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LET'S GET GO MEETING GOING.[CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION FOR APRIL 10TH, 2023.FIRST THING ON THE AGENDA WAS PUBLIC
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
COMMENT, RIGHT? YES.WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL SPEAKERS.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE ONLY, UM, TWO, ONE WISH TO SPEAK FOR SURE, AND ONE MAY WISH TO SPEAK.
UM, TIM AREN'T, DID YOU WISH TO SPEAK? UM, PREFERABLY NOT IF IT'S PASSED ON CONSENT.
I CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT FOR SURE.
WELL BEEN BROUGHT UP FOR DISCUSSION.
SHOULD I SPEAK AT THAT TIME? UH, NO.
WE, WE, WE ONLY DO PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS AT, AT THIS TIME, SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK THEN I WON'T SPEAK.
UM, THEN THE NEXT SPEAKER WOULD BE SARAH BLACK.
AND YOU'LL HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES WHEN YOU BEGIN.
I WANNA SPEAK ON SEPARATING, UM, RENT BILL AND THE ELECTRIC STATEMENT AT COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE.
UM, ON ABOUT MARCH THE 22ND, I ASK FOR MY ELECTRIC STATEMENT FROM THEM.
THEY DON'T USUALLY GIVE IT TO YOU.
THEY USUALLY JUST GIVE YOU A, THE GROSS AMOUNT AND PUT IT WITH YOUR RENT AND SAY THIS FOR YOUR ELECTRICITY.
BUT I WANTED THE STATEMENT THAT HAD MY BEGINNING AND ENDING.
AND SO THAT WAS, THAT'S ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO.
SO I WENT BY AGAIN TODAY TO ASK FOR MY ELECTRIC STATEMENT.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S WRONG AND I EVEN, UM, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE GONNA ASK JAMIE WHO'S THE, UM, PROPERTY MANAGER THAT SHE WAS DEALING WITH IT.
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT'S A BASIC RIGHT FOR ME TO KNOW EXACTLY IF MY STATEMENT IS CORRECT.
PREVIOUSLY, THEY HAD CHARGED ME TWO MONTHS RENT AT ONE TIME.
LET'S SEE IF I CAN HAVE SOME OF THIS, UM, RECORDING MORE THAN YOU.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? OKAY, WELL, THAT'S THE WRONG ONE.
SO, UM, SO THAT'S A PROBLEM THAT I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THREE WEEKS AND THEY HAVEN'T GIVEN IT TO ME.
AND NOW THEY'RE ACTING LIKE I'M DOING SOMETHING WRONG BY ASKING, CUZ THEY'RE WRAPPING IT IN CHRISTIANITY.
BUT I WOULD SAY THAT JESUS WOULD GIVE ME MY ELECTRIC STATEMENT, UM, AND THEY HAVE NOT.
SO, UM, I'D APPRECIATE IF YOU LOOK AT THAT AND I CAN PROVIDE SUPPORTING INFORMATION.
AND I DID RECORD THAT CONVERSATION TODAY WHERE MATT FROM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND PREVIOUSLY JAMIE FROM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CONTINUE TO DENY ME MY ELECTRIC STATEMENT.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO YOU, SO YOU GUYS THAT ARE LIVING THERE, YOU DON'T GET A SEPARATE UTILITY BILL FROM THE CITY? NO, NOT AT ALL.
SO WE GET, UM, IT JUST HAS HOW MUCH OUR RENT IS AND THEN IT HAS THE GROSS AMOUNT.
AND SO IF YOU WANT A SEPARATE STATEMENT THAT HAS THE BEGINNING AND ENDING READINGS, YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR THAT.
AND SO FOR THE PAST FOUR, FOUR MONTHS I HAVEN'T ASKED.
AND THEN I ASKED FOR THE CURRENT ONE FOR APRIL, WELL MARCH THE 22ND.
AND THEY JUST LIKE STARTED GIVING ME LIKE LITTLE PUZZLE PIECE, LITTLE TINY BITS OF THAT.
AND THEN I THOUGHT THAT WAS SUSPICIOUS.
SO I SAID I HAD LIKE THE LAST THREE MONTHS AND THEN THEY DENIED THAT.
AND SO WHILE I WAS WAITING, I ACTUALLY LOOKED AND I SAW THAT I HAD BEEN AGAIN, DOUBLE CHARGED FOR ONE MONTH, WHICH MEANS I SHOULD HAVE PAID NOTHING THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
BUT YES, I WAS BILLED FOR THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
SO, UM, I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THAT DESERT.
WHAT CAN WE DO? I WAS GONNA ASK IF THERE'S ANYONE FROM AUSTIN ENERGY THAT CAN RESPOND? I DON'T KNOW EITHER AT THIS MEETING OR IN THE FUTURE.
CUZ THIS IS A UNIQUE SITUATION.
IS THIS THE ONLY MIC WORK? NO, THE OTHER ONE'S ON.
UH, HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH.
I AM THE, UH, CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER.
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OF THE GROUPS THAT WE HAVE IS THE BUILDING GROUP.I THINK WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO, I'LL HAVE TO GET UP TO SPEED ON THE ACTUAL DETAILS ON THIS PARTICULAR ACCOUNT, BUT WE, IN THIS CASE, IN A MULTI-FAMILY COMPLEX, WE WILL BUILD, UM, THE LANDLORD, UM, THE OWNER, AND THEN THEY WOULD DISTRIBUTE, UM, THE ADDITIONAL BILLS TO THE TENANTS.
UH, SPECIFICALLY IF OUR TEAM IS ALREADY WORKING, UM, WITH, WITH OUR CUSTOMER HERE, WE WILL FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I DON'T HAVE THAT WITH ME TODAY, BUT WE WILL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE AS TO WHY SHE'S NOT GETTING ACCESS TO, TO SEE THE DETAILS BEHIND WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED BY THE LANDLORD.
DO YOU, DO YOU MIND? AND ALSO I HAVE SOMEBODY HERE FROM OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE GROUP, UH, NIKKI, I'M GONNA, WE'LL GET ALL THE INFORMATION, WE'LL WRITE THIS DOWN AND WE'LL, I'LL, I'LL DIG BACK INTO THIS AND, UH, WE'LL REPORT BACK OUT TO YOU, UH, THE RESULTS OF THAT.
BUT, BUT IT IS COMMON THAT WE WOULD SEND THAT UNIFIED BILL TO THE LANDLORD.
AND SO I THINK, UM, IF I'M CORRECTING, UM, THE LANDLORD WAS THE ONE WHO REFUSED TO GIVE YOU A COPY OF THE CORRECT THREE EMPLOYEES AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT HAVE REFUSED TO GIVE ME.
OKAY, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE STATEMENT OF THAT.
KI LET ME ALSO, UH, UH, THIS IS RANDY CHAPMAN.
LET ME ALSO SUGGEST THAT IF, IF, UH, IF THAT, IF AUSTIN ENERGY ISN'T ABLE TO, UH, ASSIST YOU IN, IN THIS RESPECT, CONTACT LEGAL AID AND, AND THEY, THEY CAN CUT THROUGH THIS BECAUSE THEY MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF SUBMETER SUBMETERING RULES, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, WHEN I GOT THERE, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN WAS GIVING THEM 50.1 MILLION.
UM, SPENCER CRONK HAD HIS MEETING THERE AT COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE, GIVING THEM $50.1 MILLION.
SO THAT IS PART OF YOUR BUDGET AND MULTI-FAMILY, THAT'S PART OF YOUR BUDGET AND THAT'S ONE OF THE ITEMS. I MEAN, BUT, SO I JUST THANK YOU.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Electric Utility Commission Regular meeting on March 20, 2023.]
ON THE AGENDA, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST SPEEDING.IS THERE ANYTHING, EXCUSE ME, DO I HAVE A MOTION IN IT'S APPROVAL? YEAH, I THINK THERE WAS, YOU WANTED TO MAKE ONE CHANGE.
UH, AT THE, UH, AT THE CLOSE OF THE MEETING FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION ITEMS, UH, I HAD, UH, UH, SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED, UH, FOLLOWING UP ON THE TESTIMONY BY LANETTA COOPER FOR REGARDING MAINTENANCE.
THERE WERE THREE QUESTIONS, UH, PROVIDED, UH, THAT I BELIEVE WE PROVIDED TO MS. OTTO, UH, AND LIKE TO INDICATE THAT IN THE MINUTES THAT, THAT, UH, THAT THE REQUEST WAS MADE.
SO WITH THAT, UH, UH, MOVE AS MOVE WITH THAT AMENDMENT.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION, WE HAVE A SECOND.
WELL, WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO MADE THE MOTION FOR THE REVISED OR AMENDED ONES? I GUESS SHE MADE THE MOTION.
DO YOU WANT A SECOND, CHERYL? I'LL SECOND.
DO YOU VOTE ON THE AMENDED MINUTES APPROVAL? YES.
MARSHALL, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? WE CAN.
UM, DISCUSSION ACTION ITEMS. WE
[2. Recommend approving issuance of a capacity-based incentive to Texas County & District Retirement System for the installation of solar electric systems on their facility located at 901 S Mopac Expressway Service Road NB, Austin, TX 78746, in an amount not to exceed $163,620.]
HAVE NUMBER TWO AND THREE.ANY ONE, ONE TO, TO DISCUSS THOSE FURTHER? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THREE.
UM, SO CAN WE PASS NUMBER TWO? I'D MOVE APPROVAL OF THE SECOND ACTION ITEM.
KAREN, I THOUGHT I HEARD A, I CAVA.
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TWO.[3. Recommend authorizing issuance of rebates for multifamily and commercial customer energy efficiency measures by Austin Energy during Fiscal Year 2022-2023 in the aggregate amounts of $2,650,000 for multifamily programs and $3,350,000 for commercial programs, for a total combined amount not to exceed $6,000,000, including ratification of $2,850,844 in rebates already issued in the current fiscal year. ]
ABOUT NUMBER THREE.WHAT WAS YOUR, WHAT WERE YOUR QUESTIONS AND CYRUS? UM, SO I NOTICED THAT THIS IS, UH, FIRST I HAVE A QUESTION IS WHY THOSE, UH, 2.8 MILLION, UH, REBATES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ISSUED WERE NOT SUBMITTED PRIOR TO BEING ISSUED? UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
RICHARD GENE, VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS.
AND, UM, THE SIMPLE, UH, REASON WHY THEY WERE NOT SUBMITTED IS THERE WAS A, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SUBMITTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL, AND, UH, THEY WERE NOT.
HOWEVER, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S UNDERSTOOD.
UH, THESE WERE ALL, NOTHING'S BEEN QUOTE UNQUOTE MISSED.
THEY WERE ALL INCLUDED IN A MONTHLY REPORT THAT YOU RECEIVE.
AND, UM, AS SOON AS WE DISCOVERED THE ERROR, WE HAVE NOT ISSUED ANY, UH, UH, REBATES SINCE THEN, UNTIL IT IS, UH, THE BLANKET AUTHORITY IS GRANTED BY, UH, COUNCIL.
SO, UH, THIS WAS, AND THE OTHER THING WE'VE DONE TO ENSURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN, IS THAT WE HAVE TIED THIS TO THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SO AS LONG AS COUNCIL CONSIDERS AND APPROVES THE BUDGET OVERALL FOR AUSTIN ENERGY AS PART OF THE CITY'S BUDGET, THEN THIS BLANKET AUTHORITY WILL BE APPROVED AT THAT TIME.
IN THE FUTURE, WHAT HAPPENS IS WE WERE SUPPOSED TO COME BACK, OF COURSE, THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL AND EXPLICITLY ASK FOR THE BLANKET AUTHORITY THAT STEP WAS MISSED.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE COMING BACK NOW TO MAKE UP FOR THAT.
AND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE, UM, NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE BOTH IN THE COMMERCIAL AND THE, UH, MULTI-FAMILY.
SO THE, UM, MULTI THE OTHER ONES, UH, WELL, I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN THE COMMERCIAL.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT AT LEAST, UH, FOUR OUT OF THOSE SIX COMMERCIALS ARE, UH, UH, PROJECTS WERE FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT HAS COME UP BEFORE WITH THIS, UH, BODY AT, FOR THE UC.
AND, UH, THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN, AND THE CONCLUSION THE STATE IS A CUSTOMER, AND SO WE DO, UH, INCENTIVIZE, UH, THOSE PROJECTS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND SO THE, WHAT I'M WONDERING IS, IN LOOKING AT THESE, UM, NUMBERS, MY, MY QUESTION IS, IS DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO HOW MUCH THE PROJECT COST THE STATE? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL COST FOR EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS, UM, IS, IS P PAID FOR THROUGH THE INCENTIVE MONEY? I DON'T HAVE THAT HANDY RIGHT WITH ME NOW, BUT WE'LL LOOK ON THE REPORT AND SEE IF IT'S AN ACTUALLY INCLUDED, UM, AS INFORMATION WE SUBMIT WITH EACH PROJECT.
UH, WE HAVE STAFF HERE THAT CAN GET IN INTO THE DETAIL A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO I BELIEVE THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE WE'RE ASKING ABOUT IS AVAILABLE.
I JUST DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT HERE WITH ME.
I, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT WHEN I MEAN LATER IS FINE WITH ME.
AND, AND THEN ON THAT SAME QUESTION, DOES THE STATE, DO THEY PAY INTO THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AS A COMMERCIAL ENTITY? ARE THEY PAYING INTO THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY? YEAH.
SO THAT'S THEN I THINK IT'S FAIR THAT THEY COULD HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
UM, I HOPE WHEN THEY'RE CONSIDERING ALL KINDS OF BILLS OVER THERE, THEY REALIZE THAT THEY'RE GETTING SOME, UM, GOOD PROJECTS HERE.
AND THEN JUST TO BE CLEAR, I'M SORRY, WERE YOU DONE WITH YOUR QUESTIONS? OH, NO.
UH, RELATED TO YOUR QUESTION WAS, I THOUGHT THERE WAS A CAP, UH, UH, OF HOW MUCH LARGE COMMERCIAL, LIKE $200,000? NO, UM, JOE IS THERE CAP? OKAY.
JOE'S GONNA COME AND ANSWER THAT SPECIFIC QUESTION.
I'M THE INTERIM ENERGY EFFICIENCY SUPER, UH, SERVICE SERVICES MANAGER OVERSEEING COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY.
YOU ARE CORRECT, THERE'S A $300,000 ANNUAL CAP PER SITE FOR EACH CUSTOMER.
SO PRESUMABLY THAT WOULD APPLY TO THE STATE? IT WOULD APPLY TO THE STATE, CORRECT.
UM, HOWEVER, IT'S NOT FOR A SINGLE, NOT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE DON'T CONSIDER THAT TO BE ONE CUSTOMER.
IT WOULD APPLY TO A SPECIFIC FACILITY.
SO WE WOULDN'T SPEND MORE THAN $300,000 AT A SPECIFIC BUILDING AND THE TOTAL AMOUNT WE WOULD PAY TO THE STATE.
I THINK LAST YEAR WE ACTUALLY WAS AROUND
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$800,000.IT WAS ONE OF OUR BANNER YEARS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO, AND RELATED THAT, THE, IN TERMS OF THE TARIFF, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT RECENTLY, BUT ARE, ARE THEY PAYING IN, IN AT THE SAME LEVEL? UM, I BELIEVE THEY'RE PAYING IN AT THE SAME RATE.
I DON'T THINK THAT THEY RECEIVE A DISCOUNT ON THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT CHARGE RATE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
I'M SORRY, DID YOU, DID YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS OR I DON'T WANNA, UM, UM, SO JUST TO UNDERSTAND, THESE THREE TABLES, THE FIRST TABLE ARE THOSE WOULD BE SORT OF A HUNDRED PERCENT INCENTIVE BECAUSE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE FOLKS IN THOSE MULTI-FAMILY BUILDINGS WOULD BE CONSIDERED LOW INCOME? IS THAT YES, TYPICALLY FOR OUR MULTI-FAMILY INCOME QUALIFIED PROGRAM, WE PAY A HIGHER INCENTIVE RATE FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
THERE'S THREE WAYS TO QUALIFY FOR THAT.
AND THEY ALL LOOK AT THE TENANTS, UM, WHETHER, UM, 30% OF THE PROPERTY, UM, ARE ON CAP IS ONE OF THE ELIGIBILITY ROUTES, WHETHER OR NOT THE PROPERTY IS OWNED BY A NONPROFIT SUCH AS HAKA OR FOUNDATION COMMUNITY.
AND THEN ANOTHER REQUIREMENT OR ANOTHER ELIGIBILITY PATH THAT WE USE IS WE RELY ON THE AUSTIN TENANT COUNCIL, THEIR LIST OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO IF THERE'S OTHER PROPERTIES THAT REALLY SPECIALIZE IN THIS, UM, WE PIGGYBACK ON THEIR LIST AND THOSE PROPERTIES ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE.
THE INCENTIVE YOU SEE THERE TYPICALLY COVERS CLOSE TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE COST.
OCCASIONALLY THERE MAY BE SOME NON-ENERGY EFFICIENCY WORK THAT IS INCLUDED, AND TYPICALLY THE CONTRACTOR AND THE PROPERTY OWNER WILL REACH SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT IF THERE'S ANYTHING ADDITIONAL OUT OF SCOPE.
AND THE SECOND TABLE IS FOR OUR MULTI-FAMILY STANDARD PROGRAM, UM, WE TYPICALLY PAY ABOUT 80% OF THE COST.
THOSE WE ACTUALLY DID IN, UM, INCREASE THAT REBATE LEVEL LAST YEAR.
UM, SO WE'RE PAYING CLOSER TO ABOUT 90% OF THOSE COSTS.
SO WE'VE SEEN INCREASED PARTICIPATION THERE.
AND THE THIRD TABLE IS FOR OUR COMMERCIAL AND SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM.
UM, AND, AND KATE, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, WE DO ON THE FACT SHEET REPORTS THAT WE PROVIDE WHEN THE PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED, WE INCLUDE THE TOTAL PROJECT COST FOR THESE.
SO YOU CAN GET AN IDEA OF ROUGHLY THE PERCENTAGE OF HOW MUCH OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY INCENTIVE IS.
WITH RESPECT TO THE TOTAL PROJECT COSTS.
WE DO HAVE RULES WHERE WE, IN THE COMMERCIAL AREA, WE DON'T PAY OVER A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE AMOUNT OF THE TOTAL COST.
UM, SO TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T PAY OVER, UM, 90% FOR LIGHTING COST.
UM, SO THE AMOUNT YOU SEE HERE IS NOT THE TOTAL PROJECT COST, IT'S A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THAT.
WE HAVE THOSE ON THE FACT SHEET AND I'M HAPPY TO SEND THEM TO YOU.
AND WHAT DID YOU SAY? 9%? 90%.
SO THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATE NINE, NOT 90 IS WHAT I WANT CLARIFICATION ON.
SO YEAH, THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATE CAN'T COVER THAT, UM, MORE THAN 90% OF THE COST.
HOWEVER, I WILL SAY FOR THESE LARGE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS MM-HMM.
WE HAVE HIGHER INCENTIVE RATES FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESS LIGHTING PROGRAM.
THAT'S TYPICALLY WHERE WE'LL SEE CLOSER, 80 TO 90% OF THE REBATE IS COVERING THE COST FOR THESE LARGE SCALE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.
UM, TYPICALLY WE SEE A MUCH LOWER PERCENTAGE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATE COVERS FOR THE TOTAL PROJECT COSTS.
AND THEN ONE QUESTION ON A SPECIFIC ONE.
UM, IN THE COMMERCIAL, YOU HAVE ONE THAT'S A THERMAL ENERGY SEEMS TO BE THE LARGEST INCENTIVE, THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE.
I'M GUADALUPE, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE TRI, I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT IS.
THE TRIANGLE, MAYBE I IT SAYS NORTH AUSTIN COMPLEX, OR IS THAT A STATE BUILDING? UM, I BELIEVE THAT IS ANOTHER STATE FACILITY.
I THINK THAT IS THE, UM, IS THAT THE NEW HHS BUILDING? I'M DRAWING A BLANK ON THE, I THINK IT'S, UM, GOING IN AT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FACILITY.
IT'S A THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM.
THE WAY THAT THAT INCENTIVE WORKS IS WHEN THERE IS INTEREST FOR A CUSTOMER, THEY TYPICALLY INPUT A FEASIBILITY STUDY THROUGH THEIR ENGINEERING FIRM.
AUSTIN ENERGY WILL THEN REVIEW IT, APPROVE IT, AND THEN ONCE THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH INSTALLING THE INCENTIVE, OR I'M SORRY, INSTALLING THE SYSTEM, THEN WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH ISSUING AN INCENTIVE.
AND, AND JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, HOW, HOW THE DECISIONS ARE MADE.
LOOKING AT THE LAST, IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE MONEY MAJOR OVER HALF IS GOING TO STATE OF TEXAS, UH, FACILITIES, IS HOW, HOW ARE THOSE WEIGHTED AS OPPOSED TO RESIDENTIAL FACILITY? SURE.
SO, UM, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT, UH, THE COMMERCIAL PROGRAM.
THE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY FOCUSED ON COMMERCIAL ENTITIES.
SO, UM, IN THE LISTS YOU SEE HERE ARE ONLY THE PROJECTS THAT ARE OVER $72,000.
SO YOU'RE NOT SEEING ALL THE MONEY.
MANY SMALLER PROJECTS, UM, THAT WE ALSO FUND.
I WILL SAY LAST YEAR IN F Y 22, THE STATE OF TEXAS WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST RECIPIENTS OF OUR REBATE DOLLARS,
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AS WAS A I S D.I THINK ISD RECEIVED ABOUT $600,000.
AND SO IT JUST, IT'S NOT NORMAL FOR OUR PROGRAMS TO, UM, FUND THAT MUCH MONEY TO, YOU KNOW, A SINGLE ORGANIZATION, WHETHER IT'S A A S D OR THE STATE.
IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON WHERE THEIR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE.
SO LAST YEAR, THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, RECEIVED A BIT, A LOT, UH, CONSIDERABLE LOT MORE BECAUSE THEY HAD A HANDFUL OF FACILITIES THAT COMPLETED LIGHTING PERFORMANCE CONTRACTS.
UM, THE CAPITAL COMPLEX WAS ALSO BROUGHT ON BOARD AND THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER NEW CONSTRUCTION FACILITIES THAT WERE ALL BROUGHT ON BOARD.
SO WE DON'T TYPICALLY, UM, SEE A SINGLE ENTITY, EITHER THE STATE OF TEXAS OR A I S D, UM, YOU KNOW, ACCOUNT FOR A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER, AMOUNT OF OUR ANNUAL REBATE DOLLARS.
IT WAS JUST, JUST A UNIQUE YEAR THAT KIND OF COINCIDED WITH WHEN THESE PROJECTS AND NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WERE COMING ONLINE.
UM, UNLESS THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS, I WOULD, I WOULD MOVE TO APPROVE.
ITEM THREE, ONE SECOND, BUT WOULD LOVE TO HAVE, MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE TO GET THE MONTH, YOU KNOW, THE MONTHLY WE'LL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TO SUPPLY THAT.
LOOKS LIKE IN THE MOTION ONLINE, RAISE YOUR HAND.
CAN YOU ONLINE, CAN YOU APPROVE? OH, YEAH, WE CAN FOR A MOMENT.
MARSHALL, WE DIDN HEAR THAT? YES.
OKAY, SO I THINK WE HAVE UNANIMOUS APPROVAL.
[4. Staff briefing on the Austin Energy FY24 Forecast and Budget Planning by Mark Dombroski, Deputy General Manager and Chief Financial & Administrative Officer]
STAFF BRIEFING BY MARK DOMBROSKI.AND, UH, TONIGHT I'M GONNA PRESENT THE, UH, FIVE YEAR FORECAST.
YOU WANNA TURN UP THE VOLUME FOR HIM? IS THIS ON? UH, THE OTHER ONE MAY WORK BETTER.
IS THAT WORKING BETTER NOW? ALL RIGHT.
UM, SO I'M GONNA PRESENT TO YOU THE, UM, FIVE YEAR FORECAST.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION OF THE 24 BUDGETING PROCESS, AND WE'RE GONNA RECAP THE 23 BUDGET.
AND I'LL START WITH A FORECAST TO BUDGET SUBMISSION TIMELINE, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE FORECAST ASSUMPTIONS AND THEN WALK THROUGH THE NUMBERS.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I'LL SHARE, UM, A REVIEW THAT OF THAT OF THE 2023 NUMBERS THERE.
NEXT PAGE, AS WE NORMALLY DO, UH, WE MEET, WE NEED TO REMIND YOU THAT THE, UH, PUBLIC, UH, THAT THIS REPORT CONTAINS UNAUDITED AND FORECASTED INFORMATION AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
AND THAT OUR AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH, THEY'RE AVAILABLE AS OF MARCH 8TH, 2023.
AND I PROVIDE THE LINK THERE ON THE, ON THE WEBSITE THERE.
SO THIS, UH, PRESENTATION CONTAINS A, A LOT OF INFORMATION AND IT'S INTENDED TO BE A REFERENCE DOCUMENT FOR YOU.
UH, BUT WE'LL HAVE SOME, UH, NEW COMMISSIONERS HERE.
SO I THOUGHT IT'D BE HELPFUL TO GO THROUGH A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH, UM, REGARDING THE FORECAST AND SOME UPCOMING BUDGET PROCESS ISSUES.
THE FORMAT IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT, UH, YOU SAW LAST YEAR.
I WON'T BE COVERING ALL OF THE MATERIALS PRESENTED.
HOWEVER, I BE PLEASED TO FOLLOW UP WITH ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AT THE END.
AND THE PRIMARY FOCUS TONIGHT IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT FORECAST AND HOW THAT INFORMS OUR UPCOMING BUDGET PROCESS.
UH, NEXT PAGE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TO THE FY 24 BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION.
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AUSTIN ENERGY IS DEVELOPING THE FY 24 BUDGET, AND WE'LL BE SUBMITTING THAT TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S FINANCE DEPARTMENT IN EARLY MAY.THE CITY MANAGER IS EXPECTED TO PROPOSE THE FY 24 BUDGET ON JULY 19TH.
AND AFTER MULTIPLE BUDGET WORK SESSIONS IN AUGUST, THE CITY COUNCIL IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT THE FY 24 BUDGET BY AUGUST 18TH.
THE NEW PHYSICAL YEAR STARTS OCTOBER 1ST, UH, WITH NEW PAST TWO RATES.
EFFECTIVE AND ADOPTED CHANGE IN BASE RATES WILL BE EFFECTIVE ON NOVEMBER 1ST.
AND I GOT A CHART HERE THAT PROVIDES, UH, SOME INPUT ON WHAT THOSE ADOPTED BASE RATE CHANGES WERE.
UM, SO TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UM, UH, THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST AND HOW THAT IS DEVELOPED AND, AND USED IN OUR BUDGETING.
AND SO THE FOR FORECAST ALWAYS KICKS OFF, UH, IN THIS BUDGET SEASON, UH, WITH THIS FIVE STEP PROCESS.
AND SO FIRST IS A, UM, IS A FINANCIAL FORECAST.
IT REALLY IS A TOP DOWN FORECAST.
UM, AND THAT'S USED TO ESTABLISH, UH, THRESHOLDS AND COMPLIANCE WITH FINANCIAL POLICIES.
WE SEND THOSE DOWN TO OUR BUSINESS UNITS, UM, WHO THEN USE THOSE TARGETS, UH, FOR THEIR PROGRAM BUDGETS.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES ACROSS AUSTIN ENERGY THAT INPUT FINANCIAL DATA INTO THEIR BUDGETS, UH, SORT OF A BOTTOM UP APPROACH IN DEVELOPING THAT.
UM, AND THAT FEEDS IN THROUGH E HOMES AND POWER PLAN.
UH, WE THEN COMPILE ALL THAT INFORMATION AND AUSTIN ENERGY.
WE'LL UPDATE THESE, UH, FORECAST ASSUMPTIONS FOR WHAT WE KNOW, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF APRIL HERE.
AND THEN WE SUBMIT THAT OVER TO THE CITY, UH, MANAGER FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND THEN, UH, THE CITY MANAGER WILL, UM, UH, POTENTIALLY RE THOSE NUMBERS OR UPDATE THOSE NUMBERS AND THEN RELEASE THOSE NUMBERS IN IN, UM, IN JULY.
UM, CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN ENERGY, WE PUBLISHED A LOT OF FINANCIAL DATA, UM, AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE INFORMATION, BUT FINDING THAT DATA CAN BE A CHALLENGE.
AND SO I PROVIDED SOME USEFUL LINKS HERE ON THIS WEBSITE TO WHERE, UH, THE PUBLIC CAN GO OUT AND, AND GET DATA ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND, AND AUSTIN ENERGY.
EXCUSE, EXCUSE ME, ON THE TIMELINE QUESTION.
WHEN IS, UH, THE MAY 5TH, IS THAT WHEN THE BUDGET GOES TO THE CITY MANAGER? THAT, THAT'S CORRECT.
SO WE, WE SEND OUR DATA OVER TO CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, FINANCE.
AND THEN COMPILE ALL THE DATA FROM ALL THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO CREATE THE CITY BUDGET.
WILL YOU MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO THE COMMISSION? UM, WE GENERALLY DON'T DO THAT, UH, BECAUSE THE BUDGET INFORMATION ISN'T FINAL UNTIL THE CITY MANAGER APPROVES IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT HE'LL RELEASE ON JULY 19TH.
AND USUALLY THAT NEXT EUC UM, UH, FORECAST, WE WILL PRESENT WHAT THAT CITY MANAGER HAS APPROVED AT THAT TIME.
UH, I, I KNOW IT HASN'T BEEN DONE IN THE PAST, BUT CAN YOU DO IT THIS YEAR? I CAN ASK.
IT'S NOT MY DATE OF THE SHARE, BUT I CAN ASK THE CITY FINANCE.
SO THE FORECAST ESTIMATES OR PREDICTS HOW AUSTIN ENERGY WILL PERFORM FINANCIALLY FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS USING PAST, CURRENT, AND FUTURE DATA AS INPUTS.
THIS LIST REPRESENTS THE MAJOR INPUTS, UH, FOR OUR FORECAST.
I'M NOT GONNA ADDRESS EACH ONE OF THEM, BUT SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE ONES ARE PRELIMINARY LOAD FORECAST, THE HISTORICAL FINANCIAL TRENDS, AND VARIOUS FORECAST ASSUMPTIONS THAT I'LL COVER NEXT, NEXT PAGE.
SO I'VE BROKEN OUT SOME OF THE KEY ASSUMPTIONS THAT IMPACTED OUR FORECAST ON A REVENUE SIDE.
UM, WE HAVE THE APPROVED BASE RATE INCREASE THAT BEGAN MARCH OF 2023, AND IT'S A, UH, THREE YEAR PHASED IN BETWEEN A CUSTOMER CHARGE AND ENERGY CHARGE.
UH, WE'RE EXPECTING 2% ANNUAL COMPOUND GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS, BUT ONLY ABOUT A 1% INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF LOAD.
UM, THIS FORECAST MODEL ASSUMES A 3% BASE RATE INCREASE IN 27, UH, TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH FINANCIAL POLICIES.
HOWEVER, IF WE DO IN CHANGE BASE RATES, IT'LL BE THROUGH A COST OF SERVICE, UH, UH, PROCESS AS AS WE DID LAST TIME.
UM, AND FINALLY, ON THE REVENUE SIDE, WE HAVE SOME WHOLESALE TRANSMISSION REVENUE PROJECTIONS OF ABOUT 13 MILLION STARTING IN FY 25.
AND YOU'LL SEE IN OUR CAPITAL BUDGET A NUMBER OF CAPITAL PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE TRANSMISSION.
AND SO THAT'S THE COLLECTION AND THE RETURN ON, UH, THAT CAPITAL INVESTED IN TRANSMISSION.
AND THOSE RATES ARE APPROVED BY THE PUC ON THE EXPENSE SIDE.
UH, LABOR AND BENEFITS ESCALATION IS 5% FOR THIS YEAR AND 3% FOR EACH YEAR.
THE NON-LABOR INFLATION, WE'RE ASSUMING 2.7 AND 24, 2 0.1, AND 25 AND 1.5.
FOR THE YEAR 26 THROUGH 28, WE HAVE A 10%
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VACANCY ASSUMPTION.UH, SO WE ASSUME THAT, UH, OF THE BUDGETED FTES, THAT 10% OF THOSE ARE VACANT AT TIME.
SO THEN WE REDUCED THE LABOR BUDGET BY THAT AMOUNT SINCE WE ASSUME THAT THOSE POSITIONS WILL BE VACANT AT ANY ONE TIME.
IN OUR GENERAL FUND TRANSFER, WE REDUCED IT FROM 12% TO 11.6% IN OUR FORECAST.
LET ME, LET ME ASK, ON THE 10% VACANCY, IF I RECALL THE, THERE WERE OVER 260 VACANCIES THIS LAST YEAR WHEN WE, WHEN WE REQUESTED.
ARE WE AT THE 10% LEVEL NOW? NO, I THINK WE'RE AROUND 11.9 RIGHT NOW.
SO, AND I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, PROJECT.
THE, AN PROJECTED COMPOUNDED ANNUAL GROWTH RATE MM-HMM.
IS THAT CONSISTENT WITH THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS? I THOUGHT HAVING GONE THROUGH THE RATE, BASE RATE CASE THAT WE, UH, ENERGY SALES WERE LAGGING RATHER THAN INCREASING, THEY'RE AROUND 0.6 TO 1% EACH YEAR.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE HISTORICALLY SEEN IN RECENT TIMES WITH ABOUT A TWO TO TWO AND A HALF PERCENT GROWTH IN NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS, BUT ABOUT A 1% GROWTH IN REVENUE.
ON, ON THE, UM, ASSUMPTION ON THE GENERAL FUND TRANSFER, IS THAT, IS THAT IN LINE WITH THE, WITH WHAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVED IN DECEMBER IN TERMS OF THE, OR WHY, WHY DOES IT GO, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WHY DOES IT GO DOWN FROM 12% TO 11.6%? RIGHT.
SO DURING THE, UM, DURING THE RECENT RATE REVIEW, UM, FOR THE TEST YEAR, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO USE 115 MILLION AS OUR GENERAL FUND TRANSFER AS OPPOSED TO THE 1 21.
1 21 WOULD'VE BEEN 12% OF REVENUES.
SO GET TO THE ONE 15, WE HAD TO USE 11.6.
SO THAT RESET THE, THE PERCENTAGE.
AND, UH, I, I HEARD, UH, AT CITY COUNCIL THAT, UH, IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING TO RAMP UP THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT BECAUSE THERE JUST AREN'T ENOUGH WORKERS FOR THE CONTRACTED EMPLOYEES.
IS IS, ARE THE LABOR NUMBERS HERE, UH, DOES THAT INCLUDE CONTRACT LABOR, THE PEOPLE THAT THE TREE CUTTERS, IS THAT INCLUDED OR ARE THESE JUST, UH, DIRECT AUSTIN ENERGY EMPLOYEES? SO THESE WOULD JUST BE AUSTIN ENERGY EMPLOYEES.
SO THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IS, UH, I THINK WE HAS THREE DIFFERENT CONTRACTORS, UH, ON THAT.
UM, AND YOU'LL SEE LATER ON THAT THAT'S ABOUT, I THINK WE BUDGETED ABOUT $20 MILLION A YEAR, UH, FOR THOSE CONTRACTS.
UM, WE HAVE SOME OTHER ASSUMPTIONS THAT, UH, HAVE WORKED INTO THE FORECAST HERE.
SO FIRST IS, UM, UH, WE ASSUME, UH, A GROWTH IN OUR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO 90,000 CUSTOMERS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
UM, WE ASSUME THAT FAYETTE POWER PLANT WILL CONTINUE TO RUN, HOWEVER, AT A REDUCED DISPATCH TO MEET CARBON EMISSION GOALS.
AND THAT'S ASSUMED THROUGH DECEMBER, 2030.
WINTER STORM MAURA, UH, WE'VE ASSUMED, UH, ABOUT A $15 MILLION FEMALE REIMBURSEMENT.
HOWEVER, WE'RE STILL WAITING TO HEAR WHETHER THERE'S A PRESIDENTIAL DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET.
UH, THE GOVERNOR HAS DECLARED, BUT NOT YET, UH, THE PRESIDENT.
UM, WE ASSUME THAT RECOVER OUR, OUR PSA COST, UH, 52,000,020 2 MILLION IN FY 23 AND 24.
AND FINALLY THAT ERCOT RECEIVABLE, UH, THAT WAS A RESULT OF THE BRASS BANKRUPTCY.
WE RECEIVED 18 MILLION IN FY 23, AND THEN WE EXPECT TO GET ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MILLION IN FY 24 ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ON, ON THE FAYETTE POWER PLANT, UH, REDUCED DISPATCH.
DOES THAT, UM, HAVE A CORRESPONDING, UM, UH, DE DOES THAT RESULT IN A, UH, ANY DECREASE TO THE EXPENSE OF THAT JOINT PROJECT? UM, IT WOULD REDUCE THE REVENUE THAT WE GET, UM, FROM FAYETTE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT CHANGES THE EXPENSE SIDE, BUT REDUCED REVENUE SO THAT THE NET COST OR THE, THE NET BENEFIT WOULD BE REDUCED.
SO THE NET OKAY, THE NET BENEFIT, BUT NOT THE COST, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
UH, WE CAN GET SOMEONE FROM GENERATION TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH KEEPING IT OUT AT THE, AT THE, AT THE LOWER LEVEL.
WERE, WERE YOU DONE? I'M SORRY.
YES, I'M OKAY ON THAT SAME ISSUE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THIS COMMISSION AND, AND YOU GUYS WILL BE DISCUSSING THE RESOURCE PLAN LATER IN THE YEAR AND FAYETTE.
UM, BUT WHY, WHY DO YOU DECIDE TO, TO MAKE THAT ASSUMPTION ON IT'LL CONTINUE TO RUN TO 2030 VERSUS SOME OTHER YEAR? IS, IS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING A, YOU'RE DOING A FIVE YEAR LOOK FORWARD, SO YOU NEED TO GO FORWARD 2030 IS SIX YEARS.
SO LIKE WHY DID YOU DECIDE DECEMBER, 2030?
[00:35:01]
IS THERE SOMETHING MAGICAL OR YOU JUST NEEDED TO MAKE AN ASSUMPTION? WELL, WE, WE HAD TO MAKE ASSUMPTION REALLY AROUND THE REVENUE SIDE.UM, AND WE, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO RUN IT AT A MUCH LOWER LEVEL.
SO 23RD IS BEYOND THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING MAGICAL ABOUT 2030.
AND I THINK THAT'S CRA ON THAT.
AND THEN, UM, OH, SO THESE ARE, ARE, THESE ARE REVENUE AND COST ASSUMPTIONS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
WE JUST, THE ONE THING I DIDN'T SEE SO FAR, AND MAYBE IT'S, MAYBE IT'S LATER AND YOU CAN TELL I HAVEN'T, UM, I'M NOT AS WELL PREPARED AS I'D LIKE TO BE FOR THIS MEETING CUZ OF OTHER REASONS.
BUT, UM, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING ABOUT THE ASSUMPTIONS ON ER ERCOT COST OR IS THAT JUST IN THE PSA, THE FACT THAT, UM, DECISIONS BEING BEING MADE MAY INCREASE JUST SORT OF COSTS OF ANCILLARY SERVICES, ET CETERA? OR IS THAT WE'RE KIND OF WAITING AND SEEING WHAT HAPPENS WITH PUC AND THE LEGISLATURE AND YOU CAN'T REALLY FORECAST THAT AT THE MOMENT.
YEAH, SO WHAT WE USE, UM, WE USE SOME, SOME, UH, SOME FUNDAMENTAL MODELS.
UM, YOU PLAN, UM, AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR POWER SUPPLY COSTS ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.
THAT'S REALLY DRIVEN BY, UH, BY NATURAL GAS.
BUT SOME OF THOSE OTHER ASSUMPTIONS LIKE CHANGES IN, IN, IN, IN MARKET RULES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WILL REALLY INFORM THE RESOURCE AND GENERATION PLAN THAT WOULD THEN GET INCORPORATED INTO THE FUTURE FINANCIAL PLANS.
BUT, BUT IN ANY CASE, AN EXAMPLE IF, IF ERCOT DECIDED AS, AS THEY MAY SOON, THAT THEY'RE GONNA MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE O R D C WHEN, WHEN WE GET TIGHT MM-HMM.
AND THAT WOULD BE SORT OF, IN ANY CASE, IT WOULD GO THROUGH THE PSA, IT WOULDN'T AFFECT THE BUDGET.
IS THAT, AM I, AM I RIGHT ON THAT? WELL, IT WOULD AFFECT THE BUDGET AND THAT WE BUDGET FOR THE PSA, BUT FOR THIS SPECIFIC FORECAST, I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT CUZ THOSE ARE, UM, THINGS I CAN'T OKAY.
UH, THAT'S AN INPUT TO THE FINANCIAL FORECAST IS THAT, UM, THAT THOSE POWER SUPPLY COSTS.
AND IS WHY IS THERE SUCH A STARK DIFFERENCE IN THE POWER, THE RECOVERED PSA COSTS FOR 2023 AND 2024? IS THAT, ARE WE PAYING OFF THAT NADOS PLANT OR NO? SO, UM, WE WERE ABOUT A HUNDRED, UH, WE PROJECTED TO BE $104 MILLION UNDER RECOVERED IN THE POWER SUPPLY AS OF LAST, UM, OCTOBER 31ST.
AND SO THAT'S JUST THAT COLLECTION OF THOSE, THOSE REVENUES.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, AUSTIN ENERGY, WE'RE A, UH, DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY AND WE USE CITY SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO OPERATE AND THEREFORE CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING, UH, THOSE IN OUR FORECAST, THOSE ARE PROVIDED BY THE CITY.
UM, THESE PERCENTAGES I HAVE HERE, THEY'RE, THEY REPRESENT THE ESCALATION, UM, FOR THE FY 24 BUDGET OR FORECAST FROM CURRENT EXPENSE LEVELS.
AND SO, UM, I, I MENTIONED THE 5% ON, ON WAGE AND BENEFITS, UM, AND YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THOSE OTHER INCREASES THAT, THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT ARE FLOWING THROUGH FROM THE CITY IN THIS FORECAST.
UH, THE ACTUAL AMOUNTS, UH, WE'LL GET THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE BUDGET CYCLE, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF, OF APRIL AND EARLY MAY.
AND THEN WE'LL UPDATE THOSE, WHAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE AT THAT TIME.
SO WHEN OUR BASE RATES WERE ADOPTED IN LATE 22, THE TARIFF INCLUDED A $1 INCREASE IN THE CUSTOMER CHARGE, EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1ST, 2023.
AND, UH, UH, REDUCING THE ENERGY CHARGES OFFSET THAT INCREASE.
SO THAT MAKES THE CHANGE REVENUE NEUTRAL.
UH, THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT WAS SET IN NOVEMBER OF 22 AND WAS DESIGNED TO COLLECT THAT 104 MILLION OF THE UNDERCOVERED CASH OVER THREE YEAR PERIOD.
IN ADDITION, THE ADOPTED BASE RATES INCLUDED AN INCREASE IN THE SERVICE AREA LIGHTING COMPONENT OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS CHARGE.
AND THIS WILL ALLOW US TO RECOVER THE ACTUAL COST OF LIGHTING WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
CUSTOMERS WHO RESIDE OUTSIDE THE CITY OF AUSTIN ARE NOT CHARGED THE STREET, UH, SERVICE AREA LIGHTING PORTION OF THE CBC.
AND AS WE DO EACH YEAR, WILL EVALUATE THE PASS THROUGHS, UH, CHARGES DURING THE UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE AND DETERMINE IF ANY RATE CHANGES OR WARRANTED.
SORRY, I HAVE A QUESTION NOW THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY BENEFIT CHARGE.
UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED IN YOUR ASSUMPTIONS THAT YOU'RE ASSUMING THAT YOU'RE GONNA INCREASE THE COVERAGE AS PER THE CITY COUNCIL TO 90,000.
BY, I GUESS THE, IS THAT, IS THAT THE BEGINNING OF FISCAL YEAR 2025 OR THE END?
[00:40:02]
I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE, I'M LOOKING TO CARRY HERE THAT THE, AT THE END, AT THE END, AT THE END, AT THE END.SO IS THERE ANY ASSUMPTION ON IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, DOES THAT MEAN WE'D TRY TO INCREASE IT BY 30,000 CUZ THAT'S A THIRD OF THREE YEARS, OR, OR IS IT AS LONG AS YOU GET TO THAT? I LIKE CARRY, ARE THERE JUST AFTER, ARE THERE ANY ASSUMPTIONS THAT, THAT YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO MEET IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET? OR ARE YOU STILL FIGURING THAT OUT? YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU'RE RIGHT ON TRACK, BUT, UH, THE FIRST YEAR WILL NOT BE THE SAME LIFT.
SO IT'S NOT A ONE-THIRD, ONE-THIRD, UH, SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY ADD CUSTOMERS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH OUR AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT PROGRAM AND THE LARGEST POPULATION IS IN OUR ISDS.
AND, AND WE'RE DOING A PILOT AND TRYING TO GET DATA TRANSFERRED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE ALREADY FREE LUNCH AND OTHER KIND OF PROGRAMS. THE FIRST PART OF THAT MEASURE THAT COUNCIL LAID OUT FOR US IS WE'LL GET A 7,000, UM, 7,000, UM, PARTICIPANT LIFT FROM THE 35,000 JUST THIS YEAR.
AND SO WE SHOULD HAVE THAT BY THE END OF JUNE, POSSIBLY JULY.
AND THEN THE NEXT JUMP WOULD GO, UM, APPROX APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 15 TO 18,000.
AND THEN AT THE OUT YEAR, THE REST OF THAT REMAINING TO GET TO 90,000.
SO, SO IN OTHER WORDS, IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, YOU WOULD TRY TO INCREASE IN THAT 15 TO 18,000 RANGE? IS THAT, SORRY, IS THAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID? FISCAL YEAR 24? YES.
HOW, HOW WERE THE HOUSEHOLDS SELECTED FOR THE PILOT? UH, HOW, HOW DID THAT OP, HOW DOES THAT OPERATE? UH, GOOD QUESTION, RANDY.
UM, THE, THE WAY WE LOOKED AT IT IS WE LOOKED AT THOSE PROGRAMS ONCE AGAIN THAT ARE ALREADY PRE-QUALIFIED FOR A TWO, 200% OF FPL.
UH, WE DO KNOW IN CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY RECEIVING THE FREE LUNCH PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY STARTING FOR THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE DATABASE.
UM, FOR THOSE LUNCH PROGRAMS, WHAT WE REALLY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAD THE DIALOGUE WITH COUNCIL, BUT WHAT WE COULDN'T DO IS TAKE 'EM A HUNDRED PERCENT, ONE FOR ONE, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHERE ONCE YOU REACH 60% OF THE ENROLLEES OF STUDENTS IN THAT SCHOOL, THEN THE SCHOOL IS QUALIFIED.
BUT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT HOUSEHOLD SPECIFICALLY IS IF, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? OKAY.
SO THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT IS WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE QUALIFIED AT THE 200% BECAUSE OF THE PROGRAM, THE FEDERAL PROGRAM, WHERE THEY'RE ALREADY RECEIVING THE DOLLARS.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS BUILDING THE Q A QC BEHIND IT BEFORE WE ENROLL THEM IN THE PROGRAM.
SO WITH RESPECT TO A I S D, THEY HAVEN'T, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HASN'T HIT THAT 60%, I PRESUME? NO, UM, THEY HAVEN'T, UM, THEY, THEY MAY HAVE A SCHOOL, BUT THEIR, THEIR SCHOOL OVERALL IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NOT, UM, UH, QUALIFIED AT THE 60%.
SO THEY HAVE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS THAT THEY WILL NOT REACH THAT LIMIT, AND WE'RE GONNA GO INTO EVERY INDIVIDUAL, UH, DATA RUN ON THOSE STUDENTS TO, UH, BRING THEM INTO THE PROGRAM.
SO, AT AUSTIN ENERGY, OUR FINANCIAL FORECAST STARTS WITH OUR LOAD FORECAST AND WE USE I TRON, STATISTICALLY ADJUSTED END USE MODEL FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS.
UH, WE ADJUST THIS WELL-DEVELOPED MODEL USING LOCAL ECONOMIC DRIVERS, HISTORICAL WEATHER DATA, AND OUR SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS.
THEN THE NEXT STEP IS TO PRODUCE A REVENUE FORECAST BASED UPON THE, UH, LOAD AND OUR EXISTING TARIFFS AND RATE CLASSES.
FINALLY, WE USE THAT REVENUE FORECAST TO DEVELOP THIS FINANCIAL FORECAST, INCLUDING THE INPUTS AND ASSUMPTIONS I DISCUSSED EARLIER.
AND TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA COVER THE OUTPUT OF THAT FINANCIAL FORECAST FOR THE YEARS, UM, 24 THROUGH 28.
SO, UM, OUR CURRENT YEAR ESTIMATES FOR REVENUE FOR FY 23 ARE LOWER THAN BUDGET DUE TO THE DELAY IN IMPLEMENTING THE BASE RATE INCREASE.
UH, WE DID THAT IN MARCH RATHER IN JANUARY.
UM, AND OUR C I P TRANSFERS FOR FY 23 ARE TRENDING LOWER THAN BUDGET.
SO THAT RESULTS IN A FORECASTED SLIGHT EXCESS RATHER THAN A SLIGHT DEFICIENCY.
YOU'LL SEE FORECASTED REVENUES DECREASE IN FY 2024 DUE TO PROJECTED LOWER POWER SUPPLY COSTS, MAINLY CAUSED BY REDUCED NATURAL GAS PRICES.
UM, LAST YEAR WE'RE SEEING AROUND $6, UH, WEIGHTED AVERAGE COST OF GAS.
WE'RE SEEING ABOUT $4 NOW, AND SPOT IS EVEN LOWER THAN THAT.
SO, UH, YOU'RE SEEING THOSE, UM, THOSE REDUCED, UM, COSTS COMING THROUGH THE POWER SUPPLY.
IN OUR FORECAST, WE ANTICIPATE BEGINNING TO FUND CRAN TRANSFERS TO THE RESERVES IN 2024 AND ARE PROJECTED
[00:45:01]
TO BE FULLY FUNDED IN 2027.IN THE FORECAST SHOWS THAT 3% INCREASE IN BASE RATES IN FY 27.
THIS IS FORECASTED TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECTED, UH, RESULTS COMPLY WITH KEY FINANCIAL POLICIES AND ACTUAL BASE RATE CHANGES WOULD BE BASED ON THE COST OF SERVICE STUDY.
CAN, SORRY, ON THAT RESERVES? YES.
UM, CAN YOU GO BACK ONE, JUST, UM, WE'RE CRC TELL ME WHY WE'RE CIRCLING THOSE RESERVES.
SO CURRENTLY WE ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES ON RESERVE LEVELS.
WE DON'T HAVE THE CASH TO TRANSFER INTO THOSE RESERVES.
SO WITH THE BASE RATE INCREASE AND THE INCREASE IN SOME TRANSMISSION REVENUE, WE'RE STARTING TO GET ENOUGH CASH TO, TO, TO MEET THOSE RESERVE UH, POLICIES.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TRANSFERRING THE MONEY INTO THOSE RESERVES.
ONCE THAT CASH GOES INTO THE RESERVES, UH, THE ONLY WAY WE CAN ACCESS IT IS WITH COUNCIL DIRECTION.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY SHOWING WE EXPECT IN 24 OR 22 MILLION, WE'LL GO ON THOSE RESERVES.
AND IT'S THE DIFFERENT, I KNOW WE HAVE DIFFERENT RESERVES, IS THAT THAT'S RIGHT.
SO SOME WOULD GO TO CONTINGENCY AND SOME WOULD GO TO RIGHT.
WE HAVE A CONCLUSIONS RESERVE, A POWER SUPPLY RESERVE, AND A CAPITAL RESERVE.
AND THAT'S JUST ON THE TOTAL? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO, THE CAPITAL PLAN IN THIS FORECAST, IT'S OUR ADOPTED FIVE YEAR CI PLAN FROM 2023, AND WE MADE ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON SOME HISTORICAL SPENDING AND SOME KNOWN PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE.
AND THIS RESULTS IN A FIVE YEAR SPENT PLAN OF LITTLE MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS.
WE EXPECT TO FUNDI FUND THE CIP P WITH ABOUT 52% CASH AND 48% DEBT ON AVERAGE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
HOWEVER, WE PROJECT TO USE ABOUT 56% CASH IN YEARS 27 TO 28 TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THOSE MARGINS.
REDUCED FUTURE DEBT SERVICE INCREASES IN TRANSMISSION PROJECTS, SUBSTATIONS AND FIELD SERVICE CENTERS.
THE DRIVERS OF THIS PLAN, I'M GONNA GO OVER THERE IN A MINUTE, I NOTE THAT DISTRICT COOLING AND TRANSMISSION PROJECTS, UM, THE DEBT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT IS NOT PAID WITH RETAIL ELECTRIC RATES, TRANSMISSIONS PAID WITH THOSE TRANSMISSION RATES ARE SET BY THE P U C AND DISTRICT COOLING THAT'S RECOVERED TO THE, UH, SEPARATE CONTRACTS WE HAVE WITH CUSTOMERS.
THE, UH, LINE ITEM POWER PRODUCTION.
UH, IT DOES, OF COURSE FAYETTE, NOT FAYETTE, EXCUSE ME.
UH, DECKER POWER PLANT IS, IS NOT, NOT OPERATING.
SO IS THE WOOD CHIP, UH, PLANT IN EAST TEXAS, UH, IS THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT'S GOING TO BE OPERA AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THESE YEARS? RIGHT, SO, SO FIRST IS AT DECKER.
UM, THE TWO STEAM STEAM UNITS ARE RETIRED, HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE GAS TURBINES OUT THERE.
AND SO THOSE, THOSE CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND PROVIDE POWER, UM, ON THE NACODOCHES.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC, UH, RETIREMENT OR CLOSE DATE FOR THAT PLANT.
AND EACH YEAR DURING THE RESOURCE PLANT WHERE EVERY TWO YEARS WE'LL REEVALUATE THAT NACODOCHES PLANT, UM, AND DETERMINE ITS, ITS, ITS VIABILITY.
SO WE'RE GONNA HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THE, THE MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS IN OUR FIVE YEAR SPEND PLAN.
SO THE FIRST IS A FIELD SERVICE CENTER, WHICH WILL CONSOLIDATE OPERATIONS FROM SEVERAL LEASED AND KNOWN SITES ACROSS THE SERVICE TO TORY.
AND THIS WILL HELP US IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO SUPPLY AND DISPATCH FUEL CREWS AND REDUCE LEASE COST.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL TRANSMISSION PROJECTS AND THESE ARE REALLY TO REBUILD AND RELOCATE CIRCUITS, UM, IN OUR SERVICE TERRITORY.
AND WE HAVE TWO NEW SUBSTATIONS THAT'LL ADDRESS GROWTH IN OUR SERVICE TERRITORY, IN THE DOMAIN IN THE NORTHEAST AUSTIN AREA.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE A PLANNED, UH, FUND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM RE UH, RESILIENCY, UM, EFFORTS, UH, IN THAT AREA.
AND, UM, CAN YOU GO INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AS FAR AS THE DISTRIBUTION? IS THIS INVESTING IN THE RE-CLOSERS, THE ADDITIONAL RECLOSERS AND THE FEW, UH, FICTIONALIZATION OR WHAT ELSE? THAT'S PART OF, I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY COULD TALK MORE SP I MEAN STUART MAYBE HAVE MORE SPECIFICS ON THOSE PROJECTS.
THAT EFFORT WILL BE, IT IS REFLECTED IN OUR BUDGETS GOING FORWARD.
UM, WHETHER IT MOVED THE NEEDLE REALLY ON THE FINANCIAL FORECAST, I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT, BUT THAT IS ASSUMED IN ALL OF OUR PLANS GOING FORWARD.
[00:50:01]
SO, AN IMPORTANT OUTPUT OF OUR FINANCIAL FORECAST IS THE KEY METRICS, UM, IN FUTURE YEARS.AND THIS HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THE TRENDS AND POSSIBLE CORRECTED ACTIONS THAT WE CAN TAKE NOW.
UH, THE FIRST IS AT OUR NET MARGINS.
UM, OUR POSITIVE FOR THE FORECAST YEARS, UM, THIS IS DUE TO THOSE INCREASES IN BASE REVENUES, UH, FROM RECENT BASE RATE CHANGED, AND THE PROJECTED CHANGE WE HAVE IN FY 27 IN BASE RATES AS WELL AS OUR, UH, PROJECTED, UH, REVENUE INCREASES.
THE QUICK RATIO, UM, OUR TARGET IS 1.5 AND HITS BETWEEN 1.4 AND 1.5 AND A FORECAST.
AND THIS IS LARGELY DRIVEN BY OUR DECISION TO RECOVER THE PSA OVER THREE YEARS.
THE DELAY IN THE ADJUSTING THE BASE RATES AND OUR, AND THE INFLATION ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS, THE CASH POSITION IS IMPROVING, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE RATE INCREASE AND THE DAYS CASH ON HAND INCREASES FROM 150, WHICH IS OUR, OUR TARGET TO A HUNDRED AND, UH, 57 DAYS.
UM, IN FIVE YEARS, OUR DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE RATIO, UH, STAYS AT TWO POINT, UH, OR BETTER.
AND THE DEBT TO CAPITAL, IT REMAINS OVER THE 50%, UH, TARGET.
AND THAT'S REALLY DUE TO OUR ACQUISITION OF NACODOCHES BACK IN 2019.
UM, AND OF COURSE THE, THE DECREASE IN EQUITY AS WE HAVE LESS CASH THAN THAT DEBT CAPITALIZATION IS IMPACTED.
UM, SO OVERALL WE'RE SEEING SOME, UH, MOVEMENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ON SOME OF OUR FINANCIAL METRICS.
SO THIS TABLE PROVIDES YOU WITH A SUMMARY OF SOME VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE CHARGES FOR OUR RETAIL CUSTOMERS.
IT INCLUDES HOW THE REVENUE'S USED, WHETHER THE GFT APPLIES TO THAT BILL COMPONENT, WHEN AND HOW THEY'RE ADJUSTED, AND THE LAST TIME THAT THEY WERE ADJUSTED.
WE'VE ALSO INDICATED AS A PERCENTAGE WHAT THAT CHARGE IS ON A TYPICAL, UH, NON CAP INSIDE CITY RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER USING 860 KILOWATT HOURS A MONTH.
I'M IN PARTICULAR LOOKING AT THE, UM, UH, REGULATORY CHARGES, WHICH ARE BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSES.
SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SAY GFT IS APPLIED TO THAT? RIGHT, SO RIGHT, SO OUR, OUR GENERAL FUND TRANSFER IS 11.6% OF OUR TOTAL REVENUE, RIGHT? LESS POWER SUPPLY COST.
SO IT'S EVERYTHING WHEN THE POWER SUPPLY AND LESS DISTRICT COOLING.
SO ANY OTHER REVENUES WE COLLECT, GFT IS APPLIED ON.
SO ON THIS ONE, SINCE WE DON'T COLLECT IT ON THAT POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT, NO GFT IS COLLECTED FOR THE POWER SUPPLY PIECE.
AND THE REGULATORY CHARGES AREN'T IN THE PS A.
SO THIS CHART COMPARES THE ANNUAL CHANGES TO OUR AVERAGE SYSTEM RATES TO THE CHANGES IN THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, URBAN FOR ELECTRICITY, AND A 2% GROWTH TREND, WHICH IS THE BASIS FOR OUR AFFORDABILITY METRIC, WHICH I'LL COVER HERE IN A MINUTE.
THAT METRIC BEGAN IN FY 23, BUT WAS BASED UPON THE TREND FROM 95 TO 2009.
AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR IMPLEMENTED CHANGES KEEP US WELL BELOW THE CPI, UH, UE AND THE 2% GROWTH.
SO AUSTIN ENERGY'S AFFORDABILITY GOAL WAS PRESENTED, UM, IN THE RESOURCE AND GENERATION PLAN IN 2011.
AND THEN THAT PLAN ESTABLISHED TWO METRIC, THE AFFORDABILITY METRIC, UH, WHICH I JUST DISCUSSED IN THE COMPETITIVENESS METRIC.
THIS CHART DEMONSTRATES COMPLIANCE WITH THE AFFORDABILITY METRIC BY MAINTAINING AN AVERAGE SYSTEM RATE AT OR BELOW A 2% ANNUAL COMPOUND GROWTH RATE.
THAT BEGAN IN OC OCTOBER, 2012.
AND SO AS LONG AS THOSE BARS ARE BELOW THAT, THAT THAT LINE WE'RE, WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT, THAT METRIC.
THE SECOND METRIC IS THE AFFORDABILITY GOAL OF THE AFFORDABLE GOAL IS THE COMPETITIVE, THIS METRIC, WHICH SEEKS TO MAINTAIN AN AVERAGE ANNUAL SYSTEM RATE IN THE LOWER 50% OF ALL TEXAS UTILITIES.
TO ACCOMPLISH THIS COMPARISON, WE LOOK AT UTILITIES SERVING RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS, AND WE USE THE PUBLISHED DATA FROM THE ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION FORM 8 61.
AND THIS GRAPH SHOWS THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS 87.4% OF THE TEXAS AVERAGE FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2021.
AND THAT'S THE LATEST YEAR FOR WHICH WE HAVE DATA.
UH, THIS IS IMPROVEMENT FROM 2020 AND WE'VE ALSO ADDED THE AVERAGE, UM, FOR THOSE PROVIDERS WITHIN ERCOT.
SO THAT'S THE COMPETITIVE SIDE.
UM, AND AUSTIN ENERGY IS ON AVERAGE CONSISTENTLY BELOW THOSE RATES IN ERCOT MARKET AS WELL.
[00:55:01]
OF THAT, DON'T WE HAVE MORE EFFICIENT BUILDING STOCK? YEAH.SO THE WAY THIS IS CALCULATED, WE TAKE THE TOTAL RETAIL REVENUE FROM EACH UTILITY, WE DIVIDE IT BY THEIR TOTAL LOAD.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE REFLECTED IN LOAD, RIGHT? SO THEY'D HAVE LESS K W H.
UM, IN THAT MARK HAS THIS, UM, HAS THIS PARTICULAR GRAPH BEEN SHARED WITH, UH, KEY MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE? JUST CURIOUS.
I BELIEVE WE SHARED THE RESULTS OF THAT LAST YEAR, THE LAST TIME I TESTIFIED.
UM, I THINK WE SHOWED JUST, UH, CALENDAR YEAR 21, UH, IN THAT CHART.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE SEEN THIS TREND AND IF I SHOW IT TO 'EM, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY APPRECIATE IT, SO.
SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WEATHER IMPACTS SIGNIFICANTLY, UM, THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY WE SELL AND THE REVENUES WE EARN.
THIS CHART SHOWS THE BASE REVENUES UNDER THREE DIFFERENT WEATHER SCENARIOS.
WE USE A NORMAL 20 YEAR WEATHER PATTERN FOR OUR FORECAST, AND THE BASE REVENUES AVERAGE IS ABOUT 700 MILLION ANNUALLY, UH, FROM 684 IN 2024 TO 733 IN 2028, WITH A PROJECTED 3% BASE RATE, UH, REVENUE INCREASE IN 2027.
IF YOU COMPARE THAT, THAT NORMAL TREND TO THE SORT OF EXTREME, UH, MILD, UM, EXTREME HOT SUMMER AND EXTREME MILD, UH, FORECAST, WE CAN GET ALMOST A PLUS OR MINUS 6% SWING IN BASE REVENUES.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT EQUALS ABOUT 43% INCREASE TO A 34 MILLION DECREASE.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER THE CHART THAT I JUST SHOWED YOU, UH, NET MARGINS, THAT'S MORE THAN ANY ONE YEAR OF NET MARGINS.
AND SO WHETHER ALONE COULD PUT US IN A DEFICIENCY IN ANY ONE YEAR OR DOUBLE OUR MARGINS IN, IN ONE YEAR.
SO, UM, WHETHER HAS A, HAS A BIG IMPACT ON THAT.
UM, AND DUE TO THE, THE WEATHER IMPACT HERE, UH, RECOVERING THOSE FIXED CHARGES THROUGH A VARIABLE RATE CAN CAUSE REVENUE INSTABILITY FOR THE UTILITY AND BILL VOLATILITY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF GOING TO A HIGHER CUSTOMER CHARGES.
IT REMOVES SOME OF THE IMPACTS OF THESE, THESE WEATHER VARIATIONS FROM OUR BILLS.
OUR FORECAST REVEALS SEVERAL CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.
AS I'VE MENTIONED, WE EXPECT TO SEE CONTINUED NEAR FLAT REVENUE GROWTH, BUT CUSTOMER ACCOUNT INCREASES WITH ACCOMPANYING SYSTEM GROWTH.
THIS WILL CHALLENGE OUR CASH AND RESERVES DEBT LEVELS AND OUR FUTURE RETAIL RATES.
WITH THE RECENT CHANGE IN BASE RATES, WE SEE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE OUR FINANCIAL HEALTH WHILE MAINTAINING COMPARATIVELY AFFORDABLE RATES WITH OUR CUSTOMERS.
WEATHER INFLATION, CUSTOMER GROWTH AND PROGRAM EXPANSIONS MAY HAVE THE LARGEST IMPACTS FOR OUR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN THE FUTURE.
LET ME ASK, UH, WITH, UH, A LOT WAS TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR, THIS LAST YEAR ABOUT THE DOWNGRADE, UH, WALL STREET DOWNGRADES DO.
HOW, HOW OFTEN DO THEY LOOK AT THAT? UH, DO WE EXPECT AN UPGRADE FOLLOWING THE, UH, RATE INCREASE? RIGHT.
SO WE, UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE SELLING REVENUE BONDS ON APRIL 19TH, ABOUT 440 MILLION OF REVENUE BONDS.
THOSE BONDS WERE JUST, UM, UM, RATED BY THE, THE CREDIT AGENCIES, ALL THREE OF 'EM, AND THEY REFER, UH, REAFFIRMED ALL OF OUR RATINGS.
SO THEY DIDN'T GIVE US AN UPGRADE, BUT THEY DIDN'T DOWNGRADE US.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD NEWS.
IT USUALLY TAKES ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO FIVE YEARS USUALLY, UH, FOR THE RATINGS TO GIVE YOU AN UPGRADE.
AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IS, IS SUSTAINED TRENDS, UH, OF IMPROVEMENT IN YOUR FINANCIAL METRICS.
AND I THINK, UH, A LOT OF THE AGENCIES TALK ABOUT JUST THE INHERENT RISK OF OPERATING IN ERCOT MARKET WITH, UM, THE MARKET REAL CHANGES, UH, UH, THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON RIGHT NOW, UH, THE ILLUMINATE, UH, UH, LITIGATION THAT THAT RECENTLY HAPPENED.
AND SO, UM, IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME UNTIL WE SEE THOSE THINGS SETTLE BEFORE ANY UTILITY REALLY GETS AN UPGRADE IN ERCOT.
UM, WE'RE ONE OF THE HIGHER GRADED, UM, UTILITIES IN ERCOT MARKET.
AND WHILE WE DON'T HAVE A FY 24 BUDGET, WE CAN COVER THE FY 23 BUDGET AND I'LL GIVE YOU A GOOD SENSE OF WHAT MAY BE INCLUDED IN, IN, IN WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, SO, UM, EVEN THOUGH AUSTIN ENERGY'S OPERATING BUDGET IS 1.7 BILLION, MOST OUTFLOWS RELATE TO THE POWER SUPPLY AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE NOT EASILY CHANGED.
IN THE SHORT RUN PROGRAMS LIKE OUR RESOURCE PLAN OR OUR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE
[01:00:01]
PROGRAM OR CUSTOMER CHANGE SOLUTIONS, UH, THOSE BUDGETS ARE DEVELOPED TO MEET, TO PROVE PROGRAM GOALS.SO WE DON'T CHANGE THOSE GOALS IN A BUDGETING PROCESS.
WE MAKE SURE THAT THE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO, TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
CHANGES IN THOSE PROGRAMS THAT OCCUR DURING THE YEAR, SUCH AS INCREASING CAP PARTICIPATION, WILL NECESSITATE AN INCREASE IN THOSE RATES AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
FLAT REVENUE GROWTH LIMITS EXPANSION FOR INITIATIVES WHERE THE COST ARE RECOVERED IN BASE RATES, INFLATION AND OTHER COST ESCALATORS CAN EASILY CONSUME WHAT LITTLE REVENUE GROWTH OCCURS TO MEET CONTINUED SYSTEM EXPANSION.
CAPITAL SPENDING WILL REQUIRE INCREASED AMOUNTS OF CASH TO MAINTAIN COVERAGE RATIOS AND LIMIT DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS IN THE FUTURE.
UH, FOR MANY YEARS, UTILITIES DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE RATE REVIEWS OR RATE CASES BECAUSE THE GROWTH IN AND, AND LOAD COVERED INFLATION AND, AND OTHER COSTS.
UM, WE'RE IN THE AGE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY, WHICH IS VERY GOOD, BUT WHAT THAT MEANS IS VERY FLAT REVENUE.
YOU MATCH FLAT REVENUE WITH HIGH INFLATION AND YOU CAN GIVE YOURSELF A PROBLEM.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW.
SO, UM, WE RE RETURN ROUTINELY REPORT TO YOU FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND WE USE TWO VERY DIFFERENT FORMATS.
THIS SLIDE HAS MEANT TO SUMMARIZE SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES IN YOUR PRESENTATION FORMAT BETWEEN THE FUND SUMMARY FORMAT, WHICH YOU HEAR US TALK ABOUT A LOT IN THE GAP FINANCIAL STATEMENT FORMAT.
AND WE'VE PROVIDED BOTH FORMATS FOR YOU AND YOUR MATERIALS TONIGHT AS EXAMPLES FOR YOU.
BOTH OF THESE REFLECT THE AUDITED RESULTS OF FY 2022.
UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT IN THE PRESENTATION AND THE NUMBERS.
THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THIS, UH, PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FUND SUMMARY.
THE FUND SUMMARY IS A BUDGET BASED AND USES MODIFIED CASH APPROACH.
MOST OF WHAT WE PRESENT TONIGHT HAS BEEN USING THAT FUND SUMMARY FORMAT, THE QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORTS, WHAT WE SHOW YOU.
THOSE ARE ALSO IN A FUND SUMMARY FORMAT.
HOWEVER, SOME OF THE METRICS USED DATA DEVELOPED FROM THE GAP APPROACH, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GAP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE DESCRIBED IN THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE.
THE GAP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UTILIZE WHAT'S CALLED AN ACCRUAL BASIS OF ACCOUNTING.
THE FORMAT APPEARS IN AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
IF YOU'VE EVER READ THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, THAT'S THE SAME FORMAT USED IN THAT, THAT REPORT.
AND, UM, YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THOSE IN THE PACKAGE TONIGHT.
UM, THERE ARE SINGLE COLUMN NUMBERS.
I PROBABLY CAN'T SEE 'EM FROM HERE.
ONE'S THREE PAGES IF, IF YOU REMEMBER FROM YOUR BUSINESS DAYS, IT'S, IT'S THE INCOME STATEMENT, THE BALANCE SHEET, AND THE STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE FUND SUMMARY, WHICH IS A COLOR GRAPH AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH.
IT'S WHAT WE PRESENT OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS ON AND IT'S WHAT THE BUDGET LOOKS LIKE, BUT THE NUMBERS ARE VERY DIFFERENT.
SO THIS PAGE WAS INADVERTENTLY LEFT OUT AT TONIGHT'S PACKAGE AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT WE'LL DISTRIBUTE IT TO YOU SO YOU'LL HAVE IT FOR YOUR REFERENCE.
UM, I WANT TO REVIEW THE FY 23 ADOPTED BUDGET WITH YOU.
AND OUR BUDGETS DON'T CHANGE DRAMATICALLY FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
SO THIS SHOULD GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT TO EXPECT IN FY 24, UH, ONCE IT'S DEVELOPED AND PRESENTED.
THIS CHART REPORTS VARIOUS SOURCES OF REVENUE THAT OFFICER ENERGY USES TO FUND ITS OPERATIONS.
BASE REVENUE IS THE SINGLE LARGEST SOURCE AT 677 MILLION OR ABOUT 39% OF OUR TOTAL TRANSMISSION REVENUE, EXCUSE ME, POWER SUPPLY REVENUES EARNED FROM THE PSA.
AND IT'S ABOUT 581 MILLION OR ABOUT 34% OF THE BUDGET.
TRANSMISSION REVENUE IS ABOUT 92 MILLION, AND THAT REPRESENTS THE PAYMENTS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM OTHER UTILITIES FOR THE USE OF OUR TRANSMISSION LINES.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE REGULATORY CHARGE, WHICH IS 184 MILLION, AND THAT'S WHAT WE COLLECT FROM OUR RETAIL CUSTOMERS, UH, VIA THE REGULATORY CHARGE.
AND IT REPRESENTS, UH, WHAT WE PAY OTHER TRANSMISSION PROVIDERS, UH, WITHIN ERCOT FOR THE USE OF THEIR LINES.
THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS REVENUE COMPRISES THE SERVICE AREA, LIGHTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY CHARGE, AND THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM INTEREST REVENUE IS EARNED ON THE CASH AND RESERVE BALANCES.
AND THAT'S MAINLY INVESTED IN SHORT-TERM US UH, SECURITIES AND OTHER REVENUES ARE COMPRISED OF DISTRICT COOLING, CONGESTION, REVENUES, AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS FEES.
UM, AND FINALLY YOU'LL SEE TRANSFERS IN, AND THOSE REPRESENTS THE REVENUES THAT WE COLLECT FROM OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE OPERATE THE UTILITY CONTACTS CENTER AND THE BILLING SERVICES FOR ALL CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES.
SO THOSE DEPARTMENTS TRANSFER MONEY INTO US TO COMPENSATE US FOR US, UM, AS WELL AS THE THREE 11 SYSTEM.
UH, YES, AT THE LAST MEETING THERE WAS A BRIEF, BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THE MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS, UH, ALL OF WHICH IS AUSTIN IS CONTRIBUTING MORE THAN,
[01:05:01]
THAN RECEIVING HISTORICALLY.WHERE, WHERE ARE THOSE REFLECT? WHERE, WHERE ARE THE WORST AID IN INCOMING EXPENSE SHOP? RIGHT.
SO, UM, MUTUAL AID IS AN EXPENSE, SO YOU SOUND LIKE, LIKE WINTER STORM, UH, MAURA.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT IN OUR EXPENSES FOR THE FY 23 BUDGET, UM, IT'S APPROXIMATELY 20 MILLION.
AND I, I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT FEMA REIMBURSEMENT, AND SO IF THE PRESIDENT DECLARES EMERGENCY, WE EXPECT TO GET ABOUT 15 MILLION OF THAT BACK FROM FEMA AS A REIMBURSEMENT.
UM, SO THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD COME THROUGH THERE.
UH, BUT YOU WON'T SEE A, A REVENUE FOR MUTUAL AID AT THIS POINT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? SO WOULDN'T THE REVENUE BE REFLECTED? UH, WHEN, WHEN WE SEND CREWS OUTTA STATE OR OUT, OUT OF AUSTIN, UH, WOULD THAT REVENUE BE REFLECTED IN THIS? THAT WOULD BE, UH, MISCELLANEOUS, YES.
I, I GUESS WE DID SEND CREWS TO LOUISIANA OR YEAH.
I MEAN THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO MARGIN ON IT.
WE JUST, SO WE, WE HAVE COSTS THAT WE SPEND AND THEN, UM, UH, THOSE UTILITIES USUALLY, UH, REIMBURSE US AS A RESULT.
THAT UTILITY WOULD THEN ASK FOR THE FEMA REIMBURSEMENT, WAIT ON IT.
THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THAT RULE WAS WHEN WE WENT DOWN TO PUERTO RICO, UM, UH, WE WAITED FOR FREE FEMA REIMBURSEMENT FROM PUERTO RICO.
IT'S, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A COST RECOVERY MECHANISM.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD, UM, EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU CALCULATED THE WEATHER FORECASTING, WHAT FACTORS YOU USED, IF YOU CONSIDERED CLIMATE CHANGE, AND WHAT SOURCES YOU RELY ON WHEN YOU DO THOSE FORECASTS.
SO WE USE, UM, HEATING DEGREE DAYS, INCLUDING DEGREE DAYS, UM, AND WE USE A 20 YEAR ACTUAL HISTORY.
SO AS, AS WEATHER CHANGES, WE USED TO USE A 30 YEAR, BUT WE'VE SHORTENED THAT TO 20 YEARS.
UM, AND THEN ON THAT CHART I SHOWED YOU WITH THE EXTREMES, WITH THE, THE MILD AND EXTREME YEAR, UM, THOSE ARE USING ACTUAL EVENTS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN RECENT HISTORY TO, TO MEASURE THAT, THAT IMPACT.
BUT, UM, TO EXPECT CLIMATE CHANGE, UH, HAS OCCURRING IN THE LAST 20 YEARS THAT'S IN OUR WEATHER FORECAST AS A PART OF THE NORMAL WEATHER FORECAST, ARE YOU ALSO LOOKING, I MEAN, LOOKING BACK IS GREAT, BUT THINGS ARE CHANGING.
SO HOW DO YOU ACCOUNT FOR WHAT'S COMING AND DO YOU HAVE A SOURCE? UM, OTHER THAN WHAT WE'VE SHOWN SORT OF THOSE, UH, THE EXTREME AND MILD BANDS THAT WE MONITOR, WE DON'T, WE DON'T CHANGE THE, THE WEATHER FORECAST.
WE DON'T SPECULATE WHAT IT MIGHT BE.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A GOOD, GOOD SOURCE TO, TO DO THAT WITH.
UH, WE ALL BELIEVE CLIMATE CHANGE IS OCCURRING.
I JUST DON'T KNOW, UH, WHAT EXACT IMPACT WOULD BE ON ANY, ANY ONE GIVEN YEAR.
SO DROUGHTS AND STORMS, IS THAT INCLUDED OR JUST TEMPERATURES? WELL, TEMPERATURE IS THE BIGGEST DRIVER OF OUR, OUR REVENUE.
UM, SO IF THERE IS A, A DROUGHT TEMPERATURES RISE.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE, IN SORT OF THE EXTREME CASE, WE'D HAVE MORE HEATING GREEN DAYS.
UM, IF THERE'S A, A FLOOD, I GUESS YOU COULD HAVE AN OUTAGE, UM, AND THAT MAY CAUSE A LITTLE BIT COOLER WEATHER.
UM, BUT I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW THE IMPACTS OUR, OUR LOAD FORECAST.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE DROUGHT AND HEAT ARE INCREASINGLY SHUTTING DOWN SOME FORMS OF GENERATION THAT INCLUDES NUCLEAR REACTORS, WHICH WE HAVE PART OF THAT, AS IN, IN OUR GENERATION.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF ALL THOSE THINGS ARE BEING CONSIDERED AND THE POSSIBILITY OF, UM, INTENSE WINTER STORMS. ONCE AGAIN, LIKE IT WASN'T JUST THE TEMPERATURES THIS WINTER, IT WAS ALSO THAT WE HAD A LOT OF ICE AND IT WAS HEAVY ON THE TREES.
I MEAN, IS THAT BEING FACTORED IN OR JUST TEMPERATURES I CAN GET BACK WITH YOU, BYE BELIEVE OR FORECAST USES THOSE ACTUAL HISTORIC LOAD AND OUR STATISTICALLY ADJUSTED END USE MODEL, UM, USES CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS HEATING DEGREE, DEGREE DAYS AND COOLING DEGREE DAYS.
UM, I WOULD'VE, TO GET BACK WITH YOU ABOUT THOSE SPECIFIC EVENTS, UH, ON LOW FORECAST, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT, UM, WE'RE A LARGE UTILITY, UM, AND EVEN THOSE EVENTS ARE VERY SMALL IN TERMS THAT, UH, IT WOULDN'T MOVE THE, THE LOAD MUCH, UM, IN TERMS OF OUR, OUR REVENUE FORECAST.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS HOW'S IMPACT OUR, OUR REVENUES.
BUT I CAN GET MORE SPECIFICS FOR THAT IF YOU'D LIKE.
[01:10:02]
GREAT.AND, AND KAREN, THIS IS STUART RILEY.
UH, LET ME JUST SAY THAT, UM, JUST IN TERMS OF US NEEDING TO PLAN OUR OPERATIONS TO BE A MORE RESILIENT UTILITY, UM, THAT IS A MAJOR, MAJOR FOCUS OF OURS RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT AS MARK HAS STATED, IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO COME UP WITH A, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT OUR, OUR REVENUE IN THE, IN THE FUTURE.
BUT I, I DON'T WANT TO MINIMIZE YOUR COMMENTS AND I WANT US TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT WE REALIZE THAT THERE IS INHERENTLY A CHALLENGE WITH USING HISTORICAL DATA FOR WHAT ARE REALLY UN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES WITH CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO, UM, WE HEAR YOU AND, UH, WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO DO, UH, A BETTER JOB OF, OF PLANNING OUR OPERATIONS FROM A MORE RESILIENT STANDPOINT.
BUT, UH, IN TERMS OF THE FINANCIAL FORECAST AND, UH, SOURCES OF REVENUE, THAT'S KIND OF A DIFFERENT STORY.
SO THIS CHART REPRESENTS THE USES OF THOSE REVENUES THAT WE JUST COVERED.
MOST OF THE REQUIREMENTS ARE NON-DISCRETIONARY SPENDING UNDER EITHER MARKET BASED OR CONTRACTUAL BASED PRICES.
OUR FY 23 OPERATING REQUIREMENT IS ABOUT 1.7 BILLION.
NET POWER SUPPLY COSTS ARE THE LARGEST SINGLE EXPENDITURE AT 520 MILLION.
THE NEXT LARGEST SPENDING ITEM IS OUR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET, WHICH FOR FY 23 IS 464 MILLION, OR ABOUT 27% OF OUR SPEND.
AND THAT'S BROKEN DOWN TO PERSONNEL COSTS, WHICH IS LABOR AND BENEFITS, MOSTLY CONTRACTUALS AND COMMODITIES.
AND OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I'M GONNA SUMMARIZE WITH THE TYPES OF SERVICES AND ITEMS THAT ARE CONTAINED IN EACH OF THOSE, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
I'LL QUICKLY COVER THOSE, UM, AND I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
SO HERE'S A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE NON-DISCRETIONARY SPENDING.
AND MOST OF THESE COSTS ARE RECOVERED IN BASE RATES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TRANSMISSION OF ERCOT FEES, WHICH ARE COVERED IN THE REGULATORY CHARGE AND THE DEBT SURFACE ASSOCIATED WITH NACODOCHES.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, MOST OF THESE ARE, UM, IMPOSED ON US, WHETHER THEY'RE MARKET TYPE BASE RATES.
SO THERE'S VERY LITTLE DISCRETION TO CHANGE THESE IN THE SHORT RUN.
BUT SORRY, QUICK QUESTION ON THE JOINT PROJECTS.
Y YOU STATED THAT IT'S, IT'S NON-DISCRETIONARY.
SO IT IS NON-DISCRETIONARY THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME COSTS, BUT YOU STILL HAVE SOME, AUSTIN ENERGY HAS SOME ABILITY, RIGHT? TO, WHETHER IT'S THE, THE NUCLEAR PLANT OR THE COAL PLANT, YOU GUYS HAVE SOME ABILITY TO, TO, WITH YOUR PARTNERS, MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT ARE WE GOING TO INVEST X AMOUNT TO DO Y OR ARE WE GONNA INVEST Y TO, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE YOU CAN DECIDE HOW, RIGHT.
SO WE HAVE SOME, SOME ABILITY.
SO I MEAN, WE HAVE A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION FOR OUR SHARE.
UH, AUSTIN ENERGY SITS ON THE MANAGEMENT CAN COMMITTEE FOR BOTH, UH, STEP KNOCK, WHICH IS THE SOUTH TEXAS PLANT NUCLEAR OPERATING, UH, COMPANY.
AND, UM, THE, THE FAYETTE POWER PLANT, UH, WHICH, SO IT'S US AN L C R A, AND WE SIT ON THOSE BOARDS.
WE, WE SET THE BUDGET, UH, WE, WE SCRUB THOSE NUMBERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, UM, EFFICIENT RUN OPERATIONS.
UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE A CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENT TO, TO, TO PAY OUR, OUR SHARE OF THAT, BUT WE DO HAVE, UH, ABILITY TO INFLUENCE THAT BY OUR SEAT ON THOSE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND, AND I GUESS SPECIFICALLY ASK, I, I KNOW THERE HAD BEEN, UM, SOME, I THINK, COMMENTS, UH, IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS ABOUT POSSIBLY SOME NEW INVESTMENTS BEING NEEDED AT FAYETTE.
UM, AND, AND I CAN'T, CAN'T HEAR THE, THE DETAILS AT THE MOMENT, AND I DON'T HAVE THOSE NOTES IN FRONT OF ME.
BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE ARE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS MOVING FORWARD OR IF Y'ALL ARE EXERCISING THAT AUTHORITY THAT YOU HAVE ON, ON THE, SAY, MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TO, UM, KEEP THE EXPENSES, EXPENSES JUST TO OPERATING AND NOT, UH, UPGRADING THE PLAN TO EXTEND ITS LIFE.
SO ON, IF YOU GO BACK TO PAGE, UH, 17, UM, YOU DON'T NEED TO, BUT I'M JUST REFERRING THEM, UM, IS OUR CIP P SPAN, AND YOU'LL SEE A LINE ON THERE.
[01:15:01]
PROJECTS, SO THAT REPRESENTS, UH, FAYETTE AND STP.AND SO THOSE CAPITAL DOLLS ARE IN THERE.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFICS ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS IN THERE.
MOST OF 'EM ARE USED TO, UH, CONTINUE SAFE OPERATIONS AT THOSE PLANTS.
I'M UNAWARE OF ANY CAPITAL PROJECT THAT EXPANDS IT OR CONTINUES ITS LIFE.
IT'S MOSTLY FOR SAFETY, RELIABILITY, AND COMPLIANCE PURPOSES.
BUT WE CAN GET MORE SPECIFIC FOR YOU IF YOU'D LIKE.
UM, IS, IS THERE ANY, UM, REASON WHY WE COULDN'T SEE THE AMOUNT, UM, I SEE THE JOINT PROJECTS LINE, COULD WE SEE THOSE SEPARATE SO WE CAN SEE WHICH WAS GOING, HOW MUCH WAS GOING INTO FAYETTE VERSUS, OKAY, I DIDN'T HEAR, I THINK YOU WERE ASKING TO SEE THE DOLLAR VALUES ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN BY A PROJECT, I GUESS I'M SAYING, YEAH, IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO SHOW US THOSE CATEGORIES SEPARATELY.
UM, LET ME GET BACK WITH YOU ON A RESPONSE.
UM, I KNOW CUZ WE ARE, UM, A PARTNER TO THOSE, UH, THAT THERE ARE SOME COMPETITIVE INFORMATION ISSUES, I THINK WITH THOSE PROJECTS.
AND SO I JUST HAVE TO CHECK, UH, WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, AND YEAH, IF YOU CAN FOLLOW UP WITH ANY INFORMATION, UM, I MEAN, I KNOW A LOT OF THINGS CAN KIND OF FALL UNDER, UM, INCREASING, YOU KNOW, YOU, ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED WAS SAFETY, ANOTHER WAS, UM, RELIABILITY.
UM, SO I MEAN IT'S A VERY OVAL FACILITY, SO A LOT COULD FALL, FALL UNDER THAT.
UM, SOME OF WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE IN AUSTIN MANAGER'S INTEREST GIVEN HOW Y'ALL ARE USING THE PLANT.
SO YEAH, ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN SHARE ABOUT THAT, EVEN IF IT'S NOT SPECIFIC DOLLAR LOANS, JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, BULLET POINTS ON, ON WHAT IS BEING DONE.
I I WOULD DEFINITELY LOVE TO SEE THAT.
I'LL GIVE ATTORNEY OFFICE AND, AND SEE, SEE WHAT WE CAN DEVELOP.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO THE NEXT AREAS ARE POWER, SUPPLY, COST, AND ALL OF COSTS AND REVENUES ARE ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT RATE.
THE NET POWER SUPPLY COSTS ARE ALSO CONSIDERED NON-DISCRETIONARY, UH, BECAUSE MARKET PRICES, WEATHER AND CONGESTION IN THE ERCOT MARKET DRIVE THE ACTUAL AMOUNT.
AND WHEN I SAY NON-DISCRETIONARY, I MEAN IN A SHORT RUN, RIGHT? I CAN'T DO MUCH ABOUT THE NEXT THREE MONTHS LONG-TERM.
OUR RESOURCE PLAN INFORMS THIS, UM, UH, BUT I'M REALLY TALKING ABOUT IN THE SHORT RUN, IN THE FIVE YEARS HERE.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT, UH, WE, WE, WE DID A BUDGET AMENDMENT LAST YEAR TO INCREASE THE BUDGET BY 111 MILLION FOR FY 23.
AND THAT REALLY REPRESENTS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE HAD FORECASTED IN MARCH OF 22, UH, AND WHAT OUR REVISED FORECAST WAS IN SEPTEMBER OF 22.
UM, DURING THAT PERIOD, WE SAW SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN NATURAL GAS PRICES AND CONGESTION, UH, IN THE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL OF 22, WHICH REQUIRED US TO CHANGE THAT FORECAST AND INCREASE OUR FY 23 BUDGET.
SO WHEN I EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE VOLATILITY AND THE POWER SUPPLY COSTS, THIS IS A GOOD REAL WORLD EXAMPLE OF, OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIREMENT.
MARK, IS THERE ANY WAY WHEN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE THAT YOU COULD DESCRIBE HOW MUCH THE WIND AND SOLAR CONTRACTS ARE ACTUALLY SAVING RATE PAYERS OR CUSTOMERS BECAUSE THEY'RE HEDGED, RIGHT? THEY'RE 10 OR 15 YEARS AND YOU FIX THEM VERSUS HAVING TO DEAL WITH $6 GAS OR WHATEVER.
BUT IS THERE A STORY THERE THAT YOU, YOU CAN TELL ABOUT HOW THOSE HAVE BEEN NOT ONLY GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT ALSO COST SAVERS? YEAH, SO IN OUR, OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS THAT WE GIVE YOU ON OUR FINANCIAL FORECAST, UH, THERE'S A BAR CHART THAT SHOWS THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PSA.
ONE BAR SAYS, UH, OWNED ASSETS, UH, AND ELEMENT IS CONTRACTED, THAT CONTRACTED, THAT'S ALL RENEWABLE.
THE ONLY THING RENEWABLE IN THE OWNED ASSETS, I BELIEVE IS NACODOCHES.
UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT BREAKOUT FOR OUR RENEWABLES, UH, THE REVENUE THAT THOSE ARE GENERATING AS FAR AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES, I BELIEVE ERICA, UH, OR SOMEONE IN OPERATIONS GROUP GIVES THAT IN A QUARTERLY OPERATIONS BRIEF, UM, WHEN THEY PRESENT THAT AS WELL.
AND SO OUR, OUR O AND M BUDGET, UH, 564 MILLION, THAT'S COMPRISED OF PERSONNEL, CONTRACTUALS AND COMMODITIES.
THESE COSTS ARE RECOVERED IN BASE RATES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE O AND M ASSOCIATED WITH NACODOCHES.
AND THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE PSA.
SINCE THESE EXPENDITURES ARE IN BASE RATES, INCREASES IN SPENDING IN THESE AREAS DEPEND ON GROWTH AND SALES, WHICH IS ABOUT 1%.
UH, IN OUR FORECAST, AS I POINTED OUT EARLIER, OUR INFLATION AND LABOR COST ASSUMPTION IS WELL ABOVE THAT 1%.
SO THAT, THAT GIVES US, UH, PRESSURE, HONOR OUR RATES AND I'LL BREAK THESE DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
[01:20:02]
UM, SO ON THE, UH, CONTRACTUALS, UM, I'VE LISTED OUT THE, THE TOP 10 ITEMS, UM, OF WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING OUT MONEY TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT, WHEN WE SAY CONTRACTUAL, WHAT THAT MEANS.AND THIS REPRESENTS ABOUT 45% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET.
AND SO THIS IS A LARGE, UH, UM, HANDFUL OF, OF, OF LARGE CONTRACTS, UM, THAT ARE, THEY'RE INCLUDED IN THERE.
UM, NEXT PAGE ARE THE COMMODITIES.
COULD I ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT THE CONTRACTS PLEASE? YES.
THE CONTRACTUALS, WHEN AT, AT LAST MONTH'S MEETING, I KNOW WE HEARD THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS HOPING TO GET MORE MONEY FOR, UM, UH, ALL THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, UH, IN ORDER TO GET INTO THIS FIVE TO SEVEN YEAR CYCLE.
AND DOES IT REPRESENT AN INCREASE? UM, SO PRIOR TO TWO YEARS AGO, WE, WE USED TO BUDGET 10 MILLION, WE INCREASED THAT TO 20.
AND I BELIEVE OUR ACTUAL SPEND IS ABOUT 17 MILLION, UH, LAST YEAR.
AND THAT WAS, CUZ THAT WAS LOU'S LABOR CONSTRAINTS.
I BELIEVE ONE OF YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, UM, ON THAT, THAT THAT LINE CLEARANCE.
SO, SO AS I RECALL, THE PLAN WAS TO USE THE UNSPENT BUDGETED AMOUNTS TO HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CREWS THAT YOU'D HAVE AVAILABLE.
UH, STUART RILEY, INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER AND OUR, THAT'S WHY WE WERE, WE ARE SEEKING TO ADD MORE CONTRACTS TO SPEND THAT WHOLE AMOUNT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A UNSPENT AMOUNT BECAUSE THE CURRENT CON THREE CONTRACTORS THAT WE HAVE ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE ENOUGH CREWS FOR US TO SPEND THAT ENTIRE BUDGETED AMOUNT.
SO WE'RE SEEKING TO ADD CONTRACTS, BUT NOT, THAT WOULD NOT NECESSITATE AN INCREASE TO THE BUDGETED AMOUNT.
YOU'RE JUST SEEKING TO, AS I RECALL, FIND SMALLER CONTRACTORS AND BE ABLE TO SPEND THAT ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION.
SO, UM, THIS IS WHAT WE REFER TO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMODITIES.
AND SO OUR COMMODITIES BUDGET, UH, IS ONLY ABOUT 15.3 MILLION, AND THE TOP 10 ITEMS ARE LISTED HERE.
AND THIS REPRESENT REPRESENTS ABOUT 61% OF THAT SPEND.
AND SO THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, IN SMALL EQUIPMENT SOFTWARE, CHEMICALS COM, MINOR COMPUTER HARDWARE, CLOTHING MATERIALS.
SO IT'S SMALL ITEMS AS YOU CAN SEE THERE.
SO WHEN WE REFER TO COMMODITIES, UM, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO AS OPPOSED TO POWER NATURAL GAS.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION COVERING THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST AND THE 24 BUDGETING PROCESS.
IN A RECAP OF THE 23 BUDGET, I'D BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, AND IF I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, I'LL DO A LITTLE RESEARCH AND GET BACK WITH YOU.
[5. Staff briefing on the Electric Vehicle Program by Richard Génecé, Vice President of Customer Energy Solutions. ]
BRIEFING ON ELECTRIC VEHICLE PROGRAM.RICHARD, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UH, RICHARD GENE, VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS AGAIN, AND PRESENTING WITH ME TONIGHT IS, UH, CAMERON FREEBERG, WHO'S OUR INTERIM MANAGER OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW CARL POPHAM, WHO WAS THE PRE PRIOR MANAGER OF, UH, ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
HE HAS RETIRED AS OF, UH, LAST FRIDAY.
SO HE IS, UM, ONTO NEW ADVENTURES.
SO TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A OVERVIEW OF THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAMS AND SYSTEMS. SO NEXT SLIDE.
WE HAVE RECORD, UH, EV REGISTRATIONS.
UH, DURING THE LAST QUARTER, UH, THERE ARE CURRENTLY MORE EVS BEING DRIVEN IN AUSTIN THAN EVER BEFORE.
UH, WE HAVE MORE AVAILABLE EV MODELS AND WE ARE SEEING A, UH, A GROWTH FUELED PRIMARILY BY THE BATTERY EV MODELS.
UH, THE PLUG-IN HYBRID EVS ARE ON A DECLINE BECAUSE THE, UH, HIGH E ENERGY DENSITY IN BATTERIES AND THE EV RANGE GETTING EVEN LONGER.
SO YOU'LL CONTINUE TO SEE THIS DIVERGENCE BETWEEN, UM, PLUG-IN HYBRID EVS AND BATTERY EVS.
BUT, UH, AUSTIN IS LEADING TEXAS, AUSTIN IS LEADING THE NATION IN TERMS OF THE, UH, EV NEW, THE PERCENTAGE OF, UH, EV REGISTRATIONS
[01:25:01]
THAT ARE PART OF THE OVERALL VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS.UH, UH, TEXAS IS AROUND 5% AND THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS AT 9%.
SO, UM, WE ARE DEFINITELY A LEADER THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL DRIVEN, OR, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS WORK IS IN FULFILLMENT OF OUR AUSTIN, UH, CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, SO WE'VE ALREADY DONE A LOT, A TON OF WORK IN REDUCING THE EMISSIONS IN BUILDINGS, AND THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR REMAINS THE NEXT HUGE OPPORTUNITY AS IT RELATES TO THE, UH, CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
AUSTIN HAS A FIVE PILLAR STRATEGY TO SUPPORT, UM, OUR MISSION STATEMENT IN AUSTIN ENERGY OF DELIVERING CLEAN, AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE ENERGY, AND EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
OUR APPROACH IS UNIQUE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S SO COMPREHENSIVE IN NATURE, UH, INCLUDING CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY FLEETS AND NEW MOBILITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION AND GRID INTEGRATION.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE SPEC, UH, HIGHLIGHTING SPECIFIC PROGRAMS THAT COVER THE FIVE PILLARS TONIGHT.
BUT JUST FOR YOUR REFERENCE, THESE FIVE PILLARS, WE HAVE 25 PROGRAMS SUPPORTING THESE FIVE PILLARS ACROSS, UH, ALL OF IT INNOVATION FOR US EXTENDS BEYOND JUST TECHNOLOGY TO PROGRAM DESIGN PARTNERSHIPS AND OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
AND WE'LL BE DISCUSSING SOME OF THAT TONIGHT AS WELL.
SO ON OUR UH, INFRASTRUCTURE REBATE PROGRAM, WE HAVE REBATES FOR, UM, RESIDENTIAL LEVEL TWO WIFI ENABLED EQUIPMENT.
WE HAVE COMMERCIAL, UH, AND PUBLIC LEVEL TWO, UH, STATIONS, UH, REBATES.
AND THEN WE HAVE REBATES ON OUR D OUR PUBLIC DC FAST CHARGE STATIONS ON OUR PLUGIN EVERYWHERE DRIVER PROGRAM.
THIS, THIS IS CRITICAL BECAUSE OF THE CONSISTENT USER EXPERIENCE THAT WE DRIVE FOR OUR 1,542 LEVEL TWO, UH, CHARGING STATIONS AND 30 DC FAST CHARGERS.
UM, AS YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE, UM, AN INCONSISTENT USER EXPERIENCE IS ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES IN THE EV SPACE, INCONSISTENT FROM CHARGING NETWORK TO CHARGING NETWORK.
WHERE IS EV CHARGING TAKING PLACE? IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE MAJORITY OF VAST MAJORITY OF EV CHARGING IS TAKING PLACE AT HOME WITH LEVEL ONE AND LEVEL TWO, UH, CHARGING.
AND, UM, THE ONLY 20% IS OCCURRING AT PUBLIC, UH, STATIONS, WHICH ARE LEVEL TWO AND, AND DC FEST CHARGING FOR THE MOST PART.
IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW, UM, TO APPLY THE RIGHT, UH, CHARGING FOR THE RIGHT APPLICATION.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD IT REFERRED TO AS DIFFERENT SPEEDS FOR DIFFERENT NEEDS, UH, MEANING THAT LEVEL ONE CHARGING IS ACTUALLY PERFECTLY FINE FOR HOME APPLICATIONS.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE COST IS ABOUT A HUNDRED DOLLARS, UH, PER PORT.
IT, IT ACTUALLY, THE AVERAGE DRIVER DRIVES 30 TO 40 MILES PER DAY.
AND SO CHARGING OVERNIGHT PROVIDES ALL OF THAT NEED.
UH, TYPICALLY ON LEVEL TWO CHARGING THAT YOU CAN SEE, UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY THE MOST COMMON WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC CHARGING, THESE ARE 240 VOLTS AND THE, THE MAJORITY OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S 1,542 PORTS OF OUR PLUG-IN AUSTIN CHARGING NETWORK.
UM, THIS IS A GREAT APPLICATION FOR RETAIL, MULTI-FAMILY AND FLEET APPLICATIONS.
UH, WE DO ALSO HAVE, UH, 30 DC FAST CHARGERS THAT CAN CHARGE WITHIN MINUTES AS OPPOSED TO HOURS.
UM, TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT, A SINGLE DC FAST CHARGER COULD DRAW AS MUCH POWER AS A LARGE COMMERCIAL BUILDING, UH, MUCH FASTER CHARGING SPEEDS, BUT CONSIDERATIONS FOR COST, PHYSICAL SPACE AND GRID IMPACTS MUST BE CONSIDERED.
SO IT IS A BALANCING IN EFFECT.
UH, I, I THINK WHAT, WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF GETTING THE MIXED RIGHT IS DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT, UM, CHARGING FOR THE RIGHT APPLICATION? AND ARE YOU TALKING RESIDENTIAL VERSUS COMMERCIAL OR MULTI-FAMILY OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
LET, LET ME ASK, UH, TH THIS IS NEW INFORMATION TO ME.
UH, ARE, IS THERE STANDARDIZATION AMONG THE CHARGING STATIONS THAT NO MATTER WHICH, WHETHER IT'S A TESLA OR SOME OTHER MODEL, THEY ALL WORK? N NO, THERE'S NOT, UM, UH, I MEAN THERE HAVE, THERE'S, UH, MOVEMENT TOWARDS STANDARDS, BUT THERE'S NOT A STANDARD ACROSS ALL CHARGERS.
WELL, ON LEVEL TWO THERE IS, I MEAN, ON AN ADAPTER ON LEVEL ON LEVEL TWO, BUT NOT, NOT ACROSS, I MEAN, THERE'S ABOUT A THOUSAND, UH, CHARGERS OUTSIDE OF OUR NETWORK IN THE AUSTIN AREA THAT ARE NOT PART OF OUR CHARGING NETWORK.
[01:30:01]
WE CAN'T REALLY ASCRIBE WHAT, WHAT THE USER EXPERIENCE, THE CONSISTENT USER EXPERIENCE IS FOR THOSE CHARGERS.SO THERE'S DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS.
THERE'S THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL ADAPTER AND WHERE YOU'RE VEHICLE CHARGE, AND THEN THERE'S THE CHARGING NETWORK.
SO YEAH, YOU CAN HAVE ALL THESE DIFFERENT RF KEYS AND APPS AND EVERYTHING TO GO CHARGE, JUST LIKE YOU COULD GET DIFFERENT GASOLINE CARDS OR WHATEVER.
AND RANDY, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BILLS IN THE LEGISLATURE WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT WOULD TRY TO CREATE SOME STANDARDIZATION GOING FORWARD IN TEXAS FOR ALL CHARGERS THAT ARE ALL PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, CHARGES.
WHO COULD OPPOSE THAT?
WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO ENSURE, UM, A COMMON AND POSITIVE USER EXPERIENCE AT EVERY ONE OF OUR, UH, OUR CHARGERS IN OUR NETWORK, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN A COMMON ISSUE AND PROBLEM, UH, AND IT INHIBITS THE GROWTH AND ADOPTION OF EVS GOING FORWARD IF YOU HAVE THAT INCONSISTENT AND POOR USER EXPERIENCE.
SO I MENTIONED OUR 1,542 EV CHARGING STATIONS AND OUR 30 DC FAST CHARGING STATIONS.
VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ONLY OWN 19% OF THE STATIONS, ROUGHLY 292 OF THE 1542.
SO 81% ARE PRIVATELY OWNED AND JOIN OUR NETWORK THROUGH AN AUSTIN ENERGY INCENTIVE HOST, UH, AGREEMENT PROGRAM.
SO YES, WE HAVE, UM, INFLUENCE AND WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, BUT WE DON'T OWN AND OPERATE THOSE STATIONS.
UM, SO THAT'LL GET IN, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.
IN TERMS OF THE FIRST 10 YEARS OF OUR PROGRAM, WE REALLY HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON GROWTH, AND WE'VE GROWN TO THIS 1,542.
WE THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THE NEXT 10 YEARS WE FOCUS ON THE PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY, UH, BECAUSE PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY OF THESE CHARGING STATIONS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, NOT UNIQUE TO AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT ACTUALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, NATIONALLY AND EVEN INTERNATIONALLY.
SO IF YOU GO BACK THAT 1,542 LEVEL TWO, THEY'RE ALL J 1772.
AND EVEN TESLA'S GONNA HAVE, THEY GIVE YOU THIS LITTLE ADAPTER THAT YOU CAN PLUG INTO THAT, SO ALL EVS CAN USE THAT.
NOW, TESLA MAY HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL DESTINATION CHARGERS THAT ARE LEVEL TWO, BUT THOSE ARE ALL STANDARDIZED.
AND ALL THOSE DC ARE ALL THOSE DC CCS, ARE THEY? CCS AND A FEW CHATO SPRINKLED IN.
UH, THEY'RE ALL, ALL, ALL OF OUR 30 DC FAST CHARGERS ARE DUAL STANDARDS.
SO THEY HAVE A CCS CONNECTION AS WELL AS A CHATO CONNECTION.
AND THAT'S COLLAPSING IN THE FUTURE, CONSOLIDATING, BECAUSE CHATO IS GOING AWAY.
NISSAN AND THE NEXT GENERATION EV IS JUMPING ON THE CCS BANDWAGON ALSO.
OH, UH, UH, WELL THANK YOU RICHARD FOR THE, UH, INTRODUCTION, UH, AND GOODNIGHT COMMISSION.
UM, CAMERON FREEBERG, UM, I'M THE INTERIM MANAGER OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
AND AS RICHARD TALKED ABOUT OUR CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE, THE HEALTH OF OUR NETWORK AND JUST CHARGING RELIABILITY IN GENERAL.
UM, SO THE FOCUS ON THE INDUSTRY, THE LAST 10 TO 15 YEARS HAS BEEN PRETTY SINGLEE FOCUSED ON GROWTH AND INCREASING NUMBERS.
UM, WHILE THAT WILL STILL BE A FOCUS, UH, THE OPERATIONS AND RELIABILITY OF THESE NETWORKS ARE EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ENSURE WE HAVE UPTIME ON OUR CHARGING NETWORK.
UM, SO AS RICHARD MENTIONED, THIS IS AN INDUSTRY-WIDE, UM, UH, ISSUE.
AND I'VE SEEN DIFFERENT CITATIONS BETWEEN 25 AND 40% OF CHARGING SESSIONS OVER THE LAST YEAR, UH, NATIONALLY HAVE HAD SOME SORT OF FAILURE RATE TO 'EM.
SO WITHIN OUR LOCAL NETWORK, WE WANT ADDRESS THAT AHEAD OF TIME.
AND SO IF WE, WE WANNA LOOK AT THE IMPROVEMENTS OF WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR AND HOW WE'VE GOTTEN TO WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO WE WERE AT A 28% OUTAGE RATE, UM, OF OUR NETWORK OF 1,542 PORTS.
AND SINCE THE TIME GOTTEN IT DOWN TO A 17% OUTAGE RATE, UM, TAKING SOME PROACTIVE APPROACHES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NETWORK'S OPERATIONAL TO INCLUDE COMPLETE HARDWARE OVERHAULS.
UM, WE HAD AN INITIAL NETWORK, UM, WHEN THESE STATIONS FIRST STARTED HITTING THE MARKET IN THE, UH, 2011 2012 RANGE, THEY RAN ON TWO TWO G CELL NETWORKS AND THEY HAD SOME SORT OF NOW OUTDATED TECHNOLOGY.
SO WE'VE WORKED VERY HARD TO REPLACE ALL OF THAT HARDWARE THAT WENT OUT THERE INITIALLY, AS WELL AS MAKING, UH, REPAIRS AS THE, THE ISSUES BECOME KNOWN TO US, LIKE WHETHER IT BE, UM, HARDWARE REPAIRS OR WHETHER IT BE THE CONNECTIVITY OF THE NETWORK AND MAKING SURE WE DO RESETS ON THAT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS WE'VE GOTTEN THAT OUTAGE REDUCED, UH, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WITH
[01:35:01]
THAT 17% OUTAGE RATE, WE HAVE SOME PROACTIVE STEPS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN EVEN LOWER THAT EVEN FURTHER.UM, AND SOME OF THOSE INCLUDE.
AND THEN FOLLOWING WEEKS WE'RE GONNA LAUNCH A PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE RUN THAT IT INCLUDES ADDRESSING, UH, BOTH HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ISSUES AT ALL 1,542 PORTS WHERE WE HAVE A SERVICE PROVIDER PHYSICALLY VISIT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE TO DO ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS.
AS A RESULT OF THAT RUN, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY WILL BE ABLE TO REACT THE STATIONS THAT WE OWN AND OPERATE AND TAKE THOSE DIAGNOSTICS ALONG WITH SOME QUOTES AND MAKE THE NEEDED REPAIRS TO THEM, BUT ALSO AS IMPORTANTLY, UH, TO THE ONES RICHARD MENTIONED THAT ARE WITHIN OUR NETWORK, BUT PRIVATELY OWNED, WE CAN DO, UH, COMMUNICATIONS TO THESE ACTUAL STATION HOSTS OR STATION OWNERS AND THOSE PROPERTIES THAT HOST THOSE STATIONS FOR US TO GIVE THEM THOSE REPAIR DIAGNOSTICS.
UH, GIVE THEM THE QUOTES ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND WHAT KIND OF REPAIRS WILL BE NEEDED TO, UH, TO GET THOSE STATIONS BACK UP AGAIN.
UH, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT EXTENDED WARRANTY AND SERVICE PLANS THAT CAN, UH, PROVIDE MORE ASSURANCE TOWARDS TIMELY REPAIRS TO THESE STATIONS.
AND THEN FINALLY, ONE OF THE BARRIERS HAS BEEN, UH, IT, THERE'S BEEN SOME SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES WITH REPLACEMENT PARTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ACTUALLY.
AND SO WE'RE EXPLORING OTHER OPTIONS FOR MORE REPLACEMENT PARTS CUZ THESE ARE, THESE CAN BE MODULAR SYSTEMS WITH MULTIPLE ROOT CAUSES, WHETHER IT BE THE CABLES, SOME COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS. SO HAVING AVAILABILITY TO MORE MODULAR PARTS AS OPPOSING TO HAVING TO REPLACE ENTIRE STATIONS IS ANOTHER AVENUE WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WELL.
UM, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY.
I, I ASPIRE TO BE AN EV OWNER, BUT I'M NOT THERE YET, SO I REALLY, THIS IS ALL NEW TO ME.
IS THERE A WAY THAT ARE, ARE THE CHARGING STATIONS WITHIN AE NETWORK OR IS THERE AN APP SO THAT A CUSTOMER CAN SAY, I WANT TO GO TO THAT CHARGING STATION, I WANNA KNOW IF IT'S AVAILABLE.
SO WE HAVE, UH, A MAP OF ALL OF OUR EV CHARGING ON, ON OUR SITE THAT'S PLUGIN AUSTIN.COM.
BUT ALSO WITHIN OUR NETWORK OF STATIONS, WE DO UTILIZE, UM, CHARGEPOINT SOFTWARE FOR IT.
SO ALL OF THE STATIONS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR NETWORK HAVE A NAMING CONVENTION THAT SHOWS, UM, THAT THEY'RE PART OF OUR PLUGIN AUSTIN NETWORK.
IT ALSO SHOWS THE PRICING ASSOCIATED WITH IT AS WELL.
AND IF IT'S AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO USE AS AN EV DRIVER.
SO ISN'T ISN'T THE ANSWER THAT IF YOU GO TO THE CHARGEPOINT APP, YOU CAN SEE THE STATUS TO SEE IF IT'S UP OR NOT.
YOU CAN SEE THE OPERATIONAL STATUS, YOU CAN SEE IF IT'S OCCUPIED OR NOT, AND YOU CAN SEE THE PRICING POLICIES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO THAT, WOULD THAT ALSO WORK IN THE PLUGSHARE APP? UH, PLUG SHARE IT, IT'S SIMILAR.
UM, SO THERE'S MORE IN THERE THAN JUST THE ONES ON OUR NETWORK, BUT IT ALSO HAS ALL THE ADDITIONAL NETWORKS IN IT AS WELL.
SO DO YOU THINK YOU NEED TO MAYBE CHANGE THE REBATE STRUCTURE IN THAT YOU GIVE A REBATE, PRIVATE ENTITY GOES AHEAD AND INSTALLS THE GEAR, BUT THEN THEY REALIZE THEY DON'T WANNA SPEND ANY MORE MONEY ON MAINTENANCE MM-HMM.
SO IS THERE ANY KIND OF REFORMATION RE REFORM OF THE REBATE THAT YOU HOLD SOMETHING BACK OR YOU THROW IN A EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN WITH THAT REBATE OR SOMETHING THAT HELPS THEM NOT HAVE THAT, THAT BARRIER TO REALLY MAINTAIN IT? BECAUSE ISN'T THE REAL ISSUE HERE, NOT THE 19% THAT AE OWNS BECAUSE AREN'T, DON'T THOSE HAVE A, A MUCH HIGHER RATE OF BEING UP AND ONLINE MM-HMM.
IT'S THE PRIVATELY OWNED ONES MM-HMM.
SO CAN YOU DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS ON REFORMING THE REBATE? SURE.
UH, AND WHEN I MENTIONED WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT EXTENDED WARRANTY AND SERVICE PLANS, UH, THERE, THERE'S MULTIPLE OPTIONS WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT.
UM, AND THE REASON THE REBATE WAS STRUCTURED IS AS IS BEFORE IS WE KNEW THAT CAPITAL COST WAS ONE OF THE BARRIERS FOR IMPLEMENTING, YOU KNOW, EVEN, EVEN STILL IT CAN BE.
SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IT BOTH WAYS OF, OF EITHER, EITHER IN OUR PROGRAMS OR THINGS THAT WE CAN DO OPERATIONALLY OURSELVES AS WELL.
SO, SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT MULTIPLE OPTIONS OF, OF HOW WE CAN BEST ADDRESS THE, THE PRIVATE CUSTOMER OWNED STATIONS.
I THINK ALSO THERE'S, UH, POTENTIAL FOR LOOKING AT THE HOSTING AGREEMENTS THEMSELVES.
UM, AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN DO TO ENSURE BETTER PERFORMANCE EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T OWN THAT STATION, BUT MAYBE AS PART OF THE HOSTING AGREEMENT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING TO, TO INCREASE THAT.
I ALSO THINK THAT EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE, UH, STATIONS THAT, UM, ARE NOT PART OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S NETWORK, WE CAN DO MORE IN TERMS OF INCREASING OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND JUST LETTING THOSE STATION OWNERS KNOW HOW MUCH THEY'RE IMPACTING THE GROWTH OF OVERALL OF EVS WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR STATION UP AND RUNNING.
SO EVEN IF WE'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT PART OF US AND WE DON'T OWN THEM, I THINK THERE'S AN OVERARCHING COMMUNICATION WE CAN DO TO TRY AND HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THEY MAY HAVE PUT THIS
[01:40:01]
IN, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE OPERATIONS AND UPKEEP.UH, MAY I, UM, AT OUR LAST MEETING WE HAD A PUBLIC COMMENT FOR MR. BULA WHO, UM, HAD A CONCERN THAT ED CHARGING STATIONS, UH, THAT HE, I GUESS, ATTEMPTS TO ACCESS DON'T WORK AND HIS CON FRUSTRATIONS SEEMED TO BE IN PART THAT HE HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING WHO OWNED IT IS.
CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT? WE ACTUALLY, UH, RESEARCHED THAT AND THOSE HAPPENED TO BE WHOLE FOODS, UH, CHARGERS.
AND, UM, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE, UH, OWNERSHIP OF THOSE.
WE DON'T HAVE CONNECTION OF THOSE.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M REFERRING TO WHEN I'M SAYING I THINK THERE'S STILL A ROLE WE CAN HELP PLAY IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER, UH, YOU KNOW, ENTITIES, OTHER CUSTOMERS IN MAKING SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN MAINTAINING THE UPKEEP OF THEIR CHARGERS ON THEIR PROPERTIES.
IS THERE ANY REQUIREMENT THAT THEY BE BRANDED SOMEHOW? SO SOMEONE WHO'S ATTEMPTING TO USE THEM KNOWS WHO OWNS IT? I, I CAN SPEAK TO ONE OF THE EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE, THE AWARENESS IS THERE FOR ONES THAT ARE PART OF OUR NETWORK.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE SIGNAGE THAT WE PUT UP AS PART OF ANY STATION THAT GOES IN AND JOINS OUR NETWORK.
UM, DURING THIS NEXT PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE RUN WE'RE DOING AS WELL, WE'RE GONNA TOUCH ALL 1,542 OF THOSE PORTS.
SO WE'RE PUTTING ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE IN THERE THAT IDENTIFIES IT AS AN AUSTIN ENERGY PLUG PLUG-IN AUSTIN STATION, JUST SO CUSTOMERS WILL BE AWARE THAT WE WOULD BE THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR ANY OF THOSE WITHIN OUR NETWORK BECAUSE IT, IT CAN BE A POINT OF CONFUSION.
UM, I JUST WAS, UH, WONDERING, I MEAN, AND I KNOW THAT CURRENTLY THE INCENTIVES ARE ALL UPFRONT, BUT I DON'T KNOW SINCE, SINCE THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE, UM, PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE COMMERCIAL, UM, CHARGERS, IF HAVING SOME SORT OF INCENTIVE THAT I DON'T KNOW, GIVES SOME SORT OF ANNUAL PAYMENT OR I DON'T KNOW, SOME WAY MONETIZING THAT I'M, I'M ALL FOR THE EDUCATION.
I DO THINK THAT'S A GOOD PLACE, UH, TO PUT SOME EFFORTS.
I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH SO MANY CUZ I'VE EXPERIENCED THIS AS WELL.
LIKE, CHARGERS ARE JUST OUT A LOT.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE CONSIDERED MONETIZING GOOD BEHAVIOR IN THE, ON THIS FRONT.
YEAH, I, I, I'D SAY AT THIS POINT WE'RE NOT, UM, DECIDED ON ANY SPECIFIC, UH, WE RECOGNIZE THE ISSUE.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS CAMERON ALLUDED TO ONCE WE REALLY DELVE INTO THE, UH, PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT SPECIFICALLY IS AT ISSUE, IF ANY, AMONG ALL OF OUR 1,542 PORTS.
AND THEN OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA BE LIMITED TO EDUCATION AND JUST TRYING TO INFLUENCE FOR THE ONES OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S, UH, OWNERSHIP AND NETWORK.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADDRESS, UM, COMMISSIONER REED MENTIONED, UM, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE LEGISLATION THAT'S OUT THERE IN TERMS OF, UM, SOME OTHER THINGS AROUND EVS UPTIME IS ALSO ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S BEING ADDRESSED BOTH BY THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL TOO.
SO, UH, I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE E-BIKE INCENTIVES OR, OH, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE ON THAT, BUT YES.
COULD WE GO, UH, BACK ONE SLIDE PLEASE? THANKS.
UM, SO I KNOW THE REBATE, UM, INCREASED.
UM, I HAD HEARD SOME KINDA OF RECENT CONCERNS THAT, UM, THE REBATE FOR CAP CUSTOMERS IN PARTICULAR WAS PERHAPS STILL NOT ENOUGH GIVEN THE COST OF E-BIKES, UM, AT LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS.
UM, I HAVE NOT FACT CHECKED THIS, SO IT'S A GENUINE QUESTION.
I'M WONDERING, UM, IF Y'ALL KNOW LIKE HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE LOW END OF KIND OF BIKES THAT CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND IF THAT IS STILL A REQUIREMENT FOR CAP CUSTOMERS THAT THEY BUY LOCALLY.
AND UH, COMMISSIONER, I'LL, I'LL GO THROUGH A, A LITTLE UPDATE AND THEN I'LL, I'LL CASCADE DIRECTLY INTO THAT QUESTION IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU.
UM, SO, UM, WITHIN THE E-BIKE PROGRAM, UM, SO AUSTIN ENERGY'S INCENTIVIZED, UH, ELECTRIC BIKE SINCE 2013 AND OVER THE LAST YEAR WITH SOME, UH, SUPPORT OF A COUNCIL RESOLUTION, WE ACTUALLY DOUBLED THAT REBATE TO $600 ACROSS THE BOARD FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
BY THEN, AS WAS MENTIONED, WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO HAVE A, UH, REBATE OF $1,300 FOR
[01:45:01]
OUR CAP OR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM CUSTOMERS AND THAT REBATE.UM, TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION, IT IS CAPPED AT $1,300, BUT IT'S ALSO TIERED BASED ON THE COST OF THE BIKES.
I I, I NEED TO GET BACK AND LOOK AT THOSE TIERS AND HOW THEY, UH, ARE NECK AND NECK AGAINST THE, LIKE DIFFERENT, UH, COST OR SORRY, PURCHASE COST OF DIFFERENT E-BIKES.
BUT, UM, THERE ARE E-BIKES THAT CAN GO UP IN THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS RANGE, BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME THAT ARE, ARE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER IN THAT REBATE WILL BE, UH, ACCORDINGLY.
AND I'M HAPPY TO CIRCULATE, UM, THAT TIER OF REBATES THAT SHOWS THE REBATE AMOUNT VERSUS THE ACT COST OF THE ACTUAL BIKE THAT IS, UM, THAT IS SOLD AT THE POINT OF SALE THERE.
SO, SO IT'S, IT DIFFERS ON THE ACTUAL COST OF THE BIKE OF HOW MUCH THE REBATE AMOUNT IS GONNA BE.
UM, AND I'M, I'M NOT ON THE PAGE RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S LIKE A MAYBE $700 DELTA, UM, ON THE HIGH END OF THE REBATE.
UM, BUT I GUESS, SO THAT IS ONE ISSUE I GUESS IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IS, IS EXPECTING SOMEBODY WHO'S A CAP CUSTOMER TO, UM, HAVE THE $700, UH, REASONABLE OR NOT, AND I
THE OTHER WAS JUST LIKE THE, EVEN AT LEAST THIS, THIS PERSPECTIVE WAS SHARED THAT, THAT THERE WEREN'T EVEN BIKES AVAILABLE THAT WERE LOWER COST THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, CUZ IT ONLY GOES UP TO $2,000, I THINK WAS LIKE FOR $2,000 SOMEWHERE YOU GET 13,000 OR $1,300.
UM, I GUESS I'M WONDERING HAS ANYBODY AT AUSTIN ENERGY DONE ANY KIND OF EVEN BASIC KIND OF SURVEY OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE IN A LOCAL MARKET? IT, AND THEN I GUESS MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION, DOES THAT REQUIREMENT STILL APPLY TO CAP CUSTOMERS? UH, SURE.
UH, SO I CAN LOOK INTO THE, AND SORRY, THE DELTA WAS THE WORD I WAS LOOKING FOR EARLIER AND, AND, AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.
AND SO I CAN, I CAN LOOK INTO WHAT THOSE DELTAS ARE ACROSS THOSE DIFFERENT TIERS.
UM, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GET TO THE $1,300 AND THEN YOU GET TO THE HIGHEST POINT OF AN E-BIKE, UH, COST, IT COULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT DELTA'S MUCH LOWER.
UM, BUT I'LL, I'LL VERIFY AND, AND GET BACK TO WHAT, WHAT THOSE DIFFERENCES ARE ON THE MAX REBATE VERSUS THE MAX TIER OF EACH ONE OF THOSE THAT WE HAVE CARVED OUT.
AND, AND I'LL JUST ADD THAT WE DO, UM, KNOW ALREADY OF SOME PARTICIPATION, UM, IN THE INCENTIVE FROM CAP CUSTOMERS.
UH, OF COURSE WE'D ALWAYS WANT IT TO BE, UH, A LOT, BUT, UM, THERE IS SOME MINIMAL PARTICIPATION ALREADY.
THAT'S GREAT AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
I THINK I MUST NOT BE COMMUNICATING WELL
UM, YEAH, LIKE I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, I, UH, BUT I AM SPECIFICALLY ASKING TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE, DO THE, I'LL JUST ASK THEM ALL TIME.
DO CAP CUSTOMERS HAVE TO BUY LOCALLY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM? OH, OH, SORRY, I MISSED THAT PART.
UH, CAP CUSTOMERS HAVE TO GO THROUGH, UM, OUR, UH, AUTHORIZED LOCAL DEALERSHIPS AS, AS PART OF THAT, UH, PURCHASE.
SO THEN, UM, I'M WONDERING, HAS ANYBODY AT AUSTIN ENERGY DONE ANY SURVEY, UM, PER ASSESSMENT OF THE COST OF E-BIKES AT THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS? AND I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, THE LOWER END.
I KNOW THAT THE SKY CAN KIND OF BE THE LIMIT WITH THESE THINGS.
I, I'LL GO WITH OUR OPERATIONS STAFF WHO WORKS DIRECTLY WITH A LOT OF THOSE LOCAL DEALERSHIPS AND, AND TO ASSESS THOSE PRICES.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE STAFF THAT'S DEDICATED TO MAINTAINING THAT RELATIONSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THOSE TIERS ARE.
SO I I CAN GET BACK WITH THEM AND, AND FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
BECAUSE YEAH, THE, THE CONCERN THAT WAS RAISED WAS THAT THERE WERE PERHAPS NOT BIKES EVEN AVAILABLE FOR LIKE, LESS THAN SOMEWHERE MORE THAN $2,000.
UM, SO I HAVE NOT DONE A SURVEY.
I HAVE NOT, I DON'T HAVE THESE RELATIONSHIPS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE QUESTION I'M INTERESTED IN.
AND SORRY FOR PROBABLY CONFUSING, UH, THE ISSUE BY WORDING HERE.
I'VE, I I'VE SEEN SOME E-BIKES THAT WERE 4,000 PLUS AT DEALERSHIPS.
THE, THE, THE, THE RANGE IS, IS QUITE VAST FROM, UM, LOWEST TO HIGHEST HERE.
SO, UM, AND THEN SO ADDITIONALLY, AS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT E-BIKES, SOME OF THE WORK WE'VE DONE, NOT, NOT JUST ON THE, ON THE REBATE PROGRAMING, UH, ALONG WITH AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, BUT UM, IS THE, YOU KNOW, WORK WE'VE DONE WITH THE EXPANSION OR SORRY, WITH OUR PARTNER CAPITAL METRO ON THE EXPANSION OF THE METRO BIKE PROGRAM IN, UH, TRAININGS AND COMMUNITIES TO ACCESS THAT AS WELL.
UM, ALSO I WANNA MENTION HIGHLIGHT OUR EVS FOR SCHOOLS PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE WORKED WITH AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS TO ONE INSTALL CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AT FOR THEIR LOCAL SCHOOLS.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE WORKED
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WITH OUR PARTNER ECO RISE TO DEVELOP A FULL-ON CURRICULUM THAT CAN BE USED IN THESE SCHOOLS TO CREATE A WHOLE EDUCATIONAL LIVING LAB FOR THE STUDENTS AND STAFF AROUND EV AND EV CHARGING THAT WE HAVE IN IN PLACE.AND SO FAR OVER 6,500 STUDENTS HAVE, HAVE BEEN A PART OF EXPERIENCING THAT AND IT IS OFFERED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AS WELL.
UH, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF WE'VE SEEN LIKE A SIMILAR UPTICK IN E-BIKES AS WE HAVE EVS LIKE THAT FIRST KIND OF GRAPH THAT Y'ALL SHOWED AND JUST MORE JUST GETTING MORE DATA FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON E-BIKES.
CUZ I KNOW THE MAJORITY OF THIS IS ABOUT EVS, BUT I THINK LIKE E-BIKES ARE DEFINITELY MORE ACCESSIBLE TO LOW INCOME PEOPLE.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THAT'S A, IF YOU'RE SEEING A SIMILAR BREAKDOWN BETWEEN LIKE 20 PER 20% CHARGING AT PUBLIC PLACES AND 80% AT HOMES.
I'M JUST THINKING FOR SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF AND AT MY LIKE APARTMENT COMMUNITY IN THE GEORGIAN ACRES NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S KIND OF A TRANSIT DESERT.
UM, AND WE CAN'T CHARGE OUR, WE COULDN'T, IF ANYONE HAD AN EV THEY CAN'T CHARGE IT AT OUR COMPLEX CUZ THERE'S NOT LIKE OUTDOOR CHARGERS OR ASSIGNED SPOTS OR ANYTHING.
SO A BIKE WOULD BE JUST MUCH MORE LIKE EQUITABLE AND JUST EASY TO USE AND YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE IN A COMPLEX LIKE THAT.
SO YEAH, I JUST WANTED, THIS IS KIND OF MORE OF A STATING MY SUPPORT FOR MORE E-BIKE FOCUS A A ABSOLUTELY.
AND, AND RICHARD HIGHLIGHTED THE, UM, THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN EARLIER IN THE 40% VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED THERE.
AND WHEN WE SAY THAT WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL OWNING THE INDIVIDUAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND PARKING IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL GARAGE, THAT IS MEANT TO ADDRESS EVERYTHING FROM THE ELECTRIC BUS DOWN TO THE E-BIKE AND TRANSPORTATION IN BETWEEN.
AND IN TERMS OF GROWTH, UM, I'LL HAVE TO GET SPECIFIC NUMBERS ON IT, BUT THROUGH OUR INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, I BELIEVE 2020 AND 2021 AND PROBABLY INTO 2022 WERE THE HIGHEST ADOPTION OF THE REBI PROGRAM THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE INCEPTION.
UM, SOME OF THAT, YOU KNOW, PANDEMIC AND, AND EVERYONE WANTED TO GET OUT AND USE BIKES, BUT ALSO THE OTHER INVESTMENTS THE CITY ARE MAKING LIKE THE INCREASED BIKE LANES AND JUST MORE AND MORE MODELS BECOMING AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET AS WELL HAVE INCREASED THAT TOO.
AND YEAH, I KNOW THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER CITY PROGRAMS FOR LIKE EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS WITH CAP METRO AND MORE BIKE LANE INCENTIVES.
SO I, YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT I THINK THE E-BIKES GO ALONG WITH THAT AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE ON TRACK FOR ABSOLUTELY.
AND, AND THEN WITH RICHARD TALKED ABOUT THE EASE OF CHARGING ABOUT LEVEL ONE, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT MAKES EBIKE SO ATTRACTIVE TOO, IS JUST THE EASE WITH LEVEL ONE CHARGING FOR THOSE AS WELL.
UM, I'M IN, UH, UH, DISTRICT NINE, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE, BUT QUITE A FEW OF US WHO LIVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND DISTRICT NINE ARE NOT SERVED BY AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, SO IS THIS E-BIKE, UH, LIMITED? DO YOU HAVE TO BE AN AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REBATE? YOU DO.
I'M IN DISTRICT EIGHT, SORRY,
AND THEN, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE SMALLEST FORM IN TERMS OF E-BIKE, I, I WANT TO, UM, CONTINUE ON TO OUR, ONE OF THE NEXT PILLARS THAT WE ADDRESS AND THAT'S ON FLEET'S NEW MOBILITY.
AND, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT THE CITY HAS DONE AND WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM ON TRANSITIONING THE FLEET OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES, UH, SORRY, THEIR FLEET OF VEHICLES TO AN ELECTRIC PLATFORM.
THEY'RE OVER AT 275 EVS IN THEIR FLEETING NOW AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND CONTINUING TO GROW WITH SAVINGS HAVE EXCEEDED, UH, PROJECTIONS BY OVER 50% SO FAR JUST FROM FUEL AND MAINTENANCE SAVINGS.
AND I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE, UM, RESULTS OF AUSTIN ENERGY WORKING TO PUT IN ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE FLEET VEHICLES HAS BEEN SPEEDING UP THE PERMITTING PROCESS IN DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW QUICK TURNAROUND PERMIT, UH, SPECIFIC TO EV CHARGING.
THAT'S, UH, THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE RESULTS OF DOING THIS.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST AVAILABLE TO AS TO US AS THE CITY TO USE THAT, THAT IS A NEW QUICK TURNAROUND PERMIT FOR INSTALLING LEVEL TWO CHARGING AS WELL.
SO, UH, AND THEN SECONDARILY ON THE FLEET SIDE AS I, UM, IS THE WORK THAT CAPITAL METRO'S DOING ON THEIR BUS ELECTRIFICATION, WE'VE, AUSTIN ENERGY'S BEEN ENGAGED WITH THEM SINCE, WELL BEFORE THE FIRST ELECTRIC BUSES CAME IN ON DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR NORTH OPERATIONS, UH, BUS DEPOT, WHICH IS NOW THEIR BUS CHARGING YARD, UM, IN NORTH AUSTIN.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM SINCE THEIR INCEPTION OF TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC BUSES.
SO HOW WAS THE PERMITTING PROCESS CHANGED? THE PERMITTING PROCESS CHANGED, SO WE WORKED WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND TYPICALLY EV CHARGING WOULD GO IN, IS EITHER AN ELECTRICAL OR A STANDALONE BUILDING PERMIT.
[01:55:01]
AND, UH, NOW THERE'S A QUICK TURNAROUND PERMIT PROCESS, SO IT'S ALL GOING THROUGH THE SAME FUNNEL.AND, UM, SINCE I HAVE NOT PERSONALLY DRAWN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING PERMIT YET, UM, I HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH EACH STEP OF IT, BUT WE DO WORK WITH, UH, OUR ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS AND HAVE STAFF TO GUIDE THEM THROUGH THAT.
UM, AND IT REALLY SHORTENS UP A, THE PROCESSING TIME, BUT ALSO A LOT OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT GO ALONG WITH INSTALLING EV CHARGING AS WELL.
UH, TWO, TWO MORE PILLARS, UH, OF OUR, OUR FIVE PILLAR STRATEGY.
THE NEXT ONE BE ON, ON OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
UM, WE DO A LOT OF OUTREACH WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON EVS AS WELL AS A LOT OF TARGETED OUTREACH AND MARKETING, UH, WHERE WE WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
AND ONE OF THE EXAMPLES I WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS, UM, WE HAVE AN EV BUYER'S GUIDE AS, UH, PART OF OUR WEBSITE AVAILABLE TO DEALERSHIPS AS WELL.
SO WHAT THE EV BUYER'S GUIDE IS, IT IS A REALTIME INVENTORY OF NEW AND USED ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THE AUSTIN AREA WHERE WE WORK WITH THE AUTO OEMS AS WELL AS THE LOCAL DEALERSHIPS TO ESTABLISH THAT INVENTORY, UH, IN, IN REAL TIME OR ON THE SITE.
AND THAT ONE'S ALSO AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, BUT NOT ONLY DOES IT SHOW THE INVENTORY OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES, BUT THAT BUYER'S GUIDE WILL ALSO SHOW THE AVAILABLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, ANY INCENTIVES, WHETHER IT BE ON THE LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL LEVEL, UM, AS WELL AS TO HELP CUSTOMERS WITH THE PURCHASING PROCESS THERE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WE'VE HOSTED THE INDUSTRY EVENT, THE ELECTRIFY EXPO FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS HERE IN AUSTIN.
IT IS ONLY A TWO YEAR OLD EVENT, BUT LAST YEAR WE HAD OVER 13,000 ATTENDEES AT AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE ONLY EVENT.
UH, SO IT WASN'T TIED TO ANYTHING ELSE LIKE A RACE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR COMMUNITY TO DO RIDE AND DRIVES OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES TO GET IN FRONT OF TECHNOLOGY, UM, EVEN PARTICIPATE IN IN LISTENING IN ON INDUSTRY PANELS THAT WERE BEING HELD THERE AS WELL.
AND IT'S JUST A, A GOOD EVENT THAT'S BEEN HELD OUT AT CIRCUIT THE AMERICAS THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND THEN FINALLY, I, I MENTIONED EVS FOR SCHOOLS IN THAT PROGRAM EARLIER.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE CHARGING STATIONS THAT WERE THERE AND THE CURRICULUM THAT HAS LED TO US DOING LIVE TOURS, UM, WITH A LOT OF THESE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, UH, BOTH IN THE CLASSROOM AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO VISIT AUSTIN ENERGY FACILITIES, BOTH FOR EV CHARGING AND SOME OF OUR INNOVATIVE RENEWABLE PROJECTS AS WELL.
AND THEN, UH, FINALLY ON OUR LAST PILLAR THAT WE, WE ADDRESS IS ON THE GRID INTEGRATION SIDE, UH, AND MORE AROUND MANAGED CHARGING FOR EL ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS ONE OF OUR WAYS TO ENSURE THAT AS THIS POPULATION OF EVS GROWS, THAT WE MANAGE THE, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO MANAGE THIS LOAD AND MANAGE THIS GROWTH ON OUR SYSTEM AS WELL AROUND RELIABILITY.
SO THERE'S THREE MANY PROJECTS, PROJECTS I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT HERE.
THE FIRST BEING, UH, WHAT WE CALL E V 360.
AND THAT WAS A BEHAVIORAL PROGRAM WHERE WE HAD A OFF-PEAK CHARGING RATE, UH, WHERE CUSTOMERS, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS COULD SUBSCRIBE, DO ALL OF THEIR CHARGING OFF PEAK IN THEIR HOME AND HAVE A FLAT RATE OF $30 EVERY MONTH.
WE CAPPED THAT A HUNDRED CUSTOMERS TO, TO LEARN, UH, WHAT CHARGING BEHAVIORS WOULD BE, THE PRICE SIGNALS INCENTIVIZE THAT BEHAVIOR, UM, AND THE CUSTOMERS RESPOND TO A, UH, PRICING STRUCTURE AROUND EV CHARGING.
SO WE HELD THAT ONE AT THE CAP OF A HUNDRED CUSTOMERS.
UM, NOW WE'RE GOING MORE INTO HOW OUR THERMOSTAT PROGRAMS ARE ARRANGED, WHERE CUSTOMERS WILL INSTALL AN EV CHARGING STATION IN THEIR HOME, AND THEN THEY'LL GRANT US ABILITY TO EITHER TURN DOWN CHARGING OR EVEN CURTAIL CHARGING IN TIMES OF, YOU KNOW, HIGH STRESS ON THE GRID PEAK PERIODS, UM, AND BE ABLE TO DO A PHYSICAL MANAGEMENT OF THOSE ASSETS VOLUNTARILY WITH THROUGH AN INCENTIVE.
UM, CUSTOMERS WILL ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPT OUT, UH, SO WE DON'T CURTAIL CHARGING IF THEY DEEM THEIR VEHICLE WILL BE NEEDED A LITTLE BIT LATER.
WE'RE IN THE INITIAL STAGES OF LAUNCHING THAT, DOING ENROLLMENTS RIGHT NOW, ALSO DOING SOME TESTING ON OUR OWN CITY OF AUSTIN CHARGING ASSETS, UH, WITH OUR, WITH OUR FLEET SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN WE'LL BE GOING INTO FULL ENROLLMENT, UM, AS SOON AS THOSE FIRST TWO PHASES ARE DONE.
AND THEN ON THE, ON THE LAST ONE AROUND THE GRID INTEGRATION SIDE IS SOME OF THE WORK WE'VE DONE WITH VEHICLE TOG GRID AS PART OF A LARGER ENERGY STORAGE PROGRAM THAT WE DID, UH, CALLED, UM, AUSTIN SHINES THAT INTEGRATED SOLAR AND BATTERY STORAGE.
WE ALSO DID A VEHICLE TO GRID COMPONENT WHERE WE, UH, WORKED WITH PECAN STREET LAB, HOOKING UP A NISSAN LEAF, UH, TO A VEHICLE TO HOME CHARGER, AND THEN HAVING A SOFTWARE LAYER ON TOP OF IT THAT SENT SIGNALS, UH, BACK TO THE HOME TO REGULATE CHARGE AND DISCHARGE OF THOSE ASSETS.
SO, AND, AND I BELIEVE, UH, THIS LAST PILLAR, I'LL PASS BACK TO RICHARD FOR THE CONCLUSION HERE.
SO, UM, COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP, UH, HAS BEEN THE KEY TO THE SUCCESS THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST 12 YEARS.
UH, WITHOUT, AND THIS IS NOT A COMPREHENSIVE LIST, BUT WITHOUT THESE PARTNERS, WHETHER THEY'RE GOVERNMENTAL, PRIVATE OR COMMUNITY, UH, NONE OF THE WORK TO IDENTIFY AND SOLVE REAL, REAL WORLD PROBLEMS WOULD BE
[02:00:01]
POSSIBLE.AND SO SOME OF THE EXAMPLES YOU'VE HEARD, ECO RISE, UH, BIKE, UH, TEXAS SAFETY TRAINING AT HAKA, UH, WE'VE DONE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP OVER THE YEARS.
UM, SO THAT COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP HAS RESULTED IN RE RECOGNITION, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A AWARD-WINNING AND INDUSTRY LEADING PROGRAM AS INDICATED BY JUST A SAMPLING OF THE AWARDS YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE.
AND LASTLY, I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE TEAM, THE 11 PERSON TEAM, UH, ON OUR, UH, ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, UH, GROUP, UH, THAT WORKS SO HARD TO BRING ALL OF THIS TOGETHER.
SO, UH, THAT'S THE END OF THE BRIEFING AND WE'LL TAKE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AT THIS TIME.
UM, SO ONE, UM, WOW CA THIS GOT REALLY BIG IN THE SCREEN.
I FELT LIKE SHE WAS LOOKING DOWN AT ME.
UM, UH, ONE THING THAT WASN'T REFLECTED IN YOUR, UM, IN YOUR PRESENTATION, I KNOW THIS IS A SEPARATE PRESENTATION, IS, UM, THERE'S BEEN AN ONGOING DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER IN FUTURE, UM, BUILDING CODES THERE WOULD BE SOME REQUIREMENTS ADOPTED IN TERMS OF, UM, ELECTRIC VEHICLE READY AS PART OF THOSE CODES.
IS THAT, IS THAT REALLY A, A SEPARATE EFFORT WITH THE GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM OR IS THAT, ARE YOU GUYS TALKING TO THEM ABOUT FUTURE CODE ADOPTIONS OF, OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AS WE, YOU KNOW, BUILD NEW BUILDINGS? YEAH, I, I, I KNOW YOU ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE SURVEY THAT WAS DONE AND THOSE SURVEY RESULTS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, WE CAN CONFIRM THROUGH OUR PARTICIPATION ON THE CODE STANDARDS COMMITTEES THAT, UM, EV READY AND ELECTRIC READY ARE PART OF THE 24, UH, I E C C.
SO THE PART THAT WE CAN'T, DON'T CONTROL AND THAT WE, WE ARE ENGAGED IN, BUT WE'RE NOT THE DECISION MAKERS IS, UM, AUSTIN'S ADOPTION OF THE 24 E C I E C C AND WHEN THAT SPECIFICALLY IS GONNA OCCUR.
UM, SO THAT PART IS NOT KIND OF WORKED THROUGH YET, BUT, BUT THE, UH, INCLUSION OF EV READY AND ELECTRIC READY IN THE 24 IC, WELL JUST, UH, SORT OF A SIDE COMMENT.
UM, SIERRA CLUB HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR LOCAL GROUPS IN A NUMBER OF CITIES AND WE'VE SEEN SOME, SOME LIMITED ADOPTION OF, OF EV READY IN SAN ANTONIO AT SORT OF SOME NEW REQUIREMENTS.
AND THEN CITY OF HOUSTON IS WORKING THROUGH THEIR CODE ADOPTION AND THEY HAVE SOME, AGAIN, LIMITED EV READY, SO NOT THE FULL 24, BUT YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME, AND THEN DALLAS IS ACTUALLY TAKING, GONNA ADOPT CODES POTENTIALLY THIS WEEK THAT WOULD HAVE SOME, I'D SAY MORE SUBSTANTIAL EV READY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SO JUST, UH, I, I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE SUBJECT OF TONIGHT'S, BUT I I'M SURE WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE FUTURE.
DO YOU ALREADY HAVE A SUMMARY OF THOSE WE CAN GET QUICKLY? UM, I COULD, UH, I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT HERE, BUT I COULD CERTAINLY, DID YOU SEND THAT AFTER, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE VOTE IN DALLAS, I COULD PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.
IS IT 240 VOLT, 50 AMP CIRCUIT PER GARAGE? A PER BAY OF GARAGE PRE-WIRE PROFESSOR.
I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT I CAN, SO IF YOU COULD GET US A SUMMARY, I CAN GET A SUMMARY YEAH.
OF WHAT SOME, SOME OF THE OTHER LEADING CITIES ARE DOING IN TEXAS.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, FOLLOW UP ON, ON THAT, UM, I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE AN A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUEST, WHICH, WHICH I WILL DO.
UM, BUT I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THE COMMENT ABOUT AUSTIN ENERGY, NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING THE DECISION MAKER, I'M MOVING FORWARD WITH THE, THE CODES AND I MEAN, I KNOW THAT TECHNICALLY D S D UM, TAKES THE CODES FORWARD TO COUNSEL, BUT, UM, THE PAST CONVERSATION, UM, SEEMS TO ALL INDICATE THAT DSD DOES NOT RUN THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS.
AND FOR, FOR, FOR THIS CODE IN PARTICULAR FOR THE ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE AND THAT, THAT DOES FALL TO AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND I MEAN, I REALIZE I THINK MOST OF THE PLAYERS INVOLVED HAVE NOW LIKE RETIRED.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S A NEW CAST OF CHARACTERS.
UM, WHICH IS WHY I THINK WE SHOULD, UM, HAVE THE AGENDA ITEM
[02:05:01]
SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT, UM, WHO IS WANTING TO DO WHAT.BUT, UM, IT, IN THE PAST IT SEEMS LIKE D S D AND BY THE PAST, I JUST MEAN LIKE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, IT SEEMS LIKE D S D WAS OPEN AND WILLING TO DO THEIR KIND OF RELATIVELY SMALL PART AT THE END OF AUSTIN ENERGY.
WANTED TO MOVE THIS ONE FORWARD.
SO I GUESS I'M WONDERING, RICHARD, IF YOU CAN TELL US, YOU KNOW, IF YOU AND YOUR TEAM, IF D S D IS, YOU KNOW, UP FOR DOING THEIR PART, IF Y'ALL ARE UP FOR DOING YOURS ON THIS CODE, EVEN IF D S D IS NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH THE OTHER 2024 CODE.
YEAH, I, I THINK WE SHOULD SIT DOWN AND HAVE THE DISCUSSION AS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP CHANGE IN DSD, WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT DISCUSSION WITH THEM YET.
SO I THINK THAT WE SHOULD DO SO AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST UNDERSTAND WHERE DSD IS ON THIS ISSUE AND WE CAN BRING THEM UP TO SPEED WITH ALL THE PREP WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN, IN THIS AREA.
SO I'M OPEN TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS IN THOSE MEETINGS.
AND DO YOU KNOW WHO THE CURRENT, UM, LEAD IS OVER THERE? I KNOW THE LAST PERSON I TALKED TO WAS, I THINK KELLY STILLWELL AND HE'S VAUGHN WHO'S, WHO'S THE NEW PERSON THAT YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THE NAME OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, BUT WE, WE WILL REACH OUT AND, UM, ESTABLISH THAT CONTACT AS YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S, UH, AN AREA THAT KURT WAS
SO, AND THAT'S HEIDI NOW, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, THE ACTING, UH, MANAGER IN, UM, UH, WELL THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING IS HEIDI.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL THEN I GUESS WE MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UH OH, THANK YOU, BY THE WAY.
UH, IT, YOU KNOW, THAT WHAT, WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE.
SO THANK, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT WORK.
JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU ALSO, ALSO, I APPRECIATE THE COMMITMENT, UH, TONIGHT FOR INTERIM INFORMATION BETWEEN MEETINGS, UH, UH, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDED AND AS WELL AS MR. DOMBROSKI, UH, IS HELPFUL AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
[6. Discussion and possible action regarding the 2023-2024 City of Austin Budget recommendations.]
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE 2023 TO 2024 CITY OF AUSTIN BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.OKAY, SO WHAT IS THIS ITEM ABOUT? REFRESH MY MEMORY.
SO, UM, RANDY, DID YOU WANNA NO, GO AHEAD.
UM, SO AS YOU REMEMBER, WE RECONSTITUTED THE AUDIT BUDGET WORKING GROUP, UM, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT, UH, COMMITTEES LIKE E U C COULD PROVIDE SOME, UM, GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FUTURE BUDGET, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT CUZ OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE BUDGET NUMBERS BEFORE US.
SO WE MET, UH, AND I, KIVA WAS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US, UH, AT FIVE.
UH, BUT A NUMBER OF US MET VERY BRIEFLY BEFORE THIS MEETING AND CAME UP WITH THIS LIST OF 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
I WANT TO, I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SIX ITEMS THAT ARE PRETTY GENERAL, VERY SORT OF DIRECTIONAL.
THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT SPECIFIC NUMBERS, BUT THEY'RE JUST SORT OF WHAT WE THOUGHT ARE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE COULD MAKE AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND I KNOW AUSTIN ANDREW'S JUST SEEING THIS, I'M AWARE OF THAT.
SO, UM, BUT, UH, I THOUGHT IF YOU WANT, WE COULD TALK THROUGH EACH OF THESE.
AND IF WE WANTED AS A BODY TO SAY THESE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS WE COULD, WE CAN CERTAINLY CHANGE THEM OR TAKE ONES OUT IF THERE'S NOT SUPPORT.
AND THOSE WERE, UM, UH, CIRCULATED BY EMAIL TO EVERYBODY.
SO THOSE WHO ARE ON SCREEN SHOULD HAVE THEM AS WELL.
THO THOSE WHO ARE PARTICIPATING REMOTELY SHOULD HAVE AN EMAIL FROM ROBIN WITH US.
AND SOME OF THESE SHOULD NOT BE CONTROVERSIAL AT ALL.
SO, UH, SO NUMBER ONE WAS JUST, UM, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK AUSTIN ENERGY AGREES TO THIS, THAT, THAT THE BUDGET GOING FORWARD SHOULD REFLECT THE AGREEMENT ON THE GENERAL FUND TRANSFER.
AND WE DIDN'T PUT A NUMBER IN HERE CUZ I THINK IT'S 115 MILLION THAT WAS AGREED, BUT I, I WASN'T, I COULDN'T REMEMBER THAT DECEMBER DAY BACK IN THAT COMPLICATED DECEMBER DAY EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID
BUT IT'S BASICALLY LIKE WE'RE ENDORSING THAT THAT WAS AN AGREEMENT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THE BUDGET REFLECTS THAT, UM, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS.
[02:10:01]
PUT ON THESE SEPARATELY OR IS IT MOVE THEM AS A GROUP? LET'S GO THROUGH, LET'S GO THROUGH 'EM AND SEE IF THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, I INVITE IF AUSTIN ENERGY HAS ANY HEARTBURN WITH THESE OR YOU KNOW, PLEASE LET US KNOW.YEAH, UM, FIRST, UH, SORRY THAT I MISSED THE MEETING.
UM, I THINK I JUST EMAILED YOU A FEW MINUTES AGO CUZ I, I JUST SAW THE, THE EMAIL ABOUT THE MEETING.
UM, HOPEFULLY I CAN CAN JOIN IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT I THINK Y'ALL CAME UP WITH A GREAT LIST.
I, I JUST HAD LIKE BASICALLY A COPY EDIT.
I THINK EVERYWHERE THAT IT SAYS ASSURE IT SHOULD BE ENSURE, BUT I'M OTHERWISE SUPPORTIVE.
AS YOU, YOU COULD ASK, UM, PEOPLE IN COMMUNICATION AT, AT SIERRA CLUB ABOUT MY, UM, MY USE OF THE WORDS LIKE ENSURE ASSURE.
YOU'RE GONNA CALL ANYBODY IN PARTICULAR OUT.
I JUST THINK WE SHOULD MIGHT SEE
SO ENGLISH IS REALLY COMPLEX, UM, IN YOUR REQUEST FOR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, BUT BASICALLY, UM, AND WE COULDN'T REMEMBER
BUT WHAT WE WANNA SAY IS WE WANNA SUPPORT YOUR REQUEST FOR, FOR MONEY, FOR THE CONTRACTS, FOR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
SO IF THAT'S NOT WRITTEN CORRECTLY, IF YOU HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, FRIENDLY EDITS.
I THOUGHT MARK HAD 20 MILLION IN THE BUDGET AND HE SAID THAT WAS SUFFICIENT AND THERE WAS SOME LEFTOVER, WELL, WE'RE TALKING, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE BUDGET, THE 24 BUDGET.
SO WE DON'T KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER SHOULD BE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO SAY WE SUPPORT GETTING TO THAT CYCLE OVER THE, THE YEARS.
STUART RILEY, AGAIN, INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER, AND I AM, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
I WILL SAY, UM, JUST GOING BACK TO A, WE, YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL OF GENERAL FUND TRANSFER WE SEE AS A CITY OF AUSTIN ISSUE.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE MORE ON THE CITY SIDE.
AND SO I'M, UH, AGNOSTIC ON THAT AND, UM, IN TERMS OF THE ENTIRE CYCLE.
SO, UM, IT'S A SEVEN YEAR CYCLE AND WE MOVED IN 2019 TO THE INDUSTRY STANDARD.
SO THAT WOULD, UM, SO THAT'S WHERE I CAME UP WITH THE END OF 25
WELL, IT'S, IF IT REALLY WAS, AND THAT, I THINK, I THINK I THINK THE, THE, THE, THE ISSUE IS THOUGH THAT I'M, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THE INTENT HERE BECAUSE WHEN WE CH WHEN WE CHANGED TO THE INDUSTRY STANDARD 10 YEAR, UH, I'M SORRY, 10 FEET FOR SLOW GROWTH TREE SPECIES AND 15 FEET FOR FAST GROWING SPECIES, UM, WE CHANGED THAT STANDARD IN 2019, BUT WE NEEDED TO GET THE CONTRACTS IN PLACE.
UM, AND SO WE WORKED OVER THE NEXT YEAR TO, YOU KNOW, WE INCREASED THE BUDGET, WE GOT THE CONTRACTS IN PLACE.
SO THERE MAY BE A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, SO SHOULD WE FUZZY SAY FUZZINESS AROUND 20 TO 21 IS WHEN OKAY.
I WOULD SAY WE OFFICIALLY STARTED IN EARNEST WITH THE FULL ON, UM, INDUSTRY STANDARD, UH, UH, TREE TRIMMING, UH, CLEARANCE.
MAYBE INSTEAD OF SAYING BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2025, WE JUST SAY WITHIN THE SEVEN YEAR CYCLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, ON THAT ONE, COULD WE ALSO MAYBE SAY, UH, JUST THE APPROVED VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN, WE'RE RE REFERENCING SOMETHING SPECIFIC? I CA I CAN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID CAVA.
I WAS JUST, UM, INSTEAD OF ROBUST VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH I THINK COULD MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, IF WE JUST SAY, UM, OR IN ORDER TO BASICALLY TO, UM, I DON'T KNOW, CAN WE MEND THIS TO JUST REFERENCE THE APPROVED VEGETATION PLAN SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT THE STANDARD IS WE'RE TRYING TO MEET? YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
I MEAN, YEAH, COULD, COULD, JUST AS A PROCESS, SO WE DON'T TAKE A LONG TIME TONIGHT, UH, UH, CAN WE, THE AT LEAST MOTION WILL MOVE LATER THAT, UH, TYPE TYPOS, MINOR CORRECTIONS WILL BE, UH, TRANSMITTED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER REED, UH, UH, TO AE FOR, UH, CIRCULATION, FOR FINAL CIRCULATION.
[02:15:01]
DOES THAT WORK WITH YOUR CYRUS Y I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WORKS LEGAL, LIKE, UH, CAN WE DO THAT? CAN WE GENERALLY APPROVE SOMETHING AND THEN CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN UP THE TYPOS AS LONG AS, AS LONG AS WE KNOW WHAT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE? YEAH.I THINK IF, IF YOU MAKE A MOTION AND YOU READ, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A MOTION ON, THEN YOU CAN SEND ME THE FINAL, UM, CLEANED UP VERSION AND THEN THAT'S WHAT I CAN SUBMIT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TRY TO CLEAN IT.
SO HERE, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF, IF, SO IF I MAY GO, GO BACK FOR JUST A SECOND.
UM, ON THIS, UM, VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, I DON'T CARE THAT WE PUT LANGUAGE IN THERE, BUT I JUST HAVE TO SAY WE'VE DISCUSSED IT A COUPLE TIMES TONIGHT.
I AM ALL IN FAVOR FOR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, BUT I REALLY HOPE OUR EMPHASIS WILL BE ON PHYSICALLY CUTTING, PRUNING, TRIMMING.
I WAS REALLY ALARMED, UM, LAST TIME WE BROUGHT THIS UP IN DETAIL AT THE AMOUNT OF CHEMICALS THAT HAD BEEN PURCHASED TO TREAT AREAS WHERE THINGS HAD BEEN CLEARED.
AND I WORRY A LOT ABOUT THE IMPACTS POTENTIALLY ON PETS, ON GARDENS, ON PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE HOMES WHERE THIS IS USED.
AND ALSO FOR, UM, THE CHEMICALS TO GET INTO OUR CREEKS AND IMPACT WILDLIFE.
AND WHILE IT WAS EPA APPROVED, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THINGS ARE WITHOUT HARM.
SO I'M HOPING THAT THE FOCUS WILL BE PHYSICAL WORK.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S HARDER TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETIMES, BUT I DON'T THINK WE WANT OUR CREEKS, UM, DAMAGED EITHER.
SO WOULD YOU REVISE B ON THAT BASED UPON THAT? NO, NO.
I'M, I'M JUST THROWING THAT IN FOR JUST COMMENT.
WELL, I WAS TYPING AN AMENDMENT TO THAT ONE ANYWAY, WHICH I JUST PUT IN THE CHAT AND I DID INCORPORATE WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, KAREN, YOU FOUND WAY, SORRY.
AND THEN I HAVE A, A TYPO THERE.
AND WE CAN'T REALLY SEE THE, THE CHAT.
IT POPPED UP AND THEN IT DISAPPEARED.
SO CAN WE GO ON TO SEE, IS, IS THAT CONTROVERSIAL IN ANY WAY? BY, BY THE END, I GUESS WE SHOULD SAY BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2025? UH, YES.
UM, I THINK THE LANGUAGE THAT COUNCIL ADOPTED WAS, AND, AND I KNOW YOU SAW THAT NUMBER 90, 90,000, THERE WAS A LOT THEN THERE WAS A RANGE WHERE WE ENDED IN LANGUAGE WAS 90% OF THE ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS.
AND SO WITH THE EBB AND FLOW, I THINK IT CAME OUT TO LIKE 83,000 TO SOME NUMBER, BUT, UH, THE WAY THE RESOLUTION WAS WRITTEN WAS 90% OF THE ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS BY 2025 BY 2025 ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS.
SO YOU WANNA CHANGE THAT? YEAH.
LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY FOR D YEAH, D D SHOULDN'T BE CONTROVERSIAL.
WE'RE JUST, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET TO LOOK AT, WE'RE JUST SAYING WE WANT TO NOT USHER, BUT INSURE ENSURE YOU'RE GOING TO INSURE IT LIKE A CAR INSURANCE POLICY, RIGHT? THAT THERE'S SUFFICIENT MONEY ALLOCATED FOR THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS TO MEET BOTH THE 1% SAVINGS GOAL, BUT ALSO MOVE US TOWARDS THE, YOU KNOW, OVERALL DEMAND REDUCTION GOAL.
E YOU MEAN E NO, I'M GOING TO F OKAY.
WELL E IS PROBABLY GONNA BE THE CONTROVERSY ONE.
SO F F IS JUST SAYING, OH, I'M SORRY.
F WE'LL, WE'LL DO F CUZ I DON'T THINK THAT'S CONTROVERSIAL.
THAT'S JUST SAYING WE WANNA MAKE SURE THE CITY MANAGER IN AUSTIN ENERGY TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AS PART, YOU KNOW, AND PUTS IT IN THE BUDGET.
BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS NOT TO REPLACE STUFF LIKE, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO CUT THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY BUDGET THAT CUSTOMERS ARE PAYING IN BECAUSE YOU CAN GET SOME FEDERAL FUNDING.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT ADDITIVE.
SO AS AN EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW THERE'S FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR CITIES TO APPLY FOR THE, UM, COMMUNITY BLOCK, ENERGY EFFICIENCY SOMETHING SOMETHING PROGRAM.
UM, SO WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE AUSTIN APPLIES FOR THAT AND GETS MONEY.
AND I, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WOULD GO TO AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT SEE WHAT I'M SAYING, LIKE SORT OF A, UH, WE'RE ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO ASK YOU GUYS TO BE, YOU
[02:20:01]
KNOW, TO GO AFTER ALL THAT MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE THAT COULD HELP FOLKS.YEAH, I, AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I I DO JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THOUGH, THAT IF I CAN GET FEDERAL FUNDS TO PAY FOR SOME RECLOSERS THAT WOULD ENHANCE OUR DISTRIBUTION RESILIENCY, I'M ABSOLUTELY GONNA USE THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS AND USE THE AUSTIN ENERGY BUDGETED DOLLARS, UM, FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
I THINK I WAS THINKING MORE ABOUT THINGS LIKE, UM, YOU WANT ADDITIONALITY WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOMER, CUSTOMER PROGRAMS, REBATES, OR PROGRAMS YEAH, EXACTLY.
NOW I'M, I'M SORRY, I, I SAID F WHEN I WAS MEANING TO SAY E YOU, YOU JINXED IT WHEN YOU SAID IT WAS NON-CONTROVERSIAL THAT THIS ONE WAS GONNA BE SUPER QUICK.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? SO E CAN I, CAN I MAKE A COMMENT ON F WE CAN'T HEAR YOU KAIA.
SHE WANTS TO MAKE A COMMENT ON F.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA SPEAK LOUDER.
SO LET ME KNOW IF THE VOLUME STARTS WORKING AND I'M YELLING, UM, ON F COULD WE ADD ELECTRIFICATION? YES, THANK YOU.
DO YOU MEAN BUILDING ELECTRIFICATION OR, OR ANY, ALL OF THE ABOVE.
SO I'M TRYING TO GET AT WHAT, WHAT, UM, STEWART'S COMMENT IS, WOULD THEY UNDERSTAND THOSE FUNDS WOULD NOT BE USED TO REPLACE BUT ENHANCE CUSTOMER FACING SOLUTIONS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? MAYBE THAT'S A WAY TO SAY IT.
KAREN, WHILE HE'S TYPING, WHAT ARE YOU YEAH, ON UH, LETTERS D AND E WE JUST NEED COUNCIL TO BE CAPITALIZED FOR CITY COUNCIL.
E E IS, UM, AND I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE THIS LANGUAGE DONE CORRECTLY, BUT BASICALLY WE'RE ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO CAREFULLY MONITOR AND EVALUATE ANY COST OF THE JOINT PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY THE FAYETTE COAL PLANT.
UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT AUSTIN ENERGY TO MAKE MAJOR INVESTMENTS TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF THAT PLANT IF WE'RE ABOUT TO CONSIDER HOW WE MIGHT GET OUT OF IT.
THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THIS IS SAYING.
AND THEN IT'S GOT A, TO THE EXTENT THAT THE MAJOR THAT ANY MAJOR EXPENDITURE FAYETTE WOULD EXCEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, IT SHOULD BE SEPARATELY APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S LEGAL, BUT IT'S BE A RECOMMENDATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S LEGAL OR NOT.
STUART, YOU WANNA GIVE US ADVICE ON THIS?
AND WHAT, UM, MY SUSPICION IS THAT THOSE COSTS COULD BE IN INCURRED AND AND PASSED ALONG TO US.
BUT I'D, I'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT CUZ I, I JUST DON'T WANT TO HAZARD A GUESS, BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU COULD STILL MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND THAT WOULD STILL BE PENDING THAT ANALYSIS AND THERE'S NOTHING MAGIC ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS A YEAH.
YOU KNOW, AND THE COUNCIL CAN YEAH.
MARSHALL, CAN YOU SPEAK UP PLEASE? YES.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, BETTER NOW.
YOU KIND OF GOTTA GOT TO USE YOUR OUTSIDE VOICE.
UM, I THINK I GENERALLY AGREE WITH THE, THE PRINCIPLE HERE, BUT IN LINE WITH KIND OF THE OTHER BUDGET ORIENTED
[02:25:01]
RECOMMENDATIONS, IT SEEMS LIKE THE COMMENT, ESPECIALLY, EXCUSE ME, AND THE REDUCED USE OF THE PLANT TO REDUCE EMISSIONS SEEMS OUT OF PLACE FOR A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION.IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FAYETTE A LOT HERE, THAT THERE'S A HOPE TO TAKE IT OFFLINE EVENTUALLY, BUT THAT'S SUBJECT TO THE CONTRACT WITH L C R A.
SO I WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE JUST TAKING OUT AND THE REDUCED USE OF THE PLANT TO REDUCE EMISSIONS.
CUZ THAT DOESN'T SEEM NECESSARY FOR THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION.
I THINK IT'S BETTER TO TAKE IT OUT.
AND THEN I MEAN, I I, I WAS WONDERING WHERE THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND CAME FROM AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S, UM, TO STEWART'S POINT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, UM, FEASIBLE, BUT AGAIN, IT'S JUST A RECOMMENDATION.
SO IF IT'S NOT FEASIBLE, IT'LL BE DISREGARDED.
KAVA, YOU HAD A COMMENT? UM, OH YEAH, JUST ON THE, UM, THAT CLAUSE REDUCED USE OF THE PLANT.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO SAY THE, TO REDUCE EMISSIONS, BUT I DO THINK THE REDUCED USE OF THE PLANT IS REALLY RELEVANT TO THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UM, WHICH OFTEN ENERGY HAS REDUCED USAGE OF THE PLANT, WHICH I APPLAUD.
UM, BUT IT DOES, YOU KNOW, CHANGE THE MATH ON ANY POTENTIAL, UH, RECOVERY OF COST INCURRED AT, AT THE FACILITY.
SO, UM, I WOULD JUST SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE COULD GET RID OF THE TWO REDUCED EMISSIONS AND LE AND LEAVE IN THE REDUCED USE OF THE PLANT.
WOULD YOU FEEL OKAY ABOUT THAT, MARSHALL? YEAH, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
CYRUS, DID YOU HEAR WHAT? YEAH, I, I PUT IT BACK IN.
WELL, SPEAKING OF EDITING, IDENTIFY, OH, SORRY.
THAT HELPS, THAT HELPS IDENTIFY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE IT IS A SPECIFIC PLAN AND PART OF THE PLAN AS WELL.
UH, AT THIS POINT, MAY I, UH, MOVE THE ADOPTION OF RECOMMENDATIONS A THROUGH F, UH, AND FURTHER AUTHORIZE COMMISSIONER REED, UH, TO TRANSMIT ALONG WITH THE EDITS DISCUSSED, UH, TO AUSTIN ENERGY FOR, UH, TO BE PROVIDED TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UM, I KNOW CAVA HAD SOME, SOME WORD CHANGES, SO I'LL ASSUME THAT'S SORT OF INCORPORATED.
OH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE.
IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH WHAT I SENT? UH, CYS? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW IT, BUT I DID EMAIL.
OH, YOU AND ROBIN AND DAVE, THE EDIT THAT I WAS SUGGEST SUGGESTING ON B WITH THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
I THINK IT'S IN LINE WITH THE DISCUSSION, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL CAN SHOW IT ON THE SCREEN.
CAN CAN YOU RESTATE IT? MAYBE LET ME JUST PULL UP MAY.
OH, AND I COPIED ASSURE AGAIN, BUT PLEASE EDIT ME AND TAKE IT BACK.
MAKE IT ENSURE, UM, CITY COUNCIL ENSURE THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT MONEY IN THE BUDGET SO THAT AUSTIN ENERGY CAN COMPLETE THE ENTIRE APPROVED CYCLE OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT BY THE END OF FY 2027.
WITHOUT THE USE OF HERBICIDES OR OTHER COMPANIES, I PROBABLY WOULD, WOULD CHANGE THAT TO BE WITH MINIMAL USE OF HERBICIDES.
THEY PROBABLY ARE GOING TO USE SOME, THEY ALREADY HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH, BUT JUST TO MAKE THE EMPHASIS ON PHYSICAL REMOVAL.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE USING HERBICIDES, BUT, OH, THAT'S ME.
WELL, I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD EITHER.
UM, WELL, THERE COULD BE SOME USE OF CHEMICALS SAY TO PROTECT THE TREE, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOMETIMES YOU PUT SOMETHING ON THE TREE WHEN YOU CUT IT, SO, OKAY.
THEN DON'T FORGET ABOUT CHEMICALS.
JUST SAY THAT'S THAT'S NOT HERBICIDES THOUGH.
SO THEN STRIKE AND CHEMICALS AND JUST HERBICIDES.
I, I AGREE WITH THE CONCEPT, SO WITHOUT THE USE OF HERBICIDES.
[02:30:03]
OKAY, THANKS.YEAH, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF CITY.
IS CITY COUNCIL PLURAL OR SI SINGULAR.
OKAY, SO WE HAD A MOTION A SECOND.
I WILL SEND THIS, UH, TO ROBIN PROBABLY BY THE END OF THIS MEETING.
SO DO WE NEED TO VOTE? ROBIN? ROBIN, IF YOU GET IT AND THEN YOU DISPLAY IT, THEN ISN'T IT CLEAR WE COULD TAKE A VOTE ON IT.
DO YOU WANNA MOVE TO ANOTHER ITEM WHILE HE FINISHES THE EDITS AND THEN YOU CAN TABLE IT FOR NOW? SURE.
CYRUS, YOU WANNA MULTITASK? I'VE BEEN MULTITASKING THIS WHOLE MEETING.
[7. Conduct officer elections for the Chair and Vice Chair of the Electric Utility Commission. ]
OFFICER ELECTIONS FOR THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE E U C.IT'S THAT TIME OF OF YEAR AGAIN.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY NOMINATIONS? I DO HAVE A NOMINATION.
UH, I MOVE, UH, COMMISSIONER TUTTLE TO SERVE AS CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER WHITE TO SERVE AS VICE CHAIR.
DO WE SECOND THESE? WELL, LET'S SEE IF THERE'S OTHER CANDIDATES.
DO, DO BOTH FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN NOMINATED WANT THOSE POSITIONS? I GUESS THAT WOULD BE
I WAS KIND OF ASKING FOR ANYBODY ELSE, BUT I'LL DO IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I GOT MYSELF INTO.
[8. Approve a representative and an alternate to serve on the Joint Sustainability Committee. (Sponsors: Chapman and Hopkins) ]
APPROVE A REPRESENTATIVE AND ALTERNATE TO SERVE IN THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.NOW, RANDY, DIDN'T YOU HAVE CONVERSATIONS ON THIS? UH, COMMISSIONER WHITE, UH, UH, HAS OFFERED TO SERVE IN THAT POSITION.
KAY, ARE YOU, ARE YOU UP FOR THAT? EXCUSE ME.
UH, COMMISSIONER WHITE, UH, IS AVAILABLE TO SERVE IN THAT POSITION AND THEREFORE I RECOMMEND, UH, THAT SHE BE APPOINTED, SO APPOINTED.
AND, AND I JUST WANNA, I, I KNOW KAREN HAS BEEN SERVING IN THIS ROLE, AND THANK YOU, KAREN.
I JUST WANNA LIKE, CONFIRM THAT, THAT YOU'RE GOOD WITH THAT.
I DON'T WANNA BE TAKING AWAY A POSITION THAT YOU WANT.
I, I AM NOMINATING YOU AND HAPPY TO HAVE YOU DO THAT.
AND I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT RANDY MIGHT BE, UH, AN ALTERNATE, LIKE TO MOVE THAT HE BE ELECTED ALTERNATE.
SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONER WHITE AS THE REPRESENTATIVE, AND THE A ALTERNATIVE IS COMMISSIONER CHAPMAN.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I'LL, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION ON THAT.
I SO MOVE, UH, COMMISSIONER WHITE BE APPOINTED AS THE REP, UH, CHIEF REPRESENTATIVE, OR WE COULD DO IT ALL AT ONCE FOR A MOTION FOR COMMISSIONER WHITE AND
UH, COMMISSIONER WHITE BE MADE THE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE
[02:35:01]
AND COMMISSIONER CHAPMAN BE MADE THE ALTERNATE TO SERVE ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.OKAY, I THINK WE HAVE UNANIMOUS VOTE ON THAT.
UM, GOING NUMBER, NUMBER NINE,
[9. Discussion of report regarding City Council action on items previously reviewed by the EUC. ]
DISCUSSION OF REPORT REGARDING CITY COUNCIL ACTION ON ITEMS PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED BY THE EUC.SOMEONE WANTED TO REFRESH MY MEMORY ON THIS ONE, ONE ITEM LISTED ON PAPER.
YEAH, THAT'S, I THOUGHT I SAW THIS AT THE VERY BACK.
IT'S RECOMMENDATION AUTHORIZING NEGOTIATIONS AND EXECUTION OF ALL DOCUMENTS AND INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO ACQUIRE AN EASEMENT FOR CHILLED WATER FACILITIES ACROSS LOT ONE BLOCK B MUELLER, SECTION THREE, ET CETERA, TRAVIS COUNTY, ACCORDING TO THE MAP DOCUMENT FOR THE AMOUNT OF NOT TO EXCEED $230,000.
IS THIS CONTROVERSIAL IN ANY WAY? UH, THIS IS JUST A REPORT THAT, UH, LISTS OUT ITEMS THAT YOU'VE TAKEN ACTION ON ALREADY.
IT'S JUST THAT CLOSES THE LOOP THAT LETS YOU KNOW THAT COUNSEL DID IN FACT APPROVE THAT ITEM.
SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO WITH IT? IT'S JUST IN PURE INFORMATION TO LET YOU KNOW THAT OKAY.
YOU RECOMMENDED IT AND COUNSEL HAS ALSO APPROVED IT.
UNLESS YOU WANNA RECOMMEND THAT WE WE DO THAT.
SO CYRUS, DOES SHE HAVE THE VERSION? UM, YEAH, I SENT YOU THE, A VERSION.
I'M GONNA SEND IT TO OUR IT FOLKS.
I CAN'T PROMISE IT'S
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS ONE MORE ACTION OR ONE MORE DISCUSSION ITEM REGARDING OUR ABILITY TO HOLD EXECUTIVE SESSION.
DO WE WANT TO TAKE THAT UP? UM, I THINK WE HAD A GO AHEAD.
CAN WE TABLE THAT? UH, ACTUALLY I WAS, I WAS GONNA MAKE THAT SAME SUGGESTION THAT WE, UH, TABLE IT FOR THIS EVENING, BUT INCLUDED AS A DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
YEAH, I, I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS WE NEED TO LEARN AND DO SOME BACKGROUND HOMEWORK AND, AND I WAS ALSO GONNA, UH, SUGGEST A CONSULTATION, UH, OR INFORMATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY IN ADVANCE.
SO IS THIS THE UPDATED VERSION? HAVE WE ENSURE THAT IT'S CORRECT? EXCUSE ME.
WHAT? WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HERE AT THE MEETING, SO MAYBE WE, WE SHOULD AT LEAST, UH, TAKE THAT TIME.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? I THINK WE OUGHT TO TALK OFFLINE AND LEARN MORE FIRST.
CYRUS, YOU WANNA WALK US THROUGH THIS AGAIN? I, I BELIEVE THIS REFLECTS THE, THE, UM, ALL OF THE EDITS, BUT I COULD HAVE MISSED, YOU KNOW, I COULD HAVE MISSED SOMETHING.
OKAY, SO, SO I DON'T HAVE, CAVA WANTS TO LOOK AT IT TO MAKE SURE I GOT HER EDITS.
B HAS KIVA AND KAREN'S COMMENTS.
C HAS CARRIE'S COMMENTS, LOOKS GOOD TO ME.
E I TOOK OUT THE REDUCED EMISSIONS AND F I TRIED TO SAY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE USED TO SUPPLEMENT CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS THAT'S FOCUSED ON THE CUSTOMERS.
I THINK WE ALREADY HAD A MOTION ON THE TABLE, RIGHT? WE JUST NEED TO, AYE.
OKAY, SO I THINK WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS VOTE ON THAT.
SO WITH THAT I WOULD NOTE THAT AN A, I USED THE WORDS APPROVED THREE TIMES
SO I THINK WE'RE THROUGH OUR AGENDA.
[02:40:01]
WITH THAT, LET'S ADJOURN PEER CHARGE.DIDN'T WE TABLE THE DISCUSSION ON THAT? ARE THERE OTHER ITEMS, FUTURE ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO TALK? UH, DO, DO WE WANNA ASK ROBIN WHAT'S ON THE LIST OF FUTURE ITEMS FOR MAY? THAT WAY WE KNOW WHAT'S COMING UP.
IN MAY, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE OUR, UM, SECOND QUARTER BRIEFING, FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONS BRIEFINGS AND THE, UM, KAYAK PRESENTATION, THE, UM, CON CONTRIBUTION AND AID OF CONSTRUCTION
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE, THE, THAT'LL BE ON DECK FORM FOR MAY.
UM, AND THEN IN JUNE, UH, WE SHOULD HAVE THE SOLAR AND STORAGE RFP.
WHAT ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION STUDY? ISN'T THERE A READOUT ON THAT? UM, I, WE, UH, I DON'T HAVE THAT.
WE DON'T, WE AREN'T GONNA HAVE THAT IN MAY, JUNE, BUT WE MIGHT HAVE THAT LATER IN THE SUMMER.
MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THE WHOLE IDEA OF DELAYING LOOKING AT THE RESOURCE PLAN AS WE KIND OF NEED THE TRANSMISSION STUDY TO BE DONE FIRST.
UM, SO, SO WHY WANT ME TO CHECK ON THAT? THAT WHOLE LIST THAT WE WENT OVER LAST TIME.
WE'LL, WE'LL, I'LL GET AHOLD OF YOU.
UM, SO I BELIEVE WE ALSO HAD A REQUEST FROM COMMISSIONER CHAPMAN THAT THE AUSTIN ENERGY LOOK AND SEE IF IT, WE WOULD BE PERMITTED TO SEE THE BUDGET THAT SUBMITTED YEAH.
TO THE CITY MANAGER, TO FINANCIAL, UH, DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO AT LEAST KNOW BACK NEXT MONTH IF THAT'S GONNA BE POSSIBLE OR NOT.
EVEN, EVEN THOUGH IT'S UNDERSTOOD, THAT'S NOT THE FINAL ONE.
IT'S JUST INTERIM, RIGHT? YEAH, EXACTLY.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO REQUEST, I KNOW THAT OUR ANNUAL REPORT IS DUE, UM, AT THE END OF JULY.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF WE CAN PUT THAT ON, UM, EITHER THE MAY OR JUNE MEETING SO THAT WE HAVE SOME TIME TO CONSIDER IT.
I, I SEEM TO RECALL IN PREVIOUS YEARS, IT'S TAKEN US A COUPLE MEETINGS TO, TO GET THROUGH THAT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT IT TO SAY.
SO IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE IT PRIOR TO OUR JULY MEETING WHEN WE HAVE TO VOTE ON IT.
THE, WELL, THE, THE ANNUAL REPORT IS SOMETHING THAT THE CHAIR, UM, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.
WE CAN, WE CAN PUT ON THE AGENDA.
UM,
UM, SO OH YEAH, IT'S NOT ON THE WAY.
SO I'M SURE OUR NEW CHAIR WOULD BE HAPPY TO I'M SURE HE WILL.
GIVE US A DRAFT ANY TIME SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS IT.
I WILL MAKE A NOTE TO PUT IT ON THE, THE JUNE AGENDA AND WE'LL WORK WITH OUR, OUR NEW CHAIR.
THE, THE OTHER ISSUE THAT CAME UP TONIGHT, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE APPROPRIATE TIME IS, UM, THINKING ABOUT EV READY AND ELECTRIC READY CODE, LAST TIME I RECALL IT WAS IN THE GREEN CODE, BUT IT HADN'T YET MIGRATED DOWN TO THE BASE CODE.
IT IS IN THE, IN THE DRAFT AT LEAST.
I, I HAVEN'T FOLLOWED THE, THE PROCESS SUPER CLOSELY, BUT LIKE AT THE INTERNATIONAL CODE CONSOLE LAST I KNEW IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE BASE CODE, BOTH OF THE EV READY AND ELECTRIC READY.
SO MAYBE A, A PRESENTATION FROM GREEN BUILDING AT SOME POINT WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE ON BUILDING CODES.
AND THEN WE CAN ALSO DISCUSS, WE DO HAVE A LIST, UM, FROM THE LIST THAT YOU GUYS WORKED ON IN JANUARY.
I'M BUILDING ENERGY CODES, INCLUDING EV READY AND ELECTRIC.
YEAH, THAT'S NOT SCHEDULED YET.
UM, WE DO HAVE QUITE A LIST THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, UM, IN ADDITION TO ALL THE QUARTERLY REPORTS, THE BUDGET.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL WORK THROUGH THESE OVER THE NEXT AND, UH, WE'LL GET THROUGH THEM AS WE CAN.
H HOW ABOUT THIS? AT THE NEXT MEETING, I WILL MAKE AVAILABLE INFORMATION FROM THAT I KNOW ABOUT, FROM WHAT'S IN THE DRAFT ICC CODES AND THE, UM, WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.
[02:45:01]
THAT INFORMATION, BUT THEN WE CAN SCHEDULE IT MAYBE FOR A FUTURE MEETING.I, I THINK THIS IS A TIME SENSITIVE ISSUE, SO JUST SAYING THAT WE'LL, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE IT UP AND SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE MAKES ME A LITTLE WORRIED THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MIGHT NOT BE PREPARED TO ADOPT THE CODE AS SOON AS WE, AS SOON AS IT'S AVAILABLE.
LIKE, CAN WE SAY, CAN WE, CAN WE AGREE ON A MEETING THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION THAT WOULD INCLUDE AE AND D S D STAFF AS APPROPRIATE? WELL, WE HAVE THIS WHOLE LIST FROM JANUARY.
WE CAN JUST KIND OF GO LOOK AT THAT AGAIN AND THEN MAYBE GET A VIEW OF HOW THAT'S ME.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE TONIGHT.
WITH THAT, ARE WE THROUGH ROBERT? I THINK SO.
WITH THAT, LET'S ADJOURN WHAT RANDY? SORRY,
I JUST, I I JUST WANTED TO TAKE ONE MINUTE, UH, TO, UH, REALLY COMMUNI SEND, UH, MESSAGE TO STAFF.
WE HA WE HAVE HEARD TONIGHT COMMITMENTS TO GET BACK WITH US REGARDING MA REGARDING MATTERS.
UH, WE'VE HEARD FROM THE MAYOR, FROM THE CITY MANAGER IN THE NEED FOR I IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS.
A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE, WE ARE ASKED ABOUT, UH, BECAUSE SOMEBODY SEES IT IN A NEWS RELEASE.
I IF IT WOULDN'T BE BURDENSOME TO INCLUDE THE COMMISSIONERS AND CCCS OR B C S ON NEWS RELEASES, UH, AND THE INTERIM INFORMA AND IN INTERIM INFORMATION, HAPPY TO SEE THE, UH, TO SEE YOU HERE, YOU HERE AS OUR INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER STUART, UH, AT THE, AT THE TABLE AND SPEAKING WITH US.
UH, UH, CERTAINLY JUST SPEAKING AS ONE COMMISSIONER.
ALSO, WE HAVE SOME DEPARTING, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, WHO HAVE SPENT YEARS WORKING ON BEHALF OF BOSTON ENERGY ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS, UH, I BELIEVE THE ENTIRE THANKS FOR THOSE OF US WHO CONTINUE TO SERVE.
ANYTHING ELSE? WAS THERE A, A NEED? SORRY,
WAS THERE AN, I KNOW WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PROCESS FOR THE PICKING THE NEW GM.
IS THAT, IS THAT IN OUR BELLY? WHAT'S THAT WORD? WICK BULLY.
WELL, HAD A RECOMMENDED WHAT WORD YOU WANT, BUT I DID SUBMIT A, I KNOW I SUBMITTED IT AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE, SO I, I DON'T, UH, WHATEVER.
I'M NOT COMPLAINING THAT IT WASN'T ON THIS AGENDA, BUT, UH, YEAH, I I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK SO HOW MUCH OF THAT IS JUST US WORKING THROUGH OUR RESPECTIVE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER? THE CITY MANAGER HIRES THE GENERAL MANAGER AT ONE POINT WHEN JACKIE, UM, WAS A NOMINEE JACKIE SERGEANT, UM, SHE MET WITH A GROUP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ALL JUST KIND OF TALKED WITH HER AND THEN GAVE SOME INPUT.
THAT HAS BEEN PART OF THE FINAL CANDIDATES, THE COMMUNITY AND YEAH, IT WAS ON THAT, THAT PANEL THAT GOT TO, I THINK WE INTERVIEWED ALL THE LIKE, SHORT LIST OF CANDIDATES.
I GUESS MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT.
IF YOU GET IT TOO PUBLIC, THEN DON'T YOU DRIVE AWAY CANDIDATES THAT YOU MAY WANT.
SO I THINK THERE'S A BALANCE THERE.
UM, I MEAN, I GUESS THAT'S THE DISCUSSION I'M PROPOSING THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK THERE'S A, A PRO AND A CON TO THAT.
LIKE YOU SAY, MAYBE YOU, MAYBE YOU DRIVE AWAY CANDIDATES, BUT IF WE'RE IN AN ERA WHERE THE CITY WANTS MORE COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC, THEN MAYBE THE RIGHT CANDIDATE IS ONE THAT'S WILLING TO ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC FROM THE GET-GO.
AND I LOOKED AT COMMISSIONER WHITE'S RESOLUTION, UM, AND IT SEEMED TO ME THAT, AND I I MAY MIS BE
[02:50:01]
MISINTERPRETING IT, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHAT YOU'RE ENCOURAGING IS THAT THE, UM, COUNCIL DIRECT THAT THERE BE A VERY OPEN, UM, PROCESS SO THAT PUBLIC CAN HAVE INPUT, ET CETERA.ARE YOU TALK ABOUT THIS? ARE YOU GUYS, ARE YOU, THIS ISN'T ON, THIS ISN'T AN AGENDA ITEM.
THIS IS FOR FUTURE, FUTURE AGENDA.
YOU TALK ABOUT PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA, BUT YOU'RE GETTING IN SUBSTANCE.
PUT IT, MAY WE INCLUDE THIS AS AN AGENDA AND ACTION ITEM AT THE NEXT MEETING? DIS DISCUSSION.
WHAT CAN YOU, UH, JUST DISCUSSION AND REPOST FOR THIS OR JUST DISCUSSION ABOUT THE HER RESOLUTION? THE ONE SHE, OH, COMMISSIONER WHITE'S RESOLUTION.
WITH THE UNDERSTANDING OF COURSE, THAT IT MAY BE, UH, UH, AMENDED, UH, CHANGES MAY, CHANGES MADE AT THE MEETING AND, YOU KNOW, CONTEMPLATING IT FURTHER.
I SEE CA'S POINT ABOUT YOU WANT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THAT AND IF A CANDIDATE ISN'T WILLING TO DO THAT, THEN MAYBE THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT CANDIDATE.
UM, SO THE POINT IS SHE HAS A RESOLUTION.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AND POST IT FOR THE NEXT MEETING, RIGHT? YES.
AND THEN JUST SINCE EVERYONE'S HERE, UM, SINCE WE DID HAVE, UH, THAT LATE RESOLUTION, UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE, UM, A STANDING, UM, NOTE THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ST SUBMIT A RESOLUTION AGENDA ITEM, I WOULD LOVE THOSE.
I WOULD JUST LIKE THAT ONE WEEK BEFORE THE MEETING, SO THE MONDAY BEFORE THE MEETING, SEND ANY RESOLUTION, AGENDA, ITEM, ANYTHING.
I WILL WORK WITH THE CHAIR AND GET THAT ON THE AGENDA.
UM, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE ANOTHER SPONSOR, WE WILL GET THEM ON THE AGENDA.
SO JUST ONE WEEK BEFORE AND THEN WE WON'T HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, LAST MINUTE ITEMS THAT WORKING FOR YEAH, IT WAS PARTICULARLY RUSH WITH EASTER AND GOOD FRIDAY.
ARE YOU SAYING WE NEED A, UM, A FINAL DRAFT OR YOU JUST NEED THE ITEM FOR THE AGENDA? UM, I NEED THE, UM, POSTING LANGUAGE AND THEN IF YOU, UM, IF IT'S JUST A DISCUSSION ITEM OR, UM, A TOPIC, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY BACKUP INFORMATION, LIKE A RESOLUTION, THEN WE'LL NEED THAT.
SO WE CAN, UM, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT OUR STAFF NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK AT AS WELL, JUST E EVERYTHING FINAL THAT YOU WANNA SUBMIT FOR THE AGENDA.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, I, UH, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR BYLAWS, SO I GUESS, UH, I, IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT RESTRICTIVE IN TERMS OF NEEDING A FINAL DRAFT OF ANYTHING, BUT IF THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL LIVE WITHIN IT IF THAT'S, UH, WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO DO.
SO, WE'LL, WE WILL SEND THAT AROUND.
YEAH, I'LL, I'LL SEND SOMETHING OUT IN WRITING AND SO EVERYONE HAS THE DEADLINES AND THE INFORMATION.
UM, JUST TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THAT, WHAT OTHER COMMISSIONS ARE DOING.
UM, THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT NEW, WE HAVEN'T HAD TOO MANY ITEMS ADDED TO OUR, UM, AGENDAS FROM COMMISSIONERS.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE, SINCE A FEW COMMISSIONERS ARE, UM, NOT HERE TODAY, SO EVERYONE HAS THAT.
UM, WE'LL SEND OUT SOME INFORMATION.