[00:00:01]
[CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
AND CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.UH, LET US HOLD ON JUST A SECOND.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE ROLL CALL.
WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE RESPOND.
UH, COMMISSIONER BLACKBURN IS PRESENT.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? UH, FOLKS ONLINE? CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? YEAH, I CAN HEAR YOU, JONATHAN.
UH, SO IF EVERYONE COULD ALSO TURN ON YOUR VIDEO, JUST TO REMINDER, VIDEO NEEDS TO BE ON, ESPECIALLY FOR A ROLL CALL AND VOTING.
UH, SO COMMISSIONER WHITE, COULD YOU TURN YOUR VIDEO ON AND ARE YOU HERE? ALL RIGHT.
COMMISSIONER AND GLORY IS NOT HERE.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET WHERE WE CAN SEE EVERYONE'S VIDEO ON THE SCREEN? LIKE, IS IT, CAN YOU TILE IT? YEAH.
TAKE DOWN THE AGENDA FOR THE ROLL CALL.
UH, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIX THE BIG SCREEN, UH, COMMISSIONER STONE.
CAN YOU TAP YOUR MIC? PRESENT COMMISSIONER HARMAN, PRESENT COMMISSIONER BRENNAMAN ABSENT COMMISSIONER CHEVERIA AND COMMISSIONER WHITE.
I THINK SHE MUST'VE STEPPED AWAY.
WAS I CALLED MR. ROBBINS HERE IS PRESENT.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAD ANYONE SIGNED UP.
IS THAT CORRECT? ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON
[1. Approve minutes of the April 19, 2022 Meeting of the Resource Management Commission.]
FOR OF MINUTES.I REMEMBER ONE, FIVE MINUTES OF THE APRIL 19TH, 2022 MEETING OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES THAT WERE PRESENTED IN THE PACKET HEARING? NONE, THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
[2. Austin Energy Community Outreach Presentation on Base Rate Review.]
OF STAFF REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS TONIGHT.UH, WE WILL START WITH, I DON'T REMEMBER TOO, THE AUSTIN ENERGY COMMUNITY OUTREACH PRESENTATION ON BASE RATE REVIEW, JUST TO SET THE AGENDA HERE.
THIS HAS MEANT TO BE A HIGH LEVEL PRESENTATION.
THIS IS THE PRESENTATION THAT AUSTIN ENERGY GIVES TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, AS AN INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION, UH, FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, AS WE ARE CITY OFFICIALS, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE FOR US TO AT LEAST HEAR THIS SO THAT WE KNOW, UH, WHAT IS GOING ON.
UH, I WILL EMPHASIZE THAT THIS COMMISSION IS NOT A PART, UH, OR OF THE RATE MAKING PROCEEDING.
UH, AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO, UH, GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF HOW AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, SETS THEIR RATES AND IS DOING THIS RATE CASE.
UM, IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS OR FEEDBACK TO AUSTIN ENERGY FOR, UH, SPECIFICS ON THE RATE CASE, UH, THEY ARE GOING TO, UH, TELL US WHEN THOSE OPPORTUNITIES EXIST, UH, FOR WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE RIGHT FORUM THERE.
UH, AND IF YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT, YOU ARE WELCOME TO DO SO.
UH, HOWEVER, UH, THIS IS NOT THE APPROPRIATE FORUM FOR THAT.
UH, SO WITH THAT AUSTIN ENERGY, WHO HAVE WE GOT, I CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
I'M KIM DOYLE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONSULTANT AT AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND SORT OF LET YOU KNOW, WHO'S HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT.
THANK YOU FOR THE INTRODUCTION.
AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR LISTENING TO OUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
UM, LIKE YOU SAID, THIS WAS PRESENTED TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THERE ARE PLACES THAT WE'LL PROBABLY SKIP OVER QUICKLY BECAUSE THE COMMISSION IS FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF THESE CONCEPTS.
SO JUST KNOW THAT THAT'S COMING, BUT BASICALLY IT'S, IT'S IN THREE SECTIONS.
UM, WHEN WE TALKED TO THE COMMUNITY, WE STARTED FIRST BY TELLING THEM ABOUT THEIR CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES, BILL, AND A FEW FACTS ABOUT AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, WHAT MOST FOLKS REALLY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT WILL BE THE SECOND
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PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT, AND THAT WILL BE FROM RUSTY MANIA.SO OUR VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE, HE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT, UH, BASE RATE REVIEWS AND WITH THE PROPOSED CHANGES FOR THE, UH, THE CUSTOMERS ARE, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE IT OUT WITH, UH, TAMMY COOPER, OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR REGULATORY COMMUNICATIONS AND COMPLIANCE.
AND SHE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT LAST TOPIC, WHICH WAS HOW FOLKS CAN GET INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS AND WHAT THE WHOLE TIMELINE LOOKS LIKE.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED AGAIN.
I'M KIM DOYLE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONSULTANT AT AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND YOU CAN GO ONTO THE NEXT ONE AS WELL.
UM, THIS IS SOME OF THE BASIC INFORMATION WE PRESENTED FOR FOLKS.
I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO ANY DETAIL.
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR SERVICE TERRITORY, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT OUR CAP PROGRAM OR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR FOLKS.
UM, WE ALSO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE HAVE 500,000 MORE THAN 500,000 CUSTOMERS.
AND THEN THIS IS WHERE WE WERE REALLY INTRODUCING FOLKS TO LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WHEN WE'RE DOING THIS BASE RATE REVIEW, WE'RE REALLY JUST LOOKING AT THE ENERGY PORTION OF THEIR BILL, UH, TO LET FOLKS KNOW THAT IF THEY LIVE WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THAT THEY BASICALLY HAVE SIX CITY SERVICES BUNDLED ON THAT BILL.
AND WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE ENERGY PORTION, WHICH IS 40% OF THE OVERALL BILL THAT, THAT FOLKS GET EVERY MONTH, IF THEY HAVE ALL SIX OF THOSE SERVICES IN THEIR BILL.
AND WE ALSO EXPLAINED TO FOLKS THAT RATES DETERMINE THE CHARGES THAT APPEAR IN THE BILL EACH MONTH, BUT THAT IT ISN'T JUST RATES.
AND ANYTHING FOLKS CAN DO TO WEATHERIZE OR CONSERVE THAT ALSO AFFECTS THE AMOUNT THEY SEE IN THEIR BILL EACH MONTH.
AND THEN JUST KIND OF AN INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE TWO PIECES OF THE BASE RATE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST ONE OF THOSE.
IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT LITTLE ORANGE BOX THERE, HOPE YOU GUYS CAN SEE IT.
UM, THE FIRST OF THOSE IS THE CUSTOMER CHARGE RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S A FIXED $10 CHARGE ON RESIDENTIAL BILLS EVERY MONTH.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND RUSTY WILL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT IT IS THE TIERS FOLKS INSIDE THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, UM, ARE, ARE BUILT UNDER FIVE TIERS.
IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, YOU'RE CURRENTLY BILLED UNDER THREE TIERS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT MAKING CHANGES TO THAT.
AND THEN AGAIN, THE ELECTRICITY REPRESENTS 40% OF THE OVERALL BILL IF YOU'RE GETTING ALL OF THOSE SERVICES.
AND SO THIS IS BASICALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO FOLKS, WE'RE TELLING THEM FOR THE CUSTOMER CHARGE, THAT'S BASICALLY JUST A CHARGE DESIGNED TO COVER COSTS LIKE METERING AND BILLING.
THESE ARE BASICALLY THE FIXED CHARGES.
UM, LIKE I SAID, RIGHT NOW THAT'S $10 PER RESIDENTIAL BILL PER CUSTOMER.
AND THEN THOSE ENERGY USE TIERS.
AGAIN, THAT'S PRICE PER KILOWATT HOUR FOR THE ENERGY THAT CUSTOMERS ACTUALLY USE, ANYTHING THEY COULD DO TO USE LESS, OBVIOUSLY A IS A LOWER BILL.
AND THAT, THAT, AGAIN, THAT'S BROKEN INTO THREE TIERS FOR INSIDE CITY OF AUSTIN AND FIVE TIERS FOR OUTSIDE OR NON COA CUSTOMERS.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO RUSTY MANIA, OUR VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE.
AND HE'S GOING TO TALK ALL ABOUT BASE RATES.
UM, FIRST LET ME START BY APOLOGIZING FOR MY VOICE.
IT'S A LITTLE ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES, BUT I BELIEVE I WILL GET THROUGH IT IF YOU GUESSED INDULGE ME A LITTLE BIT.
I'M VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE AND, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UH, IN, ON APRIL 18TH, AUSTIN ENERGY FILED A PROPOSAL, UH, TO CHANGE BASE RATES.
WE ARE REQUESTING A $48 MILLION REVENUE INCREASE OR 7.6% BASE RATE INCREASE.
AND THERE'S A SLIDE A LITTLE LATER THAT WILL TELL YOU THAT BASE RATES THAT MAKE UP ABOUT HALF OF YOUR BILL.
ANOTHER POINT OF INTEREST IS THAT, UM, UNLIKE OTHER UTILITIES, THIS BASE RATE CHANGE IS NOT IN ANY FORM OR FASHION, UH, RELATED TO WINTER STORM DURING, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY'S GENERATION ASSETS PERFORMED EXCEPTIONALLY WELL, UH, DURING WINTER STORM YURI.
AND AS A CONSEQUENCE, AUSTIN ENERGY WAS ABLE TO PASS BACK, UH, SOME REVENUES THAT WERE ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE EXPECTED THROUGH A LOWER POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT STARTING, I BELIEVE IN NOVEMBER OF 2021.
SO AUSTIN ENERGY HAS A FINANCIAL POLICY THAT SAYS WE'LL DO A BASE RATE ADEQUACY REVIEW, UH, AT, AT A MINIMUM OF EVERY FIVE YEARS, WE DID THAT, UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, AND FOUND THAT REVENUES WERE INADEQUATE TO SUPPORT COSTS.
UM, WE USE 860 KWH AS A PROXY FOR THE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER.
AND IN THAT REGARD, THIS BASE RATE PROPOSAL RAISE THAT BILL FROM ABOUT $85 TO ABOUT A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
[00:10:01]
SET OUT TO SET RATES, UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN GUIDING PRINCIPLES WE TRY TO ADHERE TO VERSUS THAT THE RIGHTS ARE FAIR AND EQUITABLE, UH, THAT THEY ENSURE STABLE BILLS AND SIMPLE RATES.TO THE EXTENT THAT A CUSTOMER CAN PICK UP A TARIFF SHEET, READ IT AND UNDERSTAND HOW THEY'RE BEING BILLED.
UH, CERTAINLY WANTED TO PRESERVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION, AND PROBABLY AS IMPORTANT AS ANYTHING IS PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE CUSTOMERS.
SO EVEN WITH, UH, THE PROPOSED INCREASE, AUSTIN ENERGY, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS PAY SOME OF THE LOWEST BILLS IN THE STATE.
NOW, THIS INFORMATION, AS YOU SEE HERE IS BASED ON ENERGY INFORMATION AGENCY, UH, DATA COLLECTED FOR FISCAL YEAR, UH, FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2020, I BELIEVE IT SHOWS AUSTIN ENERGY TO ITS PEERS WITHIN THE STATE.
AND, UH, WITHOUT THE BASE RATE CHANGE, YOU'LL SEE THE SECOND TOP TIER WE'RE AT $90.
AND BASED ON THE CONSUMPTION THAT WAS EMBEDDED IN THIS CAUSE THESE ARE AVERAGE BILLS FOR THAT PARTICULAR YEAR.
UH, IF IT WAS REBUILD AT OUR CURRENT PROPOSED RATE, IT WOULD JUMP TO $99.
BUT IN THE SAME INSTANCE, EVEN WITH THIS RATE INCREASE WHERE SOME OF THE LOWEST BILLS IN THE STATE, IN FACT, THE SECOND LOWEST, UH, COMPARED TO OUR CONTEMPORARIES, I LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT EL PASO, SOUTHWESTERN CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND PARDON ALICE, THEY'VE ALREADY INCREASED THOSE RATES AND THEY'RE NOT REFLECTED HERE.
SO WE'VE HAD THREE BASE RATE CHANGES IN THE LAST THREE DECADES.
UM, THEY TYPICALLY, UH, WOULD TYPICALLY GO ABOUT FIVE YEARS, UH, IN BETWEEN BASE RATE CHANGES.
THEN IN FACT, THE LAST BASE RATE CHANGE WE'VE HAD, UH, WAS IN 2017.
IT WAS ACTUALLY A BASE RATE REDUCTION.
THE LAST BASE RATE INCREASE WAS 2013, WHICH SPEAKS TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD A BASE RATE INCREASE IN NEARLY 10 YEARS.
AND BECAUSE WE GO AND EXTEND IT PERIOD BEFORE WE CHANGE BASE RATES.
SO THEY'RE FLATTENED, THEN THEY JUMP AND SAY TIER FIVE ON THE AVERAGE UNDER THIS PROPOSAL, UH, THIS CURRENT PROPOSAL EQUAL IT'S ABOUT A 2.75% INCREASE PER YEAR.
THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF WHAT BASE RATES PAY FOR, BUT IT GIVES YOU SOME IDEA, THINGS LIKE, UH, EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES, TREE TRIMMING, OUR DEBT SERVICE, PRINCIPAL, INTEREST PAYMENTS, UH, OUR LABOR FORCE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE GENERAL FUND TRANSFER.
THIS BASE RATE PROPOSAL DOES NOT COVER THINGS LIKE, UH, CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS, ANY TRANSMISSION RELATED COSTS OR A POWER SUPPLY COSTS.
THIS IS ANOTHER LOOK ABOUT HOW WE STAND NEXT TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
UH, THE FIRST BAR, THE ORANGE BAR REPRESENTS CONSUMPTION AT 500 KWH.
THE SECOND YELLOW BAR REPRESENTS CONSUMPTION AT A THOUSAND KWH AND THE BLACK BAR REPRESENTS CONSUMPTION AT 2000 KWH.
YOU CAN SEE HERE, YOU CAN SEE HERE IN THE, IN THE FIRST SET OF AUSTIN ENERGY UNDER ITS CURRENT RATES AND THEN OUR UNDER OUR PROPOSED RATES.
BUT EVEN ONCE AGAIN, UNDER OUR PROPOSED RATES AT 500 KWH, WE ARE EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE WITH BLUE BONNET AND CPS GEORGETOWN IN PARDON ALICE, AND ADD A THOUSAND KWH, WHEREAS COMPETITIVE, IF NOT CHEAPER THAN OUR NEIGHBORS, KEEP IN MIND THAT, UM, ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF ALL OUR BILLS FALL IN A THOUSAND KWH OR LESS NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE REQUESTING A BASE RATE INCREASE.
AUSTIN IS A POPULAR PLACE AND PEOPLE COME TO OUR, INTO OUR SERVICE TERRITORY.
AND AS AN ELECTRIC UTILITY, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO SERVE, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS THAT AS PEOPLE MOVE INTO THE SARAH STORY, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THEM.
UM, AND WE'VE HAD SIGNIFICANT GROWTH SINCE OUR LAST BASE RATE CHANGE.
AND THAT, THAT RESULTS IN, IN, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS AND INCREASED CUSTOMER CHARGES, UH, ALONG WITH HIGHER, HIGHER OPERATING MAINTENANCE COSTS.
IN ADDITION, UH, OUR, UM, OUR RATE STRUCTURE AND SPECIFICALLY THE RESIDENTIAL RATE STRUCTURE RELIES HEAVILY ON, UH, KWH SALES TO MEET ITS REVENUE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, AND NOT ONLY DO THEY, DOES IT OVERLY RELY ON KWH SALES, THE PRICING OF THOSE TIERS, ESPECIALLY INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS ARE SO FAR BELOW COST, UH, THAT IT'S, IT'S REALLY STRUGGLED TO GENERATE THE NECESSARY REVENUE.
THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF, UH, OF, UH, COSTS AND REVENUES.
YOU LOOK AT THE YELLOW BARS, THAT'S BASE RATE REVENUES, IF YOU WILL, THE ORANGE LINE REPRESENTS COSTS, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT COMMENCING IN 2018, THAT THAT LINE OF COSTS STARTS TO TAKE OFF.
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OUTPACING REVENUES, UH, BOTH IN 2020 AND 2021.IN FACT, OVER THOSE TWO FISCAL YEARS, AUSTIN ENERGY SUFFERED A COMBINED NET LOSS OF OVER $90 MILLION.
SO THE TITLE OF THIS SLIDE IS WIRE WIRE COSTS, OUTPACING REVENUES, BECAUSE COSTS ARE GOING UP AND REVENUES AREN'T.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORANGE LINE, UM, IT RUNS FROM 2014, WHICH IS THE CR, WHICH IS THE, UH, THE CURRENT TEST YEAR TO 2021, WHICH IS OUR PROPOSED TEST.
YOU THAT'S A SEVEN YEAR PERIOD, THE ORANGE LINE TRACKS, UH, CUSTOMER GROWTH.
SO OVER THAT SEVEN YEAR PERIOD, WE HAD 18% INCREASE IN CUSTOMER GROWTH.
NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS OVER $2 BILLION WORTH OF INVESTMENTS OVER THOSE 77 YEARS, OVER THOSE SEVEN YEARS AND OVER 80,000 NEW CUSTOMERS ON THE REVENUE SIDE, I JUST SPOKE TO YOU ABOUT HAVING AN OUTDATED, UM, A RATE STRUCTURE THAT RELIES HEAVILY ON KWH SALES.
IF YOU LOOK AT 2021, AFTER AN ADDITIONAL $2 BILLION OF INVESTMENT AND 80,000 NEW CUSTOMERS, AUSTIN ENERGY'S KWH SALES IN 2021 WERE ONLY 4% HIGHER THAN THEY WEREN'T 2014.
NOW THAT'S, THAT'S MORE TO BLAME ON THE RATE STRUCTURE.
THERE'S SOME GOOD NEWS IN THAT FINDING NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO ONE OF THE REASONS THAT REV, UH, KWH SALES ARE NOT GROWING, UH, AT THE SAME RATE AS OUR CUSTOMERS ARE, IS BECAUSE WE'RE BECOMING MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT, AND THAT IS GOOD NEWS.
AUSTIN ENERGY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROPONENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
AND THIS SLIDE SHOWS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORANGE BARS, THEY REPRESENT THE SUMMER OF 2009, UH, SUMMER CONSUMPTION.
AND THOSE ARE ACTUAL BILLS BY THESE BUCKETS OF 250 KWH, 500 KWH AND 750 K W H Y 2009, BECAUSE 2009 WAS THE TEST YEAR IN WHICH OUR CURRENT RATE STRUCTURES WERE DEVELOPED.
NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE YELLOW BARS, THAT'S THE SUMMER OF 2021, AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE ALL THE GROWTH IS OCCURRING, RIGHT IN THESE LOWER TIERED UNITS, WHICH JUST MEANS THAT WE WERE BECOMING MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT.
THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS WE'LL SHOW YOU ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IS THAT ALL THIS GROWTH IS OCCURRING IN THESE LOWER TIERS HERE AT, UH, UM, ON THIS FIRST SLIDE TO YOUR LEFT.
SO LET ME, LET ME BACK UP AND SAY, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE, THAT PART OF THE SLIDE THAT SAYS CURRENT INSIDE RESIDENTIAL RIGHTS.
IT'S A REALLY STEEP FIVE TIER REITS TIERS ONE, AND TIER TWO ARE SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER PRICED, RELIES ON KWH SALES OCCURRING IN TIERS FOUR AND FIVE TO SUBSIDIZE THEM.
SO WE'RE REQUIRE SALES AND TIERS FOUR AND FIVE TO NOT ONLY PAY THEIR WAY, BUT TO SUBSIDIZE THE UNDER-PRICED TEARS.
KEEP IN MIND THE GRAPH RIGHT BEFORE IS I SHOWED YOU ALL THIS NEW GROWTH.
THEY'RE ALL, UH, UH, AGGREGATING IN THESE FIRST TWO TIERS.
THE, THE OTHER, UM, UH, GRAPH, UH, DEPICTS THE CURRENT OUTSIDE RESIDENTIAL RATES.
THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT FLATTER THREE TIER STRUCTURE.
OH, CAN YOU BACK UP ONE TIME? I WANT TO MAKE ONE MORE POINT SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE CAME TO REALIZE IS THAT IN THE 2012 RIGHT CASE, WHICH IS WHEN THIS RIGHT STRUCTURE WAS DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY INSIDE THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, TIERS, THERE WAS ASSUMPTION THAT, UM, LOWER INCOME CUSTOMERS USE LESS ELECTRICITY.
NOW WE HAVE, WE DON'T KEEP OUR CUSTOMERS BUY.
UH, WE DON'T TRACK OUR CUSTOMERS BY THEIR INCOME LEVEL, BUT WE DO HAVE A PROXY FOR INCOME, AND THOSE ARE OUR CUSTOMERS ARE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, AND WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT USING THAT AS A PROXY, THAT CAP CUSTOMERS ON AVERAGE USE MUCH MORE ELECTRIC AND USE MORE ELECTRICITY THAN NON CAP CUSTOMERS.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO FIND IS, UH, AS THOSE CAP CUSTOMERS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER, UH, USE MORE KWH AND GETTING THESE HIGHER TIERS, NOT ONLY IS THEIR BILL GOING UP BECAUSE THEY USE MORE KWH, THEY'RE BEING CHARGED AT HIGHER RATES AT EACH SUCCESSIVE 500 KWH BUCKET WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, UH, THE TIER THREE OR TIER FOUR.
WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT CAP CUSTOMERS, EVEN AFTER THEIR DISCOUNT, WE'RE PAYING A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF COST OF SERVICE THAN CUSTOMERS THAT WERE IN THE FIRST TIER.
KEEP IN MIND THOSE CUSTOMERS IN THE FIRST TIER, ROUGHLY 40% OF THE BILLS.
AND THIS JUST MANIFESTS THE CONSUMPTION OF CAP VERSUS NON CAP.
YOU CAN SEE IN TIER ONE IS 38, 30 8%.
IF YOU WILL, OF NON CAP COMPARED TO 25%.
AND IN TEARS, TEARS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR OF THE HIGHER PRICE TIERS, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE ORANGE BARS,
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THE CAP CUSTOMERS EXCEED THE NON CAP.SO, UM, NON CAP CUSTOMERS ARE USING ENERGY IN THESE, IN THESE MORE CHEAPER PRICED TIERS, AS OPPOSED TO OUR CAP CUSTOMERS AND THROUGH AN EQUITY LENS, WE DON'T, WE FOUND THAT, THAT WE NEEDED TO CHANGE THAT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE PROPOSING? SO WE'RE PROPOSING TO RAISE THE CUSTOMER CHARGED FROM $10 TO $25, AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE, ESPECIALLY THAT INSIDE CITI CUSTOMER AT STEEP FIVE TIERS, WE'RE GOING TO FLATTEN IT, STILL SEND SOME PRICE SIGNALS, UH, WITH, WITH HIGHER PRICE TIERS.
UH, BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT THAT THE FIVE TIER STRUCTURE DOES AND WE'RE PROPOSING TO REMOVE THE INSIDE OUTSIDE, RIGHT DIFFERENT.
SO YOU WON'T SEE THE FIVE TIER THREE TIER INSIDE, OUTSIDE, THERE'LL BE A SINGLE, SINGLE RIGHT STRUCTURE FOR ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
AND HERE'S THE GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF THAT? KEEP IN MIND.
UH, THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT STRUCTURE IS AT $10, THE PROPOSED, UH, STRUCTURES AT $25 UNDER, UH, THE CURRENT, UH, CAP DISCOUNT, THE CUSTOMER CHARGED WOULD WE WAIVE? SO CAP CUSTOMERS WOULD NOT BE IMPACTED BY THE INCREASE IN THE CUSTOMER CHARGE.
UH, WE STILL SEND SOME PRICE SIGNALS, UH, BUT THE FLATTER RIGHTS, UH, HELP US TO ACHIEVE THE REVENUES THAT WE NEED.
SO THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF BILL IMPACT AND SEE INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.
I'LL POINT TO WHERE IT SAYS NEW TIER ONE AND NEW TIER THREE ON EITHER EITHER ONE OF THOSE GRAPHS.
ALL THOSE ARE MEANT TO DO IS TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT A BILL WOULD LOOK LIKE IN EITHER THE LOWEST TIER OR THE HIGHEST TIER REALLY WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS NEW TIER TWO, ESPECIALLY FOR INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS WERE PROPOSED UNDER OUR PROPOSAL.
SOMEBODY THAT WOULD, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE THAT LIKE THE AVERAGE INSIDE CUSTOMER PROXY FOR THEM, THEIR BILL WOULD GO FROM $60 TO $79 AND STILL BE $10 BELOW COST TO SERVE.
I THINK AT $60, THEY'RE PAYING, THEY'RE GETTING ABOUT A 35% DISCOUNT.
I'M NOT UNDER OUR PROPOSED, RIGHT? THAT THAT DISCOUNT CLOSES TO 10%.
YOU CAN SEE AN OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.
THOSE CUSTOMERS TEND TO USE MORE ENERGY.
THEREFORE THE PROXY FOR AN AVERAGE CUSTOMER IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THOSE CUSTOMERS ARE ALREADY PAYING CLOSER TO COST TO SERVE.
SO THEIR RIGHTS DO INCREASE, UH, AND GET VERY CLOSE TO COST TO SERVE.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, OUT OF THIS SPACE RATE PROPOSAL, IT'S THIS REVISED RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE, A RATE STRUCTURE THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, A GRADUAL MOVE FOR ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS TO PAY CLOSER TO COST, TO SERVE I IT'S REMOVAL OF THE INSIDE, OUTSIDE A RIGHT DIFFERENTIAL AND THEN GREATER EQUITY FOR MORE VULNERABLE CUSTOMERS.
AND WITH THAT, I BELIEVE I WILL.
AND ONE MORE TIME, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO TAMMY COOPER.
SO AUSTIN ENERGY HAS A VERY OPEN PUBLIC TRANSPARENT PROCESS TO REVIEW OUR BASE RATE PROPOSAL.
THERE'S A LOT OF ROBUST PARTICIPATION FROM STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, AUSTIN ENERGY AND THE CITY COUNCIL ENGAGE IN INDEPENDENT, EXCUSE ME, AND IMPARTIAL HEARING EXAMINER WHO WILL TAKE ALL OF THE INPUT.
UH, LOOK AT AUSTIN ENERGY'S PROPOSAL, WE'LL REVIEW STAKEHOLDER POSITIONS, AND PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.
ADDITIONALLY, AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF THE CITY RETAINS AN CONSUMER ADVOCATE WHO SPECIFICALLY REPRESENTS THE INTERESTS OF RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.
THIS IS MODELED AFTER, UH, THE PROCESS THAT IS USED AT THE STATE LEVEL AT THE STATE.
THERE'S THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC UTILITY COUNCIL, UH, WHICH REPRESENTS AGAIN, UH, RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL BUSINESS, UH, CUSTOMERS AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HAS A PROCESS WHERE AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE WILL REVIEW THE CASE.
SO ESSENTIALLY WE, WE MIRROR THAT PROCESS IN A LOT OF WAYS HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, WE HAVE KIND OF A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT, UH, MECHANISMS TO WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT NEXT.
IF YOU CAN BACK UP, NOT QUITE READY FOR THAT ONE, THANK YOU.
UM, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT MECHANISMS TO PARTICIPATE.
THE PROCESS I'M DESCRIBING IS A VERY FORMAL PROCESS AND, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING, UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY THE, A DEADLINE TO REQUEST TO PARTICIPATE IS TOMORROW.
UM, AND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT IS ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT ALSO FOR CUSTOMERS THAT MAY WISH TO PROVIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, A DIFFERENT KIND OF FEEDBACK AND PARTICIPATE INFORMALLY.
WE HAVE A SEPARATE WEBSITE TO SPEAK UP AUSTIN.ORG/RATES WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN PROVIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST GENERAL FEEDBACK ON THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE PROPOSAL.
SO HERE WE ARE ON THE TIMELINE.
[00:25:01]
UH, WE'RE REALLY KIND OF JUST AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, AS RUSTY MENTIONED ON APRIL 18TH IS WHEN WE ACTUALLY PUBLISHED THE BASE RATE PROPOSAL.WE JUST WRAPPED UP OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH MEETINGS, WHICH WE SPENT ABOUT A MONTH DOING.
AND, UH, WE'RE IN KIND OF, AGAIN, THAT, THAT LITIGATED PHASE, IF YOU WILL, RIGHT NOW, UM, AS I MENTIONED, THE REQUEST TO PARTICIPATE DEADLINE IS COMING UP.
WE'RE IN THE DISCOVERY PHASE WHERE PARTIES CAN ASK, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION TO GET MORE DETAILED, UH, DATA AND, AND HAVE THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
AND WE ALSO WILL BE HAVING A TECHNICAL CONFERENCE TOMORROW AS WELL, WHERE WE WILL HAVE MANY OF THE AUSTIN ENERGY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROCEEDING.
UH, WE WILL GO THROUGH THE SUMMER, UH, WITH, UH, THE PARTIES FILING THEIR STATEMENTS OF POSITION.
AND THEN WHAT WE'LL HAVE, WHAT WE CALL A FINAL CONFERENCE WAS JUST ESSENTIALLY THE HEARING ON THE MERITS AND THAT THAT WILL BE IN MID-JULY WHERE THE IMPARTIAL HEARING EXAMINER WILL SIT AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PARTIES, INCLUDING AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, WILL MAKE THEIR CASE.
AND THEN IN AUGUST, UH, THE IMPARTIAL HEARING EXAMINER WILL, UH, WRITE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WILL THEN, UH, BE CONSIDERED AND WILL BE TAKEN UP IN OCTOBER BY THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION.
THAT IS THE COMMISSION THAT HAS THE, UH, THE CHARTER FROM THE CITY TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER AUSTIN ENERGY'S RATES.
SO THEY WILL DO THAT IN OCTOBER, AND THEN IT WILL BECOME, UH, GO BEFORE COUNCIL IN THE NOVEMBER TIMEFRAME.
AND WE ARE EXPECTING RATES TO BE IN EFFECT JANUARY 1ST, 2023.
SO WE HAVE A, REALLY THE REST OF THE YEAR TO GO TO GET THE PROCESS WORKED OUT NEXT SLIDE.
AND THAT'S OUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
UH, AS A REMINDER, IF YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS, UH, THERE, UH, PLEASE, UH, FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES THAT WERE JUST LISTED HERE.
UH, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO BE INVOLVED, UH, MOVING
[3. Value of Solar Methodology Review]
ON TO ITEM THREE, WE HAVE A VALUE OF SOLAR METHODOLOGY REVIEW UPDATE.I AM THE CUSTOMER RENEWABLE SOLUTIONS MANAGER AT AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT OUR PROPOSED VALUE OF SOLAR RATE AND THE METHODOLOGY BEHIND IT.
SO, FIRST OF ALL, IN CASE YOU, UM, ARE NOT AWARE, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY DOES NOT HAVE NET METERING.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THAT.
UM, THE TRANSACTION WITH THE CUSTOMER FOR THE COMPENSATION FOR THEIR SILVER PRODUCTION IS DECOUPLED FROM THE CONSUMPTION RATE.
SO A CUSTOMER RECEIVES A CREDIT BASED ON THE ENERGY THAT THEY PRODUCED.
UM, THAT CREDIT IS APPLICABLE TO THE ELECTRIC BILL ONLY, NOT ANY OTHER, UM, AUSTIN CITY OF BOSTON BILLS.
UM, IF THE CREDIT EXCEEDS THE AMOUNT OF THAT BILL, THEN A, UM, A ROLLOVER CREDIT WILL BE PLACED TO THE NEXT BILL, AND THAT WILL CONTINUE INDEFINITELY UNTIL THE CREDIT IS CONSUMED, OR THE ACCOUNT IS CLOSED.
IN WHICH CASE THE ACCOUNT, UM, THE CREDIT ON THE ACCOUNT GOES BACK TO THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT.
UM, SO, AND THEN SEPARATELY, THE CUSTOMER IS BILLED FOR ALL OF THEIR ENERGY, UM, THAT THEY HAVE CONSUMED, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THAT COMES FROM THE PV OR FROM THE GRID.
AND THE CUSTOMER IS CREDITED FOR ALL OF THE ENERGY THAT THEY PRODUCE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THAT'S CONSUMED ONSITE OR PUSHED BACK TO THE GRID.
SO THEY, UM, THIS IS PART OF THE BASE RATE BECAUSE WE HAVE COMMITTED TO HAVE IT AS PART OF THE BASE RATE.
UM, SO THAT COMMITMENT WAS MADE WITH OUR LAST, UH, BASE RATE PROPOSAL.
AND, UM, MOVING FORWARD, WE WILL EVALUATE THIS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND, UM, ADJUST IT, UM, AS NEEDED.
SO, UM, I'M GOING TO GIVE SOME BACKGROUND ON THE WAY THAT THE VALUE OF SOLAR IS CURRENTLY UNDER THE CURRENT METHODOLOGY.
UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS, THAT WE, UM, ROLLED OUT THE VALUE OF SOLAR FOR RESIDENTIAL ONLY, AND
[00:30:01]
2012 AND 2018.WE, UM, INCLUDED A, A NEW METHODOLOGY AND FOR COMMERCIAL.
SO UNDER THE CURRENT RATE STRUCTURE, UM, THE, THE FIRST CLASS IS RESIN IS NINE DEMAND, WHICH INCLUDES RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL COMMERCIAL, LESS THAN 10 KW.
UM, THE COMMERCIAL, UM, CLASS IS, UM, THE, THE DEMAND CLASS.
UM, AND IF A DEMAND CUSTOMER HAS OVER A MEGAWATT, THEN THEY GET A SEPARATE VALUE OF SOLAR.
SO THERE'S THREE VALUES OF SOLAR CURRENTLY.
SO OVER TO THE RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, THOSE SAME CUSTOMER TYPES.
SO THE FIRST ONE AGAIN, IS, UM, NINE DEMAND, RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL COMMERCIAL.
THE SECOND ONE IS COMMERCIAL LESS THAN ONE MEGAWATT.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS COMMERCIAL MORE THAN A MEGAWATT.
SO WITH THE FIRST ITERATION OF THE VALUE OF SOLAR, UM, UM, IT WAS A FORWARD-LOOKING APPROACH.
UM, AND IT LOOKED AT THE AVOIDED COST TO THE UTILITY ON THE MARGIN.
AND SO WE ASSESSED ENERGY VALUE, PLANT OPERATION, AND MAINTENANCE GENERATION CAPACITY AND TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION, AND THAT, UM, REPRESENTED THE AVOIDED COST OF THE UTILITY.
AND THERE WAS ALSO AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENT ADDED ONTO THAT.
UM, AND SO AS WE, UM, DEVELOP THE COMMERCIAL METHODOLOGY, UM, WE TOOK A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT APPROACH THAT ALIGNS WITH THE ERCOT MARKET, AND THAT INCLUDES ENERGY VALUE, TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION VALUE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE.
AND THEN FOR, UM, SYSTEMS OVER A MEGAWATT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE ERCOT MARKET AND HOW WE HAVE TO REPORT THAT GENERATION TO ERCOT, IT GETS ADDED TO OUR LOAD ZONE AND THEREFORE IT DOESN'T RESULT IN A SAVINGS TO THE UTILITY FOR TRANSMISSION COSTS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THAT VALUE IS SUBTRACTED FROM, UM, THE, THE NORMAL COMMERCIAL VALUE.
SO I SHOULDN'T SAY SUBTRACT IT SHOULD SAY REMOVED FROM THAT.
SO, UM, TRANSMISSION SAVINGS DO NOT EXIST FOR SYSTEMS OVER A MEGAWATT.
SO THAT WAS THE CURRENT METHODOLOGY.
THIS IS THE PROPOSED, UM, THE PROPOSED METHOD METHODOLOGY, UM, LOOKS AT EMBEDDED COSTS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A HISTORICAL GEAR, UM, TAKING ACTUAL METER PRODUCTION RATHER THAN A MODELED METER PER OUR MODELED PRODUCTION FROM PV WATTS.
SO WE'RE USING OUR METERS, WE'RE ALIGNING THEM WITH THE ERCOT MARKET TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PRICE ON THE MARKET WAS AT THE TIME OF GENERATION.
UM, AND, AND ALSO WHAT THESE OTHER VALUES ARE ACCORDING TO, UM, GENERATION AND THE ERCOT MARKET.
SO THE TOP ONE IS THE ENERGY SAVINGS, UM, WHICH IS THE WEIGHTED AVERAGE, UM, OF THE PRICE OF ENERGY IN THE ERCOT MARKET.
UM, AT THE TIME THE SOLAR'S PRODUCED, UH, ANCILLARY SAVINGS, UM, WHICH IS ALSO BASED ON THE ERCOT MARKET.
UM, AND THAT IS, UM, THAT'S ALSO REFLECTIVE OF AVOIDED COSTS TO THE UTILITY AND THEN TRANSMISSION SAVINGS, UM, WHICH IS BASED ON THE FOUR CP, UM, WHICH DETERMINES, UH, WHAT WE PAY FOR TRANSMISSION COSTS.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS ALSO AN AVOIDED COST OF THE UTILITY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SYSTEMS OVER A MEGAWATT, AND THEN FINALLY, A, A VALUE THAT IS NOT, UH, AN AVOIDED COST OF THE UTILITY, WHICH ARE SOCIETAL BENEFITS.
AND, UM, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING THE SITE SOCIETAL BENEFITS, WHICH REFERENCES, UM, OTHER, UM, OTHER STUDIES THAT ARE PRODUCED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL AGENCIES.
SO, UH, JUST TO GO INTO DETAIL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EQUATION, UM, THE ENERGY SAVINGS IS THE ELEMENT BASED ON THE WEIGHTED AVERAGE PRICE, UH, FOR ENERGY AT THE TIME, THE PV IS, IS GENERATED AND IS CALCULATED AS THE SUM OF THE AUSTIN ENERGY KNOW DAY AHEAD PRICE FOR EACH HOUR OF THE YEAR MULTIPLIED BY THE PV GENERATION
[00:35:01]
OF THAT SAME HOUR, AND THEN DIVIDED BY THE TOTAL PV GENERATION THAT'S SHOWN IN THE FORMULA HERE.UM, SO THE REASON WE USE THE AUSTIN ENERGY NODE IS BECAUSE THAT'S THE, THE POINT ON THE ERCOT MARKET FROM WHICH WE BUY ALL OF OUR ENERGY FOR AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, AND WE USE THE DAY AHEAD MARKET BECAUSE THAT IS TYPICALLY WHERE WE GET THE MAJORITY OF OUR ENERGY.
UM, THE TRANSMISSION SAVINGS COMPONENT IS BASED ON THE AVERAGE PV GENERATION DURING THE ERCOT, UH, FOR CP PERIOD'S MULTIPLIED BY THE ERCOT POSTAGE STAMP RATE, WHICH IS THE SUM OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHOLESALE TRANSMISSION SERVICE CHARGES BILLED BY EACH TRANSMISSION SERVICE PROVIDER IN ERCOT, AND THEN ALL OF THAT DIVIDED BY THE TOTAL PV GENERATION AND THE FORMULA IS THERE BELOW AS WELL.
SO THIS IS A COMPONENT OF THE WEIGHTED AVERAGE PRICE FOR ANCILLARY SERVICES AT THE TIME OF PV GENERATION.
UM, ARCHIVE BASICALLY HAS, UH, FOR ANCILLARY SERVICE PRODUCTS RAG UP REG DOWN, RESPONSIVE, FREE RESERVE SERVICE AND NON SPINNING RESERVE SERVICE.
UM, THE ANCILLARY SERVICE SAVINGS IS CALCULATED AS THE SUM OF THE SCALED ANCILLARY SERVICE PRICE, UM, AND THE EQUATION YOU CAN SEE BELOW THERE.
SO NEXT SLIDE, AND THEN FINALLY THE SOCIETAL BENEFITS.
AND AGAIN, UH, THIS IS, THIS DOES NOT REPRESENT AN AVOIDED COST TO THE UTILITY, BUT RATHER AN AVOIDED COST TO SOCIETY.
UM, THIS, THIS IS CALCULATED BY MULTIPLYING THE EMISSION, YOUR DOLLAR PER METRIC, TON OF CARBON DIOXIDE.
UM, ACCORDING TO THE SOCIETAL COST OF CARBON, UH, WHICH IS A DOCUMENT THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PRODUCES, UM, BY THE PREVAILING, UM, CARBON DIOXIDE METRIC TONS PER KILOWATT HOUR, UM, FROM THE U S ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION.
UM, AND THIS IS A TEXAS SPECIFIC NUMBER.
SO ESSENTIALLY ERCOT SINCE OUR CUT MAKES UP THE VAST MAJORITY OF TEXAS, UM, AND, UM, THEN USING THE CO2 PER MEGAWATT HOUR EMISSIONS STATISTICS FROM THAT REPORT.
UM, SO THIS SOCIETAL BENEFITS EQUATION IS THE EMISSION YEAR DOLLAR PER METRIC TON TIMES THE PREVAILING METRIC TON OF, UH, CARBON PER KILOWATT HOUR IN TEXAS.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE PROPOSED METHODOLOGY CHANGES, WE ARE ALSO PROPOSING A CHANGE TO THE WAY THAT WE RECOVER, UM, FOR, UH, VALUE OF SOLAR.
CURRENTLY, WE RECOVER EVERYTHING THROUGH THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT FEE.
UM, SO THAT ALSO INCLUDES, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE.
AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS THAT WE, UM, RECOVER EVERY, ALL OF THE AVOIDED COSTS THAT THE UTILITY, UM, UM, BENEFITS FROM THROUGH THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT AND THE, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS WOULD BE RECOVERED THE CBC AND PARTICULARLY THE EA E S PORTION OF THE CDC.
SO, UM, TO THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE A GRAPH, UM, OF AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF, UM, BUDGET NEEDED TO, UM, RECOVER THE SOCIETAL BENEFITS PORTION OF THE VALUE OF SOLAR.
AND SO THE CBC BUDGET, OR THE EES BUDGET, I SHOULD SAY, WILL BE INCREASED BY THAT AMOUNT TO RECOVER THAT MUCH, UM, AND KEEP IN MIND THAT THAT IS NOT BEING RECOVERED THROUGH THE PSA.
SO THE PSA, UM, RECOVERY WILL NOT HAVE TO INCLUDE THAT.
SO WE'RE BASICALLY SHIFTING COSTS FROM THE PSA TO THE CVC, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL INCREASE TRANSPARENCY, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ALLOW FOR DISCUSSION NEXT TIME.
SO AS A RESULT OF THESE PROPOSED CHANGES, UM, WE WOULD SEE THE VALUE OF SOLAR, UH, GO UP.
AND, UM, THAT WOULD, IF YOU LOOK OVER THERE, UM,
[00:40:01]
OUR, SORRY, I SHOULD SAY, UM, WE, WE RAN THIS ANALYSIS FOR TWO YEARS JUST TO SEE THE VOLATILITY OF IT.AND, AND WE NOTICED THAT THERE IS SOME VOLATILITY THERE.
SO ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THAT CHART, YOU'LL SEE, UM, THE FYI 22 AVOIDED COSTS.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE IF WE WERE TO HAVE IMPLEMENTED IT THIS YEAR AND RAN THOSE NUMBERS FOR USING FYI 20 AS A MODEL YEAR.
UM, SO IN THAT, UM, IN THAT ANALYSIS, THE VALUE OF SOLAR IS, UH, 0.0 8, 5 8.
AND WE RAN IT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY FOR, UH, FYI 23, WHICH WOULD USE F LIKE 21 AS A TEST YEAR.
AND IT WENT UP FROM, UH, POINT OUR 8.58 CENTS TO 9.91 CENTS IN THAT TIME.
SO THERE IS SOME VOLATILITY OF IT.
UM, AND WE PLAN TO TRACK THAT AND, UM, POTENTIALLY AVERAGE IT, AND THE WAY THAT WE CURRENTLY DO THE VALUE OF SOLAR WITH A FIVE-YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE.
UM, IF IT, IF IT TAKES A DIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, TWO PRECIPITOUSLY NEXT SLIDE.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE, UM, WHAT THE CURRENT VALUE OF SOLAR IS.
SO 9.70 CENTS FOR NON DEMAND, RESIDENTIAL, SMALL COMMERCIAL 6.70 CENTS FOR DEMAND COMMERCIAL UNDER A MEGAWATT AND 4.70 CENTS FOR DEMAND COMMERCIAL OVER A MEGAWATT.
SO THIS WOULD, UM, MAKE THAT VALUE EQUAL FOR, UH, NON DEMAND AND DEMAND COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL.
UM, AND THE PROPOSED RATE IS 9.91 CENTS, UM, FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
AND THEN WHEN SYSTEMS GO OVER A MEGAWATT, THAT WOULD BE 7.2, 4 CENTS PER KILOWATT HOUR.
AND THIS IS INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE ALREADY RECEIVED.
SO IN THE FORMULA, WHEN YOU SAY PV GENERATION, DOES THAT MEAN ALL OF THE PB SYSTEMS THAT YOU HAVE METERS OF FOUR? YES.
AND YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO, IT'LL BE LIKE A FIVE-YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE IS HOW YOU CALCULATE IT.
SEE IF WE SEE THE VALUE DROP, UM, AN EXTREME WAY.
LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO PUT A NUMBER ON IT RIGHT NOW, BUT THEN WE'LL, WE'LL ADDRESS THAT THROUGH AVERAGING.
BUT OTHERWISE YOU'LL DO IT KIND OF LIKE THE PREVIOUS YEAR WOULD BE THE TEST YEAR.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS, UH, COMMISSIONER WHITE? UM, ACTUALLY IT'S RELATED TO THAT.
UM, BOTH OF THOSE QUESTIONS, THE, THE STUDY MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE, I THINK ONLY 600 AND, UM, UH, CUSTOMER, UH, INSTALLATIONS USED IN THAT SAMPLE.
AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHY, WHY, AND THEN THERE WAS LATER MOVED FROM THAT WITH WAY TOO SMALL OF A SAMPLE TO THERE.
THERE WAS SOME LIMITATION THERE.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHY, WHY WAS THE WHOLE DENNIS AT NIGHT HE HAD A LIST.
CAN YOU REPEAT THE LAST PART OF THAT? I COULDN'T.
I JUST GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF, UM, MY QUESTION IS WHY WAS THERE A SUBSET OF ONLY 600 AND SOME SOLAR INSTALLATIONS UTILIZED AS OPPOSED TO THE FULL DATA SET? BECAUSE THOSE WERE THE METERS THAT WE GOT, THE CLEANEST AMOUNT OF DATA FROM, UM, SOME SOMETIMES METERS, UM, FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, UM, DON'T REPORT, UM, RAIL CONSISTENTLY.
WE IDENTIFIED THAT SUBSET AS HAVING A CONSISTENT AMOUNT OF, UM, DATA FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND IT WAS A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE.
SO HOW MANY INSTALLATIONS TOTAL, HOW MANY ARE IN AUSTIN CURRENTLY? UH, ABOUT 13,500 OR I'M SORRY.
AND YOU'RE SAYING THERE WAS ONLY CLEAN DATA FOR THE 607.
I'M SAYING THAT THAT WAS THE REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE.
[00:45:01]
A DATA SCIENTIST.IT JUST, IT JUST STRUCK ME AS STRANGE THAT IT WOULD BE SUCH A SMALL NUMBER OUT OF HOW MANY INSTALLATIONS TO USE.
UH, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS JUST ABOUT THE MOVING AWAY FROM THE AVERAGE, UH, JUST SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT IS GONNA CREATE MORE VOLATILITY.
AND I, AND I NOTICED IN THE, UM, STUDIED THAT THE, THE VALUE THAT WAS CALCULATED FOR 2020 AGENTS DOESN'T SAMPLE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN WHAT WAS CALCULATED FOR 20, 20 11.
AND SO JUST WONDERING WHAT THE THINKING IS THERE, LIKE WHAT'S THE BENEFIT OF DOING AWAY WITH THE AVERAGE? UM, WELL, WE JUST HAVEN'T INSTITUTED THE AVERAGE YET BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED TO, UM, BUT IF IT, IF IT GOES DOWN PRECIPITOUSLY, THEN WE CAN INSTITUTE THAT WE DON'T WE'RE, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO WHIP SAW THE MARKET, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT IS GOING, YOU KNOW, HOW IT'S GOING TO ACT MOVING FORWARD.
I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS KIND OF FOLLOWING UP, EXCUSE ME, A LITTLE BIT ON THE SAME LINE OF QUESTIONING REGARDING VOLATILITY AND WHAT CUSTOMERS REALLY CAN EXPECT, I GUESS, IS KIND OF THE REASON MAYBE ALL THREE OF US ARE KIND OF ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO FOR HOW LONG HAS THE CUSTOMERS RATE UNDER THE PROPOSED METHODOLOGY GUARANTEED THE, THE VALUE OF SOLAR GUARANTEED OR WHAT KIND OF NOTICE WOULD CUSTOMERS GET AS THAT RATE MAY CHANGE? THE RATE COULD POTENTIALLY CHANGE ANNUALLY.
UM, AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION, AND THIS IS FORGIVE MY IGNORANCE ABOUT THE ERCOT MARKET, BUT I KNOW YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE DAY AHEAD PRICING.
UM, IS IT, CAN YOU MAYBE HELP US UNDERSTAND THE, THEIR REASONING A LITTLE BIT FOR THE DAY AHEAD, PRICING ON THE MARKET VERSUS, UM, I KNOW THERE ARE, THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UM, UH, PRICING STRUCTURES AVAILABLE, INCLUDING LONG-TERM CONTRACTS, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, UTILITIES HAVE WITH SUPPLIERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHY DID THE DAY AHEAD PRICING MAKE THE MOST SENSE FOR THIS STUDY? UH, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK OUT OF TERM BECAUSE I'M NOT IN MARKETING OPERATIONS, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE UTILIZE THE DAY AHEAD PRICING AS A POTENTIAL HEDGE TO, UM, POTENTIAL VOLATILITY IN THE MARKET.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN.
LIKE WE SAW THE OTHER DAY WHERE, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF GENERATION SOURCES GO OFFLINE AND THE, OR FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE PRICE SPIKES IN THE MARKET, BUT WE'RE PROTECTED IF WE BUY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ENERGY OFF THE DAY AHEAD MARKET, BUT THE, THE CUSTOMERS WOULD BE PROTECTED FROM THAT VOLATILITY AS WELL.
YOU SAID THAT BECAUSE IT'S ONLY GOING TO CHANGE ONCE A YEAR.
SO YOU GUYS BASICALLY THAT THAT VOLATILITY WOULD BE WRAPPED UP INTO YOUR ROLLING AVERAGE FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN ONE OTHER QUESTION WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR, IF I MAY, UM, I, I DIDN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THE, UM, WHEN YOU, YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE SEPARATING, UM, REALLY LOOKING AT THE COST RECOVERY OF THROUGH THE PSA VERSUS, UM, THE CBC AND SPECIFICALLY IN THE, THE S CUSTOMER BENEFIT CHARGE RECOVERY FOR THE SOCIETAL BENEFIT, WHICH IF I UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY WAS THE PREVIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT.
UM, AND I, I DO GET THAT YOU'RE USING, UM, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL, UH, GUIDELINES TO, TO CALCULATE THOSE COSTS, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT WHY THE SEPARATION AND, AND WHAT WILL THAT LOOK LIKE ON CUSTOMER'S BILLS? WILL THEY ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO SEE THE VALUE OF SOLAR CHARGES SEPARATED IN THOSE TWO, THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT AND THE CUSTOMER BENEFIT CHARGE, OR IS THERE A WAY TO KIND OF DIG INTO THOSE DETAILS? UM, AND I'M ASKING, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THIS WAS FOR TRANSPARENCY AND DISCUSSION, AND SO I'M JUST, I'M KIND OF CURIOUS HOW THAT, WHAT BEHAVIOR THAT'S INCENTIVIZING FROM YOUR, FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT WILL INCENTIVIZE ANY BEHAVIOR FOR CUSTOMERS, UM, BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY THE COSTS ARE COMING FROM THE PSA CHARGE AND MOVING OVER TO THE CVC CHARGE.
UM, AND IT WILL NOT BE ITEMIZED ON THE BILL.
IT'S PART OF E S UM, AND WE HAVE A 30 ISH THOUSAND OR 30 ISH MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, UM, OF WHICH THIS WILL BE ADDED TO.
UM, SO BASICALLY, UM, THAT THE REASON
[00:50:01]
WE'RE DOING THAT IS BECAUSE THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT IS THERE TO REFLECT OUR COSTS FOR POWER SUPPLY.UM, AND, YOU KNOW, UM, THE PROCUREMENT OF THIS ENERGY FROM OUR CUSTOMERS IS PART OF THE POWER SUPPLY.
UM, SO, SO THAT'S WHY, UM, THE SOCIETAL BENEFIT VALUE WHILE IT DOES HAVE VALUE, UM, IT DOESN'T REFLECT AND AVOID A COST TO THE UTILITY, AND IT'S MORE OF A, A AVOIDED COST TO, UM, THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THEREFORE IT IS BETTER, UM, POSITIONED TO BE RECOVERED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT CHARGE.
ALL RIGHT, MR. WHITE, YOU'RE ON MUTE, SORRY.
I'M JUST ON THAT TOPIC OF THE, THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT CHARGE AND SPECIFICALLY THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES FEE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY VERY RELEVANT PERMISSIONS OF WORK THAT, THAT, UM, THAT FEE ALEXIS SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO, TO RUN ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PART OF THE, THE BREAD AND BUTTER OF, OF OUR WORK AS WELL AS YOURS.
UM, SO IT, IT, IT DOES COME TO MIND THAT I FEEL LIKE WE HAVEN'T HAD A VERY ROBUST ROLE, UM, IN REVIEWING THOSE CHANGES TO THE EDS IN THE PAST, UH, OR AT LEAST IN THE RECENT PAST, UM, AS WELL AS THE BUDGETS THAT THEY PULL FROM THEM FUNDS.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO ANY PLANS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BETTER ENGAGE THIS COMMISSION AND IN THAT WORK, UH, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, FUNDS NOW POTENTIALLY COMING OUT OF THERE, WE'RE GOING TO THE VALUE OF SOLAR.
UH, RICHARD IS GOING TO COME SPEAK TO THAT.
COMMISSIONERS RICHARD GENESEE, VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS.
AND THAT PROCESS OF LOOKING AT THE CES BUDGET IS AN ANNUAL PROCESS, IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
AND WE WILL BE DOING THAT LATER IN THIS YEAR, UM, WITH THE RMC.
I, UH, WILL HAD JUST, UH, FAIRLY RECENTLY COME ON WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.
AT THAT TIME, IT WAS DONE BY MANNY GARZA AND, UH, THIS YEAR WE HAVEN'T DETERMINED, YOU KNOW, THE EXACT TIMING, BUT WE'LL DO ANOTHER PRESENTATION THIS YEAR, UH, IN TERMS OF REVIEWING THE, UH, UM, CS BUDGET.
AND AT THAT TIME, UH, COMMISSIONER WHITE, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, DIG INTO THE DETAILS OF, UH, ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT.
UM, I GUESS JUST KIND OF, UH, IN PREPARATION FOR THAT, I'LL JUST FLAG THAT SOMETIMES THOSE THINGS HAVE COME TO US KIND OF RATE AS THEY'RE ABOUT TO GO TO COUNCIL.
THEY WERE THEN A WEEK OR TWO, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AND THEN DIGEST AND THEN PERHAPS COME BACK THE NEXT MONTH WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT JUST, I MEAN, I THINK THE ESB AND THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY BENEFIT CHARGES IN GENERAL ARE, ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND HOW ABOUT JUST REQUEST THE, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS COMMISSION GIVEN GIVEN MORE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT? YEAH, MY, MY RESPONSIBILITY WOULD TRY TO GIVE YOU AS MUCH, UH, NOTIFICATION AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? LAST CALL.
[4. Quarterly update from Texas Gas Service]
ON ITEM FOUR, QUARTERLY UPDATE FROM TEXAS GAS.I BELIEVE WE HAVE JASMINE'S UP FIRST.
WE'RE WE'RE GETTING A LOADED UP
[00:55:37]
ALRIGHT.UH, LARRY IS GOING TO DO HIS PORTION FIRST.
MY NAME IS LARRY GRAHAM WITH TEXAS GAS AND A GOOD EVENING TO OUR NEWEST COMMISSIONER, PAUL.
UM, I MET WITH JONATHAN AND A COUPLE OF MEMBERS A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND JONATHAN ASKED ME TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION TO YOU, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PULL UP.
SO I'VE, I'VE A VERY SHORT PRESENTATION.
JOHN JONATHAN, WOULDN'T MEET YOU.
UM, KIND OF REVIEW ARE WE'RE GOVERNED THE, UM, THE TARIFF THAT GOVERNS THE TEXAS GAS SERVICE, UH, ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM.
SO THE FIRST SLIDE OR THE NEXT ONE.
SO THIS IS JASMINE'S PRESENTATION, THE QUARTERLY UPDATE ON THE, UM, THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM.
THE REBATES DO WE WANT TO JUST HAVE HEARD? OKAY.
I FEEL LIKE THE DRAMA IS BUILDING AND THERE'S GOING TO BE LIKE A LOT OF ANTICIPATION HERE WHEN I BEGAN NOT SURE IT'S GOING TO BE WORTHY OF ALL THAT, BUT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE PRETTY HIGH.
SO JUST MAKE SURE, I THINK EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT PART OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE ARE A PRIVATE UTILITY AND SO THE PROGRAM, THE REBATES ARE GOVERNED BY SOMETHING CALLED THE CONSERVATION ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE.
UM, IT'S SO IT'S A TARIFF, WE CALL IT THE CONSERVATION ADJUSTMENT CHARGE TARIFF AND IT GOVERNS, UM, HOW WE CHARGE OUR CUSTOMERS.
IN ADDITION, IT CONTAINS THE RULES, TERMS, CONDITIONS, REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SO ANY UTILITY, NOT JUST US IN TEXAS, UH, THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT TARIFFS TO THE REGULATORY AUTHORITY FOR APPROVAL.
AND SO WITH US, THAT'S THE, UH, THE, FOR THE CUSTOMERS WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THAT WOULD BE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO, UM, THE CAC AUTHORIZES THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM, THAT REBATES, AND JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, THE TARIFF ITSELF WAS APPROVED BY THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IN 2018.
AND THE TARIFF, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, CONTAINS THE RULES AND THE TARIFFS SAYS THEY REQUIRE US TO FILE A THREE-YEAR BUDGET WITH THE CITY, UM, ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 15TH.
SO WE DID THAT IN, UH, 2021 AND THE NEXT TIME WE'RE GOING TO DO IT IS 2024.
AND I THINK WHEN WE MET JONATHAN, YOU AND I BOTH WERE A LITTLE UNSURE IF THAT WAS 20, 21 OR 2020.
UH, SO THE, IN ADDITION, THERE'S A REQUIREMENT IN THE TARIFF FOR US TO GIVE THIS BODY, UM, A COPY OF THE BUDGET
[01:00:01]
45 DAYS BEFORE WE FOLLOW WITH THE CITY.SO THE WAY THAT THE CURRENT REQUIREMENT IS WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU ALL ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, 20, 24 WITH THE NEXT THREE-YEAR BUDGET.
IT HAS THE RATE, THE BUDGET AND THE REBATE PROGRAMS THAT WE PROPOSE TO OFFER IN THAT THREE-YEAR PERIOD.
AND JUST AS REMINDER, THE CURRENT RATE AND THE REBATE REBATE PROGRAMS, THEY WERE APPROVED BY THE CITY, I THINK ADMINISTRATIVELY, UM, IN DECEMBER OF 2021.
SO AGAIN, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, WE BEGAN THAT THREE-YEAR CYCLE IN JANUARY.
AND SO WE HAVE TWO AND A HALF YEARS, I GUESS, LEFT IN THAT THREE-YEAR CYCLE.
SO JONATHAN, WAS THERE ANY THING ELSE YOU WANTED ME TO COVER ON THIS ISSUE? YEAH, I, I THINK THE MAIN POINT WE WERE TRYING TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE, UH, AS TO, AS TO WHEN THAT ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM WILL BE, YOU KNOW, UP FOR RENEWAL, UH, AND ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF, UH, THE COMMISSION'S, UH, WORK WITH, WITH CENTER POINT, UH, RECENTLY ON THEIR, UH, PILOT PROGRAM.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE'RE PROBABLY WE'LL LOOK TO, TO WORK WITH YOU ON AS A COMMISSION IS TO, UH, CAN WE, UH, MORE CLOSELY ALIGN, UH, KIND OF THE, THE OUTCOMES AND THE GOALS FROM, FROM Y'ALL'S PROGRAM, WITH WHAT, UH, WHAT WE, UH, WORKED WITH CENTER POINT ON AND JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RIGHT TIMELINE IS FOR THAT.
UM, THE CHAIR ALSO ASKED ME FOR SOME INFORMATION ON THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
SO IF YOU'D GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO AS PEOPLE MAY REMEMBER, ONE MAY REMEMBER THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN IN SEPTEMBER, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS THE GOAL THAT'S KIND OF RELATED TO NATURAL GAS, UH, REDUCING NATURAL GAS EMISSIONS BY 30%.
UM, SO THIS DID WHEN JONATHAN, JONATHAN AND I HAD THIS CONVERSATION, IT DID SPUR ME TO GET WITH THE, UH, ZACK AT THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY TO ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE BASELINE FOR TEXAS GAS SERVICE? AND SO LAST FRIDAY, THEY GAVE US THE NUMBER FOR ALL THE NATURAL GAS EMISSIONS.
AND WE'RE KIND OF GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH OF THAT IS OURS.
THE MAJORITY OF IT IS OURS, BUT THERE IS ATMOS ENERGY AND THERE'S SOME OTHER, OTHER THINGS IN THERE.
SO I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER YET.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, ASK SOME QUESTIONS OF THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND MAKE SURE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY THINK THE BASELINE IS FOR US TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
SO I DON'T HAVE THAT YET, BUT WE'VE, WE'VE STARTED THAT PROCESS.
AND HOPEFULLY PRETTY SOON WE WILL NAIL THAT DOWN AND HAPPY TO SHARE THAT, OR I DON'T KNOW, GOING FORWARD IF YOU WANT.
I MEAN, WE'RE HAPPY TO PRESENT ON THAT, OR I THINK THEY HAVE, I THINK THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY IS, UM, RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OR TRACKING THE PROGRESS.
SO ANYWAY, HOWEVER WE WANT TO HANDLE THAT GOING FORWARD.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU KIND OF HAVE SOME OF THAT DATA, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, HEAR FROM YOU GUYS ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
WHAT'S YOUR, YOUR CURRENT BASELINE VERSUS, UH, HOW YOU GUYS ARE THINKING ABOUT MEETING THE GOALS IN THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, ONE QUESTION, DO YOU, SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE AUSTIN, THE CLIMATE PLAN, YOU KNOW, PRESUMABLY YOU GUYS ARE GONNA WANT TO COMPLY WITH THAT AS FAR AS YOUR EMISSIONS GOES, DOES THAT PLAN, IS THAT, IS THAT GOING TO BE RUN THROUGH THROUGH YOU AND YOUR GROUP, OR IS THAT, WILL THAT BE A DIFFERENT GROUP WITHIN TEXAS GAS? UM, NO, I WILL DEFINITELY BE INVOLVED WITH THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS A REMINDER, OUR COMPANY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THREE GAS UTILITIES.
AND SO WE, WE HAVE A GAS UTILITY IN KANSAS, OKLAHOMA, AND TEXAS, AND EVEN HERE, WE'RE IN EL PASO IN THE VALLEY AND OTHER PLACES.
SO THERE ARE SOME FOLKS THAT OUR HEADQUARTERS IN TULSA THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH THIS, CAUSE THEY'RE STARTING TO DO THAT.
COMPANY-WIDE AND SOME OTHER CITIES ALSO ARE ASKING US FOR THAT.
SO THERE'S SOME FOLKS IN TULSA THAT ARE INVOLVED TO KIND OF MAKE SURE WE'RE USING THE SAME METHODOLOGY AND DOING THIS THE SAME WAY EVERYWHERE.
[01:05:02]
ANYTHING ELSE ON THE PRESENTATION FOR ME? UNLESS YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.UH, COMMISSIONER ROBINS, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
UM, I JUST TO EXPRESS MY INFORMED OPINION, HAVING DONE THIS FOR DECADES, THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TO WAIT TWO AND A HALF YEARS TO CHANGE THE CONSERVATION PROGRAM.
WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL THAT IT BE CHANGED ON A YEAR TO YEAR BASIS.
UH, IF WE DON'T DO THAT AND IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSES NOT TO DO THAT WELL, THAT'S OUR PREROGATIVE AND THEIR PREROGATIVE, BUT WE CERTAINLY DO HAVE THE POWER TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE THE END OF TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
JASMINE, HAVE WE GOT HER? WELL, YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I WAS JUST GOING TO START THINKING TO MYSELF.
GIVE ME, GIVE ME JUST A SECOND TO GET YOUR PRESENTATION UP.
AND I'M CALLING, I'M CALLING YOU FROM THE PHONE AND PRESENTING FROM MY LAPTOP OR REVEALING FROM MY LAPTOP.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF DELAY.
I BELIEVE THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS, BUT MY NAME IS JASMINE KING BUSH.
I AM THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM MANAGER FOR, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, ONE GAS.
UM, SO THEN I OVERSEE ENERGY EFFICIENCY, UH, EFFORTS OF ALL THREE STATES.
UM, BUT I'M COMING BEFORE YOU WITH THE PURPOSE OF PRESENTING, UH, DATA AND PROGRAM PERFORMANCE FOR TEXAS GAS SERVICE PROGRAM, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS SPECIFICALLY.
SO JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS ON THE PROGRAM.
UM, WE DISTRIBUTED THE, UH, 2021 ANNUAL REPORT.
I BELIEVE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE BEEN, UM, UH, PROVIDED A COPY OF THAT REPORT.
IT'S ALSO, UM, PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE OR THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF PUBLISHING IT TO THE WEBSITE OR PUBLIC FEELING.
UM, AND IT IS, UH, UH, RE REPORTING AS REQUIRED BY THE TARIFF THAT GOVERNANCE, THE PROGRAM, AND, UM, SOME PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, I WAS PROMOTED TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM MANAGER FOR ALL THREE STATES IN APRIL.
SO CURRENTLY THERE'S A, UH, EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL POSTING FOR AN EIGHT YEAR PROGRAM SUPERVISOR, AS WELL AS AN EDUCATION OUTREACH SPECIALIST.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE COMMERCIAL PROGRAM.
UH, TWO A SOFTWARE RESULTS WHO IS OUR DIRECT INSTALL, A PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR, UH, SERVICING SEVEN CUSTOMERS, UM, WITH, UM, REALIZATION OF, UH, UH, ESTIMATION ABOUT 28,000 THERMS SAVED AND ABOUT 575,000 GALLONS OF WATER SAVED.
AND THESE SAVINGS REFLECT EXPECTED, ANNUAL SAVINGS.
UH, THE BASIC BEHAVIORAL EDUCATION PIECE, UH, WE'RE GOING THROUGH SOME ADDITIONAL WEBSITE REVISIONS.
WE WENT THROUGH A MAJOR WEBSITE OVERHAUL LAST YEAR, AND WE'RE DOING, GOING BACK AND REVISITING SOME, SOME OF THE CHANGES, UH, BASED UPON FEEDBACK, UM, FROM OUR CUSTOMERS AND THE DESIRE TO SEE A MORE STREAMLINED APPROACH TO THE USER INTERFACE THOUGH.
WE'RE, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THOSE CHANGES.
NOW WE EXPECT THOSE TO GO ON FOR ABOUT THE NEXT SIX MONTHS UNTIL WE GET EVERYTHING, UM, NAILED DOWN.
UH, AND THEN, UH, OUR WATER SAVINGS KITS NORMALLY AS, AS SOMETHING THAT WE HIGHLIGHT IN, UH, MARCH.
AND WE DECIDED TO, UM, TO, UH, PUSH THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT, UH, WITH, UH, SENSITIVITIES AROUND SURROUNDING, UM, THE NEED FOR RAIN AND, UH, THE NEED FOR A WATER SAVING, UH, WHERE WE SWITCHED UP, WHAT WE NORMALLY DO WITH A WATER SAME KIT.
SO IF YOU'RE USED TO SEEING THAT AS A TYPE OF STAFF CUSTOMER, YOU WON'T SEE THAT UNTIL, UH, JUNE OR JULY.
AND THIS WAS JUST A REPORTING.
UM, NORMALLY, UH, WE WOULD REPORT, UM, QUARTER TO DATE PERFORMANCE AGAINST YEAR OVER YEAR PERFORMANCE.
AND I MADE A SLIGHT CHANGE THAT WE CAN SEE,
[01:10:01]
UM, WHERE WE WORK Q1 OF 20 22, 1 OF 2021 AND Q1 OF 2022, UM, TO MAKE I THINK, A MORE REALISTIC COMPARISON AND, AND, AND MAYBE DRAW IN MORE CONTEMPORARY, UM, AND RELEVANT, UM, PICTURE OF THE PROGRAM PERFORMANCE.AND SO THIS GRAPH HERE, UH, PROVIDES THAT PICTURE.
UM, OF COURSE, YOU'LL SEE, IN 2021 THAT THE WATER HEATERS, UH, PERFORMED, UM, UM, VERY WELL.
UH, THIS IS LARGELY DUE TO A LOT OF EQUIPMENT FAILURE, UH, DUE TO STORM YURI.
UM, BUT ACROSS THE OTHER PROGRAMS, UH, THE PROGRAM IS A BIT OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AT LEAST PORTION IS OFF TO A BIT OF A SLOWER START, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, I'M HOPEFUL THAT AS WE GET THE WORD OUT, WE MADE SOME CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM.
AND SO THE, I THINK THE BUILDERS ARE NOT AWARE OF THE HIGHER EFFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'VE INSTITUTED WITH THE JANUARY ONE DATE, UM, BASED UPON THE CHANGES MADE TO THE PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE AND SOCIALIZE THAT AND, AND, UM, REALLY WORK WITH THEM AS THEY'RE PUTTING MORE EFFICIENT WATER HEATERS IN, IN THE HOMES, UM, AND JUST GAVE THEM GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT IN FRONT OF THEM.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, FOR OUR LOW INCOME AND FREE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM.
UM, SO FAR WE'VE ASSISTED 28 FAMILIES.
WE REPLACED, UM, 39 APPLIANCES.
UM, AND FOR 2022, WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS, UH, IDENTIFYING SOME NEW REFERRAL SOURCES.
UM, MAYBE REVISITING SOME REFERRAL SOURCES THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN.
UM, UH, WE HAVE WORKED WITH IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS.
UM, AND THEN WE MADE AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE CONTRACTOR REIMBURSEMENT RATES, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN VISITED FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS.
SO, UH, WHAT YOU WILL SEE, UH, COMPARATIVELY, IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, PREVIOUS QUARTERLY REPORTING, UM, WE'RE ASSISTING THE SAME NUMBER OF FAMILIES, BUT WE'RE REPLACING, UM, UH, A BIT FEWER APPLIANCES AND THAT THAT'S DUE TO, WE'VE INCREASED OUR RATES TO, TO BE A LITTLE MORE COMPETITIVE WITH THE MARKET AREA.
UM, NEXT SLIDE, I BELIEVE THAT'S COLLAPSED ONE.
SO, UM, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION? ALL RIGHT.
QUESTIONS, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS.
UM, I AM ASKING THAT IN THE FUTURE, UH, QUARTERLY REPORTS, UH, THAT YOU ALSO PROVIDE, UH, STANDARD METRICS FOR SAVINGS, UH, THAT IS, UH, ENERGY SAVING METRICS OF THESE PROGRAMS AND WHAT THE COST IS FOR EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS. TGS USED TO DO THIS IN ITS REPORTS.
I'M NOT SURE WHY IT STOPPED, BUT IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL TO HAVE THESE COMMON STANDARD METRICS.
UM, IT WOULD, UH, I DON'T THINK TGS USED TO DO THIS, BUT IT WOULD ALSO BE GOOD IF YOU ADDED ESTIMATED AT MINISTRATIVE COSTS.
I REALIZED THAT THAT'S A LITTLE A MORPHOUS BECAUSE, WELL, BECAUSE, BUT YOU CAN GIVE US A GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE.
UH, I WOULD ALSO LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER DUPLICATING AUSTIN ENERGY'S MONTHLY UPDATE, WHICH YOU CAN FIND ON THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSIONS WEBSITE.
UH, IT IS, UH, EXTREMELY, UH, CONCISE, UH, DETAILED.
UH, IT ALLOWS ONE TO, UH, FERRET OUT A LOT OF THINGS VERY QUICKLY.
AND ONCE TGS SETS UP THIS FORMAT, IN MY OPINION, IT SHOULD NOT TAKE ANY GREAT AMOUNT OF TIME TO UPDATE.
I AM NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THE MONTHLY UPDATES, SO I WILL VISIT THAT ON THE RMC SITE.
UM, WE DO PROVIDE INTERIM REPORTS REGULARLY, SO, UM, I DON'T SEE IT BEING AN ISSUE, BUT I DO WANT TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH BEFORE I, UM, GIVE YOU AN AFFIRMATIVE COMMITMENT ON THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBIN, UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE ENERGY SAVINGS METRICS AND PROGRAM COSTING, UM, WE CAN DEFINITELY SHARE, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT'S SHARED IN AND REPORT THE ENERGY SAVINGS METRICS PIECE THOUGH, IS SOMETHING THAT IS PERFORMED ANNUALLY BY OUR THIRD-PARTY CONSULTANT.
UM, AND SO THERE IS, UM, A COST TO THE PROGRAM ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT, UM, UH, JEOPARDIZE OR I SHOULDN'T SAY NEGATIVELY IMPACT, UH, THE PROGRAM BUDGET WITH, UM, UH, AN EFFORT THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, UM, MAY PROVIDE, UH,
[01:15:01]
INFORMATION, BUT AT WHAT COST TO THE PROGRAM.UM, SO THAT IS, I BELIEVE THAT IS WHY WE WENT TO PROVIDING THAT ANNUALLY.
UM, AND SO THAT IS, IT IS PROVIDED IT'S JUST ON AN ANNUAL BASIS NOW FOR THAT TO BE DONE QUARTERLY, UM, WOULD PRESENT TO A FINANCIAL BURDEN TO A PROGRAM.
I I'M SORRY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU ALL USED TO DO THIS.
IT'S COMPUTERIZED IT SHOULDN'T.
I MEAN, I USE COMPUTERS FREQUENTLY, IN MY OPINION, IT SHOULDN'T BE ANY HARDER TO CALIBRATE THE QUARTERLY, UH, SAVINGS ESTIMATES AND COST ESTIMATES.
THEN IT WOULD BE FOR THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS.
IT'S ALL THERE ON A SPREADSHEET.
WE, WE RELY UPON PAUL, UH, ROB TO PERFORM ALL OF THOSE CALCULATIONS FOR US.
WE DO NOT MAINTAIN THAT THE ENERGY SAVINGS METRICS IN OUR SOFTWARE SYSTEM, WE DO FOR THE FIRST MONTH REBATE, PAYMENT, REBATE PARTICIPANTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
OH, I'M IN RESPECT TO THE COMMISSIONER'S TIME.
I'M NOT GOING TO FILIBUSTER THIS, BUT WE'RE CHARGED WITH REVIEWING YOUR PROGRAM'S PERFORMANCE AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE OTHERS.
I CAN'T DO MY JOB IF I CAN'T GET, UH, THE VALID METRICS, I WILL DEFINITELY TAKE YOUR, UM, YOUR COMMENTS AND REQUESTS, UM, BACK TO MY LEADERSHIP AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
[5. Quarterly update from Austin Water.]
ITEM FIVE QUARTERLY UPDATE FROM AUSTIN WATER.HI, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
WE CAN HEAR YOU, YOU OR PRESENTATION AS WELL.
HOPEFULLY IT SHOULD BE COMING UP MOMENTARILY ONCE IT'S OUT.
ALL RIGHT, IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK WITH YOU AGAIN TONIGHT.
MY NAME IS KEVIN KLUGIE MANAGER OF WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION, AUSTIN WATER.
AND THIS AGENDA ITEM IS TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE OF WATER CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS.
SO YOU CAN CONSIDER THIS YOUR WATER BREAK IF YOU NEED TO GET UP AND STRETCH AROUND, FEEL FREE TO, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN SITTING AND LISTENING FOR AWHILE.
TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK THAT WE HAVE FOR AUSTIN, AND THEN DISCUSS THE WATER CONSERVATION PENALTIES AND THE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION ORDINANCE.
THAT'S PART OF THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.
NEXT SLIDE, AS ALL OF, YOU KNOW, THE WATER SUPPLY FOR AUSTIN, UH, IS THE HIGH LONG LAKES AND THE COMBINED SUPPLY OF LAKE BUCHANAN AND LAKE TRAVIS SETS THE STAGE OR SETS THE BAR FOR WHEN WE GO INTO DROUGHT ON THIS PARTICULAR GRAPH, YOU SEE A YELLOW LINE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE THAT'S MAY 1ST AND OVER TO THE LEFT OF THE YELLOW LINE.
YOU SEE A BLUE HORIZONTAL LINE.
THAT'S THE COMBINED STORAGE OF LAKE TRAVIS AND LAKE BUCHANAN OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS OR SO BACK TO MAY OF 2021.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S REALLY STAYED ABOUT 1.5, 1.6 MILLION GALLONS.
DURING THAT TIME PERIOD THROUGHOUT THAT LAST YEAR, YOU GET TO THE YELLOW LINE, AND THEN YOU SEE THE PROJECTIONS FROM THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY REGARDING FUTURE STORAGE AMOUNTS.
YOU KNOW, THE GREEN IS IF IT'S WET, THE BLUE IS IF IT'S A MEDIAN CONDITION AND THOSE DASHED YELLOW AND RED LINES ARE IN THE CASE OF A DRY OR EXTREMELY DRY CONDITIONS.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING.
AND I KNOW ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN IN AUSTIN FROM THE, FOR THE MONTH OF MAY, WHICH HAS BEEN A VERY DRY MONTH AND ACTUALLY A VERY HOT MONTH.
SO IT'S PROBABLY FOLLOWING THOSE RED AND ORANGE LINES, UM, DOWN BELOW THE 1.4 MILLION GALLON THRESHOLD, WHICH IS THE TRIGGER FOR OUR STAGE ONE DROUGHT RESTRICTIONS.
SO AWESOME WATERS, KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE COMBINED STORAGE OF TRAVIS AND BUCHANAN.
AND, UH, WE'LL BE LETTING THE CITY MANAGER AND THE COUNCIL KNOW AS WELL AS THE COMMISSIONS KNOW WHEN WE GET VERY CLOSE.
AND WHEN WE GET INTO THE STAGE ONE DROUGHT RESTRICTIONS, ALL RIGHT, NEXT SLIDE.
[01:20:01]
MOVING ON TO CONSERVATION PENALTIES AT THE LAST MEETING HERE, THE COMMISSION APPROVED A REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION THAT WE ARE TAKING TO THE COUNCIL REGARDING ESTABLISHING AMENDED WATER CONSERVATION PENALTIES.YOU PROBABLY RECALL WE, AT THE TIME WE HAD A VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF PENALTIES THAT WE COULD APPLY FOR WATER CONSERVATION VIOLATIONS.
AND WE EXPANDED THAT REALLY TO MEET THE TYPE OF CUSTOMERS AND THE TYPE OF VIOLATIONS, HAPPY TO SAY IT WAS APPROVED WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION ON APRIL 13TH AND BY THE COUNCIL BACK ON MAY 5TH.
SO WE HAVE THE PENALTIES AND ORDINANCE, THE NEXT STEPS WILL BE TO REACH OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND LET THEM KNOW A BIT MORE ABOUT HOW WE ENFORCE OUR PENALTIES.
THAT WAS A REQUEST FROM THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON HOW WE CAN WORK THAT IN WITH OUR MES OTHER MESSAGING FROM AUSTIN WATER, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW HOW WE DO ENFORCEMENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER STEPS.
GETTING THE PENALTIES IN ORDINANCE WAS JUST THE FIRST ONE, A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS WE'LL BE WORKING ON OR THIS THE REST OF THE SPRING AND INTO SUMMER WILL BE TO DEVELOP AN ADMINISTRATIVE RULE.
LET PEOPLE ADMIT LIABILITY, DEVELOP A HEARINGS PROCESS BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE A LARGE, MUCH LARGER NUMBER OF HEARINGS, UH, FOR THESE VIOLATIONS WE ANTICIPATE THAN WE DID IN THE PAST.
AND WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH AN INVOICING SYSTEM FOR THE PENALTIES.
AND THE FINAL TOPIC THAT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON INVOLVES THE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION ORDINANCE STRATEGY FROM THE 2018 WATER FORWARD PLANT, WE'LL BE WORKING ON THIS.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS SINCE OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, AND WE'LL BE WORKING ON THIS THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR AND INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR, AS YOU PROBABLY RECALL, THE WATERFORD PLAN WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL BACK IN 2018, THE 100 YEAR WATER SUPPLY PLAN FOR THE CITY, WHICH REALLY FOCUSES ON USING LOCAL SUPPLIES AND CONSERVATION TO MEET OUR FUTURE NEEDS.
LAST FALL, UH, 2021, THE COUNCIL HAD ASKED THE CITY MANAGER AND AUSTIN WATER TO ACCELERATE SOME OF THOSE STRATEGIES IN THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.
ONE OF THOSE STRATEGIES THEY ASKED TO ACCELERATE WAS THE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION ORDINANCE STRATEGY.
NOW THIS STRATEGY FOCUSES ON NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, AND THAT'S WHAT WE TRY TO EMPHASIZE TO EVERYONE.
THERE'S A RELATIVELY NARROW FOCUSED ORDINANCE STRATEGY FOR NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
AND THE INTENT OF THIS STRATEGY AS WAS DESCRIBED IN THE WATERFORD PLAN IS TO TRANSITION NEW HOMES TO A MORE WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPING.
AND IT COULD INCLUDE LIMITATIONS OF LAWNS, LIMITATIONS OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, IMPROVEMENTS OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. IT WAS KIND OF LEFT OPEN IN THE WATER FORWARD PLANT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
THIS GIVES YOU A BIT OF AN IDEA.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE SMALL PRINT, BUT THAT RED DIAMOND RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE THERE, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE.
WE STARTED ON THE D THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THIS ORDINANCE BACK IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
AND IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE REALLY KICKED OFF THE PUBLIC INPUT PHASE OF OUR PROCESS HOLDING, UH, TWO SETS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS AND ONE SET OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
THESE ARE GENERALLY ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT HAVE AN INVESTED INTEREST IN LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION.
AND WE ESTABLISHED A SPEAK-UP AUSTIN PAGE TO GET COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC IN LA AT LARGE.
SO AT, THROUGH THE END OF THIS MONTH, WE'LL BE CONTINUING THAT SPEAK-UP AUSTIN PAGE, WE'LL HAVE ONE MORE SET OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
AND THIS SUMMER, REALLY, WE ARE GOING TO BE TAKING ALL THAT INPUT AND CRAFTING THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROPOSE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL PUT OUT AT THE END OF THE SUMMER FOR PEOPLE TO REALLY LOOK AT AND SEE, AND COMMENT ON AND SEE WHETHER THEY LIKE, OR DON'T LIKE IT.
SO THAT'S THE END OF THE SUMMER AT THAT POINT, WE'LL HAVE MORE PUBLIC MEETINGS, STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE COMMISSIONS, WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION, AND Y'ALL
[01:25:01]
GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT DRAFT ORDINANCE.AND THEN WE DON'T REALLY EXPECT TO GET TO COUNCIL UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF 2023.
SO IT'S, IT'S A LONG PROCESS, BUT TONIGHT I WANTED TO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE JUST GIVE YOU SOME FEEDBACK REGARDING WHAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE, PARTICULARLY FROM THE SURVEY, BUT ALSO FROM THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE A PAGE ON THE SPEAK-UP AUSTIN PAGE.
ALL OF YOU ARE VERY WELCOME TO GO TO THAT PAGE.
ONCE YOU GET TO THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE, IT'S USUALLY EASIEST JUST TO GO TO SEARCH IRRIGATION OR LANDSCAPE, AND WE'LL KEEP THAT UP AT LEAST THROUGH THE END OF THIS MONTH, THE SURVEY, AND PERHAPS A BIT LONGER.
SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO GO AND FILL THAT SURVEY OUT.
I WANTED TO TAKE A BIT OF TIME JUST TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ON THE SURVEY TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT, UH, THAT THEY'VE RESPONDED THROUGH OUR SURVEY.
WE'VE RECEDED ABOUT, WELL OVER 200 RESPONSES IN THE SURVEY, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH EVERY QUESTION THAT WAS ON THE SURVEY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME THAT YOU MIGHT FIND INTERESTING.
UH, SHOULD WE HAVE A LIST OF ALLOWED PLANTS AND GRASSES TWO-THIRDS OF THE SPONDON SAID YES, 20% OF THEM SAID, NO, NEXT SLIDE.
SHOULD WE LIMIT TURF AREA IN THESE NEW HOUSES? AGAIN, THIS IS ALL NEW HOUSES, NOT EXISTING HOUSES.
65% OF THE RESPONDENTS SAID, YES, WE SHOULD.
ALTHOUGH IT WAS A BIT NUANCED, YOU CAN SEE IT'S NOT QUITE AS EASY TO SEE ON THE SLIDE, BUT THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT PIE PIECES OF THE PIE FOR YES.
SOME JUST SAID, YES, SOME AS LONG AS THE TURF GRASS CAN BE LARGE ENOUGH.
UM, AND THEN ANOTHER PIECE OF THE YES, PIE IS AS LONG AS THE AREA OF THE TURF GRASS CAN BE LARGE ENOUGH FOR FUNCTIONAL USES.
AND 30% SAID, NO, WE SHOULD NOT LIMIT TURF AREA.
NEXT SLIDE RELATED TO THAT, SHOULD WE LIMIT THE SIZE OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS ON NEW HOUSES? 60% SAID, YES, 30% SAID, NO, SOMEWHAT SIMILAR, NEXT SLIDE, QUESTION FIVE, SHOULD WE INCREASE IRRIGATION SYSTEM STANDARDS? MEANING, SHOULD WE REQUIRE MORE EFFICIENT COMPONENTS IN THE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS? OR JUST IN OTHER WAYS, REQUIRE A HIGHER LEVEL OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. 85% SAID, YES, PARTICULARLY IF THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE COST.
UM, AND THEN YOU SEE ABOUT 12% SAID, NO, THE YELLOW PIECES OF PIE AND ALL OF THESE ARE ALL REFERRED TO OTHERS.
THEY HAD OTHER THOUGHTS REGARDING THE YESES AND NOS THAT WE HAD IN THE SURVEY QUESTION SIX, SHOULD WE REQUIRE LANDSCAPING, IRRIGATION PLANS BE SUBMITTED BEFORE PEOPLE EVEN START BUILDING, UH, OVER HALF SAID, YES, WE SHOULD.
UM, BUT OF THAT, YES, UH, 30% OF THE TOTAL SAID THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BOTH IRRIGATION AND LANDSCAPE PLANS.
AND 20% SAID THAT WE SHOULD ONLY HAVE IRRIGATION PLANTS.
AND FOUR OUT OF 10 OF THE RESPONDENTS SAID, NO, WE SHOULD NOT REQUIRE BUILDERS TO SUBMIT IRRIGATION AND LANDSCAPE PLANS BEFOREHAND.
UM, WE ASK RESPONDENTS THEIR OPINIONS REGARDING AFFORDABILITY VERS PROTECTING OUR WATER SUPPLY.
WHEN IT COMES TO LANDSCAPES AND IRRIGATION, UH, 10%, UH, SAID THE YELLOW SAID THAT AFFORDABILITY TRUMPS PROTECTING OUR LANDSCAPE OR, UM, WATER SUPPLY.
UH, 35% SAID, THAT'S THE BLUE THAT PROTECTING THE WATER SUPPLY TRUMPS AFFORDABILITY.
AND THEN IN THE RED THAT'S 55%.
THEY'RE REALLY SAYING THERE NEEDS TO BE A BALANCE OF BOTH IN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING.
UH, NEXT SLIDE QUESTION EIGHT IS REAL.
REALLY, IT WAS A FREEFORM QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS A COMMENT FIELD AND THEY COULD PUT WHATEVER THEY WANT, UM, ASKING PEOPLE TO DESCRIBE WHAT THEY THINK, WHAT TYPE OF REGULATIONS THEY THINK WE SHOULD ADOPT.
NOW, STAFF REALLY DID A GOOD JOB OF GOING THERE AND TRYING TO AT LEAST IDENTIFY IF PEOPLE ARE LEANING TOWARDS LESS RESTRICTIONS OR MORE RESTRICTIONS, AND FROM THOSE ANSWERS AND THOSE, THIS WAS A SUBSET ABOUT 87 OF THE 200
[01:30:01]
PLUS RESPONDENTS THAT WE GOT.UM, THE MAJORITY SAID THEY WANT MORE RESTRICTIONS, AND THAT VARIES BASED ON IRRIGATION OR LANDSCAPE, BUT IN THE FREEFORM ANSWERS, INTERESTED MORE RESTRICTIONS.
AND THEN JUST GO BACK JUST TO MENTION THAT THIS SURVEY AND THIS PAGE ARE STILL UP.
SO FEEL FREE TO TAKE THE SURVEY, UM, AND CONTRIBUTE YOUR VOICES TO THIS PROCESS.
BEYOND THE SURVEY, WE HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK TALKING TO, UH, STAKEHOLDERS, UH, IN TERMS OF THIS SLIDE, INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TALKING TO A GOOD NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE CITY WITH OUR INTENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT SOMETHING OUT THAT RUNS COUNTER TO WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO WE WANT TO BE COORDINATED WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY AND WHAT WE EVENTUALLY PUT OUT NEXT SLIDE, EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, THESE WERE THE PRIMARY FOUR TYPES OF EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, JUST GOING A BIT THROUGH EACH ONE OF THEM, HOME BUILDERS, ASSOCIATION OF AUSTIN, OF COURSE, AN IMPORTANT GROUP TO TALK TO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LANDSCAPE AND IRRIGATION AND IN NEW HOMES, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THEM.
UH, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM, OF COURSE, THEY WANTED TO SEE THE NUMBERS OF SAVINGS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE PUT OUT HAS TO CONTRIBUTE TO WATER SAVINGS.
SO THEY WERE INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT, OF COURSE, THEY'RE IN INTERESTED IN INCENTIVES FOR HOME BUILDERS AND THEY OF COURSE, WERE CONCERNED ABOUT DELAYS IN THE PROCESS, WHICH IS ALWAYS A CONCERN FOR HOME HOME BUILDERS, FOR ADDITIONAL PERMITS OR INSPECTIONS.
NEXT SLIDE, WE SPOKE TO IRRIGATION PROFESSIONALS.
UM, THEY HAD A DIFFERENT SET OF CONCERNS.
OF COURSE, THEY WERE CONCERNED, UM, THAT, THAT WE REALLY TIGHTENED UP ON THE BAD ACTORS IN THE INDUSTRY, THOSE THAT HAD, UH, NON-LICENSED IRRIGATORS OR, OR NON-PERMITTED IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, THEY SUGGESTED THAT, AND THEY WERE ALSO VERY SUPPORTIVE OF INCLUDING OR REQUIRING HIGH EFFICIENCY COMPONENTS IN IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. NEXT SLIDE, WE ALL SPOKE TO THE TURF GRASS PRODUCERS, AND THIS INCLUDES THE TEXAS NURSERY AND LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION.
AGAIN, THEY HAD THE DIFFERENT BIT SORT OF A VIEW OF WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
THEY DID NOT WANT US TO EXCLUDE ANY TYPE OF GRASS.
CAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE QUICK TO POINT OUT THAT EACH TYPE OF GRASS HAS ADVANTAGE ADVANTAGES IN DIFFERENT AREAS OR IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.
AND THEY ASK US TO CONSIDER DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF WHATEVER WE'RE DOING IN ORDER TO GIVE THEM TIME.
FOR INSTANCE, IF WE SPECIFY A PARTICULAR TYPE OF GRASS OR SEVERAL TYPES OF GRASSES, THERE NEEDS TO BE TIME FOR THEM TO GROW THOSE GRASSES AND FOR THE BUILDERS TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO BUY THEM NEXT SLIDE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE BEEN SPEAKING TO A NUMBER OF CITIES AROUND THE STATE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE, AREN'T THE ONLY ONES, UM, THAT MIGHT HAVE GREAT IDEAS.
CITY OF FRISCO UP IN NORTH TEXAS, THEY REQUIRE A LANDSCAPE OR I'M SORRY, IRRIGATION PLANS.
AND THEY DO POST INSTALLATION INSPECTIONS FOR ALL THEIR RESIDENTIAL, NEW HOMES.
SENIOR BRAUNFELS HAVE SET UP, HAS SEVERAL OTHER REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING MODEL HOMES FOR THE SUBDIVISIONS AND SEPARATE IRRIGATION METERS.
SOME OF THE INPUTS FROM OUR FEBRUARY PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, THESE ARE JUST OPEN TO ANYONE.
UM, WE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT EROSION CONTROL USING GRAVEL INSTEAD OF GRASS.
UM, THAT'S A CONCERN BY A LOT OF FOLKS.
IF WE CUT OUT THE AMOUNT OF GRA GRASS YOU CAN HAVE IN YOUR LAWN, WHAT ARE PEOPLE GONNA REPLACE IT WITH? AND THERE'S CONCERNS ABOUT REPLACING IT WITH GRAVEL.
AND OF COURSE THEIR INTEREST IN MORE, UH, SAVINGS DATA, HOW MUCH WE'RE ACTUALLY SAVING EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS THAT WERE IN SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS.
WE'RE OF COURSE INTERESTED IN EDUCATING HOMEOWNERS AS WELL AS INCREASING INCENTIVES.
AND AS I MENTIONED, AND THEY'RE JUST ALMOST DONE HERE WITH A COUPLE OF SLIDES LEFT THE REST OF THIS MONTH, WE'RE CONTINUING TO BRING IN ALL THESE IDEAS AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK FOR SUMMER AND WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY START CRAFTING IDEAS GOING FORWARD.
[01:35:01]
ARE SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE SUMMER TO PUT INTO THIS, THE DRAFT ORDINANCE WHEN WE COME OUT IN SEPTEMBER OR SO POST INSTALLATION INSPECTIONS, IRRIGATION COMPONENTS, HOMEOWNER EDUCATION, PERHAPS LIMITED IRRIGATION AREAS.NEXT SLIDE, IN TERMS OF LANDSCAPING, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE STILL IN THE MIX TO BE CONSIDERED REQUIRING A LANDSCAPE PLAN, WORKING WITH MODEL HOMES AND PERHAPS LIMITING HOW MUCH GRASS CAN WE PUT IN A NEW YORK, A NEW YARD, AND NEXT SLIDE.
UH, MY FINAL SLIDE, UH, IN CLOSING, WE'RE TRYING TO COLLECT A LOT OF INFORMATION AND TRY TO GET A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS FOR THIS LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION ORDINANCE.
AND I GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO THE PUBLIC THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED THEIR IDEAS STAKEHOLDERS, AS WELL AS THE STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN SORTING ALL THROUGH IT AND TRYING TO SIFT OUT THE BEST IDEAS FOR THE CITY.
AND WITH THAT, I'M OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
JUST SO THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND THE TERM WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, WITH THE NEW BRAUNFELS THING EXCEEDED 50% LONG GRASS.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS IN A WAY I CAN UNDERSTAND AS A HOMEOWNER? YEAH, DEFINITELY.
SOMETIMES YOU'RE TALKING TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND DIFFERENT TERMS YOU THOUGHT WERE PRETTY EASY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GRASS THAT YOU EXPECT THAT YOU SEE IN YOUR YARD.
SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY TURF, AND THEN THAT WOULD MEAN SOMETHING TO A DIFFERENT SET OF STAKEHOLDERS, BUT IT'S THE GRASS IN YOUR YARD.
UM, NEW BRAUNFELS, THEY REQUIRE MOBILE MOBILE HOME MODEL HOMES, EXCUSE ME, UH, TO HAVE NO MORE THAN 50%, WHICH REALLY REQUIRES THE BUILDER TO PUT IN A LOT MORE BEDS AND TO CREATE MORE OF A WATER-WISE LANDSCAPE THAN JUST IN THE END KRAS.
UH, COMMISSIONER WHITE, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THIS WORK.
I THINK IT'S, UH, A GREAT DIRECTION TO ME MOVING IN AND THEY CAN HELP ME BE AMONGST THOSE WHO DO SUPPORT MORE REGULATION IN THIS AREA RESTRICTION.
UM, BUT I, I, I'M WONDERING, UH, IF YOU'RE ADDRESSING UNDER THE USE OF, UH, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF LIKE WHAT A, WHAT A GOOD CATCHALL TERM IS, UM, HARD MATERIALS, UH, BE THEY PERMEABLE OR IMPERMEABLE, I'M THINKING THE, YOU KNOW, HEAVY USE OF KIND OF GRAVEL AND SUCH THAT YOU SEE IN SOME, YOU KNOW, WATER-WISE, UH, LANDSCAPES.
AND I'M ASKING BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALSO HAVE ISSUES WITH HEAT HERE, AND OF COURSE THIS COMMISSION IS CONCERNED WITH NOT JUST, UH, WATER CONSERVATION, BUT ALSO ENERGY CONSERVATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU WALK BY THOSE, THOSE YARDS THAT ARE JUST COLD STONES, YOU CAN REALLY FEEL THE DIFFERENCE THAT, THAT HEAT, UM, THERE.
AND SO JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT LIKE, IN OUR EFFORTS TO CONSERVE WATER, THAT IT DOESN'T SHIFT IN THAT DIRECTION, LIKE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, PUT DOWN A BUNCH OF STONES, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE COLORED, BUT IN GENERAL, ANY, ANY WORK HAPPENING.
I MEAN, THAT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION WHEN WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND WATERSHED PROTECTION, UM, AS WELL AS SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE, THE CONCERN REGARDING, UM, GRAVEL OR DIFFERENT TYPES OF AGGREGATES BEING A SUBSTITUTE FOR A TURF.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL BE DOING AFTER WE EVEN GET OUR ORDINANCE OUT, WE'LL BE TAKING IT BACK AGAIN THROUGH THESE CITY DEPARTMENTS AND THEY'VE EXPRESSED A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN, YOU KNOW, IF THAT WOULD BE THE CASE.
SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE WILL BE LOOKING AT IS, IS THAT INCREASED USE OF AGGREGATES OR GRAVEL? WELL, I GUESS IT SEEMS LIKE THERE WOULD BE A WAY TO LIKE, MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THAT'S NOT INAPPROPRIATE SUBSTITUTION, YOU KNOW, UH, SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST, UH, AFTER THE FACT.
CAUSE I THINK, I MEAN, I THINK THAT WILL, THAT WILL BE YOUR RESULT IF YOU DON'T DO SOMETHING PROACTIVELY TO STEER PEOPLE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS ALL RIGHT.
UH, OTHER QUESTIONS I HAD ONE GENTLEMEN,
[01:40:01]
GO FOR IT.UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I AM AM CURIOUS ABOUT, I APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION FOR, FOR NEW, UH, RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS, THIS IS A PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH NOW, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE, WHAT, WHAT TOOLS, IF ANY, ARE IN THE TOOLKIT FOR EXISTING, UM, RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS OR EXISTING CONSTRUCTION, IS THERE A SEPARATE PROCESS, UM, THERE THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF OR INCLUDED IN THE WATERFORD PLAN THAT YOU CAN SPEAK TO AT LEAST AT A HIGH LEVEL FOR EXISTING HOMES? UM, IN TERMS OF LANDSCAPE WILL PRIMARILY BE RELYING ON, UH, EDUCATION AND INCENTIVES TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SHIFT THEIR YARD TOWARDS MEMORIAL WATER-WISE, UM, LANDSCAPE IN TERMS OF IRRIGATION FOLKS WHO HAVE IRRIGATION.
NOW, NOW, UH, WE WILL, WE OFFER REBATES TO ENCOURAGE THEM, TO UPGRADE THEIR SYSTEMS TO MORE WATER EFFICIENT SYSTEMS. AND THIS ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW, IT COULD APPLY TO EXISTING HOMES IF THEY DO NOT HAVE AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM.
AND WE, UH, WE, WE, THE CITY PASSES AN ORDINANCE FROM THIS PROCESS THAT AFFECTS IRRIGATION SYSTEMS THAT WOULD APPLY TO THEM WHEN THEY PUT IN A NEW IRRIGATION SYSTEM.
WATER ONE WAS NOT THERE BEFORE I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
UM, JUST REBATES AND INCENTIVES AND THEN MOVING FORWARD FOR THINGS WHAT'S WHAT'S EXISTING IS BASICALLY GRANDFATHERED IN, BUT THEN ANY LIKE MAJOR REPLACEMENT THAT WOULD REQUIRE PERMITTING WOULD POTENTIALLY BE AFFECTED BY THE NEW ORDINANCE ORDINANCE.
[7. Discussion on avoiding stalemates: establishing RMC best practices on engaging City Staff. (Sponsors: Harmon, Davis)]
ON, WE'RE GOING TO SWITCH ITEMS SIX WITH SEVEN FOR RELEVANCE.UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ITEMS SEVEN FIRST, UH, ITEM SEVEN DISCUSSION ON AVOIDING STALEMATES, ESTABLISHING RMC BEST PRACTICES ON ENGAGING CITY STAFF.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS ITEM IS, IS REALLY KIND OF A DEBRIEF FROM OUR MEETING LAST TIME, WHERE WE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME DISCUSSING, UH, A RESOLUTION, WHICH ULTIMATELY, UH, RESULTED IN US TO NOT TAKING ANY ACTION.
UH, AND WE EVEN MADE THE PAPER THE NEXT DAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF, IF EVERYONE'S AWARE WE WERE IN AUSTIN MONITOR.
UM, AND I THINK FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, UH, THE IDEA IS THAT WE CAN PREVENT SITUATIONS LIKE THAT GOING FORWARD, UH, WITH SOME KIND OF BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES, UH, COMMISSIONER HARMON OR DAVIS, WHEN YOU GUYS WANT TO TEE THIS UP.
I'LL, I'LL TAKE IT IF THAT'S OKAY.
AND CHARLOTTE, PLEASE JUMP IN AS, AS YOU SEE FIT.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS WAS THE BEST WORDING FOR THE, UH, FOR THE, THE ITEM.
UM, BUT THE AVOIDING STALEMATES WAS A LITTLE BIT TONGUE IN CHEEK BECAUSE OF THAT AUSTIN MAR MONITOR ARTICLE THAT, THAT, UM, KIND OF ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE, WE DID COME TO STEEL MADE IT THE LAST, UH, LAST COMMISSION MEETING, UM, IN PART I THINK NOT, UM, WELL REALLY WE JUST THOUGHT IT WAS TIME TO, TO COULD BE HEALTHY, TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON REALLY HOW WE COME TO THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING RESOLUTIONS AND HOW WE'RE ENGAGING CITY STAFF OR THE DEPARTMENTS WITH WHICH WE'RE WORKING.
UM, WHETHER THAT'S AUSTIN ENERGY, TEXAS GAS CENTER POINT, UM, AUSTIN WATER, ET CETERA.
UM, AND I GUESS I KIND OF WANTED TO START BY SAYING THAT I, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT WE ARE ALL HERE VOLUNTEERING OUR TIME ON THIS COMMISSION BECAUSE WE FEEL, UM, STRONGLY AND PASSIONATELY ABOUT WATER AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION.
AND I THINK THAT WE ARE ALL HERE, UM, WITH THE INTENT OF MAKING MEANINGFUL AND POSITIVE CHANGE, UH, AS A COMMISSION.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK OVER, I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, PAUL, YOU AND SMITTY AND OTHERS HAVE REMINDED US FAIRLY REGULARLY ABOUT HOW THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION HAS, UM, REALLY PUSHED THE ENVELOPE, UM, IN, IN SEVERAL AREAS, UM, WITH REGARDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION AND WATER EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CHALLENGED, UM, OUR, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE WORKING WITH
UM, AND YOU KNOW, NOW WITH OUR
[01:45:01]
CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, UM, I THINK THAT CHALLENGE IS EVEN GREATER.UM, AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT ALL OF US ON THE COMMISSION ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY INTENT ON MAKING MEANINGFUL CHANGE HAPPEN.
UM, AND, AND SO I JUST REALLY WANTED TO OPEN, UM, BUT PERSONALLY I, AND I THINK MR. DAVIS AS WELL, WANT TO JUST OPEN SOME SPACE FOR DISCUSSION ON KIND OF THAT PROCESS BY WHICH WE OPERATE, UM, AND JUST KIND OF REFLECT TOGETHER IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN KIND OF COLLECTIVELY AGREE ON HOW, HOW CAN WE, UM, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS THAT, THAT DO MEANINGFULLY, UM, MOVE THINGS FORWARD.
UM, THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I WE'RE NOT AT THIS POINT PROPOSING CODIFYING ANYTHING OR REALLY PASSING ANY REAL RESOLUTIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS, JUST KIND OF WANTED TO, TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, UM, WITH, WITH THIS GROUP.
UM, AND I, I DO THINK THAT WE'VE MADE GOOD PROGRESS, UH, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE ACCESS TO A SOLAR WORKING GROUP.
UM, I THINK THERE WERE SOME, SOME REAL STRIDES MADE THERE.
UM, UH, LARRY MENTIONED THE, THE MEETING THAT HE HAD WITH A FEW COMMISSIONERS WITH TEXAS GAS, REALLY LOOKING KIND OF FORWARD AND SAYING, OKAY, WE, THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN THE AGENDA THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN AS EVIDENCED BY THE CENTER POINT RESOLUTION THAT WE WANTED TO START A CONVERSATION WITH TEXAS GAS ON TO SAY, HOW CAN WE, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT, WHAT, UM, AGENDAS CAN WE COLLECTIVELY PUT IN, IN PLACE TO TRY TO SEE SOME OF THOSE CHANGES THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN? UM, SO I, I THINK, UM, AND, AND I GUESS EVEN IN THIS MEETING, I THINK YOU BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE AS A ENGAGE, YOU KNOW, GET IN FRONT OF THE CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS, BUDGET DISCUSSION SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THOUGHTFUL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE COMMISSION OR A SUBSET OF THE COMMISSION THROUGH A WORKING GROUP MAYBE HAS HAD TIME TO, TO, TO PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO AND REVIEW AND WORK WITH, WITH CITY STAFF ON, YOU KNOW, REAL ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND FORGIVE ME, I SAID REAL, I, I THINK ALL OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE REAL, BUT, BUT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE, UM, UH, A CHANCE OF, OF, UH, REALLY BEING IMPLEMENTED, UH, BY STAFF.
UM, SO I THINK THERE WERE TWO JUST KIND OF SOFT PROPOSALS THAT WE WANTED TO THROW OUT THERE TO THE GROUP AGAIN, UM, REALLY MORE AS A, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO CONSIDER AS A BEST PRACTICE OR, OR KIND OF STANDARDS, OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AS A STANDARD RATHER THAN, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, UPDATING OUR BYLAWS AROUND.
UM, BUT THE, THE FIRST WAS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY WE ARE FORWARD LOOKING ENOUGH IN TERMS OF RELEVANT, UM, EVENTS IN THE CITY DEPARTMENTS WITH WHICH WE'RE WORKING, WHETHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BUDGET SETTING OR, UM, YOU KNOW, A PROGRAM REVIEW OR OTHER RELEVANT PROCESSES, UM, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE HAVE THOSE ON OUR CALENDARS FAR ENOUGH AHEAD, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AT ONE COMMISSION MEETING BEFORE PROPOSING FORMAL RECOMMENDATIONS OR RESOLUTIONS AT ANOTHER COMMISSION MEETING, UM, AS KIND OF A, AN A BEST PRACTICE.
AND THEN THE SECOND SUGGESTION, UM, WHICH IS, I THINK WHAT TRIPPED US UP LAST TIME WAS JUST THE, THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, W WHERE, AND WHEN POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY AS RESOLUTIONS, DO, YOU KNOW, AFFECT CITY RESOURCES, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, THE, THE SPONSORS OF THOSE RESOLUTIONS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, OR, OR DO MAKE AN EFFORT TO REACH OUT AND MEET WITH STAFF FOR INPUT ON, UH, THOSE RESOLUTIONS AND IN TIME TO, YOU KNOW, EFFECTIVELY PREPARE, UM, FOR, FOR COMMENTS WHEN THAT RESOLUTION IS BEING DISCUSSED.
UM, NOW OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE, UM, YOU KNOW, REASONABLE, INTELLIGENT PEOPLE CAN, CAN DISAGREE.
AND I DON'T MEAN THAT WE WOULD ALWAYS NECESSARILY AGREE ON ALL THE POINTS OF ON ANY GIVEN TOPIC, BUT JUST AS KIND OF A STANDARD PRACTICE OR THE, THE COMMISSION, UM, TO, TO THROW OUT THERE.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF I SAID THAT EXACTLY THE WAY THAT I INTENDED, UM, CHARLOTTE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN, BUT AGAIN, THAT THE GOAL WAS JUST TO REALLY MAKE SOME SPACE FOR THAT DISCUSSION AND, AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN, UM, WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY TOGETHER AND WITH STAFF.
I THINK YOU SAID THAT BEAUTIFULLY, DANA, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD IS THAT, UM, IT, IT REALLY SERVES US AS A COMMISSION IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE HERE TRYING TO SERVE AND TRYING TO, UM, IMPLEMENT CONSERVATION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, REAL POSITIVE CHANGE.
IT, IT SERVES US WELL TO, TO HAVE THAT FORWARD-LOOKING AND THAT COLLABORATION, AND I WOULD ALSO ECHO, UM, WHAT YOU SAID AND, UH, COMMISSIONER WHITE MADE A
[01:50:01]
POINT EARLIER IN THIS MEETING AS WELL ABOUT HAVING THE, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE INFORMATION FAR ENOUGH IN ADVANCE TO WHEN WE CAN BE ABLE TO, TO ACT ON SOMETHING.AND SO I THINK IT GOES REALLY BOTH WAYS FOR US TO HAVE PRODUCTIVE, UM, CONSTRUCTIVE, UH, WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE, UM, WITH THE UTILITIES WITH THE CITY STAFF ON, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THESE ITEMS. AND SO, UM, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE GOING TO AGREE ON EVERYTHING A HUNDRED PERCENT OR THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY STAKEHOLDER IS COMPLETELY ALIGNED ALL THE TIME, BUT I THINK JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVING GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO ENGAGE THE RELEVANT, UM, UH, PARTIES IMPACTED IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD STRIVE FOR.
SO THIS WAS A DISCUSSION ITEM.
SO FLOOR IS OPEN IF ANYONE HAS ANY POINTS, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, RIGHT? I DID HAVE JUST ONE COMMENT TO MAKE, AND THAT IS THAT I HAVE FOUND IN GENERAL THAT WHEN PEOPLE IN A ROOM TOGETHER, THEY TEND TO WORK BETTER TOGETHER.
AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE STILL SITTING AT HOME TO PERHAPS COME INTO A MEETING ROOM AGAIN, NO PROSPECT.
I THINK YOU JUST NEED TO ALLOW EVERYBODY TO DEAL WITH THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH WE'LL HAVE DIFFERENT FAMILIES SITUATIONS.
MR. ROBBINS, I GUESS I HAVE TWO COMMENTS.
UM, FIRST, UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE ATTENDED, UH, SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS AND I, AND ATTENDED A LONG MEETING WITH CITY STAFF AND HAMMERED OUT, UH, AN AGREEMENT THAT I HOPE YOU ALL CAN UNANIMOUS.
WE SUPPORT EVERYONE IN THE MEETING CAME AWAY FAIRLY AGREEABLE.
UH, HAVING SAID THAT, UM, I, I WANT TO SAY TWO THINGS FIRST.
IT IS WITH EXCEPTIONS, NOT MY PRACTICE TO, UM, LAUNCH, UH, RECRIMINATIONS AFTER SOMETHING HAS BEEN SETTLED.
UH, AND I CERTAINLY, UH, WANT TO, UH, BE POSITIVE AND COME OUT OF, UH, THIS SUMMERS WORKING GROUP, PROPOSED WORKING GROUP WITH SOMETHING THAT, UM, STAFF AND MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS CAN SUPPORT, UH, BUT FROM MY OWN MOTIVATION.
UH, AND I WAS NOT A COMMISSIONER UNTIL, UH, TWO HOURS AGO, BUT FROM MY OWN MOTIVATION, IT WAS TRIGGERED BY LITERALLY THREE YEARS OF FRUSTRATION.
UH, I DID PERSONALLY TRY AND ENGAGE WITH THE CITY AT GREAT LENGTH, UH, AND SPENT, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY DAYS OF UNPAID TIME, IF NOT WEEKS OF UNPAID TIME AND FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN LARGELY IGNORED.
UH, SO IF YOU'RE WONDERING, I MEAN, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT WAS PART OF MY OWN MOTIVATION.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT I WILL BRING UP, AND I THINK DANA ACKNOWLEDGED THIS TO A LIMITED DEGREE IS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO AGREE ALL THE TIME, UH, BACK IN, UH, THE LATE 1970S, EARLY 1980S, UH, THE UTILITY, WHICH NOW EMBRACES CONSERVATION, UH, WAS ANTITHETICALLY AGAINST IT.
AND THEY WERE OUR EXPERTS AND WE OPPOSED THEM AND THROUGH SHEER WILL AND LUCK WE WON.
SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE TIMES WHEN THERE'S GOING TO BE DISAGREEMENT AND WE'LL JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT AS IT COMES.
MAY I RESPOND TO THAT, JONATHAN? YES.
AND I, I DO NOT ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL, OR I GUESS I SHOULDN'T SAY I DO ANTICIPATE THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE DISAGREEMENTS AND WE
[01:55:01]
WILL, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, UM, PUT ITEMS ON THE TABLE AND TO HAVE, UH, DISAGREEMENTS BOTH WITHIN THE COMMISSION AND BETWEEN THE COMMISSION AND STAFF.I, I THINK, UM, AND I ALSO APPRECIATE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE KIND OF GOTTEN TO THIS PLACE THROUGH, UM, FRANKLY FRUSTRATION ON THE PARTS OF, OF, OF, YOU KNOW, MANY OF US, UM, AS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE BEEN AT TIMES FRUSTRATED WITH OUR LACK OF ABILITY TO MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGE HAPPEN IN PAST MEANINGFUL AGENDAS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, MOVE THE BALL SO TO SPEAK.
UM, AND, AND SO I, UM, I THINK THAT IT IS KNOW EACH OF US SHOULD CONTINUE TO STAND UP FOR THOSE TOPICS THAT WE FEEL PASSIONATELY ABOUT AND THAT WE FEEL INFORMED.
UM, AND, UH, AND, AND WE FEEL SHOULD, SHOULD WHERE WE SHOULD MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN.
ALL OF THAT SHOULD I THINK STAY THE SAME.
UM, I GUESS WHAT I'M, I'M HOPEFUL.
AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT WE'VE SEEN, WE'VE SEEN INDICATIONS OF IT, AND I, I MEANT FROM THE PREVIEW OF THE RESOLUTION, THAT IS OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, I SHOULD HAVE SAID EARLIER.
IT DOES LOOK LIKE, UM, THE WORKING GROUP THAT SPONSORED THAT, THAT REZ OR THE GROUP THAT SPONSORED THAT RESOLUTION DID IN FACT, UH, MEET WITH STAFF.
AND I THINK THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED.
UM, SO I THINK WE'RE MAKING, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS, UM, IN THAT REGARD, UM, IT, AT LEAST I THINK THAT WE ARE, UM, REALLY, THIS IS MORE OF A, KIND OF AN UNDERSTANDING OR AN AGREEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER THAT AS WE'RE KIND OF WORKING ON PROPOSING, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE BIG IDEAS AND THESE THINGS THAT WE THINK WILL MOVE, MOVE THINGS FORWARD, UM, THAT WE ARE ALSO UPHOLDING, YOU KNOW, VALUES OF RESPECTFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE STAFF THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL ULTIMATELY BE EFFECTED.
UM, AND AT LEAST THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT ENGAGEMENT, UM, IN, IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AS I THINK CAME OUT IN OUR, OUR, UH, MEETING, UH, AND I FORGIVE ME FOR KEEP GOING TO THE LAST MEETING, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE POINT WAS BROUGHT UP, BUT IT, IT WORKS BOTH WAYS, RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF AND DEPARTMENTS AND, AND VICE VERSA.
UM, AND SO IF WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, MAINTAIN A LEVEL OF, OF DIALOGUE ON KIND OF, WHAT'S COMING UP, WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA, WHAT DO WE CARE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE INTEND TO PROPOSE AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY ON BOTH SIDES, UM, TO BOTH, YOU KNOW, EDUCATE OURSELVES AND TO REALLY WEIGH IN AND HAVE SOME ENGAGEMENT ON THE TOPICS THAT ARE UPCOMING.
UM, IT, IT FEELS LIKE THAT WILL LEAD TO, YOU KNOW, MORE, UH, TRICKLING, JUST MORE PROGRESS ALL THE WAY AROUND AND, AND MAKING MEANINGFUL CHANGE, UM, FOR THE, THE TOPICS WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
I WAS REALLY TRYING NOT TO SAY ANYTHING ON THIS TOPIC.
I JUST LIKE, UM, I JUST DO WANT TO SAY THAT, LIKE I WAS IN THE ONE MEETING AND I BELIEVE YOU SET THAT UP, JONATHAN, THAT WAS ON THIS TOPIC PRIOR TO OUR LAST, UM, RMC MEETING ON THE, GOING BACK TO THE ISSUE OF, OF THE TOXIC MATERIALS.
AND, UM, THE MEETING WAS NOT CONSTRUCTIVE.
THE MEETING THAT WE HAD MORE RECENTLY NOW WAS VERY CONSTRUCTIVE.
AND SO I DON'T WANT TO LIKE GO BACK TOO MUCH, BUT I LIKE FOR THOSE WHO FEEL LIKE WE JUST SORT OF WENT OFF THE RESERVATION OR WHATEVER, LIKE, UM, THAT'S PROBABLY A RACIST THAT NOAH'S HAD APOLOGIZE.
UM, UH, IN ANY CASE, LIKE WE, WE DID HAVE A MEETING, SOME OF US AND IT WASN'T CONSTRUCTIVE AND IT FELT VERY MUCH LIKE A JEWELER PLAN.
UM, AT LEAST THAT'S HOW I FELT IT DID NOT FEEL LIKE THERE WAS ANY, LIKE, THERE ARE CHALLENGES, BUT WHAT'S WORK THEM OUT TOGETHER KIND OF FEEL, I FELT LIKE WE DON'T WANT TO DO THIS.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT A VERY DIFFERENT RECEPTION AT THE LAST MEETING.
UM, SO I, I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO SHARE THAT, UM, LIKE IT DOES GO BOTH WAYS.
AND I THINK IF WE CAN HAVE F MEETINGS WITH STAFF AND COMMISSIONERS, THAT WHERE EVERYBODY IS NOT ONLY HEARD, BUT WHERE THERE IS LIKE MOVEMENT ON ALL SIDES, THAT, THAT IT WILL BE EASIER TO, TO DO WHAT YOU'RE ENVISIONING.
CAUSE I AGREE, LIKE IT IS, IT IS MUCH MORE CONSTRUCTIVE.
UM, SO I I'M, I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO LIKE GET INTO THE WEEDS.
I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S UP TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED TO LIKE, MAKE THAT A POSITIVE DYNAMIC.
[02:00:01]
TO JUST LAY ON THE TABLE THAT PART OF, I THINK WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO HEAR FROM, FROM THIS IS, IS THAT PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BOTH SIDES, IT'S SORT OF WHAT, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW DO WE MOVE TOWARDS MORE CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE? AND I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT, THAT YOU FELT THAT THE LAST MEETING WAS CONSTRUCTIVE AND THAT THERE IS, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE WILL ALL SLIP UP.UM, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE WE, WE, WE DO GET INTO SOME HOTLY DEBATED TOPICS SOMETIMES, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE THIS JUST AUTOMATIC OR NOT PROPOSING THAT THERE WOULD BE AN AUTOMATIC CULTURE SHIFT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF IT DOES FEEL LIKE ON SO MANY THINGS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LARGELY ALIGNED IN TERMS OF, OF WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO SEE HAPPEN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE DEVIL'S ALWAYS IN THE DETAILS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE CAN, WE, AND, YOU KNOW, STAFF WITH WHOM WE'RE WORKING CAN, CAN AGREE TO UPHOLD, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THIS SORT OF BASELINE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER.
I, I FEEL I WOULD ENJOY MY TIME ON THE COMMISSION MORE.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN MAKE POSITIVE CHANGE HAPPEN.
UM, AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE IN THIS SAME VEIN THAT I DO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT GOES, WE ALL NEED TO PULL OUR WEIGHT AS COMMISSIONERS.
I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MANY OF US, THERE ARE A FEW COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE FELT VERY PASSIONATELY AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE FRANKLY DONE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE HEAVY LIFTING IN TERMS OF WRITING RECOMMENDATIONS AND WRITING PROPOSALS AND PUTTING THE THINKING INTO IT.
UM, AND FOR THOSE COMMISSIONERS, WE APPRECIATE IT.
UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S REALLY, MAYBE THIS IS A CHALLENGE TO ALL OF US COMMISSIONER CHEVERIA.
I REALLY JUST WANT TO ECHO THINGS THAT BOTH CHI AND ANNA HAVE SAID.
UM, YOU KNOW, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER HARMON'S SENTIMENT THAT BEING PREPARED, UM, PRIOR TO MEETINGS I THINK WOULD MAKE US ALL MORE PRODUCTIVE.
I KNOW FOR ME, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A FULL-TIME JOB, I'M A PARTNER IN A LAW FIRM.
IT'S, IT'S A CHALLENGE FOR ME TO GET UP TO SPEED, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DON'T NECESSARILY GET SOME OF THE MATERIAL TIL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE MEETING AND RIGHT.
MORE ASKING QUESTIONS AND GETTING INFORMATION THAT WAY.
SO I, I REALLY DO THINK IT WOULD BE, UM, MORE PRODUCTIVE.
AND I THINK I COULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE IF I HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, MATERIAL AHEAD OF TIME.
AND WHEN WE HAVE QUESTIONS IN THE MEETING, THE COMMISSIONER WHO ARE SPONSORING THE, THE MATERIAL HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE BACKGROUND BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF DUE DILIGENCE ON IT.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, I, I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT IT IS A TWO WAY STREET ON COMMUNICATION.
I'VE, UM, MYSELF PARTICIPATED IN AT LEAST ONE SUBCOMMITTEE WHERE I, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE GOT GOOD INFORMATION BACK.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I ECHO THE SENTIMENT OF IT BEING TWO-WAY STREET.
UM, AND IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, I WENT BACK AND WATCHED THE MEETING LAST TIME AND LISTENING TO WHAT KIND OF HAS SAID THIS EVENING.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK ON THE UPCOMING RESOLUTION.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY ON THAT SUBCOMMITTEE FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DID TO GET US TO THIS POINT TONIGHT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? ALL RIGHT.
[6. Discussion and possible action regarding a resolution on Austin Energy’s Green Building Program regarding building materials. ( Sponsors: Stone, White, and Brenneman)]
MOVE ON TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING A RESOLUTION ON AUSTIN.ENERGY HAS GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM REGARDING BILLING MATERIALS.
I BELIEVE THIS IS AN UPDATED RESOLUTION FROM LAST TIME.
UH, ONE OF THE SPONSORS WOULD, I GUESS, EITHER COMMISSIONER WIDER COMMISSIONER STONE, LIKE TO GIVE US A KIND OF AN UPDATE AND A RUNDOWN OF WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE.
I LET US SOLVE LIFE LAST TIME.
SHE WANTS TO TAKE US THROUGH, AH, YOU GOT IT, LOUIS, THIS IS YOUR BABY.
UM, SO, UH, CITIZEN PAUL ROBBINS A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, UH, CAME TO THE COMMISSION AND, UH, GAVE A PRESENTATION ON TOXIC BUILDING MATERIALS.
UM, THE, UH, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AT THAT MEETING, DISCUSSED IT A LITTLE BIT AND, UH, KIND OF PRE-WARNED THAT A RESOLUTION WOULD BECOMING, UH, ABOUT THAT ISSUE AND BROUGHT IT LAST MONTH.
AND WE WON'T REHASH THINGS ABOUT THAT, BUT HERE WE ARE, AGAIN, UM, WE SAT WITH, UH, UH, THE AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF AND, UH, I HAD TALKED WITH THEM, UH, KIND OF A PREGAME TO THAT MEETING A LITTLE BIT, UH, JUST TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION RE SET EXPECTATIONS, SO TO SPEAK.
AND THE, THE RESOLUTION YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS LARGELY SIMILAR
[02:05:01]
IN, UH, SUBSTANCE TO WHAT THE PREVIOUS ONE WAS.THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS, IS HE GAVE ME, UH, UH, RICHARD GAVE ME A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, INFORMATION ACTUALLY TO, UH, MAKE THIS HARDER ON HIM, UH, BY VIRTUE OF LETTING ME FIND OUT ABOUT SOMETHING CALLED THE CR THE RATINGS GUIDEBOOKS, YOU KNOW, FOR SOMEBODY NEW LIKE ME, THAT WAS A VERY INTERESTING, FINE.
SO I WAS EXCITED TO LEARN THAT THESE THINGS EXISTED AND THAT THEY HADN'T BEEN UPDATED IN AWHILE.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE DID IS WE TOOK OUR ORIGINAL IDEA, WHICH WAS, UM, JUST TO UPDATE THE GREEN PROGRAM IN GENERAL AND INCORPORATE THE FACT THAT WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE, UH, PROGRAM MATERIALS THAT ARE TIED INTO IT, LIKE THE GUIDEBOOKS, UM, NEEDED UPDATING ANYWAY, BECAUSE OF CHANGES TO THE BUILDING CODE AND, UH, JUST GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS AND AVAILABILITY OF MORE GREEN PRODUCTS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO WE WANTED TO LOOK AT THIS AND TAKE A TWO-PRONG APPROACH ONE, GO ON AHEAD AND BE INVOLVED IN THE GENERAL UPDATING TO THESE PROGRAMS FOR BOTH SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL MULTI-FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, ALONG WITH TRYING TO FIND A WAY, UM, TO EITHER DISINCENTIVIZE THE USE OF TOXIC BUILDING MATERIALS, OR INCORPORATE SOME OTHER METHODOLOGY, UM, TO, UH, DETER THEIR USE, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THIS WORKING GROUP THAT'S BEING CREATED BY THIS RESOLUTION.
WE'LL TRY TO FIGURE OUT AND ADDRESS AS THEY GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO WE AREN'T, UH, WE ARE NOT BEING PRESCRIPTIVE ON THAT AT THIS POINT.
WE'RE JUST BASICALLY SAYING, PUT SOME SMART PEOPLE IN A ROOM AND HAD THEM TRY TO HAMMER OUT WHAT IT IS THEY THINK IS GOING TO MAKE SENSE GOING FORWARD.
UM, SPECIFICALLY THIS RESOLUTION IS ASKING BOSTON ENERGY TO, UH, COLLABORATE WITH THE RMC.
UH, WE DO HAVE AT LEAST THREE VOLUNTEERS IN THE RMC THAT HAVE ALREADY, UH, AGREED TO JOIN ONTO THIS A SUB COMMITTEE OR A COMMISSION SUB COMMISSION, WHATEVER WE, WHATEVER THE LANGUAGE IS THAT WE'RE CALLING THIS, UM, TO WORK THROUGH THIS THING AND TO COME UP WITH SOME PRELIMINARY SUGGESTIONS AND A TIMELINE OF WHAT THE IMPLEMENTATION FROM AUSTIN ENERGY FROM AUSTIN GREEN WOULD BE GOING FORWARD.
AND TO BASICALLY COME BACK TO THIS COMMISSION FOR OUR OCTOBER MEETING WITH SOME SORT OF A WRITTEN REPORT.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD THE OCTOBER ONE DEADLINE, SO THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME THERE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT WHATEVER DOCUMENT THAT MIGHT BE, THAT THEY COME UP WITH.
UM, AND THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE FOR OPENING REMARKS, RIGHT? UH, MR. WHITE, ANY, WELL, DO WE HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH, I HAVE QUESTION.
UM, DURING THE LAST MEETING, AS I RECALL, UH, COMMISSIONER GORY HAD AN AMENDMENT, HE WANTED TO INCLUDE A CERTAIN CITY DEPARTMENT, BUT I DON'T RECALL WHICH DEPARTMENT, UM, DOES THIS RESOLUTION CAPTURE THAT SUGGESTION OR DID YOU DETERMINE THAT THAT WASN'T NECESSARY? I THINK THAT HE WAS CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THAT WAS THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UM, JUST TRYING TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE, UH, AND NO, THIS ISN'T IN THE RESOLUTION, BUT IT MIGHT BE PREMATURE BECAUSE WHATEVER THIS GROUP COMES UP WITH WILL BE CIRCULATED TO THE APPROPRIATE STAFF, UH, IN OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, I FEEL PRETTY SURE.
UM, SO I GUESS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WASN'T NECESSARY THEN, UH, PART OF WHAT WE DETERMINED IN OUR DISCUSSION WAS THE IDEA THAT WE WANTED TO KEEP THE GROUP SMALLER, TO MAKE IT MORE MANAGEABLE, BECAUSE THE MORE PEOPLE YOU TRY INVITING TO A MEETING THE MUCH HARDER IT BECOMES THE SCHEDULE.
SO THE THOUGHT PROCESS ON THIS WAS IS THIS MEETING MORE OR LESS IS ABOUT 50 50 BETWEEN RMC, UH, COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF OUTSIDER, UH, UH, OUTSIDE EXPERTS.
UM, THEN AS, AS PAUL ALLUDED TO THE IDEA IS THAT THIS THEN GETS CIRCULATED FAR MORE BROADLY.
THAT'S WHERE YOU START SEEKING INPUT FROM OUTSIDE INTERESTS, LIKE TRADE, LIKE THE TRADES, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY HOME BUILDERS ARE GONNA WANT TO HAVE A SHOT TO LOOK AT THIS THING AND MAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO, UH, THIS COMMISSION AND TO AUSTIN GREEN AS THEY'RE WORKING ON PROGRAM REFINING OVERALL.
AND SO THAT OUR BELIEF IS, IS THAT THE OTHER AUSTIN CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT MAY BE IMPACTED BY THAT AS WELL, BUT ALSO BE CIRCULATED FOR REVIEW ON THIS.
UH, UH, I GUESS REAL QUICK, RICHARD OR KURT, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE PROCESS? CAN YOU
[02:10:01]
CONFIRM, WHAT'S BEEN SAID USING AGAIN, RICHARD GENESEE, VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS AND, UH, YES, WE DID HAVE A, UH, WHAT I WOULD TERM A PRODUCTIVE MEETING ON FIVE NINE.UM, I DO WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE BEING REALLY CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT AUSTIN ENERGY'S ROLE IN THIS.
WE HAVE AGREED TO FACILITATE, UH, THE GROUP, BUT IT IS AN RMC WORKING GROUP, UH, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE RMC BEING THE PRIMARY, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PARTICIPANTS.
AND SO, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE BROUGHT FORWARD WILL BE FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM THE WORKING GROUP TO THE ENTIRE BODY OF THE RMC.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT ROLES IN TERMS OF THIS, BUT YES, WE'RE IN SUPPORT OF THE, UH, I WILL POINT OUT ONE OTHER THING.
I DON'T, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE RMC CAN TAKE WHATEVER ACTIONS IT WANTS, BUT AN ACTION'S NOT NEEDED ACTUALLY.
UH, WE DID MAKE THAT POINT TOO.
WE COULD JUST AGREE TO THIS FROM THE DAY AS IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE A PROPOSAL.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION OF THE AUTHORS? UM, AND THAT IS JUST IN TERMS OF, IN LIGHT OF WHAT RICHARD WAS JUST SHARING WITH US.
THE WORKING GROUP WILL, IT WILL BE FACILITATED BY AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF.
THAT'LL BE MADE UP OF RMC COMMISSIONERS.
UM, BUT POINT TO, UM, SAYING THAT IT WILL ALSO STRIVE TO INCLUDE BUILDING PROFESSIONALS, PROFESSIONALS IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS, TENANT ADVOCATES, AND OTHERS AS RECOMMENDED BY RMC.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHO'S, WHO'S ENGAGING THOSE FOLKS.
IS IT AA STAFF OR IS IT RMC? UM, COMMISSIONERS WHO WHO'S BRINGING THEM INTO THE WORKING GROUP? BOTH.
SPEAKING OF WHICH, AND I REALIZE MAYBE THIS ISN'T THE TIME, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
I, I DID GET A RESPONSE BACK AND READ SOMEBODY FOUNDATION ENDINGS THAT WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, BUT I THINK WOULD BE A GOOD, COOL.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
UH, NO MOTION HAS, UH, AS OF YET BEEN MADE, I MOVE APPROVAL.
EMOTION IS MADE BY COMMISSIONER ROBINS IN SUPPORT OF THE, UH, CURRENT RESOLUTION.
UH, SO THAT WILL OPEN ANY DEBATE ON THE RESOLUTION.
UH, SO ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS ON THE SPECIFIC WORDING AND THE RESOLUTION AS IT'S PRESENTED ON THE SCREEN? ALL RIGHT.
UH, HEARING NONE, SHALL WE MOVE TO A VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION TO CREATE AN RMC WORKING GROUP ON THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING, UH, AND SAFE BUILDING MATERIALS? UH, COULD WE GET EVERYONE TURN YOUR VIDEO ON PLEASE? UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS.
AND ACCORDING TO THE PARLIAMENTARY TRAINING, THAT IS NOT NECESSARY.
COMMISSIONER AND GORY IS ABSENCE MR. JOHNSON.
MR. BRENNAMAN IS ABSENT COMMISSIONER CHEVERIA YES.
COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, 6 7, 8, UH, EIGHT TO ZERO.
THE RESOLUTION PASSES ON AN EIGHT TO ZERO VOTE WITH TWO ABSENCES.
UH, SO THAT WILL CREATE AN RMC WORKING GROUP.
UH, JUST TO REVIEW THE RULES HERE, UH, WORKING GROUP, YOU GOTTA MEET, NOT ANY QUORUM,
[02:15:01]
WHICH MEANS, UH, FIVE OR LESS MEMBERS.UH, IS IT SAFE TO PRESUME THE SPONSORS OF THE RESOLUTION WANT TO BE ON THAT WORKING GROUP STONE? UM, WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALREADY IS A COMMISSIONER BRENNAMAN PAUL AND MYSELF WILL BE REPRESENTING THE COMMISSION.
UM, BUT WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO WELCOME ANOTHER COMMISSIONER IF THEY WISH TO JOIN US ON THIS, UH, CRAZY ENDEAVOR.
SO I GOT BRENNAMAN ROBBINS AND STONE.
UH, THAT MEANS TWO MORE CAN SIGN UP IF YOU WANT ANYBODY WANT.
SO WE WILL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW.
UH, YOU GUYS GO FORTH AND PROSPER.
[8. Discuss potential future agenda items.]
MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM EIGHT, UH, DISCUSS POTENTIAL FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I BELIEVE OUR NEXT MONTH, WE ARE HAVING KURT BACK TO DISCUSS, UH, THE SAME SIMILAR TOPIC, GREEN BUILDING, UH, PROGRAM UPDATES, UH, NATASHA, ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S ALL YOU GOT.I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE, UH, SEVERAL THINGS TO CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE.
UH, THE FIRST IS THE ELECTRIC RATE CASE.
RMC DOES NOT HAVE PURVIEW OVER MOST THINGS REGARDING RATES.
WE DO HAVE PURVIEW OVER THE RIGHTS STRUCTURE AS IT AFFECTS ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SIMILAR TO THE WAY RMC WEIGHED IN ON THE RATE STRUCTURE OF TEXAS GAS SERVICE AND THIS, THE PROPOSAL BY AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, WELL, I'LL, I'LL SPARE YOU MY, UH, HIGHLY OPINIONATED, UM, UM, UH, THOUGHTS FOR ANOTHER TIME AND JUST SAY THAT IT IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAVE NOW, UH, AND IT COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT ENERGY EFFICIENCY GOING FORWARD.
SO I THINK THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE ELECTRIC RATE REALLY DOES NEED TO BE VISITED BY RMC OTHER THINGS THAT I WOULD SUGGEST FOR THE FUTURE INCLUDE, UH, DUPLICATING TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN, THE CENTER POINT RESOLUTION ON NATURAL GAS CONSERVATION FOR TEXAS GAS SERVICE, SO THAT WE ARE NOT MISSPENDING MONEY IN THE NEXT TWO FISCAL YEARS.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST BROADENING RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, COMMISSION'S PURVIEW OF TEXAS GAS SERVICE TO INCLUDE RATE REVIEW AND FRANCHISE REVIEW.
UH, AND WELL, I'LL, I'LL STOP THERE THAT THESE WILL KEEP US BUSY FOR A NIGHT.
UM, THEY ARE ALL WEIGHTY SUBJECTS, BUT THEY MERIT FURTHER DISCUSSION.
AND WITH THAT, UH, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN TONIGHT'S MEETING.
I APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO'S ATTENDING AND WE WILL SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT MONTH.