who are left to foot […]
Posted inEnergy
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. Debbie Kimberly, an Austin Energy vice president, told the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee on […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Don’t speak
Once more, away from the breach… For decades, those who work with digital data have learned to encrypt it in defense against potential breaches. Unfortunately, according to Khalil Shalabi, Austin Energy vice president of strategy, technology and markets, data protection is not always consistent. At the May 23 meeting of the Austin Energy Utility Oversight […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin’s community solar program comes to light
For years, people have lamented that although the sun shines at no cost, it is cost prohibitive to redirect its energy from the outdoors and into your home. Even if Austinites want to implement solar technology, they must contend with tree cover, roof maintenance issues and significant upfront costs. Last year, to help alleviate some […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy gears up to ‘repower downtown’
As Austin grows, so must its utility. Austin Energy plans a nine-figure investment over the next eight years on improvements to its system of substations and transmission lines. In a presentation Wednesday to the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee, AE officials showed off a list of projects whose estimated cost totals $150.2 million. And that’s […]
Posted inEnergy
Changes in the Texas wholesale energy grid may increase prices
In August 2017, City Council made a commitment to providing 65 percent renewable energy to its residents by 2027. This aggressive energy plan is, according to Robert Cullick, director of communications and marketing at Austin Energy, the only one of its kind in the country. At the Nov. 13 meeting of Council’s Austin Energy Utility Oversight […]
Posted inEnergy
Energy efficiency rebates not impacting rent
The Austin Energy MultiFamily Rebate Program was launched in 1991, but only since 2013 has it been the focus of a data tracking initiative with the aim of investigating the possible effects of participation on rental prices. Liz Jambor, a data analytics and business intelligence manager at Austin Energy, came to the Austin Energy Utility […]