[00:00:05]
[CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
UH, THEN I'LL CALL TO ORDER THIS VIRTUAL MEETING OF THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION.IT'S JANUARY 11TH AT, UH, OR 2021, UH, 1:00 PM.
AND, UH, I'LL DO A QUICK ROLL CALL JUST SO WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR WHO'S PRESENT HERE.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS HOPKINS, HADDEN, PROTAL, WELDON REED, OR CHILL OIL FUNKHOUSER.
AND WE MAY HAVE A FEW MORE JOIN US HERE.
UM, AND MR. VICE, IF I DON'T CATCH IT WHEN THEY POP UP WHERE YOU LET ME KNOW.
UM, SO, UH, FIRST OFF, I'D JUST LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY BACK.
UH, THIS IS OUR FIRST MEETING SINCE THE HOLIDAY BREAK IN THE NEW YEAR.
UM, AND, AND DESPITE ALL THE GRIM NEW GROUPS, UH, IN DC AND WITH COVID NUMBERS, VIKINGS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, UH, I HOPE THAT FOLKS WERE ABLE TO FIND SOME PEACE AND JOY OVER THE HOLIDAYS, UM, UH, CLOSER TO HOME.
SO, UM, WELCOME BACK EVERYBODY.
AND, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU THIS YEAR.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UM, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS, AND I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT OF MR. PAUL ROBBINS HAS SIGNED UP FOR CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS AND I BELIEVE MR. ROBINS, THAT YOU'RE OUR FIRST, UM, SO TO SOON COMMUNICATION THROUGH THIS VIRTUAL PLATFORM.SO BEAR WITH US HERE, IF IT, IF IT TAKES US JUST A FEW MINUTES TO, UH, FIGURE OUT THE TECHNOLOGY, BUT I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE AND EXCITED TO HEAR FROM YOU.
HELLO? CAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR.
UH, FIRST LET ME ESTABLISH, DO I HAVE THREE MINUTES OR SIX MINUTES? BECAUSE I SIGNED UP FOR BOTH CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS AND FOR, UH, I THINK ITEM 12, UH, THREE MINUTES, PAUL, UH, ITEM 12 IS A BRIEFING AND I DON'T THINK A CITIZEN SIGN UP FOR THAT.
LET ME, UH, DO, LET ME START, UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, COMMISSIONERS, I CAN RECALL ASKING FOR YOU ALL TO TAKE UP PROBLEMS WITH THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT GIVES YOU
I'M NOT SURE THAT THIS HAS EVER OCCURRED.
AND I'M ASKING YOU AGAIN TO POST THIS ON YOUR AGENDA AT YOUR NEXT MEETING.
I'M ASKING TO MAKE A 20 MINUTE PRESENTATION ABOUT ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THIS PROGRAM.
I THINK THAT I WILL HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF NEW INFORMATION TO PRESENT TO YOU BY NEXT MONTH WHILE I ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORT PROGRAMS, HELPING LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS WITH THEIR BILLS, UH, CONTINUED ERRORS ARE STILL SENDING SOME OF THIS MONEY TO CUSTOMERS WITH EXPENSIVE REAL ESTATE GIVING PREFERENCE TO CERTAIN PARTS OF THE CITY OVER OTHERS AND AWARDING DISCOUNTS IN A WAY THAT ENCOURAGES HIGH CONSUMPTION.
MOREOVER, AFTER SPENDING SIX YEARS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE, I TRULY BELIEVE STAFF THAT RUNS THESE PROGRAMS, UH, ARE NOT INTERESTED IN MAKING FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
IF IMPROVEMENTS ARE TO OCCUR, THE IMPETUS WILL NEED TO OCCUR FROM THE OUTSIDE, UH, CONSIDER, UH, THAT WHEN THE NEW WATER REBATES FOR APARTMENTS ARE STARTED, THIS PROGRAM TAP, UH, THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WILL BE FUNDED WITH ABOUT $22 MILLION, UH, FOR DISCOUNTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
EVEN IF 10% OF THIS IS GIVEN TO THE WRONG PEOPLE, UH, THAT IS OVER 2 MILLION A YEAR IN WASTE.
UH, NOW, UH, THE LAST POINT THAT I WANT TO MAKE IS THAT PART OF THESE FUNDS ARE, UH, SPENT ON FREE WEATHERIZATION.
AND THERE SEEMS TO BE, UH, AN UNEVEN, UH, APPLICATION OF THESE FUNDS CAP DISCOUNTS ARE MEANT TO SERVE PEOPLE AT 200% OF POVERTY, UH, YET A ONE-PERSON HOUSEHOLD AT 80% OF MEDIAN INCOME APPLYING FOR FREE WEATHERIZATION CAN MAKE AS MUCH AS $54,700 A YEAR AND STILL QUALIFY.
AND THIS IS OVER TWICE, THE MAXIMUM THRESHOLD FOR INCOME QUALIFICATION FOR BUILT HIS COUNTS.
THE IRONY HERE IS THAT THE ELECTRICITY DISCOUNT IS ABOUT $250 A YEAR, BUT IF A CUSTOMER APPLYING FOR WHEAT FREE WEATHERIZATION MAKES MORE THAN TWICE AS MUCH
[00:05:01]
AS A PERSON QUALIFYING FOR BILL DISCOUNTS AT THE MAXIMUM CUTOFF LEVEL FOR BILL DISCOUNTS, THE FREE WEATHER ZATION APPLICANT CAN RECEIVE AS MUCH AS $7,500 OF FREE WORK.UH, PLEASE CONSIDER HAVING ME, UH, AT YOUR NEXT MEETING FOR A PRESENTATION.
UM, NO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS JUST QUICKLY.
UM, I'M ASSUMING JEFF, WHEN WE GET TO THE PRESENTATION, UM, ON THE, ON THE WEATHERIZATION AND OTHER, UH, LOW-INCOME SERVICES THAT WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT CERTAINLY ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THERE IS A, A MAJOR POLICY DECISION ABOUT CHANGING THE, UM, THERE'S A FOOD APPLIES TO.
UM, BUT WE'LL BE ABLE TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS THEN.
UM, I AM, I, I SUPPOSE THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR ME.
UM, WE, WE CAN DISCUSS PAUL, I THINK.
AND WHEN WE GET TO FUTURE MEETINGS, WE CAN DISCUSS ABOUT TH TH THE REQUEST YOU MADE.
UM, UH, GOOD LUCK ON YOUR WORK THIS AFTERNOON.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Approve minutes of the November 9, 2020 regular meeting.]
HEY, UM, MOVING ON TO APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER 9TH, 2020 MEETING MINUTES.ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS TO THOSE MINUTES HEARING NONE? I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE NOVEMBER 9TH, 2020 MEETING MINUTES.
I THINK I, I GOT, UH, COMMISSIONER WELDON FIRST THERE AND A SECOND.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BOIL ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL FIDO ALSO APPROVES, I THINK.
UM, AND IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER TUTTLE AND I HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER TUNNEL, COMMISSIONER FUNKHOUSER AND COMMISSIONER HATTON.
SO COULD YOU PLEASE VERBALIZE YOUR VOTE? AYE.
AND COMMISSIONER HADN'T I, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU.
UH, KAREN, WE MAY HAVE LOST COMMISSIONER HADDEN.
UM, SO I WILL, UH, MARK EVERYONE DOWN AS I, UM, AND COMMISSIONER HAD.
AND IF WE HEAR IT, IF WE CONNECT BACK WITH YOU, LET US KNOW IF, UH, ON YOUR VOTE ON THAT.
BUT WITH THAT, THE MEETING MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 9TH, 2020 ARE APPROVED VOTE.
[NEW BUSINESS – CONSENT]
MOVING ON TO NEW BUSINESS.UH, ARE, ARE THERE ANY ITEMS UNDER THE NEW BUSINESS THAT A COMMISSIONER WOULD LIKE PULLED FOR DISCUSSION? YEAH, I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS ITEM FOUR.
WELDON WAS THAT YOU POWER COST, INC.
JUST TO MORE INFO AND I HAD A QUICK QUESTION ON ITEM SEVEN.
WHAT NUMBER WAS IT THAT YOU HAD A QUESTION ON NUMBER SEVEN, THE PUBLIC POWER, UM, MEMBERSHIP FEES.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO PULL, UH, I DON'T REMEMBER FIVE.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO MORE THAN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, TO, OH, ACTUALLY I WANTED TO DISCUSS THE PROCEDURAL QUESTION WITH YOU, MR.
[00:10:01]
BIAS.I, I WAS DOING A LITTLE READING OF, OF SOME PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE AND I THINK THAT IT'S POSSIBLE, UH, FOR, TO RATHER THAN ME ENTERTAIN A MOTION AND, AND SEEK A SECOND, UH, AND VOTE, UH, THAT WHEN I REQUEST, UH, WHEN I ASK FOLKS TO PULL ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION, THE ONES THAT ARE NOT PULLED ARE AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED CONSENTED SO THAT I COULD JUST STATE AFFIRMATIVELY THAT ITEMS TWO, THREE, SIX, EIGHT, NINE, 10, AND 11 ARE CONSENTED.
UM, LET ME KNOW IF YOU AGREE WITH THAT INTERPRETATION THAT'LL WORK.
THEN I'M GOING TO JUST STATE THAT ITEMS. TWO, THREE, SIX, EIGHT, NINE, 10, AND 11 ARE CONSUMPTIVE.
SO THAT SHAVES OFF FIVE MINUTES.
[4. (2/4) [Purchasing] Authorize negotiation and execution of a multi-term contract with Power Cost, Inc., to provide market operations and settlement cloud solutions and related services, for up to 12 years for a total contract amount not to exceed $6,600,000. (Part 1 of 2)]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR AND COMMISSIONER, UH, ACTUALLY, UM, MR. VICE, WHO FROM, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY IS HERE TO SPEAK ON, UH, ITEM NUMBER FOUR.I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ELTON RICHARDS ON THE, ON THE SCREEN.
UH, SO JUST, UH, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UH, ABOUT JUST THE KIND OF, I'M HOPING YOU CAN GIVE A TWO MINUTE OVERVIEW OF THIS PROJECT IN TERMS OF WHEN IT'S STARTING AND ENDING.
AND I WAS CURIOUS WHAT YOU THOUGHT SOME OF THE SPECIFIC DEFICIENCIES BEING ADDRESSED IN THE AGING SYSTEMS. I UNDERSTAND THAT SYSTEMS AGE, AND THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED INCLUDING SOFTWARE.
AND I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT, UH, UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION TIME PERIOD AT ANY OVERLAP, BUT THE TWO SYSTEMS MIGHT HAVE IN TERMS OF VALIDATING ANY NEW SYSTEMS AND THE OVERLAPPING OPERATION OF THE EXISTING SYSTEMS COMMISSIONER.
THIS ONE'S ACTUALLY UNDER ERICA.
SO JEFF ERICA WOULD HAVE TO SPEAK TO THIS WHEN I DO NOT HAVE THE DETAILS ON, ON THIS PRODUCT.
MY APOLOGIES, I WILL, UH, TRY AND SEE IF ERIC IS ON THE LINE, OTHERWISE, UH, CHAIR, PERHAPS WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
I THINK ITEM FIVE WOULD BE FOR ELTON.
[5. (2/4) [Purchasing] Authorize award of a multi-term contract with High Tech Engineering Inc, to provide underground utility locating services, for up to five years for a total contract amount not to exceed $9,500,000.]
UH, OKAY.I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE THEN MR. RICHARDS.
UM, SO THIS IS THE, UH, MULTITERM CONTRACT FOR, UH, LOCATING UNDERGROUND UTILITY SERVICES.
AND I JUST WANTED, UH, WELL FIRST LET ME, THIS IS SUPER BASIC, BUT, UH, IS THIS FOR ANY AND ALL CONSTRUCTION IN THE SERVICE TERRITORY OR ARE WE TALKING RESIDENTIAL OR IS IT JUST PARTIAL OR ARE WHAT LEVEL OF CONSTRUCTION ARE WE TALKING HERE? YES, MA'AM.
THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH, WITH CALLS, FOR US, FOR LOCATING, FOR ANY, ANY ACTION TO DO WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.
UH, THIS ACTUALLY WAS ABOUT 6 MILLION THE LAST TIME THAT IT WENT THROUGH JUST THE INCREASE IN THE COMMERCIAL AND THE RESIDENTIAL IS DROVE IT UP.
UH, THIS WAS THE U S I C HAD THE CONTRACT AND THEY ACTUALLY DID NOT GET CONTRACT THIS TIME.
THEY WERE NOT THE LOWEST BIDDER.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A, KIND OF AN UNWRAP RECOGNIZABLE NAME WITH THE VOLUME THAT WE DO, YOU DO A MASS LOCATE.
SO THERE'S VERY FEW COMPANIES THAT CAN ACTUALLY HANDLE OUR CAPACITY FOR THIS ONE.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
IT DID ACTUALLY, UH, YOU ANSWERED MY TWO UP QUESTIONS TOO, WHICH WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT THE CONTRACT PRICE WAS LAST, LAST TIME AROUND AND WHETHER IT'S A CONTINUATION WITH THE SAME COMPANY? SOUNDS LIKE, UH, WELL, YOU'VE ANSWERED BOTH OF THOSE.
THANKS MR. RICHARDS OF MR. VICE, DO WE HAVE ERICA FROM PURCHASING ON? UM, NO, MA'AM, I'M SORRY.
AND THAT'S ERICA BEERS, OUR VICE PRESIDENT.
UM, SO I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IF YOU'LL JUST MOVE ON TO ITEM SEVEN? UH, WE HAVE TAMMY COOPER ON THE LINE AND, UH, I WILL SEE IF I CAN TRACK DOWN A STAFF PERSON FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR FOR THE QUESTIONS.
[7. (2/4) [Austin Energy] Authorize expenditures for annual renewals of professional dues and memberships in national and state associations and organizations related to the electric utility industry, in an amount not to exceed $510,822.]
SO I HAVE NUMBER SEVEN, COMMISSIONER READ.UM, I SEE THE FOUR LISTED DUES AMOUNTS FOR 2021.
ARE THOSE THE SAME AS THEY WERE IN 2020? IS THIS AN INCREASE OR IS THIS THE NORMAL? IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY TO ME, BUT I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY.
UM, YES, ACTUALLY THE FEES ARE NEARLY IDENTICAL TO WHAT THEY WERE LAST YEAR.
THERE IS A SLIGHT, UH, I WANT TO SAY, UH, MAYBE, UH, AN ESTIMATED $3,000 INCREASE IN THE TPA
[00:15:01]
DUES.UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS, DON'T EXACTLY LINE UP WITH OUR APPROVAL TIMELINE HERE.
AND SO WE PUT A SLIGHT BUFFER IN THE TTPA AMOUNT, UH, TO REFLECT A POTENTIAL INCREASE.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE BOARD WILL APPROVE IT, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO COME BACK FOR A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS, BUT, BUT YES, YOU KNOW, SAY FOR, SAY FOR, UH, UH, A SLIGHT VARIANT, THESE ARE, THESE NUMBERS ARE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT AUSTIN ENERGY HAS PAID FOR THESE MEMBERSHIPS IN THE PAST.
AND, AND AGAIN, IT, IT IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, IT DOES SEEM LIKE A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT THAT BEING SAYS, SAID, WE DO BELIEVE WE GET THE VALUE OUT OF PARTICIPATION IN THESE ASSOCIATIONS.
AND GIVEN THAT WE'RE IN A LEGISLATIVE SESSION, I THINK TECH BEING A MEMBER OF TEXAS PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY THIS YEAR WAS AS IT ALWAYS IS.
UM, INTER MY OTHER QUESTION WAS IN TERMS OF MJ BRADLEY, UM, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS AND MJ BRADLEY DID A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK ON, UM, COMING UP WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, EITHER POLICY IDEAS OR, OR OTHER INFORMATION RELATED TO THE EMISSIONS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS, BUT DO YOU KNOW IF THAT EFFORT IS GOING TO CONTINUE INTO 2021 WITH, YOU KNOW, A NEW ADMINISTRATION COMING, WILL THIS GROUP STILL BE LOOKING AT THAT ISSUE OF METHANE EMISSIONS? NO, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT SINCE I'M RELATIVELY NEW TO AUSTIN ENERGY.
I CAN CERTAINLY GO BACK AND CHECK ON THAT AND, UH, SEND YOU A RESPONSE REGARDING WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH RESPECT TO METHANE.
AND THEN I'D APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE PART OF THE WORK THAT WE DID AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE AUSTIN CLIMATE PLAN WAS TO CONTINUE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY TAKE A LEADING POSITION ON CALLING FOR MORE REGULATIONS TO AVOID METHANE FROM THE PRODUCTION OF GAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE MISSIONS THAT GO OFF INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO PAY THAT MUCH MONEY TO THEM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PART OF THAT EFFORT.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL, I DON'T, I DON'T OBJECT TO THIS.
I JUST WANTED TO GET SOME MORE INSIGHTS, BUT YEAH, CERTAINLY, AND, AND AGAIN, I'LL INVESTIGATE THAT AND RESPOND TO YOU SEPARATELY, THANKS.
OR IF YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO JEFF AND HE CAN SHARE IT WITH THE GROUP.
I THINK A NUMBER OF US ARE INTERESTED IN THAT ISSUE.
CERTAINLY I'M GOING TO STEP INTO THE SILENCE
[4. (2/4) [Purchasing] Authorize negotiation and execution of a multi-term contract with Power Cost, Inc., to provide market operations and settlement cloud solutions and related services, for up to 12 years for a total contract amount not to exceed $6,600,000. (Part 2 of 2)]
THERE AND JUST SAY REGARDING ITEM NUMBER FOUR, I'M WILLING TO GO AHEAD AND JUST LET THAT SLIDE THROUGH KIND OF WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT I KNOW ERIC IS ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH.NO MATTER I HAVE, ERIC HAS ONLINE.
UH, UH, COMMISSIONER WALDEN, MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING ON THE CALL.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE WITH REGARDS TO ITEM FOUR.
SO YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T HEAR THEM.
THEY WERE JUST KINDA, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, I JUST INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT, OF COURSE, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SOFTWARE SYSTEMS AGE NEED TO BE REPLACED.
I WAS JUST KINDA CURIOUS, UH, WHAT THE START AND END DATE OBJECTIVES WERE, UH, IN, IN LOOSE TERMS AND THEN, UH, WHAT THE OVERLAPPING EVALUATION PERIOD MIGHT BE IN WHICH THE TWO CYSTS, CAUSE I I'M MAKING A PRESUMPTION THAT THERE'LL BE SOME, UH, SOME SUCH QC OF THAT NATURE AS THE SYSTEMS ARE DEPLOYED.
AND THEN ANY COMMENT YOU MIGHT, MIGHT WANT TO MAKE IN TERMS OF YOUR VALIDATION CRITERIA, FOR SURE.
UM, SO LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THE ITEM, UM, THAT, UH, WE'RE, UH, MAKING A REQUEST ON.
SO THIS IS, UM, A, UM, AN, UH, UH, SYSTEM, UH, THAT, UH, WE, UH, UH, WE NEED TO REPLACE ACTUALLY, UM, FOR OUR, UM, UH, ENERGY, UH, TRADING AND, UH, MARKETING SYSTEM.
SO IT'S OUR ETR, EM, AND, UM, THIS IS, UH, A REPLACEMENT FROM, UH, WE'VE HAD A SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR ABOUT 10, 12 YEARS NOW, UH, WHICH ACTUALLY WAS, UH, PUT IN PLACE, UH, WHEN WE STARTED OUR HEDGING PROGRAM BACK IN 2005.
UH, SO, UH, THIS IS, UH, HOLDS ALL OF OUR, UH, IT'S, UH, YOU'LL CAPTURE SYSTEM.
UM, AND IT ALSO, UH, VALUATE OUR PORTFOLIO.
SO IT'S A SYSTEM THAT IS USED BY WHAT WE CALL OUR MID-OFFICE OR OUR RISK CONTROL AS WELL AS OUR, UH, FRONT OFFICE OR, UH, MY TEAM, UM, THE QUEASY OR THE FRONT OFFICE.
UM, SO, UH, WE LOOKED AT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE BID IT OUT, UH, FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR SOLICITATION.
UM, AND I CAN BRING BACK SOME MORE SPECIFIC, UH, CRITERIA, BUT WHAT SPECIFICALLY WE WERE LOOKING FOR COMMISSIONER WELDER IS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HOLD, UH, UH, FOR FIRST OF ALL, FOR IT TO BE, UM, WORK IN THE ERCOT MARKET, UH, WITH
[00:20:01]
REGARDS TO ALL THE TRADES THAT WE DO, UM, AS WELL AS BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, VALUE OUR, UH, UH, OUR RENEWABLE CONTRACTS.UH, SO ANY KIND OF LONG-TERM CONTRACTS THAT WE MAY HAVE, UH, AS FAR AS, UH, SELLING THEM AGAINST THE MARKET.
SO IT'S REALLY A MARK TO MARKET TYPE, UH, SETTLEMENT, UM, AND IT, UH, UH, FLOWS THROUGH TO OUR BACK OFFICE.
UM, SO THAT THAT'S, THAT'S THE NATURE OF THIS ONE.
AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND MENTION REAL QUICK.
THERE IS ANOTHER, UM, UH, ITEM THAT IS GOING TO BE COMING, UH, THROUGH.
LET'S SEE, LET ME, LET ME, IF YOU, OKAY.
SO, UH, THAT ONE, ACTUALLY, THE, ERM, UH, MY APOLOGIES, UH, WE ACTUALLY ASKED FOR APPROVAL ON THAT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, AND THEN THIS IS THE SECOND ONE, UM, WHICH IS, UH, UH, TO REPLACE WHAT'S CALLED OUR, UH, BIDDING AND SCHEDULING SYSTEM, UH, WHICH WAS A LEGACY SYSTEM, UM, THAT, UH, WE ACTUALLY BUILT IN HOUSE, UH, COMMISSIONER WELDON.
AND, UH, WE BUILT THIS IN, WHEN WE, WHEN THINGS WERE STILL IN THE ZONAL MARKET.
UM, AND, UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE MOVED TO NODAL IN 2010 AND WE NEED TO REPLACE THAT LEGACY LEGACY SYSTEM AT FIRST.
UM, WE DID NOT, UH, MOVE TO, UH, USE ANYTHING, UM, FOR STARTED BECAUSE WE NEEDED FOUR SYSTEMS TO KIND OF CATCH UP WITH HOW THE MIDDLE MARKET WOULD EVOLVE.
UM, AND NOW WE'RE 10 YEARS IN, UH, THE, THE, THE SOFTWARE SYSTEM TERMS THAT ARE BEING USED BY OTHER MARKET PARTICIPANTS ARE, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE SYSTEMS AND VENDORS HAVE BECOME QUITE SAVVY AND, AND, AND, AND EVOLVED.
AND SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO, UH, GO FROM OUR LEGACY SYSTEM THAT WE'VE HAD IN-HOUSE FOR 20 YEARS NOW, ESSENTIALLY, WHERE WE DO OUR DAY AHEAD OR REAL TIME.
UH, WE PUT OUR COPS IN OUR, UM, UH, OUR COPIES ARE, UM, UH, CURRENT OPERATING PLAN THAT GETS SUBMITTED TO ERCOT.
SO IT INTERFACES WITH OUR CART AND THIS SYSTEM WILL DO THAT.
AND WHAT I WANT TO MENTION REAL QUICK, UM, SO I DON'T GET INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL.
I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE LIMITED ON TIME.
PCI IS THE VENDOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FOR OUR, UH, TO REPLACE OUR LEGACY SYSTEM.
UM, AND IT IS ALSO, UH, THE, UH, THE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE USING TO REPLACE OUR ETR M UH, THAT WE CAME, UH, TO THE UC BACK IN THE FALL OF LAST YEAR.
SO IT'S GOING TO, UH, THEY ARE GOING TO COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.
THESE ARE SYSTEMS THAT ARE USED BY CPS AND BY OTHER PUBLIC POWER AND OTHER, UH, UH, LARGE MARKET PARTICIPANTS IN, IN ERCOT.
UM, SO, UH, THOSE WERE THE KINDS OF CRITERIA WE WERE LOOKING FOR, UM, WHAT IS BEING USED BY, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, UH, SYSTEMS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE HISTORY THAT, UH, HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE A PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN THE ERCOT MARKET, UH, THAT CAN HANDLE OUR SIZE, UM, AS WELL AS SCALE UP, UM, UH, IT'S, UH, WE'RE MOVING TO A, UH, UH, CLOUD, UM, UH, HOSTED, UH, SOLUTION.
UM, AND SO WE, WE NEEDED SOMEBODY THAT COULD, UH, THAT COULD DO THAT AND AS WELL AS PROTECT ALL OF OUR DATA.
SO, UH, SO THOSE WERE THE CRITERIA, UH, HISTORY, UH, HAVING A PROVEN TRACK RECORD, UH, COULD SCALE UP WITH US, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH, UH, THE, THE CHANGING ERCOT MARKET.
UM, SO THOSE WERE SOME OF THE THINGS WE WERE LOOKING AT.
UM, UH, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE BACKGROUND ON THIS.
SO THIS ITEM, WELL, WHAT KIND OF RANGE IN TRANSITION TIME ARE YOU PROJECTING? AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOFTWARE PROJECTS, SO THEY'RE KIND OF NOTORIOUS, RIGHT.
SO, UH, WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU MEAN LIKE IMPLEMENTATION AND THEN GETTING UP TO SPEED.
SO THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY, UH, WE WERE SURPRISED AND, AND HOPEFUL.
WE MIGHT, UH, WE LOOK TO BE UP AND RUNNING BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
UM, SO THEY WERE LOOKING AT, UH, 12, UH, IT WAS, UH, UH, 10 TO 12 MONTH, UH, IMPLEMENTATION.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SIX MONTH KIND OF, UH, KIND OF GOING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH OUR CURRENT, UH, LEGACY SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS, IS GOOD.
SO 18 MONTHS WE SHOULD BE FULL AND RUNNING.
WE WOULD LIKE TO BE COMPLETELY, UH, ON THE NEW SYSTEM BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT SUMMER, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WE DON'T LIKE TO HAVE ANYTHING CRAZY GOING ON OVER THE SUMMER.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S KIND OF THE GOAL THERE.
SO, HEY, HERE, UH, IT MAKES SENSE TO GET THIS, I MEAN, THE OLD LEGACY STUFF FROM ZONAL CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
DO YOU THINK THIS WILL HAVE A GREATER INFLUENCE ON REDUCING COSTS OR REDUCING RISKS? UH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, IT'S GOING TO HAVE, UH, BOTH, UM, YOU KNOW, NOTHING COMES, UH, NOTHING'S PERFECT.
NO SYSTEM IS PERFECT AND NOTHING COMES FOR FREE.
SO I THINK REDUCING COSTS IN THAT.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE, WE SUPPORT, UH, WE HAVE A TEAM THAT SUPPORTS, UH, OUR LEGACY SYSTEM.
AND SO, UM, WHAT WE, WHAT WE, WHAT WE DON'T HAVE IS THE BENEFIT OF ALL OF THE OTHER, OTHER MARKET CUSTOMERS TO A CERTAIN SYSTEM, UM, THAT, UH, WILL MAKE REQUESTS AND TROUBLESHOOT
[00:25:01]
AND, AND, AND, AND IMPROVE A SYSTEM.SO THAT'S THE BENEFIT OF HAVING MORE THAN ONE PERSON USE A SYSTEM, RIGHT? THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, TH THEIR, THEIR NEEDS AND, AND THEIR SOPHISTICATION IS ALSO KIND OF, UM, UH, IT HELPS DEVELOP THAT, THAT SOFTWARE.
AND SO, UH, WE'LL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF OTHER PEOPLE USING THE SOFTWARE IN OUR MARKET, UM, THAT WILL GIVE US A BETTER PRODUCT OVERALL, WHICH WE CAN'T JUST DO IN A SILO.
YOU KNOW, IN-HOUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT REDUCES THE COST OF US HAVING TO, UM, KIND OF ALWAYS TRYING TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF, UH, A, UH, UH, BIDDING AND SCHEDULING SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, FOR THEIR CAUGHT MARKET, WHICH THAT'S NOT WHAT THE UTILITIES EXPERTISE SHOULD BE, UH, SHOULD BE RIGHT AT WORK.
WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS, RIGHT? WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO RUN A, YOU KNOW, A BLACK CHIP PREMIERE UTILITY.
SO I'M GOING TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE COST THAT I HAVE ASSIGNED TO TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE SOFTWARE AND MAKE IT AS COMPETITIVE AS THE OTHERS, AND I'M GOING TO BE DEPLOYING THAT RESOURCE IN ANOTHER FASHION.
SO, UM, NOW SOME OF THESE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT CURRENTLY HELP DEVELOP SOFTWARE WILL BE SUPPORTING THE SOFTWARE THAT WE WILL BE IMPLEMENTING, BECAUSE IT IS PRETTY COMPLICATED AND SOPHISTICATED.
UM, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, NEED TO TRY AND JUST BE CUTTING EDGE AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT SOFTWARE IS MEETING ALL THESE NEEDS.
I'M LEAVING THAT UP TO THE VENDOR AND I'M SUPPORTING THE VENDOR.
SO IN THAT SENSE, THE COST IS REDUCED OF, UH, ME HAVING TO HIRE MORE DEVELOPERS, UH, TO MAINTAIN A SYSTEM THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, IS AN EXPERTISE.
UM, AND THEN ON THE RISK SIDE, UM, THE, THE VENDOR IS, IS VERY TUNED INTO, UH, ERCOT MARKET PROTOCOLS, UH, UH, UH, MARKET RULES CHANGES, UH, REDESIGN.
WE'RE VERY, VERY TUNED INTO THOSE CHANGES, BUT AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO HAVE THE EXPERTISE FOR, UH, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, ISN'T SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING OUR TIME AND MONEY.
UH, INSTEAD WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, UH, THE MATERIALS AND THE TOOLS THAT WE'RE USING, UM, ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, MEET OUR NEEDS AND, AND, UH, OUR, THE QUALITY THAT, THAT WE SHOULD BE USING.
SO IN, IN, IN, IN OUR, IN OUR MIND, IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO, ARE WE A SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SHOP, OR ARE WE UTILITY? THAT'S MANAGING, YOU KNOW, OUR CUSTOMER'S PORTFOLIO AND THE WHOLESALE MARKET, AND IT'S THE LATTER.
SO WE WANT TO KIND OF MOVE AWAY FROM TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM.
WE BELIEVE IT'LL REDUCE COSTS BY GOING TO THE CLOUD, UH, AND, UH, AS WELL AS THE EFFORTS THAT GO INTO DEVELOPING A SYSTEM AS WELL AS REDUCED RISK, UH, BECAUSE WE WON'T BE HAVING TO, UH, MAINTAIN OUR EXPERTISE IN THAT SPACE.
AND VERY LOGICAL ACTUALLY, UM, I'M TOUCHING ON IN TERMS OF THE PROCUREMENT OF ALL THE RENEWABLES AND THE PPA, YOU KNOW, SO YOU THINK WE CAN GET, WELL, THIS WILL HELP A REDUCE ITS IT'S A ACQUIRED ENERGY COSTS OR MAKE SURE THAT WE AVOID SURPRISES IN THE MARKET WHERE WE'RE SHORT AND WE HAVE TO GO ACQUIRE, UH, ON THE SPOT MARKET AND WE GET HIT WITH SOME HUGE COSTS FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
SO THAT, SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND UM, SO, YOU KNOW, UH, AS FAR AS TRYING TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THROUGH, UH, THE ERCOT MARKET, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, WE HAVE A SYSTEM.
SO TH THESE, THE, THE SYSTEMS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR, UH, ARE, ARE MORE THEY'RE, THEY'RE ADMINISTRATIVE MORE NATURE.
UM, BUT WE ACTUALLY, UH, HAVE, UH, WE USE, UH, AN, UH, A SYSTEM CALLED POWER SIM IT'S ASCEND.
IT ACTUALLY GOES OUT INTO THE FUTURE, UH, UM, FIVE YEARS.
UM, AND WE'RE BUILDING IT OUT, UH, FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO VALUE OUR PORTFOLIO AND OUR RENEWABLES.
UM, AND SO TH THAT'S THE SYSTEM THAT WE USE BECAUSE IT'S A STOCHASTIC, UM, UH, STOCHASTIC MODEL AND PROBABILISTIC IN NATURE.
AND SO THAT IS THE MODEL THAT WE USE TO, UH, BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT YOU JUST BROUGHT UP.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T EVER GET ANYWHERE NEAR TO THE PROBLEMS THAT GEORGETOWN HAD, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND I, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT'S UH, THAT I GLAD YOU PUT IT UP FOR, THAT HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE RUNNING THE BOOK THAN IT DOES THE SYSTEMS THEY'RE USING.
BUT, UM, I, I, THE, WE DO NEED GOOD TOOLS, GOOD SOLID TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO HELP, UH, GUIDE OUR DECISIONS.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU DONE, DAVE? SORRY.
ARE YOU DONE WITH YOUR QUESTIONS, DAVE? UM, WELL ASSUMING HE HAS TWO REALLY, REALLY QUICK QUESTIONS.
UH, FIRST IS I'LL ASK THEM BOTH, THEN YOU CAN ANSWER, UM, IS THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER AWARE OF OUR COMMITMENTS ON THE CARBON PRICING AND DOES ANYTHING
[00:30:01]
IMPACT THE POTENTIAL FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, THOSE AGREEMENTS GOING FORWARD WITH THIS CONTRACT? THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION.AND THEN SECOND QUESTION, I THINK YOU ALREADY ANSWERED, UH, CAUSE THEY'RE AWARE OF PROTOCOL, BUT IS THIS SYSTEM BEING DESIGNED IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE CAN EASILY, ONCE WE HAVE, UM, REAL-TIME CO OPTIMIZATION AND, UH, THE INTEGRATION OF ALL THE STORAGE STUFF INTO THE MARKET THAT THE BOARD ALREADY APPROVED, UM, IS THAT, IS THAT ALREADY CONTEMPLATED AND ABSOLUTELY.
UM, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL, ANY SYSTEM THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE LOOKING, UH, NEEDS TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY.
UM, AND THIS ONE DOES, UH, FOR US TO CONFIGURE AS, YOU KNOW, AS WE SEE FIT AND AS OUR PORTFOLIO, UM, UH, EVOLVES.
UM, SO THAT WAS, UH, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT CRITERIA IS, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL FIND MOST SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT KIND OF FLEXIBILITY.
UM, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT, THAT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR, UH, OF OUR, UH, EVALUATION, UH, AND PURCHASING, UM, CRITERIA.
SO, UH, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, CON MORE THAN CONTEMPLATED WE NEEDED TO MAKE, ENSURE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE, UM, YOU KNOW, TH THE GOALS, UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE GLIDE PATH THAT WE HAVE INTO, INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UM, NO, I THINK THAT PRETTY MUCH ANSWERED IT AND I APPRECIATE IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. SPEER SPOT? ALL RIGHT.
I THINK, UH, GIVEN THE, THE CONVERSATION ON ALL THREE OF THE ITEMS DISCUSSED, I'M GOING TO TAKE THEM UP ALL AT ONCE AND ASK, UH, TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS FOUR, FIVE, AND SEVEN.
I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THOSE THREE ITEMS, FOUR, FIVE, AND SEVEN.
AND IF I COULD GET, UH, COMMISSIONER TUTTLE, COULD YOU VERBALIZE YOUR VOTE PLEASE? AND CRUSHER PONG COUNSELOR.
AND I THINK THAT'S EVERYBODY, UM, WITH THAT, UH, ITEMS FOUR, FIVE, AND SEVEN ARE APPROVED.
UH, MOVING ON TO, LET'S SEE STAFF BRIEFINGS AND REPORTS,
[12. Austin Energy Weatherization Programs for Limited Income Customers]
UH, ITEM NUMBER 12, WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS FOR INCOME CUSTOMERS.WHO DO WE HAVE FROM AUSTIN ENERGY HERE TO SPEAK ON THAT TODAY? YES, MA'AM, WE'RE BRINGING OVER OUR STAFF RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE SARAH CHATTER, G TERRY MOORE AND MANNY GARZA.
AND OF COURSE, THESE FOLKS ALL WORK WITH DEBBIE KIMBERLEY.
AND COMMISSIONER ASSISTANT KIMBERLEY, LET ME START BY, UH, INTRODUCING SARAH CHATTER TO YOU BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE YOU'VE MET HER BEFORE.
SARAH IS OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES SHOULD REPLACES DENISE KEANE RETURNED HOME TO HER HOME STATE OF NEBRASKA LATE LAST SPRING.
SARAH BRINGS MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN BOTH THE SOLAR SIDE OF THE BUSINESS, AS WELL AS DEMAND RESPONSE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
SHE WORKED FOR INVESTOR OWNED UTILITY NV ENERGY FOR OVER A DOZEN YEARS.
AND IN THAT TIME, NOT ONLY DID SHE WORK IN THOSE TWO AREAS, BUT SHE ALSO WORKED IN CUSTOMER CARE AS WELL AS INFORMATION SYSTEMS. SO SARAH IS NO CON OR PERHAPS UNINTENDED THE ULTIMATE UTILITY PLAYER, AND SHE BRINGS A TERRIFIC COMBINATION OF SKILL SETS AS WELL AS LEADERSHIP QUALITIES TO THE POSITION.
SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO SARAH, UM, MANNY AND TERRY WHO WILL THEN STEP THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
THANK YOU, DEBBIE, FOR THAT WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION AGAIN, I'M SARAH AGAIN, THE NEW DIRECTOR OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES.
I'M NOT GOING TO GO ANY DEEPER THAN THAT WE ALREADY DID.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT, DEBBIE.
OH, CO-PRESENTING WITH ME TODAY ARE RYTARY MOORE, THE MANAGER OF RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES AND MANUEL OR MANNY GARZA, WHO IS A MANAGER OF COMMERCIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES.
UH, AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION TO SHARE WITH YOU TO SAY, DO WE HAVE SOMEONE BRINGING THAT UP? WE'LL HAVE IT UP IN JUST A MOMENT.
WELL, WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT TO COME UP, UH, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[00:35:01]
TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, OR OUR AGENDA TODAY.UM, OUR FIRST, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF OUR WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS. UH, I'LL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES THAT AUSTIN ENERGY FACED THIS YEAR WITH REGARDS TO THE IMPACT AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.
AND THEN WE'LL BE DIVING DEEPER INTO THE LIMITED INCOME PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE FOR WEATHERIZATION FOR BOTH SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTIFAMILY TESTAMENTS.
SO, AWESOME ENERGY HAS HAD WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS NOW AND REALLY CRAPPY.
THAT IS QUITE UNHEARD OF IN THE UTILITY INDUSTRY.
IT'S VERY, VERY RARE OVER THAT 40 ALMOST 40 YEAR PERIOD OF TIME.
WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER, UH, APPROXIMATELY 20,000, UH, UNIQUE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, WEATHERIZATION AS WELL AS WEATHERIZED WEALTH THOUSAND ARMY UNITS.
AND THAT'S AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER OR OWNER.
IN SOME CASES WHEN EVERY 10 YEARS WE MIGHT GO BACK AND WEATHERIZE SOME OF THOSE SAME PROPERTIES.
AND SO THAT'S JUST PART OF OUR, UM, OUR, UH, THAT PROGRAM AS PART OF OUR STANDARD PROGRAM, SEPARATE FROM THAT APARTMENT THAT WE DID THERE, WE DID ADDITIONAL 137,000 APARTMENTS.
UM, SO REALLY HAVE I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH AND HELP QUITE A LARGE NUMBER OF OUR LIMITED INCOME CUSTOMERS IN LIGHT OF THE WORK THAT HAS GONE ON FROM THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND THE RESOURCE PLAN WORKING GROUP, WE'VE REALLY MADE AN EFFORT TO REALLY FOCUS ON CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND INCLUSION.
AND SO AS PART OF THAT, WE'VE CONTINUED TO CHANGE AND IMPROVE OUR PROGRAMS, OFFERINGS, AND DESIGNS.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY NOW THAT OUR MULTI-FAMILY ANGLE QUALIFIED PROGRAM HAS GONE FROM WHAT WAS PILOT TO NOW A STANDARD OFFERING, UH, THESE OFFERINGS ARE NOT THE ONLY WAY, WAYS THAT WE SUPPORT OUR LIMITED INCOME CUSTOMERS.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER AND SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER THEM.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WE HAVE A RETAIL DISCOUNTS THAT ARE OFFERED AT UP TO ABOUT 70 RETAIL LOCATIONS.
SO WE'VE SEEN OVER 187,000 DISCOUNTS AT POINT OF SALE LOCATIONS.
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE STARTED A PROGRAM FOR ENERGY EDUCATION KIDS AT TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER, UH, APPROXIMATELY 4,800 OF THOSE ENERGY EDUCATION KITS TO HELP WITH THAT KIND OF EDUCATION.
UM, AND SINGLE YEAR FOR BOTH SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTI-FAMILY UNITS.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO SOME RATING THROUGH OUR GREEN BUILDING SYSTEM AND, AND REALLY LEVERAGE, UH, SMART HOUSING, UM, APPROACHES AND PROVIDE THAT RATING.
AND JUST A SINGLE YEAR WE OFFER FREE ENERGY ALERTS AND WE ALSO OFFER SOLAR FOR A LIMITED ESTIMATES ARE THE RIGHT HERE.
YOU WILL HAVE, UH, LET'S SEE A MAP.
UM, AND I'LL TALK THROUGH THIS MAP A LITTLE BIT TO WALK YOU THROUGH IT ON THE FIRST LAYER, YOU'LL SEE THIS BLUE COLOR, UM, THAT COLOR REALLY REPRESENTS, UH, CUSTOMERS THAT ARE RECEIVING DISCOUNTS FROM US.
UH, THE DARKER, THE SHADE OF BLUE, THE, THE HIGHER, THE DENSITY OF, OF CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THAT BENEFIT.
AND NEXT LAYER YOU'LL SEE IS SYMBOLS.
AND THE, THESE CIRCLES REPRESENT THE LOCATIONS FOR WHERE WE WEATHERIZED SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND SIMILAR TO THE SHADING EFFECT THAT THE CIRCLES, THE LARGER, THE CIRCLE, THE HIGHER, THE DENSITY OF CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE AVAILED OF WEATHERIZATION SERVICES.
UH, THE LAST ONE IS THE STARS.
YOU'LL SEE A LAYER OF STARS THAT ARE KIND OF HIDDEN UNDERNEATH CIRCLES.
AND THOSE REPRESENTS, UH, MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE WEATHERIZE AND LARGE, THE STAR LARGER THE DENSITY.
UH, SO WE, WE CALL US INTERNALLY THE JACKSON POLLOCK MAP, AND IT IS REALLY MEANT TO NOT ONLY IDENTIFY AND GRAPHICALLY DEPICT THE LOCATIONS FOR WHERE WEATHERIZATION IS HAPPENING, BUT ALSO THE DENSITY IN WHICH IT'S HAPPENING.
SO YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF WEATHERIZATION IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE
THE PROGRAM FIRST STARTED OR WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM FIRST STARTED.
WE REALLY ONLY HAD ONE MEASURE, OR THAT WAS A ATTIC INSULATION OVER THE YEARS AS PROGRAM DESIGN HAS CHANGES AS NEW, UM, IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN SEEN, AND NEW TECHNOLOGY BECOME AVAILABLE.
WE'VE REALLY ADDED NEW APPROACHES TECHNOLOGIES AND MEASURES TO OUR PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SLIDE THAT I'M SHARING.
THESE ARE ALL DIFFERENT MEASURES THAT WE
[00:40:01]
ARE IMPLEMENTING AND LEVERAGING, BUNDLE THEM TOGETHER, BUT INTO OUR OFFERINGS TO HELP OUR LITTLE BIT OF CUSTOMERS.THE ONE EXCEPTION I WILL NOTE AS THE ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES, WHILE THIS IS NOT A DIRECT MEASURE AS PART OF OUR WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM, WE DO HAVE PROGRAMS WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN, UH, RECEIVE A REBATE THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH UTILITIES AND RETAILERS TO GET REBATES OR REDUCED COSTS ON ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES, WHICH IN TURN OR REDUCE THEIR USAGE BY LEVERAGING THOSE KINDS OF TECHNOLOGIES.
UH, THIS REALLY REQUIRES TEAMWORK PARTNERSHIP.
AND WITH THAT, WE PARTNER WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING, THE HOME REPAIR COALITION, HAKA, FAMILY, ELDER CARE, AND MANY OTHER SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE WAY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO EXTEND THE REACH OF THESE PROGRAMS AND THE BUDGETS THAT ARE ALLOCATED TO.
SO FOR SINGLE FAMILY, APPROXIMATELY 2.3 MILLION, AND FOR MULTIFAMILY, JUST SLIGHTLY SENSE OF THE WINDOW, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, AUSTIN ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS NOT IMMUNE FROM THE IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC, AS YOU HAVE SEEN AND HEARD OF OBVIOUSLY MANY BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN IMPACTED.
AND SO HAS OUR PROGRAM IN SOME SENSES, UH, BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF, UH, THE PANDEMIC.
IN ESSENCE, WE HAD TO BE OUT OUT OF THE MARKET FOR APPROXIMATELY A THIRD OF A YEAR, UM, THAT, SO IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH, WHEN THE SHELTER IN PLACE ORDERS WERE PUT INTO EFFECT BY THE GOVERNOR AND CITY, OUR PROGRAMS TO HAVE TO SHIP THEM, UM, AS YOU CAN RECALL, IN THOSE EARLY DAYS, WE DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
AND THAT MEANT THAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE NOT PROTECTED.
OUR EMPLOYEES ARE NOT PROTECTED.
OUR CONTRACTORS ARE NOT PROTECTED, AND THAT IS EXTREMELY ESSENTIAL TO US.
IT IS NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT'S IN OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
SO SAFETY IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANT, AND WE TOOK STEPS TO TAKE A STEP BACK OR NEED EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEED.
SO IN, IN THOSE EARLY DAYS, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON BACK AND PROCESS SYSTEMS PROCESSING, OTHER PAPERWORK THAT NEEDED TO BE HANDLED.
UM, AND THEN LATER ON, WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE INTO DOING EXTERNAL WORK.
SO IN MAY, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, FOR MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES, WE COULD DO WORK ON THE OUTSIDE OF BUILDINGS AND THE DEGREE TO PENN JULY, AND BE ABLE TO SHIFT INTO GOING INTO VACANT A VACANT UNITS AND PUT IN SOME OTHER PROCESSES AND THE PROCEDURES, UH, WE'VE LARGELY, UH, ALSO IMPLEMENTED VIRTUAL INSPECTIONS AND BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE, UH, VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS IMPROVED PROCESSES THAT REALLY HELP US AND SET US UP FOR THE FUTURE, WHETHER THAT IS CONTINUING IN THE CURRENT STATE, UM, OR IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO MORE IN PERSON, THE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE WILL REALLY HELP US, UM, IN, IN REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.
SO THESE ARE, UH, THESE ARE ITEMS THAT ARE, UM, THE SILVER LINING AND, AND THE APPROACH AND PROVIDE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE MORE CUSTOMERS.
AND TO DO THAT WITH, UM, REDUCED CARBON IMPACT WITH WILLING TRUCKS.
SO WE ARE A BETTER PERSONNEL TO PROCEED GOING FORWARD AND BEING MINDFUL OF, UM, THE, THE CURRENT STATE AND WHAT STAGE THAT WE WERE IN FOR NEXT.
I AM GOING TO HAND OFF TO TERRY MOORE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT DEEPER ABOUT OUR SINGLE FAMILY WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.
I AM GOING TO APOLOGIZE I WAS RIGHT UP FRONT BECAUSE I AM ON SATELLITE INTERNET.
UM, FOR SOME REASON IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER FOR, UM, THINGS TO GET TO SPACE AND BACK SHOULD.
BUT, UH, SO I'VE GOT ABOUT A FIVE OR TEN SECOND DELAY, UM, ON MY SCREEN, BUT, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, SARAH.
AND AS SHE MENTIONED, A FEW MOMENTS AGO, THE RESIDENTS STILL WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM FOR LIMITED INCOME, UH, LOST ALMOST 40 YEARS AGO.
UM, AUSTIN ENERGY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE THAT PROGRAM.
UH, IT BEGAN WITH JUST A SINGLE MEASURE OF ADDING ATTIC INSULATION TO A HOME.
UH, AND IT HAS BEEN THROUGH A TREMENDOUS EVOLUTION.
I'M SORRY, WE'RE ON THE WRONG SLIDE.
JEFF, CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE DELAY.
IS THAT THE RIGHT SLIDE NOW, SIR? OKAY.
I GOTTA HAVE, UM, AGAIN, IT'S EVOLVED FROM, UH, FROM A SINGLE MEASURE PROGRAM TO A VERY COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM.
UH, THAT REALLY LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE OUR HOME PERFORMANCE WITH ENERGY STAR PROGRAM.
UM, AND IT IS A WHOLE HOUSE PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES
[00:45:01]
MULTIPLE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE HOME AND IT ACTUALLY ASSESSES EACH HOME.UM, AND IT DOES IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON THAT SPECIFIC, WHAT THAT HOME SPECIFIC ENERGY EFFICIENCY NEEDS ARE.
UM, IN ADDITION, THE, UH, THE WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UH, HAS JUST IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, BECOME PART AUSTIN ENERGY IS ENERGY STAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.
SO A LOT OF WITH OUR HOME PERFORMANCE WITH ENERGY STAR PROGRAM, THE, UH, THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY BEING NAMED PARTNER REALLY SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE, UH, YEAR AFTER YEAR.
UH, SO IN ORDER, UM, FOR A CUSTOMER TO, UH, TO QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM RENT OR OWN A HOME, UH, THAT IS 2,500 SQUARE FEET OR LESS, UH, IT HAS A VALUE WITHOUT THE $300,000 MUST BE OLDER THAN 10 YEARS MUST BE IN EVERY HOME AND DUPLEX OR TRIPLEX FOURPLEX, A CONDO OR A MOBILE HOME.
UH, AND SO THE PROGRAM PROVIDES UP TO $7,500 IN, UH, IN THREE HOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CUSTOMER.
AND JUST AS A SIDE NOTE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE, UM, ABOUT 60% OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE BETTERS.
SO OUR TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON ENHANCEMENTS FOR THIS, UH, PROGRAM AND THE INTENT OF THESE ENHANCEMENTS IS TO, UH, DO WHAT WE CAN TO, UH, TO PARTICIPATION AND TO REALLY WORK, TO CREASE A CUSTOMER ELIGIBILITY.
AND SO BASED ON THAT, HERE ARE SOME OF THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE FOR A FISCAL YEAR.
WE'VE RAISED THE INCOME QUALIFICATION THRESHOLD OR WEATHERIZATION FROM 100% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL, WHICH IS A NATIONAL STANDARD, UH, AND FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR IT'S $52,400.
UH, OUR NEW INCOME QUALIFICATION THRESHOLD, UM, IS 80% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME FOR AUSTIN FOR THE BOSTON AREA.
IT'S A LOCAL STANDARD THAT TAKES A COST OF LIVING HERE IN AUSTIN INTO ACCOUNT AND FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR AND $78,100.
THAT'S A DIFFERENCE OF $25,700 OF INCOME, WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL ALLOW OUR PROGRAM TO, TO POTENTIALLY PROVIDE SERVICES TO TOO MANY MORE, BEING MORE OF OUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
TERRY, CAN I ALSO MAKE SURE WHERE ARE WE, WHERE ARE WE WAITING ON QUESTIONS TILL THE END, UM, CHAIR, OR I THINK THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE EASIER IF WE CAN DO THAT.
I'LL JUST, WAIT, IS THAT OKAY? SURE.
UM, WE'VE ALSO MODIFIED OUR, OUR APPLICATION AND WE'VE TALKED TO OUR CUSTOMERS IN, IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS, UH, MOST RECENTLY THROUGH SURVEYS AND FOCUS GROUPS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD FROM THEM WAS OUR AD OR OUR APPLICATION WAS TOO LONG, UH, CONFUSING AND MAYBE A BIT DAUNTING.
AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE ENHANCEMENTS WE MADE WAS TO REDUCE THE MULTIPLE PAGE APPLICATION AND CONDENSE IT DOWN TO TWO ONE PAGE.
AND WE ALSO NO LONGER REQUIRE CUSTOMERS TO SUBMIT INCOME DOCUMENTS SUCH AS TAX RETURNS, UH, W2 FORMS, UH, CHECK STUBS, ET CETERA.
UH, CUSTOMERS CAN NOW SELF ATTEST IN REGARDS TO THEIR INCOME.
UH, AND WE'VE ALSO MODIFIED THE NACY REBATE AND LOAN PROGRAM, WHICH ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO PURCHASE A NEW HIGH, HIGH EFFICIENCY AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM, UH, VIA ALONE THROUGH OUR PARTNER OF VELOCITY CREDIT UNION, OR THE CUSTOMER CAN BORROW UP TO $10,000 TO INSTALL A NEW HIGH EFFICIENCY AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM.
UH, THEY NEED A CREDIT SCORE OF FIVE 50 OR BETTER, AND THEY CAN RECEIVE, UH, WITH THAT A REBATE UP TO $950, A 0% INTEREST RATE, AND THEN LONGTERM OF UP TO 120 MONTHS.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO ON THIS LAST SLIDE IS JUST, UH, THE RESULT OF A FEW OF THE, UH, THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE IN THE PROGRAM SINCE OCTOBER, UH, RAISING THE ELIGIBILITY LEVEL ALONE HAS HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON THE PROGRAM.
UH, OUR R F Y 20 GOAL WAS TO WEATHERIZE 527 HOMES.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO WEATHERIZE 246, UH, IN THAT YEAR, AND WE RECEIVED ONLY 95 APPLICATIONS FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
AND WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY APPLICATIONS FOR THE AC REBATE LOAN PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
UH, WE HAVE SENT OUT, UH, JUST THE INITIAL EMAIL ALONE TO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS, AND WE RECEIVED OVER 200 APPLICATIONS FROM THAT EMAIL AND JUST OVER A MONTH, UH, WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE APPLICATIONS
[00:50:01]
DAILY AND WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED, I THINK IN THE FIRST MONTH, THREE OR FOUR APPLICATIONS FOR THE AC REBATE LOAN PROGRAM.UH, SO THROUGH QUARTER ONE, UH, WE'VE ALREADY COMPLETED 70 HOMES, UH, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 90 HOMES, UH, THAT ARE READY TO BE ASSIGNED OUT TO CONTRACTORS.
AND WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 160 HOMES IN THE PIPELINE THAT ARE, UH, IN THE, IN THE PROCESS OF BEING WEATHERIZE.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE TO THIS PROGRAM, I HAVE ALREADY MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN A REALLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND I'M GOING TO TURN THE REST OVER TO ME.
SHOULD I ASK QUESTIONS OF TERRY NOW, OR WE GO AHEAD AND HOLD.
AND SO THE VERY END, ASSUMING TERRY CAN STAY ON THE LINE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
I'M MANNY GARZA MANAGER OF COMMERCIAL MULTI-FAMILY AND SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS FOR AUSTIN ENERGY.
I'D SAY, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
I'M SORRY, SEPTEMBER, I'LL TELL YOU HIM AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR MULTI-FAMILY YOU CAN QUALIFY PROGRAM.
AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT MULTI-FAMILY INCOME QUALIFIED, WE THINK ABOUT THREE PILLARS MARKET, WHAT THEY WANT BUNDLE, WHAT THEY NEED, AND THEN FOCUS ON GETTING 10.
SO AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, MULTI-FAMILY IS A HARD TO REACH SECTOR, UM, TRYING TO GET THE DECISION-MAKER AND THE PROPERTY MANAGER TO MAKE A DECISION TO DO ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
WHEN A LOT OF THE MEASURES ACTUALLY BENEFIT THE TENANT.
SO THERE'S A SPLIT INCENTIVE THERE.
SO WHAT IS MARKET, WHAT THEY WANT FOR US? IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE SMART THERMOSTAT.
UM, ONE OF OUR CONTRACTORS PUT IT THE BEST.
THEY'RE THE GRANITE COUNTERTOPS, SO ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
SO FOR US, WE'VE SEEN THAT THE, THE SMART THERMOSTAT CREATES AN INTEREST FOR THE PROPERTY MANAGER, BECAUSE THEY CAN SELL IT AS AN AMENITY, BUT ALSO PROVIDES ENERGY SAVINGS, UH, TO THE TENANT.
BUT BECAUSE IT IS INTERACTIVE, WE FOCUS ON THE EDUCATION.
SO WE'LL JUST PUT IT ON THE WALL AND WALK AWAY.
UM, AS PART OF OUR PROGRAM, WE HAVE A DEMO BOARD WITH THREE WORKING MODELS AND WE TAKE TO THE PROPERTY, UH, LEAVING THE LEASING OFFICE, LEASING AGENTS THAT, UH, MAINTENANCE PEOPLE GET TO USE IT, UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS AND THEN CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE FOR THEM ONCE THEY CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE.
AND THEN WE PUT ONE IN THE LEASING OFFICE FOR THEM TO INTERACT WITH IT ON THEIR PHONE.
AND WE ALSO LEAVE A BEHIND THE WORKING MODEL SO THAT ALL NEW TENANTS, EVEN EXISTING TENANTS HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE TRAINED IN THE LEASING OFFICE, UH, WITH THE LIVE DEMO.
UM, BUT EVEN BEYOND THAT, WHEN WE'VE INSTALLED THE THERMOSTAT, WE USE, UH, THERMOSTAT HANGERS TO GIVE PEOPLE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO USE IT, BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THAT INTERACTION IS SEAMLESS.
AND WE FEEL LIKE THAT THAT SORT OF REPRESENTATION BECAUSE WE'RE INTERACTING IT, INTERACTING WITH THE DEVICE REGULARLY REPRESENTS OUR PROGRAM.
UH, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT SEAMLESS FOR US.
BUT WE ALSO BUNDLE WHAT THEY NEED.
SO THEY LEAVE WITH THE DESSERT.
THAT'S OUR THERMOSTAT LOOKING AT SMART THERMOSTATS, KIND OF THE SMART HOME AND AN HVAC TUNER, WHICH IS REALLY A LOT OF MAINTENANCE BENEFIT TO THE PROPERTY, BUT WE ALSO MAKE THEM EAT THEIR VEGETABLES.
SO YOU TO GET THESE, THESE OTHER MEASURES THEY'RE REQUIRED TO EAT THEIR VEGETABLES, DO INSTALLATION, SOLAR SCREENS, UH, FINAL REMEDIATION OR DUCT SEAL, UH, AND THEN IN LIGHTING.
UM, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO CREATE WIN-WIN, UM, BUT ALSO TO BUNDLE THEM TOGETHER SO THAT WE'RE MORE HOLISTIC IN OUR TOUCH, UH, EVEN AMID THE PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ONLY IN THE ATTENDANT UNIT ONCE, UM, AND TRY TO MINIMIZE CONTACT.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
SO IT BROUGHT THE MOST BENEFIT TO OUR CUSTOMER.
UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, BUT WE NEED TO ALSO FOCUS ON THE INTENT.
SO WE CONTINUE TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE.
WE TRY TO THINK ABOUT WAYS TO SERVE MORE CUSTOMERS.
AND AS SARAH MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR AWHILE, WE'VE SERVED A LOT OF CUSTOMERS, BUT THEN WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO SERVE.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO STRIVE TO TRY TO GET BETTER AND BE MORE INCLUSIVE, BE MORE HOLISTIC, BUT ALSO BROADEN OUR REACH.
UM, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO IMPACT THE ENERGY BURDEN.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR INCOME QUALIFIED, UM, OUR LIMITING INCOME CUSTOMERS, UH, THE ATTENDANCE TO, TO REDUCE THEIR BILLS, AND THAT'S REALLY FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THAT KILOWATT HOUR PLAY.
AND SO WE REALLY HAVE FOCUSED ON MEASURES THAT DRIVE KILOWATT HOUR SAVINGS, CAUSE THAT REALLY WHAT IMPACTS THAT ENERGY BURDEN, BUT IT'S ALSO BEYOND THAT.
SO CONSIDER NON-ENERGY BENEFITS AND PEOPLE'S QUALITY OF LIFE AS IT RELATES TO THEIR INDOOR AIR QUALITY, THEIR COMFORT OR CONVENIENCE, AND THEN PROVIDING THEM CONTROL.
IT'S ALSO INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE REACH.
SO THEY'RE INTENTIONAL ABOUT PUTTING THEM IN THERMOSTATS AS FAR AS SCRIPTS INTO LOW
[00:55:01]
TO LIMITED INCOME TENANT UNITS.AND IT'S REALLY TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE START TO SPUR TO START THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THAT DEMOGRAPHIC.
UH, YOU REACH MORE, UH, INCOME QUALIFIED CUSTOMERS, BUT AGAIN, IT'S JUST REMEMBER THE INTENT AND THAT'S OUR CUSTOMER.
YOU, WE WANT TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IMPACT THE CUSTOMER IN A MEANINGFUL WAY FOR THEM.
SO HOW DO WE DO AN FYI 20? UM, SO SARAH MENTIONED, WE HAD, YOU KNOW, THE PANDEMIC, WE LOST ABOUT A THIRD OF THE YEAR, BUT WE STILL HAD 80% TO GOAL, YOU KNOW? AND SO AGAIN, THIS IS A MEGAWATT HOUR OR A MEGAWATTS, UH, SAVINGS OR A KW SAVINGS.
UH, AND LIKE I SAID, WE'VE TRIED TO MOVE TO MORE KILOWATT HOUR SAVINGS TO REALLY IMPACT ENERGY VIRGIN.
UM, SO WE'RE STILL TRYING TO HIT BOTH, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO FOCUS ON KILOWATT HOURS AS WELL.
SO 80% OF GOAL FROM OUR MEGAWATTS, BUT WE SPENT 104% OF OUR BUDGET.
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO SPEND OUR BUDGET AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE IMPACTING THE ENERGY BURDEN FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
SO PERFORMANCE INDICATORS OR KPIS KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, UH
UH, SO FOR THE NUMBER OF TENANT UNITS, SIR, NUMBER OF TENANT UNITS SERVED IN FY 19 1,717 10 UNITS, UH, FOR
UH, TWO AND A HALF TIMES INCREASE, REALLY GOT TO SERVE MORE CUSTOMERS, BUT WE'RE ALSO MORE HOLISTIC IN OUR TOUCH.
SO OUR AVERAGE MEASURE PER ENROLLMENT, MORE THAN DOUBLED FROM 1.2 MEASURES PER ENROLLMENT TO 2.6.
AND, UH, AS SARAH MENTIONED BEFORE, WE, YOU KNOW, UH, IN OUR PRE-LAUNCH EFFORT, WE WERE DOING EXTERNAL MEASURE ONLY.
SO WE ALLOWED SINGLE MEASURE ENROLLMENTS THAT KIND OF BROUGHT OUR NUMBER DOWN.
UH, THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH CLOSER TO THREE, UH, HAD THE PANDEMIC NOT HIT US.
SO, BUT I THINK ONE IMPORTANT INDICATOR IS OUR CONTRACTOR BASE.
SO FOR A LONG TIME, WE'VE STRUGGLED TO GET NEW CONTRACTORS IN THIS PROGRAM.
UH, SO WE WERE AT SIX FOR QUITE A WHILE, BUT WE'VE DOUBLED OUR CONTRACTOR MEANS.
AND TO ME THAT SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S AN ATTRACTIVE PROGRAM FOR THEM TO SELL TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
SO NOT ONLY HAVE WE REACHED MORE CUSTOMERS, IT'S ALSO MORE ATTRACTIVE TO OUR VENDORS NOW, MORE VENDORS, UH, OR, OR, UH, CONTRACTORS WE'RE ABLE TO REACH MORE CUSTOMERS.
SO I THINK IT REALLY TELLS A STORY ABOUT US TO MAKE IT REALLY A THOUGHTFUL AND IMPACTFUL IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, THE AGGREGATE REBATE APPROVAL THAT WAS ISSUED, UH, IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020, AND THEN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WHICH WAS THE FIRST YEAR IN OCTOBER OF 2018 HAS REALLY FACILITATED A LOT OF THIS.
SO IT'S STREAMLINED THE PROCESS.
IT'S MADE IT ATTRACTIVE TO OUR CONTRACTOR BASE.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO ALLOWED US TO SERVE MORE TAPE TENANT UNITS, UH, IN THE PROCESS.
SO I'D LIKE TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY HAS BENEFITED OUR, OUR PROGRAM AS A WHOLE.
AND I THINK ONE IMPORTANT ASPECT IS OUR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
UH, SO IF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SATISFIED SAYING THAT WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, UH, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US.
AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE HIGHER SYSTEM CUSTOMER SATISFACTION NUMBERS, UH, BECAUSE OUR, OUR CUSTOMERS ARE HAPPY WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, REALLY TELLS THE STORY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR CONTRACTOR BASE AND THEN OUR TEAM THAT DELIVERS IT'S FOR US.
SO KUDOS TO ALL THE TEAMS FOR, FOR PROVIDING THIS, BUT IT'S A VERY IMPACTFUL TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND THEY, THEY RECEIVE IT REALLY WELL.
SO IN CONCLUSION, AND LIKE I SAID, WE ARE, WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING THESE PROGRAMS. WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK TERRY'S TEAM HAS DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK.
MY TEAM HAS DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO REST ON OUR LAURELS, RIGHT? WHEN YOU STILL HAVE A LOT MORE CUSTOMERS TO SERVE, WE HAVE A LOT MORE MEASURES TO DO.
WE WANT TO GET CONTINUED TO GET BETTER, BROADEN OUR REACH, UH, BE MORE HOLISTIC IN OUR TOUCH.
SO STILL A LOT OF WORK THERE, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE OTHER PROGRAMS TO AUGMENT, RIGHT? SO, UH, SOME OF THE PROGRAMS LIKE SPUR THE RETAIL PROGRAMS THAT CAN AFFECT, UH, LIMITED INCOME CUSTOMERS, UM, YOU KNOW, SOLAR PROGRAMS, GREEN BUILDING PROGRAMS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO WANT TO CONTINUE TO SERVE, UM, OUR CUSTOMERS BEYOND JUST THESE PROGRAMS. AND THEN THE IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT, BUT THEY'VE ALSO TAUGHT US A LOT.
UH, SO WE CONTINUE TO LEARN, CONTINUE TO GET BETTER AND MORE EFFICIENT IN HOW WE, UH, BUY THESE PROGRAMS. UH, SO IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO LEARN FROM THIS SCENARIO AND TAKE SOME TIME TO REALLY EVALUATE OUR PROCESS AND TRY TO GET BETTER, BE MORE EFFICIENT.
SO TO AGAIN, REACH MORE CUSTOMERS.
UM, ONE OTHER MENTIONED, UH, NOTE I WOULD MENTION IS THAT WE HAVE THE, UH, THE CONSULTING
[01:00:01]
FOR OUR EQUITY ENGAGEMENT.UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA REVIEW PROPOSALS THIS MONTH, UH, AS OUR, AS WE FINALIZED THAT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE.
SO, UH, YOU SHOULD HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT SOON.
UM, I KNOW CYRUS, YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS.
YEAH, MY, UH, I HAVE BASICALLY THREE QUESTIONS.
THE THIRD QUESTION YOU JUST, I THINK ANSWERED WITH, I WAS GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION, WHATEVER HAPPENED WITH THAT EQUITY CONSULTANT PROCESS.
SO I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED THAT ONE.
I ASSUME THAT YOU'LL, UM, WHEN YOU DO THAT RFP AND COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION, WE'LL SEE IT AND HAVE A CHANCE TO DISCUSS IT.
CAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE FOLKS THAT WERE PART OF THE, UM, GENERATION PLAN TO MAKE SURE WE LOOK AT THOSE EQUITY ISSUES GOING FORWARD.
SO I WON'T ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THAT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ANSWER IT.
UM, MY OTHER TWO QUESTIONS, UM, ONE WAS THIS CHANGE THAT YOU'VE MADE IN 2021, UH, MOVING FROM A 200% OF FEDERAL INCOME TO 80% OF THE, UM, UH, WHATEVER MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
UH, SO FIRST, FIRST QUESTION ON THAT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER UTILITIES THAT ARE TAKING THAT APPROACH? UM, AND THEN SECOND QUESTION, IS THAT TRUE? BOTH FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND FOR THE MULTIFAMILY PROGRAM? I WASN'T CLEAR ON THAT.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE QUESTION, WELL SORT OF TWO QUESTIONS, I GUESS.
UM, AND I, I DO WANT TO EXPRESS SOMEWHAT OF A CONCERN THAT IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR INCOME VERIFICATION, WHAT'S THE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, LIKE I'M ABOVE GETTING, I'LL JUST SAY I'M ABOVE THAT.
UM, WHAT'S, WHAT'S, WHAT'S IT TO PREVENT FROM ME FROM GETTING FREE WEATHERIZATION? I SHOULDN'T GET WEATHERIZATION.
LIKE, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE THAT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE GETTING THESE PROGRAMS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO HELP WORKING PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T AFFORD TO PAY, UH, AT LEAST PART OF THIS STUFF? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SHARE THAT? I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S A REAL CONCERN.
UM, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION, MY FINAL QUESTION WAS ABOUT AIR CONDITIONING UNITS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A BIG DISCUSSION ABOUT, SHOULD WE BE FUNDING AIR CONDITIONING FOR, FOR FOLKS WHO CAN'T AFFORD IT.
AND I THINK THE, I'LL SAY THE COMPROMISE AGREEMENT WE CAME TO, I BELIEVE WAS WE CAN, WE CAN PAY FOR SINGLE UNITS, LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF A HOME JUST HAS, UH, HAS A, YOU KNOW, A ROOM UNIT ON IT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WEATHERIZATION COULD PAY FOR IT, BUT NOT FOR A WHOLE SYSTEM.
CAUSE THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD TAKE TOO MUCH MONEY, BUT INSTEAD I SEE YOU'RE DOING THE 0% LOANS, WHICH SEEMS LIKE A GOOD COMPROMISE.
SO ARE WE STILL PAYING FOR SINGLE WINDOW UNITS AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM, I GUESS IS MY QUESTION AND I'LL STOP THERE.
I THINK I CAN ADDRESS A COUPLE OF THOSE FOR YOU.
UH, WITH THE ROOM AIR CONDITIONING UNITS, UM, WE, WE SUPPLY THEM WITH A UNIT, UH, THROUGH THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.
IF THEY'RE ON THE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE LIST, WE'LL, WE'LL SUPPLY THEM WITH T OR ONE FOR THEIR SLEEPING QUARTERS AND ONE FOR THE LITTLE PORTLETS.
SO, UH, YEAH, WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO WORK HARD WITH VELOCITY CREDIT UNION TO COME UP WITH, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL LIKE WOULD WORK.
I MEAN, I THINK THE THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE AWARE OF IMBALANCES, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANT TO LOAN MONEY TO FOLKS THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PAY AT NIGHT, PUT THEM INTO A WORSE SITUATION.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY WORKING WITH THEM.
UH, WOULD YOU USE REDUCE THE CREDIT SCORE BY 50 POINTS? UM, WE'VE ALSO, AGAIN THE RE OF THE, UH, THE INTEREST RATE TO ZERO UP TO 120 MONTHS.
AND SO, UM, WE THINK HELP SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND I THINK YOU CAN ALREADY NOTICE THAT WITH THE FACT THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ASKING ABOUT THAT THIS YEAR AND THEY'RE THEY'RE QUALIFYING FOR IT.
UH, SO I THINK IT WAS A GOOD STEP FORWARD.
UM, I GUESS MY OTHER, UH, MY OTHER ANSWER, HOPEFULLY TO ADDRESS THE 80% MFI OR OTHER UTILITIES S AND, UH, I, I WOULDN'T SAY YET.
UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WE FELT STRONGLY ABOUT, UM, GOING TO 80% MFI, I THINK THERE'S A FEW REASONS.
UM, ONE IS THE, UM, THE 200% FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL IS A NATIONAL STANDARD.
AND SO IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE COST OF LIVING, UH, IN, IN, IN A CERTAIN CITY OR A CERTAIN TOWN.
UH, AND I THINK WE WOULD ALL AGREE THAT THAT AUSTIN IS A FAIRLY EXPENSIVE PLACE TO LIVE.
UH, AND SO WE WANTED SOMETHING THAT WOULD TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND I THINK THE EXAMPLE I WOULD GIVE IS AS WE, AS WE DID SOME RESEARCH ON THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS AND I, ONE
[01:05:01]
OF THE OTHER UTILITIES LOOKING AT QUITE OFTEN, UM, BECAUSE IT'S THE PROXIMITY TO US AND THE SIZE IS A CPS IN SAN ANTONIO.UM, AND THE COST OF LIVING IS SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH IS ONLY ABOUT AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF TO AUSTIN.
UM, HOUSING AND FOOD ALONE WAS ABOUT 20 TO 25% DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO AND AUSTIN.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT INCREASE FROM 200% FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL TO 80%, THAT'S ABOUT WHAT THAT, THAT GAP IS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY WANTED A THRESHOLD THAT WOULD REFLECT, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER THE COST OF LIVING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN WHEN WE MADE THAT MOVE.
UH, THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT THAT IS, WELL, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS, UM, OUR PARTNERS ARE, ARE, ARE AT 80% MFI, UM, PREDOMINANTLY, UM, THE, UM, UM, PETER, YOUR DEVELOPMENT, UH, GROUP HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS, UM, MOST OF THEIR PROGRAMS, IF NOT ALL, ARE AT 80%, UH, MFI.
AND WE SHARE, WE, WE REFER CUSTOMERS BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM.
AND SO, UH, THEIR APPROPRIATE PROGRAMS HANDLE ALL OF THE REPAIRS AND THE MAJOR REHABILITATION OF THE HOST.
AND SO WHEN THEY REFER A CUSTOMER TO US FOR WEATHERIZATION, THEY'VE ALREADY REALLY BEEN INCOME VERIFIED AND WE'RE AT THE SAME LEVEL NOW.
AND SO IT MAKES SHARING THOSE CUSTOMERS MUCH, MUCH EASIER.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, I THINK THE PRIMARY THING, ADDITIONALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU LOOK AT HUD'S, UM, BILL MATRIX OUT FOR TRAVIS COUNTY AND 80% MFI BUY FROM HUD IS ACTUALLY CONSIDERED LOW INCOME.
SO YEAH, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE, THE REASONING REASONING THAT WE USED IN, IN, IN MOVING TO THIS.
UM, AND SO THE NEW THRESHOLD AND MY FINAL QUESTION ABOUT HOW DO YOU CHECK CHECKING PEOPLE'S INCOME? WHAT CHECK IS THERE GOING TO, YES, I'M SORRY.
UM, SO WHAT WE DO IS WE WORK WITH OUR DATA ANALYTICS GROUP INTERNALLY, AND IF WE HAVE A SET OF FILTERS THAT THEY RUN OUR REVENUE, OUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THROUGH, UH, AND IT'S OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR BILLING SYSTEM, CCNB, UM, THE TRAVIS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT DATA.
WE HAVE MARKET SEGMENTATION, DATA, UH, CENSUS TRACK DATA, AND THEN PAR PARTICIPATION DATA FROM OUR, UH, FROM OUR DATABASE.
AND THEY RUN OUR CUSTOMERS THROUGH ALL THOSE FILTERS.
AND THE ONES THAT WE COME UP WITH, UH, ARE THE ONES THAT WE EMAIL OUT TO AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE BASED ON ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DATASETS THAT WE'VE RUN YOU THROUGH, UH, THAT YOU QUALIFY FOR OUR PROGRAM.
AND THEN WITH THE APPLICATION, WE ASK THEM TO ATTEST TO WHAT THEIR INCOME REALLY IS.
AND THEN THAT'S WHAT WE BASE THAT ON.
JUST A FEW QUESTIONS HERE IS I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THE MULTI FAMILY PROGRAM THAT IS, ARE YOU SIGNING UP COMPLEXES OR JUST INDIVIDUALS WITHIN A COMPLEX COMPLEXES? OKAY.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE A COMPLEX, YOU'RE SIGNING UP A COMPLEX, BUT SOME PEOPLE WOULD QUALIFY AND OTHERS NOT DO, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT? THAT IS CORRECT.
OUR, OUR, UH, MULTI-FAMILY, UH, UH, THRESHOLDS ARE DIFFERENT THAN SINGLE FAMILY FOR EXACTLY THAT REASON.
UH, SO FOR OUR, OUR PROGRAM TO GET INTO OUR MULTI-FAMILY INCOME QUALIFIED PROGRAM, THE PROPERTIES HAVE TO BE ON THE AUSTIN TENANT COUNCILS LIST TO HAVE TO HAVE SET ASIDES FOR A LIMITED INCOME.
UH, THEY ALSO COULD HAVE 70% CAP DISCOUNT CUSTOMERS, SO OF THEIR TENANTS, 30% NEED TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE CAP DISCOUNT OR HAVE VOUCHERS FOR, UH, OKAY.
UM, AND I MEAN, HOW COMPLETE IS THE AUSTIN TENANT COUNCIL LIST? ARE THEY, IS THAT, IS THAT COMPLETE OR IS IT VERY INCOMPLETE? I MEAN, IT'S THERE ON THE TENANT'S COUNCIL? THIS HAS, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL HUNDRED PROPERTIES.
I THINK IT'S LIKE CLOSE TO 300 PROPERTIES.
UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE THE CAP DISCOUNT.
SO THEN NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AUSTIN ENERGY CAP DISCOUNT, WE ALSO LOOK FOR THOSE.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO LOOK FOR, UM, WE ALSO ALLOW NON-PROFITS THAT ARE AT OUR, FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, UH, AS WELL.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET IN THERE.
AND, BUT AGAIN, I MEAN, WE'RE SOMETHING WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO DO
[01:10:01]
IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE REACH MORE CUSTOMERS.UH, BUT THOSE ARE MORE PREDICTABLE FOR US.
UH, AGAIN, AUSTIN TENANT COUNCIL, THIS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO GO AWAY.
SO WE'RE WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THAT TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS GOING TO HAVE A LOW-INCOME GUIDE AS WELL.
W WOULD YOU, UH, TELL ME THAT AGAIN, THE AUSTIN TENANT'S COUNCIL IS GOING AWAY, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, THE LIST.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO MAINTAIN THE LIST BECAUSE THE CITY IS GOING TO HAVE ONE, SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO KEEP THEIR, THEIR TENANT COUNCIL LIST OF APPROVED PROPERTIES.
SO, SO YOU'LL HAVE A TIME PERIOD WHEN YOU WON'T HAVE A LIST.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THE CITY IS GOING TO HAVE ONE'S THE CITY IS TRANSITIONING INTO BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE LIST AS WELL.
SO NOW THERE'D BE, INSTEAD OF HAVING TWO, WE ONLY HAVE ONE, UH, YOU MENTIONED, OKAY.
I JUST HAVE A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS, UH, IN TERMS OF YOU'VE GOT 12 CONTRACTORS IN THE PROGRAM THAT CORRECT.
AND HOW MANY OF THOSE CONTRACTORS ARE MINORITY CONTRACTORS? UM, I DO NOT KNOW OFFHAND, BUT THERE'S AT LEAST A COUPLE THAT I CAN THINK OF.
UH, BUT WOULD YOU FOLLOW UP AND KIND OF LET US KNOW? YEAH, OF COURSE.
UH, DO YOU BREAK OUT THE PARTICIPANTS SET IS THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT PARTICIPANTS, UH, BY RACE OR, UH, WHAT THAT FAMILY UNIT LOOKS LIKE? I MEAN, HOW MUCH DATA ARE YOU GETTING? HOW MUCH INFORMATION ARE YOU GETTING ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMER GROUP? SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T COLLECT DEMOGRAPHICS OF, UH, ATTENDANCE.
UH, LIKE AGAIN, LIKE KARA SAID, WE USE SOME OF THE DATA ON THE, ON OUR SIDE, BUT WE DON'T ASK THEM DIRECTLY FOR, UH, FOR DEMOGRAPHICS FOR ALL LIEUTENANT UNITS.
WELL, MY ONLY CONCERN IS BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, THAT MAYBE GETTING THE FOLKS YOU INTEND TO, BUT SOME HOW CERTAIN GROUPS GET LEFT BEHIND OR DON'T GET, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT REACHING, UH, THOSE GROUPS, UH, THAT VERY OFTEN ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE HAD QUITE A HISTORY.
WE HAD A DISCUSSION OF THIS PREVIOUSLY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO EAST AUSTIN, HOW IT'S SET UP AND SO ON IN TERMS OF HOUSING AND GENTRIFICATION.
SO, SO I SUPPOSE THE QUESTION IS, SHOULD WE BE COLLECTING DATA SO THAT WE KNOW WE'RE REACHING ALL THE POPULATIONS IN THE WAY WE OUGHT TO BE REACHING THEM? I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, HONESTLY.
UM, I THINK FOR ME, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS REACH MORE PEOPLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO SERVE ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS.
I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST TRYING TO BE WEARY OF LIKE INTRODUCING BIAS BY TRYING TO ELIMINATE BIAS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO FOCUS ON INCOME.
WE WANT TO REACH AS MANY CUSTOMERS AS WE MORE LIKE, LIKE YOU SAID, 4,700 PLUS THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GOALS TO BE, YOU KNOW, 5,500 PLUS NEXT YEAR.
UM, THAT'S OUR INTENT IS OUR INTENT IS TO SERVE AS MANY CUSTOMERS AS WE CAN, UH, BE MORE EQUITABLE OBVIOUSLY.
AND THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THAT, THE RP IS GOING TO WORK ON AS WELL TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BE, YOU KNOW, ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING THESE THINGS CORRECTLY.
AND IF WE CAN GET BETTER, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO LOOK TO THINK, YEAH, THE ONLY THING, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY DATA, UH, THAT I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HERE, BUT I KNOW THAT OUR TITLE, ONE CHILDREN THAT WE HAVE IN SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, THAT QUALIFY FOR SCHOOL LUNCH OR WHATEVER.
IT'S A VERY, VERY SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER.
AND I JUST WONDER WHETHER WE'RE REALLY, UH, GETTING TO THE FOLKS WE NEED TO GET TO THAT'S MY, MY, UH, ISSUE HERE.
AND NOT THAT YOU ARE EXPANDING AND TRYING NEW THINGS, AND I'M NOT FINDING ANY FAULT, BUT I THINK I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REACHING OUT IN EVERY WAY THAT WE CAN AND MAKING SURE WE'RE REACHING EACH OF THE POPULATIONS, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE SHOULD.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND AGAIN, I CAN'T SPEAK EXACTLY TO THAT, BUT I, BUT I WILL SAY, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMOVE HURDLES FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AND WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANT THEM TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE ALL THIS INFORMATION OR DO ALL OF THESE THINGS TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAM AND TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
SO IT'S A TABLEAU OF ALL RACES AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONTROL AND ENSURE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOUR INTENTIONS, YOU KNOW, IT'S WELL, WE'LL TAKE IN AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE THERE.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE, UH, FOR THE OH, ABOUT THE CONTRACTORS.
SO ARE THE CONTRACTORS BRINGING IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES? SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH CONTRACTORS AND AN AUSTIN ENERGY BASE.
SO WE'RE ACTIVELY SOLICITING CON UH, PROPERTIES TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE AUSTIN ENERGY GENERATED LEADS, SO WE REBRAND CUSTOMERS.
AND THEN WE HAND THEM TO THE, OUR CONTRACTORS AS PART OF OUR EFFORT, UM, YOU
[01:15:01]
KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S MAKING MORE CHILDCARE, SO THERE'S NOT A BIG SALES POSSIBLES FOR THE CONTRACTOR, BUT THEY ALSO BRING IN, UH, UH, PROPERTIES AS WELL.SO THERE'S, THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS TO GET IN.
I MEAN, I, I'M JUST SITTING HERE, I'M LOOKING AT YOUR NUMBERS AND EVERYTHING, BUT 12 CONTRACTORS DOESN'T SEEM LIKE VERY MANY TO ME.
I MEAN, THERE'S STILL A GOOD AMOUNT.
AND SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WANT TO GROW IT, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE SUCCESS THAT WE HAD TO IS JUST THAT, I MEAN, I THINK OUR COUSIN, OUR CONTRACTORS, UH, THEY LOOK BACK HISTORICALLY, YOU WERE HAVING TO CHOOSE IN TERMS OF PARTICIPATION.
WE'VE RIGHTED THAT WE MADE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE.
UM, BUT WE WANT TO GET EVEN MORE CONTRACTORS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE INTENT, BUT I THINK IT'S, WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
DO YOU ANALYZE THE OWNERSHIP OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT SET IS WHETHER YOU'RE REACHING ALL THE, OR WHETHER JUST A FEW OF THE OWNERS OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES ARE PARTICIPATING, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT MANY, UH, DIFFERENT OWNERS INVOLVED.
I MEAN, SO THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE A MIX IN OUR PROGRAM.
THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S SOME WHERE IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, PROPERTIES THAT, THAT THERE'S, UM, THE OWNER OF MULTIPLE PROPERTIES, BUT THERE'S ALSO A GOOD MIX OF THOSE THAT ARE NOT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS TOO MUCH ON THE PROPERTIES AND WE DON'T, WE DON'T SEE WHERE ONE PROPERTY IS GETTING ALL THE REBATES AND THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE.
UM, BUT I THINK THE INTENT IS TO SERVE MORE CUSTOMERS, MORE LOW-INCOME CUSTOMERS.
AND SO IN THE EVENT THAT, THAT WE CAN GET THOSE THROUGH AS WELL.
SO I MEAN, SO LONG AS WE'RE NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY SERVING ONE PROPERTY OR PROPERTY OWNER, UM, IF WE CAN GET THOSE THROUGH IN OUR, IN OUR REBATE BUDGET, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY IMPACTING MORE, UH, MO UH, LIMITED INCOME CUSTOMERS.
WE DEFINITELY WANT TO DO THAT.
AND DID YOU, UH, GO OVER YOUR BUDGET OR YOU UNDER BUDGET THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR FOR YOUR SEGMENT? YEAH, SO WE HAD A, WE HAD JUST OVER A MILLION DOLLARS AND WE SPENT A HUNDRED, 4% OF THAT.
IT WAS LIKE 1,000,060, UH, FOR THIS FOR F Y I F Y 21.
WE HAVE $1.8 MILLION IN OUR MULTI-FAMILY INCOME QUALIFIED PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY MORE, UM, BECAUSE WE INTEND TO REACH MORE CUSTOMERS AND A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
AND COMMISSIONER STONE, AND I WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF TIME.
WE'RE, WE'RE COMING UP ON TWO 20.
WE STILL HAVE ANOTHER PRESENTATION.
CRUSHER STONE AND THE COMMISSIONER HADN'T DONE THAT.
LET'S TRY TO WRAP IT UP HERE SOON.
UM, APOLOGIES IF YOU ALREADY ANSWERED THIS, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU ARE, AFTER IN THE PAST, UH, THREE BAITS WERE NOT BEING GIVEN TO PROPERTIES THAT WERE ON THE, UM, LIKE THE BAD LIST IN TERMS OF CODE VIOLATIONS.
IS THAT STILL HAPPENING OR CAN YOU JUST BRIEFLY COMMENT ON THAT? YES, IT'S CALLED THE REPEAT OFFENDERS LIST.
UM, AND YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S CURRENTLY STILL THE STANCE.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UM, THE CODE DEPARTMENT.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE THAT HAVE DONE THE WORK, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH GETTING OFF THAT LIST.
SO MAKING SURE THAT ALL THOSE CODE VIOLATIONS WERE ADDRESSED.
UM, SO WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, WORKED WITH THEM SO THAT, THAT THEIR HEAD THEY'RE HEADED OFF THE LIST.
CAUSE THERE'S SOME PARAMETERS AROUND HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO BE ON HOW YOU CAN GET OFF.
UH, SO THEY'VE DONE ALL THE WORK ASSOCIATED WITH IT TO MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
THEN WE DEFINITELY SERVE THEM.
UM, BUT, UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME INSURANCES IN PLACE THAT THOSE CODE ISSUES HAVE BEEN.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THEY'RE GETTING OFF THERE.
HI, I'M SARAH HAD BEEN TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COVID SITUATION, AND I REMEMBER COMMENTS THAT, UM, FIRST OF ALL, AUSTIN ENERGY HAD BEEN NOT CUTTING PEOPLE OFF, UM, DURING THE COVID CRISIS, UM, OF ELECTRIC SERVICE.
AND THEN THERE WERE PLANS TO QUIT THAT.
AND ONCE AGAIN, START CUTTING PEOPLE OFF.
I DON'T, UH, I HAD CONCERNS THAT THAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS, AND I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE SITUATION, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CRISIS AT A HUGE PEAK RIGHT NOW, COMMISSIONER HADN'T, UH, THIS IS DEBBIE KIMBERLEY.
UM, I BELIEVE CARRIE OVERTON AND HIS STAFF WILL BE PRESENTING ON THAT ISSUE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, IT IS TRUE THAT WE SUSPENDED DISCONNECTS AND CHARGING LATE FEES.
UM, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THEY HAVE RECENTLY STARTED UP ON LATE FEES.
AND THE INTENT THERE IS TO GET OUR CUSTOMERS ON PAYMENT PLANS.
AS WE HAVE SOME CUSTOMERS WHO ARE, UM, RACKING UP OUR REARAGES THAT SPAN MANY,
[01:20:01]
MANY MONTHS AND MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THAT CUSTOMER THEN TO BE ABLE TO REPAY MONIES, UM, AS HE, NO, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO WRITE THAT OFF, BUT ONE THING THAT WE HAVE SEEN GREAT SUCCESS IN IS SUPPLEMENTING OUR, UH, PROGRAMS FOR CUSTOMERS SIGNIFICANTLY, BOTH OURSELVES AND AUSTIN WATER, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE PAYMENT SOURCES FOR CUSTOMERS WHO, UM, HAVE BEEN IMPACTED AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.AND SO, AND THAT TOTALS IN THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER CUSTOMERS.
SO LOOK FOR MORE ON THAT AND, AND FUTURE, UH, MEN, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO AVOID THAT EVENTUALITY.
SO ARE YOU, ARE YOU REFERRING TO, UM, WHERE PEOPLE CAN DONATE TO THE CAP FUND ON THE BILLS? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING? YES.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST THAT WE ACTUALLY SET ASIDE MONEY AS AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND SO IF YOU GO ON OUR WEBSITE, YOU CAN EASILY FIND, UM, AND CUSTOMERS CAN EASILY FIND WHAT TO DO, AND THEY CAN CALL OUR CUSTOMER CARE FOLKS FOR NINE, FOUR 9,400 ON FIVE ONE, TWO, FOUR, NINE, 400 9,400 AND REACH OUT FOR HELP.
AND THAT IS THE SORT OF THING.
THIS WAS MY PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.
WE REALLY WANTED HEAR FROM CUSTOMERS THAT NEED THAT HELP BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE MONEY THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THOSE CUSTOMERS TO HELP WORK DOWN THOSE ARREARAGES DO.
IS THERE ANYTHING GOING IN THE MAIL TO THOSE CUSTOMERS AS WELL? WE CALL THEM, WE MAILED THEM.
UM, WE, UM, REACH OUT AND WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO, UM, ABSOLUTELY ALL OF THOSE THINGS, OFTENTIMES THOUGH COMMISSIONER, WHAT WE FIND IS THAT THE PHONE CALLS AREN'T BEING RETURNED.
SO WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN OUR CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS AREA THAT ARE CALLING FOLKS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND THEN WE WORK WITH SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, SO MEALS ON WHEELS AND MORE FAMILY ELDER CARE.
SO IT'S SORT OF BEEN ALL OF THE ABOVE.
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT RECENTLY AS WELL.
WE INCLUDED INFORMATION THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO RESIDENTS WHO WERE GOING TO LOCAL FOOD BANKS.
SO, UM, I AM SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT OUR HOSTS AND THAT AUSTIN WATER FOLKS HAVE BEEN DOING TO TRY TO DRAW PEOPLE TO, TO THAT ASSISTANCE.
SO, AND JUST ONE LAST QUESTION FOR VERIFICATION.
SO AT PRESENT, YOU ARE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE ON PAYMENT PLANS, BUT ARE PEOPLE STILL BEING CUT OFF IF THEY DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE ARE NOT DISCONNECTING, BUT I, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I, I BELIEVE I, UH, A DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER, UM, AND CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER CARRY OVER THEN, UH, WE'LL BE REPORTING IN THE FUTURE.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, MS. CHATTERJEE, MR. MAURA, MR. GARZA, AND MS. KIMBERLY ALL YOUR WORK ON, UH, THE CAP PROGRAM.
AND I SEE A LOT OF REALLY GOOD IMPROVEMENTS HERE SINCE THE LAST TIME WE REVIEWED THE PROGRAM AND WHEN WE HAD OUR WORKING GROUP, GOSH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS TWO YEARS AGO, BUT I SEE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS HERE AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THAT, THOSE PLAY OUT OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
SO AGAIN, THANKS FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THAT.
[13. Transportation Electrification Program Update]
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER AND I'VE LOST MY AGENDA.13 MADAM CHAIR AND WE HAVE THIS AGAIN IS DEBBIE'S GROUP AND WE HAVE CARL
AND GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS.
UH, I'M CARL POP-UP WELL WITH AUSTIN ENERGY MANAGER OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
AND DO YOU WANT TO PUT UP THE SLIDE? I'M ALSO JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE, UH, CAMERON, FREEBURG A UTILITY STRATEGIST HERE WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.
HE'LL BE COVERING SOME OF THE TOPICS AS WELL.
WE'LL GO OVER THE PROGRAM OVERVIEW.
WHAT ARE THE METRICS LIKE, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH AN, A PANDEMIC AND THEN WE'LL COVER SOME OF THE PROGRESS AND HIGHLIGHTS OF FYI, UH, 20.
SO BEFORE I REALLY START, I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT AND THANK YOU TO THE TEAM.
SO ALTHOUGH I'M COVERING A LOT OF THE PROJECTS TODAY, IT'S REALLY THE HARD WORK, BUT THE INDIVIDUALS YOU SEE HERE, UH, DO THE HEAVY DAILY LIFTING TO MAKE ALL
[01:25:01]
THESE PROGRAMS POSSIBLE.SO HERE'S A SNAPSHOT OF OUR EXISTING ELECTRIC VEHICLE PROGRAMS. UH, I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THE NEW ITEMS AND WE'LL KIND OF GO OVER A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DETAIL, FURTHER DOWN, BUT THE PLUG IN EVERYWHERE DRIVER PROGRAM, UH, VERY POPULAR FOR 17 A MONTH UNLIMITED CHARGING AT WE'RE JUST HAVE EXCEEDED 1000, UH, PUBLIC CHARGING PORTS.
NOW IN THAT NETWORK AND NEW, WE DID ROLL OUT DC FAST CHARGING AND HAVE A, HAVE A NEW RATE FOR THAT.
AND I'LL GO OVER THAT BC PAST, UH, THE PLUGIN EVER INFRASTRUCTURE REBATE PROGRAM.
SO THIS IS HOME AND BUSINESS, UH, REBATES.
UH, WE DID RELEASE A NEW INFRASTRUCTURE PILOT TARIFF TO ENCOURAGE, UM, EFFICIENCY AND HIGH USAGE OF EDI INFRASTRUCTURE AND FLEET ADOPTION.
WE'LL COVER THAT, UH, THAT THREE 60 PILOT RATE AT TIME OF ABUSE IS FULLY SUBSCRIBED.
I'LL BE GOING OVER AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE METRICS FOR EVS, FOR SCHOOLS WHAT'S LAUNCHED IN FOUR SCHOOLS.
AND WHERE ARE WE TODAY? AND THEN, UH, THE
SO, UH, UH,
WE'VE HAD SOME PILOT STATIONS OVER THE YEARS, BUT THIS IS REALLY OUR ALL IN, ON DC FAST.
SO FOR
UH, 20 OF THOSE WERE SUPPORTED BY STATE OF TEXAS GRANTS FROM TCEQ, AND THEN ALSO ROLLED OUT OUR 21 CENTS PER MINUTE.
SO HOSTS INSTALLATIONS, EVEN DURING A PANDEMIC, THIS IS OUR SECOND, UH, MOST YEARS SINCE INCEPTION OF HAVING A NEW HOST AND NEW LOCATIONS.
SO A VERY STRONG YEAR, UM, JUST REGARDLESS OF PANDEMIC OR NOT.
UM, SO, UH, WE HAD AN INCREASE IN 180 NEW CHARGING PORTS, SO THAT GOT US OVER THE 1000 PORT, UH, MILESTONE ACHIEVED.
UH, WE'RE NOW AT 289 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE US BOSTON AREA.
SO REGISTRATIONS, UH, SO YOU SEE HER IN THE SLIDE IN THE LEFT OR RIGHT AROUND MARCH, YOU SAW A VERY BIG DIP AND PEOPLE BUYING AND REGISTERING EVS, UH, IN OUR TERRITORY, BUT YOU'RE ALREADY SEEING THAT REBOUND COMING BACK, UH, JUST AS STRONG AS PRE PANDEMIC ALREADY.
AND THEN, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE GROWTH OVERALL GROWTH RATE ON THE RIGHT.
ONE OF OUR METRICS THAT WE HAD SIGNED UP TO AS PART OF THE BLOOMBERG CITIES CHALLENGE IS TO GET 5,000 NEW EVS ON THE ROAD, UH, DURING THAT PROGRAM, UH, WHICH WE DID ACHIEVE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
THAT WAS TO BE BY DECEMBER AND WE ACHIEVED IT SEVERAL MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
SO STILL STRONG GROWTH AND APPETITE FOR EDS IN AUSTIN.
WE DID SEE A DRAMATIC DROP IN PUBLIC CHARGING.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT MARCH APRIL DATE, UM, THAT ACTUALLY PAIRS WELL WITH A STUDY OUT OF HOUSTON ON JUST DROPPING GASOLINE CELLS AS WELL.
CAUSE YOU SAW VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OVERALL, JUST ROUGH, UH, QUITE A BIT.
UM, SO WE DID EXPERIENCE THAT AS WELL AND OUR PUBLIC CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU STARTING TO SEE THAT TREND, UH, BACK UP NEXT SLIDE.
UH, BUT REGARDS TO THE HOME PROGRAMS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE WHAT I WOULD CALL A SURGE, UH, ONE IN ELECTRIC BIKE REBATES AND THAT'S KINDA, UH, PAIR AS WELL WITH WHAT'S GOING ON NATIONALLY PEOPLE MORE INTERESTED IN BIKES AND EVEN ELECTRIC BIKES.
SO WE SAW THAT SURGE HERE IN AUSTIN AND THEN ON HOME CHARGING STATION, UH, REBATES, PEOPLE WANTING TO PLUG IT AT HOME, UH, LEVEL TWO, UH, AT HOME, UH, OUR MOST PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS HAVE EVERY YEAR SINCE INCEPTION INCEPTION, OR, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UH, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO CAMERON AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE CITY, PLEASE.
CAMERON, THANK YOU, CARL, EVERYBODY.
UM, JAMMER, FREEBIRD, HOW MANY UTILITY STRATEGISTS IN THE CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS GROUP WITH AUSTIN ENERGY? AND IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC GROUP, I KIND OF WANT TO TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AS A CITY, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE AREAS OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION AND SO FORTH.
UM, ONE OF THE MAJOR EFFORTS IS OUR OWN CITY OF AUSTIN FLEET, UH, TRANSITIONING TO AN ELECTRIC FLEET.
UH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE OVER 200 ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN OUR CITY OF AUSTIN FLEET TRACKING TOWARDS A FIRST GOAL OF 330 VEHICLES.
I LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, THESE ARE ALL KIND OF THE LOW-HANGING FRUITS FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM OF, UH, LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES AS THAT KIND OF FIRST EXPANSION, UM, INITIAL ANALYSIS SHOW THAT WE EXPECT TO SAVE ROUGHLY $3.5 MILLION IN 12,000 METRIC, TONS OF CO2 OVER 10 YEARS, WHICH IS THE PROJECTED LIFESPAN OF THESE
[01:30:01]
VEHICLES, UH, BASED ON MILEAGE.UM, AND IN SUPPORT OF ALL OF THAT ELECTRIFICATION EFFORT IS THE DEPLOYMENT OF CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AT A LOT OF OUR CITY FACILITIES TO SUPPORT THAT.
SO CURRENTLY WE'RE AT 93 PORTS, THOSE ARE LEVEL TWO, 240 VOLT PORTS AT HOPEFULLY 20 DIFFERENT FACILITIES.
AND MORE RECENTLY A BELIEVER A MONTH AGO WAS THE EXECUTION OF WHAT WE CALL AN ID IQ OR INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT TO EXPEDITE FUTURE INSTALLATIONS OF THESE CHARGING STATIONS AND MAKE THEM MORE INGRAINED IN OUR OPERATIONS OF HOW WE DEPLOY CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SEA FLEET VEHICLES.
SO A PRETTY BIG ADMINISTRATIVE WIN FOR US.
AND THEN, UH, ALSO NOW IN THE PLANNING PHASE IS FUTURE-PROOFING NEW CITY OF AUSTIN FACILITIES TO BE READY FOR EVIE CHARGING, UH, IN TWO GREAT EXAMPLES OF THAT ARE THE NEW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES BUILDING UP AT THE OLD HIGHLAND MALL CAMPUS, AS WELL AS NEW AUSTIN ENERGY HEADQUARTERS IN MUELLER AND THEIR, UM, INITIAL CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEY'LL HAVE ROUGHLY FLEET EAGLES AS WELL AS SOME FUTURE PROOFING FOR A FUTURE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS THE EFFORT THAT CAP METRO IS DOING FOR ELECTRIFYING THEIR BUS FLEET.
UH, CURRENTLY THEY HAVE WELL ELECTRIC BUSES IN THEIR FLEET, UM, WITH, UM, UH, 19 ADDITIONAL 40 FOOT BUSES ARE THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
UH, AND AS YOU KNOW, THE PASSAGE OF PROJECT CONNECT, WHICH RECENTLY HAPPENED, UH, COULD EXPEDITE THAT AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDING COULD, UH, EXPAND THOSE PLANS FROM 19 TO TWO EVEN MORE.
UM, ONE OF THE MAJOR SUCCESSES I THINK THAT WE HAD WITH, UH, WORKING WITH CAP METRO EARLY ON IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR NORTH OPS BUS DEPOT.
UM, SO THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE S THE OLD SORT OF MATTRESS WAREHOUSE NEXT DOOR TO THEIR OPERATIONS CENTER.
AND AS OPPOSED TO JUST TURNING INTO A BUS PARKING YARD, UH, FUTURE-PROOFING IT TO BE VA BUS CHARGING TO FACILITATE OVER 200 BUSES ONSITE.
SO WE COLLABORATE EARLY WITH CAP METRO IN THAT PROCESS TO KIND OF FUTURE-PROOF THAT, AND IT'S ALL THE KIND OF A CORE STUFF THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NEEDED FOR LONGTERM, LIKE MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE CORRECT PADS IN PLACE FOR TRANSFORMERS, ALL THE CORRECT CLEARANCES IN PLACE, ALL THAT STUFF.
THAT'S VERY HARD TO RETROFIT LIKE UNDERGROUND CONDUIT THAT FOR, FOR THAT MANY BUSES, YOU DON'T WANT TO TEAR THOSE LOTS UP AND REDO IT.
SO AS MORE VEHICLES COME IN, YOU CAN EXPAND CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE FIRMS AS WELL.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, AS CARL MENTIONED EARLIER, DEVELOPED A, UH, RATE SCHEDULE FOR FLEET AND PUBLIC CHARGING.
UH, IT'S A PILOT RATE DESIGNED TO INCREASE HIGH USAGE AND EFFICIENCY, UM, UH, FOR CHARGING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MORE YOU UTILIZE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, THE BETTER IT LOOKS FOR YOU.
AND, UH, I WILL ADD THIS RATE WAS DESIGNED, UH, IN SHINY FULL COST RECOVERY FOR AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND IN THE VEIN OF FUTURE-PROOFING, UH, SOME OF THE ED READINESS MEASURES WE HAVE, UH, RIGHT NOW, UM, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH OUR AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM.
UH, THIS IS ONE OF THE, UM, INNOVATION MEASURES WITHIN AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING THAT, UH, NEW BUILDINGS CAN PUT IN PLACE, WHICH IS TO MAKE AT LEAST 10% OF ALL NEW PARKING SPACES, EBY READY, UH, TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE NEED TO RETROFIT BUILDINGS, TO INSTALL A CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THOSE MEASURES INCLUDE A LOT OF STUFF.
I MENTIONED WE CAN'T METRO, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, DURING THE TIME OF CONSTRUCTION IS INSTALLATION OF THAT CONDUIT OR RACEWAY, UH, MAKING SURE THAT YOUR SERVICE PANELS ARE DESIGNED WITH THE CAPACITY FOR ALL THOSE PARKING SPOTS TO HAVE A 240 VOLT CHARGER ON THEM, SAME THING APPLIES TO THE DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMER.
SO WHEN YOU'RE NOT DESIGNING, YOU'RE NOT DESIGNING IT THE LOAD FOR DAY ONE, YOU'RE DESIGNING IT THAT LOW PLUS, UH, ALL OF THAT UV CHARGING IN PLACE.
UM, AND SO RIGHT THERE ON THE RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE, ONE OF THE CASE STUDIES OF THAT IS THE BUILDING FIFTH AND WEST DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AS A MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY THAT HAS, UM, ALL OF THESE MEASURES IN PLACE FOR IT.
AND, UH, THE LAST THING I'LL TRANSITION TO BEFORE PASSING BACK TO YOU, CARL, IS THE WORK DONE ON OUR AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, SO FAR I BELIEVE WE'VE RECEIVED SOMEWHERE OVER, I THINK WAS AROUND 1600 COMMENTS OR SO, AND THROUGH 24 DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND, UM, UH, A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO IT, ESPECIALLY ON THE ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION SIDE, AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW.
UM, AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE LAST FEW BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE GOING TO BE PETTED, UH, IN SOME FINAL APPROVALS WITH A GOAL TO BE PASSED THROUGH COUNCIL SOMETIME EARLY, MID TO 2021.
AND CARLO LETS YOU GO INTO THE DETAIL OF THAT MORE, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE DRAFT GOALS FOR THE ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION SIDE OF THAT.
UH, SO I LISTED ALL, YOU KNOW, AT A HIGH LEVEL OF THE MAJOR GOALS, YOU KNOW, ONE THAT I REALLY WANT TO CALL
[01:35:01]
IT TO YOUR ATTENTION AS, AS 40% OF VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED ON THE ELECTRIC PLATFORM BY 2030, UM, OR A LITTLE UNDER 1% TODAY.SO THAT'S AN AGGRESSIVE GOAL, BUT WE THINK ACHIEVABLE AND EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT, AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE BNP AS A GOAL.
WHEN WE FIRST LAUNCHED, THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT NUMBER OF EDIS ON THE ROAD.
WE REALLY DON'T THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT METRIC BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S THE MILES AND THE MISSIONS FROM THE MILES, UH, THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE EMISSIONS, NOT THE UNITS THEMSELVES PER SE.
UM, AND WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAPTURED THESE HIGH IMPACT NEW MOBILITY SERVICES.
SO AN ELECTRIFIED TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY, UBER AND LYFT CAN BE ABOUT 60,000 MILES, 70,000, 80,000 MILES A YEAR VERSUS A TRADITIONAL PERSONALLY OWNED VEHICLES, 12 TO 15,000 MILES HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, AND THEN WITH THE POTENTIAL NEXT WAVE OF AUTONOMOUS ELECTRIC, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE 90 TO 110,000 MILES.
SO IT ALSO KIND OF SHOWS THE INTEREST AND NEW MOBILITY AND MOBILITY AS A SERVICE IS JUST NOT REPLACING, YOU KNOW, WHAT HISTORICALLY THEN WITH JUST KIND OF NEW, NEW, UH, NEW TECHNOLOGY MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO I WANT TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON EACH FOR EVERYONE.
THAT'S THE EQUITY AND INCLUSION PROGRAM.
WE LAUNCHED A LITTLE OVER THREE YEARS AGO, UH, ORIGINALLY WITH SOME SEED GRANT FUNDING, UH, BUT THAT HAS EVOLVED TO OUR OWN OPERATIONAL FUNDING.
AND THEN MOST RECENTLY WE DID HIRE A NEW FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, UH, WHO WAS HIRED ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
SO HE JOINED THE TEAM ON THIS TIME.
SO SOME OF THE PROGRAMS, UH, AND DEVELOPMENT AND FOCUSED IS ONE IS CONDUCTING HUNDREDS OF E-BIKES ACCESS AND SAFETY TRAINING.
UH, WE GOT FEEDBACK ABOUT BIKE LANES, UM, DIDN'T SEEM TO BE FOR PEOPLE OR THEY HAD A PERCEPTION.
AND THEY SAW IT IN A LOT OF WAYS, BIKE LANES AS A FIRST LINE OF GENTRIFICATION.
SO WE WANTED TO KIND OF FLIP THAT SCRIPT AND SAY, WELL, HERE'S HOW YOU CAN GET AROUND ON BASE.
SO IT INCLUDED FREE BICYCLE HELMETS AND HE RIDES.
UH, SO THAT WAS, UH, VERY POPULAR.
UH, ALSO WHEN WE LAUNCHED, UM, IN MULTIFAMILY COMMUNITIES, THIS HELPED US FOCUS ON MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED LMI COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
UM, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE EBS FOR SCHOOLS EXPANSION.
SO LET'S MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS PART OF THE UMBRELLA AVS FOR EVERYONE PROGRAM.
SO THIS IS A PROGRAM, A PILOT OF CURRICULUM AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN SOME SCHOOLS, CASES, INFRASTRUCTURE, MOSTLY ONLINE CURRICULUM.
UM, AND WE LAUNCHED IN ORIGINALLY IN FOUR SCHOOLS AND WITH A FOCUS ON TITLE ONE, YOU KNOW, HIGH POPULATION OF KIDS COMING FROM LMI COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT HAS NOW EXPANDED TO 122 SCHOOLS IN CENTRAL TEXAS WITH OVER 795 TEACHERS AND GROWING, YOU KNOW, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THIS CURRICULUM, UH, AS RESPONSE TO COVID-19.
WE MADE THIS, UH, ONLINE ON A, AS VIRTUAL TRAINING.
SO THAT REALLY HELPED PARENTS AND FAMILIES, UH, ACCESS TO THIS, UH, FOR, UH, AT HOME LEARNING.
IT IS NOW BEING OFFERED IN SPANISH.
THAT WAS AN UPDATE THAT WE LAUNCHED AS WELL.
UH, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE IN-PERSON KICKOFFS AT VARIOUS SCHOOLS, WE DID CREATE A VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE, UH, THAT HAS BEEN IMPROVED A 2.0 INCLUDES OUR, UH, STEVIE REB, LIVING DINOSAUR AND A VIRTUAL SPACE HELP GUIDING, UH, TEACHERS AND KIDS THROUGH ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND ELECTRIC FIELD EQUALS CHARGING.
IT'S KIND OF VERY COOL ON PROGRAM.
UH, AND WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF, UH, PRESS AND INTEREST AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CITIES ARE INCORPORATING THIS CURRICULUM AND LAUNCHING IT INTO THEIR OWN COMMUNITY.
SO IT'S REALLY HAVING A KIND OF IMPACT THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE.
SO THIS ONE HAS DONE REALLY WELL.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, IN SOME CASES MAYBE BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, BECAUSE OF ALL THE, IF THE APPETITE FOR, AT HOME, UH, VIRTUAL LEARNING FROM PARENTS AND TEACHERS, AND ALSO AN APPETITE FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURES AND WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, SOME NEXT GENERATIONAL THINKING, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UH, ANOTHER ONE THAT WE THINK REALLY HELPED GET US TO OUR ADDITIONAL 5,000 AB GOAL IS DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY SELL CARS.
SO YOU DID PARTICIPATE IN A BLOOMBERG CITIES CHALLENGE GRANT.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY WE MET ALL OF OUR METRICS, UH, THROUGH THAT GRANT.
AND WHAT THIS DID IS WE, UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE CREATED AN ONLINE SPACE.
SO YOU CAN GO TO ED DOT AUSTIN OR YOUR.COM AND CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF.
AND WE JUST WANTED TO HAVE GET THROUGH THE, YOU KNOW, THE MYTHS AND GET TO THE FACTS OF BUYING AN SUV.
WHAT ARE THE INCENTIVES? WHAT ARE THE PROGRAMS? AND TYPICALLY WHAT AVS ARE AVAILABLE IN NOVEMBER RECENTLY, WE LAUNCHED 2.0, WHICH INCLUDES REAL TIME NEW AND USED INVENTORY.
SO IT'S A AGGRAVATED PLATFORM ACROSS DEALERSHIPS ACROSS AUSTIN.
SO IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC INTEREST OR YOU JUST WANT TO GET A THREE-YEAR, FIVE-YEAR OLD CAR, YOU CAN SEARCH BY RANGE, YOU CAN SEE THE COLOR OF THE TRIM, THE PRICE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE ONLINE, UH, ED TO AUSTIN.COM AND SELECT DEALERSHIPS, WE PUT THESE BIG
[01:40:01]
KIOSKS DOWN TO NOT ONLY TRAIN PEOPLE COMING IN, BUT ALSO SELL STAFF AS WELL.WE ALSO WORKED WITH DEVELOPING, UH, EBV APPROVED, UM, SALES REPS TO IMPROVE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
AND THEN THAT ALSO INCLUDED A MOBILE APP, WHICH WE DEPLOYED ON A NUMBERING SYSTEM AT OUR THOUSAND PORT CHARGING STATION NETWORK TO SIMPLIFY EBY CHARGING.
SO ALL OF THIS IS REALLY ABOUT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND EASE AND IMPROVING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE TO HELP DRIVE EVS HERE IN AUSTIN, THE NEXT SLIDE, AND SO INCLUSION.
SO IT, AUSTIN ENERGY, WE ALWAYS START EVERY MEETING WITH A SAFETY MINUTE.
AND THEN IF YOU'RE A PART OF DEBBIE'S TEAM CUSTOMER DO SERVICES, WE ALWAYS END UP WITH THE CUSTOMER THIS MOMENT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU THAT THE OPERATIONS TEAM THAT DEAL WITH CUSTOMERS DAILY ON ISSUES AND ESCALATIONS AND PROCESSING, UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO, UH, DURING
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY FORMAL PRESENTATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF AMMON MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE? I HAVE SOME, THANK YOU.
HEY, CARL, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM CAMERON AND ALL THE OTHERS.
UM, SO MUCH OF THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, FIRST OF ALL, UH, DIVING INTO SOME DETAILS REAL QUICK, UM, AT WHAT CHARGE RATE IS THE 21 CENTS PER MINUTE, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SO IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT THE EQUIVALENCE IS TO HOW MUCH PER KILOWATT HOUR.
AND IS THERE A CHANGE IN THE SOFTWARE TO ALLOW BILLING BY KILOWATT HOUR, THE DC FAST? AND THE SECOND ONE WAS CARES FOR LIGHT DUTY VEHICLE DC, FAST CHARGING.
I THINK YOU ALL DID A GREAT JOB WITH THE NEW TARIFF STRUCTURE TO HELP OUT WITH THE HIGH VOLUME BY CAPITAL METRO, BUT TO TRY TO NURTURE AND ENCOURAGE SOME THIRD PARTIES FOR LIGHT DUTY VEHICLE DC, FAST CHARGING.
I THINK THERE'S SOME STILL CHALLENGES IN THE CAPACITY CHARGES, DEMAND CHARGES FOR THAT.
AND I WANT TO GET YOUR COMMENTS ON WHAT COULD BE DONE FOR ENCOURAGING THAT SOME MORE CERTAINLY.
WELL, LET ME TALK ABOUT THE PERMIT AND WHY WE DID PER MINUTE.
THERE IS A DEBATE IN THE INDUSTRY OF COHORT, OUR CHARGES AND PER MINUTE, THE REASON WHY WE WENT WITH MINUTE, AND I'M NOT SAYING WE HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT, RIGHT, WE WANT TO GET SOME DATA AND SEE, BUT THE REASONING BEHIND THE 21 CENTS ONE IS WE THINK HAS A COMPETITIVE RATE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OTHER KINDS OF EQUIVALENCIES AND THEN TO, UM, WE ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR THE PER MINUTE FROM PLUGIN TO PLUG OUT, ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO PLUG IN AND THEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE PLUG OUT.
UM, AND THE COST WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT COST OF SERVICE, THE COST OF SERVICE IS IN THE, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS PER PORT TO INSTALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S NOT IN THE, YOU KNOW, THE PENNIES OF THE KILOWATT HOUR.
SO WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO TRY TO LOOK AT THAT, BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
WHEN WE TALK TO OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO HAD UNLIMITED OR OTHER PROGRAMS, UH, THEY HAD EVEN STORIES WHERE SOMEONE WOULD PLUG INTO DC FAST AND THEN HOP ON AN AIRPLANE.
SO NOW YOU'VE FROZEN AND LOCKED OUT THAT VERY EXPENSIVE IN THIS CASE, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A SPOT INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE THERE ISN'T THAT, UM, PRICING TURF THAT ENCOURAGES THEM TO GET OFF.
SO THAT THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE WENT THERE.
SO WE ARE STARTING TO COLLECT DATA AND SEE, WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT THE INDUSTRY IS.
AND THEN, UH, MR.
THERE'S THINGS LIKE IDLING FEES AND OTHER THINGS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, TESLA DOES CHARGE POINTS, NOT THERE YET.
UH, BUT, UM, WE HAVE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THE NEED AND WE'RE NOT THE FIRST, OUR ONLY ONE.
SO WE THINK THE ROADMAP WILL GET THEM THERE.
SO THERE'S ALSO SOME LIMITATIONS IN OUR PARTICULAR PLATFORM.
UM, AND, UH, ON THE SECOND QUESTION, I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE INCENTIVE.
SO YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE REFERRING TO, I BELIEVE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEW TARIFF INFRASTRUCTURE AND FLEET THERAPY ROLLED OUT.
IF YOU CAN ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE CAN USE THAT AS A DISCUSSION POINT OF WHERE WE CAME WITH, WHAT WE DID.
I'M SORRY, ONE MORE SLIDE PASS BACK UP.
SO AT A HIGH LEVEL TO ENCOURAGE DOING ONE IS, FIRST OF ALL, WE WANTED IT TO BE A FULLY RECOVERABLE RATE, BUT WE WANTED SOME OTHER BAKED IN INCENTIVES IN THERE TO ENCOURAGE HIGH EFFICIENCY AND HIGH USAGE.
UM, CAMERON, DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PILOT RATE? SURE.
FOR, UH, FOR THE, FOR THIS, FOR THIS PILOT RATE, WHAT DID THEY, THE MAIN THING THAT ACTUALLY ENCOURAGES, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND THE MONEY ON SPACE, HIGH DOLLAR ASSETS, IT'S REALLY GETTING THE MOST.
SO, YOU KNOW, IN THE INDUSTRY, A LOT OF THE BASELINE
[01:45:01]
FOR THE QUESTION ALWAYS COMES UP, WELL, HOW MUCH CHARGING THE YOU NEED FOR, FOR PER VEHICLE? AND THE BASELINE ANSWER IS ALWAYS ONE TO ONE, WHICH IS NOT CORRECT, BUT THAT'S JUST ALWAYS WHERE IT STARTS.SO THIS IS REALLY A MAIN, UH, UH, RATE TO ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, UTILIZING THOSE ASSETS, WHICH WOULD BE CHARGING, UH, THROUGHOUT MULTIPLE VEHICLES.
SO BASICALLY THE MORE YOU, I MEAN, INSTALLING CHARGING STATION, IT'S GOING TO HAVE A CERTAIN DEMAND ON YOUR BUILDING.
THE MORE KILOWATT HOURS SHE PUMPED THROUGH IT, THE BETTER THAT RATE LOOKS.
SO IT ENCOURAGES HIGHER UTILIZATION OF THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE YOU HAVE ACROSS MULTIPLE VEHICLES.
SO IN THAT COULD BE WHETHER FOR FLEET ELECTRIFICATION EFFORTS, OR NOW WE START SEEING SOME OF OUR THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS OUT THERE INSTALLING CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
ONCE THOSE ASSETS GET STARTED GETTING UTILIZED HIGHER, IT WOULD BE AN ATTRACTIVE RATE FOR SOME OF THEM AS WELL.
I CAN SEE THE LOGIC IT'S, IT'S REALLY ENCOURAGING THEM TO, SINCE THEY HAVE A HIGH START TITLE, I THINK WE LOST YOUR AUDIO COMMISSIONER TUTTLE V SAYS THAT YOU ARE NOT CURRENTLY MUTED, BUT IT MAY BE THAT WE'VE LOST CONNECTION OR SOMETHING TO DO WITH YOUR CONNECTION.
WELL, THAT'S WEIRD BECAUSE I TURN THE PHONE SIDEWAYS TO SEE THE CHART.
AND SO THE AUDIO FIXED ITSELF WHEN I TURNED IT VERTICALLY.
HOW, UM, YEAH, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TOO MUCH TIME ON THIS CAUSE A LOT OF GOOD WORKS GOING ON IS HOW DO WE NURTURE THE THIRD PARTIES? UM, AND IT MAY BE PART CHICKEN AND EGG, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO GET IN, THEY'RE INVESTING A LOT OF CAP EX AND SO THEY, THEY SHOULD BE MOTIVATED TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ENCOURAGE THE RIGHT ADVERTISING AND MARKETING AND PLACEMENT TO ENCOURAGE IT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE COULD BE SOME PERIOD OF TIME, SOME NUMBER OF YEARS, MAYBE A FIVE-YEAR WINDOW WHERE IT'S JUST GOOD TO HELP JUMPSTART IT BY HAVING SOMETHING THAT HAS A, A LOWER OVERHEAD WITH A LITTLE BIT LESSER UTILIZATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS VERY, VERY QUICKLY, UM, ON THE BUILDING CODES, THE GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM AND THE ED READY, UH, CLARIFICATION THAT'S THAT'S FOR, UM, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS OR IS THERE ALSO AN EVIE READY? UM, RESIDENTIAL, UH, BUILDING, YOU KNOW, SINGLE FAMILY HOME TYPE, UM, UH, GREEN BUILDING AND SANTA WHILE IT'S NOT REALLY A RATING.
UH, CARL, I'LL TAKE THIS ONE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, NOW THE, THE MEASURES I, I WENT THROUGH THERE THAT WAS ALL ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OR, UH, YOU KNOW, MULTI-FAMILY OVER CERTAIN NEW, UH, THRESHOLD, UH, BUT THERE ARE ALSO RESIDENTIAL, UM, MEASURES IN PLACE WITHIN THE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE, WHICH IS THE INSTALLATION OF A DEDICATED 240 VOLT CIRCUIT IN, UH, IN GARAGES.
BUT THE DIAGRAM I WENT OVER THERE, THAT'S ALL FOR COMMERCIAL FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, CONTEMPLATING, UH, LOOKING AT THE ENERGY CODES AGAIN IN 2021.
AND IS THERE CONSIDERATION OF, UM, SOME EVIE READY REQUIREMENTS AS PART OF THE BASE CODES, AND I'M NOT GIVING AN OPINION ON IT.
I'M JUST ASKING WHETHER THAT'S HAPPENING THIS YEAR.
DEBBIE, I SEE YOU TALKING ABOUT, I THINK, YEAH, MY FINGER MOVES QUICKLY.
UM, SO, UH, COMMISSIONER REED, UH, YES, WE WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE 2021 IACC, BUT AS YOU MAY BE AWARE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE, THE IECC REMOVED ED READY REQUIREMENTS FROM THE 2021 CODE.
SO, UM, WE ARE WORKING ACTIVELY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
SO FART MONK ON THAT, UH, KURT STOCKVILLE, UM, IS WORKING WITH THAT AND BETH CULVER AND JOSE LEAGUE, UM, TO, UM, LOOK AT WHAT WE WILL DO FOR 2021, THAT THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF LEVERAGE EXERCISED, UM, OVER THE ICC, MY HOME BUILDER ASSOCIATIONS, AS WELL AS, UM, UH, UH, NATURAL GAS, UM, UH, PROPONENTS.
SO I'M AWARE OF THAT AND I'M AWARE OF SOME BILLS AT THE LEGISLATURE,
[01:50:01]
AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE WATCHING WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE DETAILS.YES, I KNOW MORE THAN ANYBODY, YOU WERE VERY AWARE OF THAT.
SO I HAD JUST ONE LINE OF QUESTIONS IF I MIGHT REAL QUICKLY, I'M WONDERING WHAT AE IS DOING ABOUT PLACEMENT, OUR LOCATIONS OF THESE PARKING FACILITIES FOR BOTH YOUR OWN FLEETS, LIKE WITH CAP METRO, UM, AND FOR THIRD PARTIES, UH, IN TERMS OF ANY POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON YOUR DISTRIBUTION, OUR TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, CERTAINLY, BUT I CAN TALK ABOUT, SO WITH CAP METRO, UH, THEIR INITIAL FOCUS WAS ON A BUS DEPOT IN NORTH AUSTIN THAT CAN SUPPORT UP TO 200 ELECTRIC BUSES, UH, TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, UH, LONG BUSES, KAT KATMANDU HAS ABOUT 330 LONG BUSES.
THEY ARE ALREADY LOOKING AT OTHER, UM, BUS FUELING DEPOTS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.
I MEAN, ONE KIND OF DISTRIBUTES THE LOAD, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE, IT'S MORE EFFICIENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE LESS THAN HEAD MILES, UH, PEOPLE, UH, BUS MILES WHEN YOU WERE TRAVELING FOR YOUR INITIAL PICKUP, UM, THAT METRO HAS ALSO SHOWN AN INTEREST IN, UH, IN ROUTE CHARGING.
SO KIND OF LEVER OVERHEAD CHARGING AT CERTAIN STOPS WHO TOP OFF TO ALSO SUPPORT.
SO, SO THAT'S KIND OF THE VIEW FROM THE CAP METRO PERSPECTIVE.
UM, WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW CONVERSATIONS AND ALL THESE WITH CAT METROS, OTHERS WITH OUR, UH, WIRES BUSINESS, UH, SO ELECTRIC SERVICE DELIVERY AND SYSTEM ENGINEERS.
UH, SO TYPICALLY WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE PROJECTIONS RIGHT NOW, THEY JUST TREAT IT LIKE ANY ADDITIONAL LOAD AND, UH, AND THEY RESPOND TO THE PRODUCT.
THEY HA THEY DON'T SEE ANYTHING, UH, AS OF YET.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT YOU DO SEE IN THE INDUSTRY CONCERN FROM SOME ELECTRIC UTILITY PROVIDERS, I SEE THAT MOSTLY FROM RURAL UTILITIES OR PEOPLE WHO JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE THESE LINES, AND THEN YOU HAVE LIKE A DISTRIBUTION CENTER, LIKE A WALMART IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, ALL OF A SUDDEN WANT TO PUT A ROW OF, UH, YOU KNOW, ELECTRIC LOGISTICS, UM, UH, TRUCKS ONLINE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PROBLEM.
US BEING A, A CITY UTILITY, VERY DENSE UTILITY, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT SAME KIND OF ISSUE HAS.
IT'S BEEN EXPLAINED TO ME BY OUR, OUR SYSTEM ENGINEERS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE DO LOOK AT.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER PILOTS AND STUDIES TO INCLUDE PECAN STREET TO LOOK AT POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL, UH, WHAT LOAD CAN DO TO POTENTIALLY WEAR DOWN THE LIFESPAN OF TRANSFORMERS AND SOME OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, BUT OUR, OUR ISSUE IS A LITTLE MORE NUANCED THAN WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE KIND OF IMPRESSED THAT THAT'S KIND OF COMING FROM THE, SO DO YOU ALSO CONSIDER ANY KIND OF INCENTIVES THAT MIGHT EXIST TO ENCOURAGE THESE, UM, CHARGINGS AT BIG FACILITIES, LIKE FOR CAP METRO TO BE OFF PEAK? SO THAT IS OF INTEREST TO US.
UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW I WOULD PROPOSE THE TARIFF THAT WE JUST WENT OVER DOES ENCOURAGE IT REALLY ENCOURAGES AS CLOSE TO 24 HOUR IN SOME WAYS.
SO A LOT OF NIGHTTIME CHARGING AS WELL.
UM, OUR ACTIVE OFF PEAK PILOT PROGRAM IS
SO THAT'S TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTIAL OFF PEAK.
SO THAT'S A $30, UH, HOME IN A WAY UNLIMITED CHARGING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CERTAIN HOURS OF, OF PEAK.
AND IT'S SEASONALLY ADJUSTED WHERE YOU GO FROM ZERO TO 41 CENTS A KILOWATT HOUR.
SO WE, SO WE KIND OF LAUNCHED OUR OFF-PEAK CHARGING WITH RESIDENTIAL SUBSCRIBERS THROUGH E-BAY THREE 60 RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WE SEE THAT AS SOME POTENTIAL IN THE FUTURE FOR SHOWS AS WELL.
UM, I REALLY ENJOYED THIS PRESENTATION.
IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE TO ME.
I'LL PASS THAT INFORMATION ALONG TO THE TEAM.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO THANK MR. POPPA, MR. FREEBERG AND MS. KIMBERLY AGAIN, UH, FOR YOUR WORK ON AND YOUR TEAMS FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS PRESENTATION, LOTS OF EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING, EVS AND AUSTIN.
[14. Report regarding City Council action on items previously reviewed by the EUC.]
ALL RIGHT.FINALLY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO OTHER BUSINESS.
UM, UH, I DON'T NUMBER 14, THERE WAS A REPORT REGARDING COUNCIL ACTION ON ITEMS PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED BY THE AUC, WHICH WAS INCLUDED IN YOUR MEETING MATERIALS THAT WERE CIRCULATED, UH, AND
[15. Discuss potential future agenda items.]
ONTO ITEM NUMBER 15, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, JUST A NOTE, UH, SO THAT THESE ARE ON YOUR RADAR.UM, FOR THE FEBRUARY AGENDA, WE ARE LOOKING TO INCLUDE THE FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL AND OPERATION REPORTS, AND THEN ALSO A UTILITY BILL RELIEF UPDATE, WHICH I THINK, UM, COMMISSURE HAD.
AND THAT'S GETTING TO, UH, ONE OF YOUR EARLIER QUESTIONS IN THE MARCH TIMEFRAME.
[01:55:01]
A RE RESILIENCY REPORT, UH, COMMISSIONER TITLE, WHICH IS REQUESTED BY YOU.UM, AND THEN THIS IS NOT, UM, AN AGENDA ITEM, UH, NECESSARILY, BUT I, I WANTED TO JUST NOTE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DID EXPERIENCE A, UH, WINTER WEATHER EVENT HERE YESTERDAY AND MAYBE TONIGHT AS WELL.
UM, AND THERE WERE SOME OUTAGES AROUND TOWN AND IN THE SERVICE TERRITORY, UH, AND MAYBE SOME OF YOU EXPERIENCED THAT YOURSELF OR, OR GOT SOME QUESTIONS FROM FOLKS, BUT, UM, I'VE ASKED MR. VICE TO CIRCULATE A, UH, JUST A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THAT EVENT AND AES RESPONSE.
SO HE'S GOING TO CIRCULATE THAT TO THE, UM, THE ENTIRE COMMISSION.
AND IF AFTER YOU REVIEW THAT YOU REVIEW THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT ON A FUTURE AGENDA, JUST LET MR. VICE FOR ME AND OR ME KNOW, UH, OKAY, COMMISSIONER BOYLE, YOU'RE ON MUTE, SIR.
I MAY NOT BE HERE FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
MY TERM RUNS OUT, BUT I WANTED TO, I MEAN, I WAS PART OF THAT OUTAGE AS MAYBE MANY OF YOU WERE, WE WERE OUT FIVE HOURS.
WE HAD, UH, QUITE A FEW SENIOR LIVING AREAS THAT WERE OUT DURING THAT TIME.
UH, I READ THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE THAT CAME IN, UH, ON TWITTER AND ELSEWHERE.
UH, AND IT WAS, IT WAS VERY DISCOURAGING.
AND AS THE PERSON WHO GREW UP IN, UH, ILLINOIS AND THEN SNOW AND ALL OF THAT, THIS IS REALLY A, AS WE WOULD SEE IT BACK THERE AS A, NOTHING, SNOW TO SPEAK UP, OBVIOUSLY WE HAD, UH, BRANCHES AND CONDUCTORS, AND I THINK IT GOES BACK TO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AGAIN.
AND IT'S, UH, THAT WAS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM.
I THINK IT JUST EXPOSE THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROBLEM THAT'S OUT THERE.
SO I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING, UH, I DON'T, I WON'T BE HERE FOR IT, BUT I THINK THE, UH, THAT'S A CRITICAL AREA.
IT JUST ILLUSTRATED HOW OUR SYSTEM NEEDS A LOT OF WORK.
AND THAT'S ALL I, I WOULD SAY ABOUT IT.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS I THINK WE OUGHT TO GET PAUL ROBINSON A LITTLE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A PRESENTATION.
UH, THAT'S JUST MY FEELING ABOUT THAT, BUT, UH, YOU ALL DO WHATEVER Y'ALL WANT TO DO, BUT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF MY FEELING ON THAT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BOYLE, UH, COMMISSIONER WELDON.
I WAS JUST GOING TO COMMENT THAT I HAVE, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE AN UPDATE REGARDING A REACH, UH, NEXT MONTH.
AND I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S PART OF IT.
AND THEN I WAS GOING TO ECHO THAT, UH, UH, AS PART OF THAT RESILIENCE DISCUSSION, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN TOUCH BACK ON THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
AND I WAS GOING TO ALSO SUGGEST THAT WE TRY TO MAKE SOME ROOM FOR, UH, MR. ROBBINS BECAUSE, UH, HE, UH, HE ALWAYS HAS SOME INSIGHT AND THE EFFORT AND PREPARATION HE PUTS INTO IT USUALLY MAKES IT A PRODUCTIVE TIME USAGE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WELD AND KRISHA HADDEN.
UM, FOR THE NEXT AGENDA, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE GET ADD, UM, A BRIEF REPORT FROM AUSTIN ENERGY ABOUT THE, UM, SIRENS GOING OFF AT THE SOUTH TEXAS NUCLEAR PROJECT.
UM, THAT HAPPENED ON DECEMBER 30TH AND DECEMBER 31ST, THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DID POST AN EVENT REPORT, BUT TWO OF THE 32 SIRENS WENT OFF ON THE 30TH.
AND, UM, WHEN I MADE CALLS ABOUT THAT, I WAS VERY DISTURBED BECAUSE THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION COULD NOT BE REACHED.
I CALLED A NATIONAL NUMBER AT ABOUT 6:00 PM AND THIS HAD STARTED IN THE THREE O'CLOCK TIMEFRAME, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST THEY HAD HEARD OF IT AT THE NATIONAL OPERATIONS HOTLINE AND PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT I KNOW WERE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT WHETHER THERE WAS A REAL CRISIS GOING ON OR WHETHER THE ALARMS HAD JUST GONE OFF ACCIDENTALLY.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE COULD GET SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THIS AND ALSO POST FOR ACTION, BECAUSE I THINK THE BIG THING THAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW IS WHETHER THERE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER SYSTEM OF NOTIFYING PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE PART OF THE OPERATIONS OF THAT PLANT.
WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE IGNORING SIRENS BECAUSE THEY ASSUME IT'S A PROBLEM WITH THE SIRENS.
UM, IF SOMETHING EVER SERIOUS DID HAPPEN, WE'D WE'D HAVE A REAL PROBLEM.
SO, UM, THE, UH, PEOPLE DOWN THERE CALLED THE SHERIFF, BUT THE SHERIFF DIDN'T HAVE FULL INFORMATION.
UM, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
IT SEEMS LIKE TIME FOR A NOTICE ON YOUR PHONE, LIKE CELL PHONE NOTICE, AND THEN PEOPLE COULD KNOW, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HATTON.
[02:00:01]
OKAY.YEAH, I, I WOULD, UH, UH, REPEAT THE, UM, THE REQUEST BY PAUL ROBBINS, UH, ABOUT THE CAP PROGRAMS AND WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS AND ELIGIBILITY.
AND THEN I WANTED TO REMIND, UM, WHENEVER IT'S APPROPRIATE, I KNOW AUSTIN ENERGY CURRENTLY HAS AN RFP OUT FOR, UM, LOCAL SOLAR AND STORAGE, UM, SORT OF AN RFP TO, TO INVITE PEOPLE, TO SEE HOW THEY CAN MEET THOSE GOALS.
UM, SO WHENEVER, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TIMING OF THAT IS, BUT AT SOME POINT GETTING A REPORT BACK ON THE RESULTS OF THAT RFP AND YOU KNOW, HOW MANY FOLKS APPLIED AND, AND WHETHER THERE'S ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME OUT OF IT FOR ACTION.
ANYBODY ELSE? JUST GOING BACK TO, UH, IF PAUL MAKES A PRESENTATION, I WAS WONDERING IF IT MIGHT BE FEASIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT HE CAN PROVIDE ANY PRESENTATION MATERIAL HE'S GOING TO GIVE IN ADVANCE OF THAT MEETING SO THAT WE HAVE SOMEBODY FROM AUSTIN ENERGY TO RESPOND, SO THAT IT'S A PRODUCTIVE CYCLE.
MAYBE WE CAN CLOSE THE LOOP FASTER ON THAT TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S MR. VICE, CAN YOU, UH, PROVIDE ANY GUIDANCE ON, ON PROCEDURALLY, WHETHER, UH, IF WE'D LIKE MR. ROBINSON COME IN AND GIVE A LONGER PRESENTATION, UM, DO WE NEED TO ACT AS A BODY TO ALLOW HIM TO DO SO? NO, I UNDERSTAND.
UM, NORMALLY OF COURSE WE RECOMMEND THAT CITIZENS ARE TO THE THREE MINUTES, UH, OPPORTUNITY, UH, JUST STATE THAT, UH, OUT THERE.
UH, WE CERTAINLY HAVE PRECEDENTS OF THE COMMISSION INVITING OUTSIDE SPEAKERS, UM, GENERALLY, UH, AND I'M SURE CARRIE CAN SPEAK TO THIS, UH, WHEN WE'VE DONE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TRIED TO GIVE THEM A TIME LIMIT AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT'S NOT ALLOWED.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER ON, UH, MADAM CHAIR, YOU KNOW, THAT I WORK WITH YOU OF COURSE, WITH REGARDS TO THE AGENDA.
AND AS WE'VE JUST MENTIONED ABOUT FEBRUARY'S AGENDA, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMETIMES A COMMISSIONER MIGHT SAY, I WANT THIS, UH, ON THE NEXT AGENDA.
AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED BEFORE.
ALL OF ALL OF US, WE TAKE NOTE OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, AND THEN WE WORK TO THE BEST DEGREE IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZATION AND SCHEDULING AND HOW LONG SOMETHING'S BEEN ASKED FOR, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
UH, AND, AND FORMAT THE AGENDAS IN FEBRUARY.
WE ALREADY HAVE BOTH QUARTERLY REPORTS, FINANCIAL AND, AND OPERATIONAL.
UM, WE COULD TRY AND OF COURSE INCORPORATE, UH, COMMISSIONER HATTON'S REQUEST INTO THAT OPERATIONAL REPORT WITH REGARDS TO THE STPS EVENT AS SHE'S DESCRIBED IT.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE A REACH UPDATE AS, UH, COMMISSIONER WELDON DID, UH, REMIND US, UH, AND I BELIEVE, UH, THE UTILITY BILL RELIEF UPDATE, WHICH WOULD BE TIMELY IN THAT, IN THAT PERIOD.
AND OF COURSE, SOMETIMES WE TRY AND PLACE THINGS ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE WE WANT IT TO COME TO THE COMMISSION FIRST AND THEN TO, UH, THE COUNCIL AT OUR UPCOMING, UH, COUNCIL COMMITTEE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH MEETS IN FEBRUARY.
SO I'M JUST MENTIONING THOSE THINGS.
UH, IF YOU IT'S AT SOME POINT A CHAIR, UH, LET ME KNOW THAT, UH, THAT'S THE WHEEL OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, THEN WE WILL WORK TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN WITH REGARDS TO MR. ROBBINS WITH AN OUTSIDE SPEAKER.
IN OTHER WORDS, THIS IS CARRIE.
I JUST MENTIONED THAT IN THE PAST, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD OUTSIDE SPEAKERS ON VERY SELECTED ISSUES.
20 MINUTES IS A LOT MORE TIME THAN WE USUALLY ALLOCATE FOR THAT.
UH, I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE CHAIR TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SQUEEZE ALL THAT IN.
IF YOU REALLY FEEL INCLINED TO ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE DISCOVERED IS IF YOU ASK FOR A WRITTEN MATERIALS WHERE THE EXPLANATION OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET ACROSS IS DELIVERED TO YOU WELL BEFORE THE MEETING WHERE PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT, YOU CAN CUT DOWN THE AMOUNT OF TIME THE SPEAKER HAS TO SIT THERE AND JUST GO THROUGH IT PAGE BY PAGE.
UM, SO, UH, IT'S NOT UP TO ME, UH, MARTA, YOU SET THE AGENDA, UM, UH, FOR THE MOST PART.
SO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH TIME YOU CAN ALLOW FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHICH MEETING YOU CAN GET IT SET UP IN AND SEE IF WE CAN GET STUFF TO LOOK AT BEFORE THE MEETING.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A LONG PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, UH, ADVICE AND COUNSEL ON THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN OF, LET ME GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT AND, AND GET BACK TO MR. VICE AND THE GROUP AND, AND GOODWILL OBVIOUSLY SHARE THE, UH, FEBRUARY AGENDA, UH, WELL IN ADVANCE THAT I, I DID JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE ROLLING OFF, UM, YOU
[02:05:01]
KNOW, A SPECIAL THANK YOU.UH, AND, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THOSE THAT ARE CONTINUING ON IN 2021.
SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, I WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING.