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HEAR YOU.[CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA CALL THE MEETING OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION TO ORDER AT 6:05 PM WE'LL START WITH ROLL CALL.WE DO HAVE A QUORUM, SO WE MAY PROCEED.
UM, FIRST OFF, ANY COMMUNICATION FROM THE PUBLIC? IS ANYONE HERE TODAY? THERE BEING NONE? WE'LL MOVE ON
[1. Approve the minutes of the Resource Management Commission Regular Meeting on June 20, 2023.]
TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES WITHIN YOUR BOARD, PA WITHIN YOUR PACKETS.YOU HAVE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING FOR YOUR REVIEW IF THEY MEET WITH YOUR APPROVAL.
IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
MOTION TO APPROVE BY, UH, COMMISSIONER GARY.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DAVIS.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? OTHERWISE, I WILL CONSIDER THEM APPROVED.
[4. Recommend approving issuance of a capacity-based incentive to Bethany Lutheran Church for the installation of solar electric system on their facility at 3701 W Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX 78749, in an amount not to exceed $250,260.]
I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE ORDER OF THE MEETING FOR BRINGING ITEM NUMBER FOUR IN DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS UP NOW, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON FURTHER DISCUSSION AND AND BRIEFINGS FOR THE REST OF THE MEETING.ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO MOVING THE ORDER? HEARING NONE.
IF YOU GO TO ITEM FOUR IN YOUR PACKETS, YOU ARE GOING TO SEE, UH, CAPACITY BASED INCENTIVE FOR BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS RESOLUTION? NO.
IT, THERE WAS A REORDERING THAT WAS DONE.
I SHOULD HAVE EXPLAINED THAT ONE TO YOU GUYS EARLIER.
THERE WAS A REORDERING THAT WAS ASKED FOR BY THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
RICHARD JENNESSEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF C UM, VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR AUSTIN ENERGY.
UH, THIS CAP, THIS, UH, CAPACITY BASED, UH, PAYMENT IS FOR BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH.
UH, BY MY RECOLLECTION, IT'S, UH, THE, THE INCENTIVE PAYS FOR APPROXIMATELY 47% OF THE, UH, CHARGE OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
UH, THERE IS NOTHING, UH, OUT OF THE ORDINARY RE REGARDING THIS, UH, THIS PAYMENT OR THIS, UH, INSTALLATION.
UM, IT'S PRETTY STANDARD AND, UM, WE'RE SUBMITTING IT TONIGHT FOR YOUR APPROVAL.
IT HAS, UM, ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY, UH, IT HAS ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED TO AND APPROVED BY E U C, JUST AS AN FYI.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
UM, SO IS THERE ANY TYPE OF ITEMIZATION OF THE COSTS THAT YOU PRESENTED? MEAN? THERE IS A ITEMIZATION NOT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET OR NOT.
THERE'S A STANDARD, UH, PROCESS THAT THE ENTIRE, UM, UH, INCENTIVE PROCESS GOES THROUGH THAT WOULD ITEMIZE EVERYTHING.
BUT IT'S A, UM, THERE'S NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, UH, REGARDING IT.
IT MEETS WITH ALL OF OUR PROCESS, UM, UH, CHARACTERIZATIONS ALL OF OUR PROCESS STANDARD THERE.
BUT THERE IS MORE DETAIL THAT CAN BE PROVIDED IF NEEDED.
UH, ON THIS, I WILL JUST ADMIT THAT THERE'S NOTHING, UM, OUTSIDE OF WHAT IS NORMALLY REQUIRED FOR THESE PROJECTS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, COMMISSIONER BREN.
I WAS GONNA POINT OUT THAT I'M SEEING THE ITEMIZATION ON PAGE FIVE OF OUR RESOURCE PACKET.
UM, THAT WAS FROM THE ONE THAT WE GOT WITH THE OUTLOOK INVITATION.
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DO YOU WANT A MOTION TO APPROVE? NO, NO.I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION APPROVE MOTIONS MADE BY COMMISSIONER BREN.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARY.
SO I NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE REMOTE TO TURN YOUR CAMERAS ON.
UH, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS? YES.
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
AND THE CHAIR VOTES YES AS WELL.
[2. Staff briefing regarding the Commercial and Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program Updates by Joseph Teng, Environmental Conservation Program Manager with Austin Energy.]
MOVING ON IN OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER TWO ON THE REVISED AGENDA, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING COMMERCIAL MULTIFAMILY ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM UPDATES.UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING AND PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH SOME UPDATES ON OUR COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY PROGRAMS. MY NAME IS JOE TANG AND I'M THE INTERIM ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES MANAGER, UH, FOR OUR COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY ENERGY PROGRAMS. UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, SO I HAVE A PRETTY BRIEF AGENDA.
UM, WELL FIRST WE'LL GO OVER OUR COMMERCIAL PROGRAM.
WE'LL DO A RECAP OF, UM, SOME OF THE SERVICES AND OFFERINGS, AND THEN HIGHLIGHT OUR RELATIONSHIP AND CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH A I S D AND, UM, THE CAMPUSES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATES FOR.
SECOND, UM, WE'LL DO A QUICK RECAP OF OUR MULTIFAMILY PROGRAM AND THEN ALSO DO A LITTLE BIT OF A DEEPER DIVE INTO A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF LAUNCHING, UM, RELATED TO MULTIFAMILY DEMAND RESPONSE.
UH, ABOUT HOW LONG WILL THIS BE ABOUT? I'LL BE BRIEF.
IT SHOULD BE ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT MINUTES.
IS, IS THERE A TIME CONCERN? SHOULD I, AND I'LL REMIND THE COMMISSIONERS, PLEASE RAISE A HAND OR FOLLOW NORMAL PROCEDURES SO THAT YOU CAN BE RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR.
OTHERWISE, WE WILL DESCEND INTO ANARCHY.
UH, EIGHT TO 10 MINUTES IS FINE.
UH, SO FIRST, UM, JUST A QUICK RECAP OF OUR COMMERCIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM.
SO WE PROVIDE, UM, REBATES FOR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, UM, THAT ARE PURSUING ELIGIBLE ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES.
UM, WE ALSO PROVIDE ONSITE OR VIRTUAL ENERGY ASSESSMENTS BY REQUEST FOR ANY CUSTOMERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING ANY HIGH BILL COMPLAINTS, UM, OR ANY ISSUES, UM, REGARDING THEIR ELECTRICITY AND CONSUMPTION.
THEY, IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'LL ALSO SEND SOMEONE OUTSIDE OUR ONSITE.
UM, THE INSTALLATION IS DONE BY A NETWORK OF LOCAL CONTRACTORS HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, HVAC LIGHTING TRADES, UM, TRADES PEOPLE.
SO WE RELY ON A LOCAL NETWORK, UM, TO PROVIDE THE INSTALLATION SERVICES.
UH, THE ENERGY GOALS THAT ARE ACHIEVED BY THIS PROGRAM, UM, DO COUNT TOWARD OUR 2030 CLIMATE RESOURCE, OUR RESOURCE GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN GOAL.
UM, BASED OFF THE LATEST UPDATE, OUR GOAL IS TO ACHIEVE 1200 MEGAWATTS OF PEAK ENERGY REDUCTION, UM, BY 2030.
SO THIS PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE SEVERAL PROGRAMS THAT HELPS TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARD THAT GOAL.
UM, THIS IS FUNDED BY THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT CHARGE, UM, AND THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR OUR COMMERCIAL AND SMALL BUSINESS.
UM, REBATE IS ABOUT THREE AND 3.3 MILLION PER YEAR.
UH, JUST A QUICK RECAP OF OUR OFFERINGS AND SERVICES.
SO, UM, WE REALLY WILL LOOK TO INCENTIVIZE ANY END USE TECHNOLOGY WHERE THE CUSTOMER IS ACHIEVING, UM, OR EXCEEDING THE MINIMUM BUILDING ENERGY CODE STANDARD FOR THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
SO WE HAVE REBATES FOR HVAC TUNEUP.
UM, WE HAVE REBATES FOR HVAC REPLACEMENT, L E D LIGHTING.
UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF REBATES FOCUSED ON IMPROVING, UH, THE BUILDING ENVELOPE INSULATION, UH, GREEN ROOFS OR WHITE ROOFS, UM, I'M SORRY, NOT GREEN ROOFS, BUT WHITE ROOFS.
AND, UM, WE ALSO OFFER, UM, ENER REBATES FOR ENERGY STAR KITCHEN EQUIPMENT.
AND, UM, WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF REBATES, UM, THAT ARE FOCUSED ON MOTORS, VFDS, UM, EQUIPMENT THAT HELPS MAKE HVAC AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS MORE EFFICIENT AS WELL.
WE ALSO HAVE CUSTOM INCENTIVES, UM, FOR ANY COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS THAT ARE PURSUING A MORE UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE DON'T HAVE A SET REBATE
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FOR AS LONG AS THEY'RE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE ENERGY SAVINGS, UM, WE'LL TYPICALLY WORK WITH THOSE CUSTOMERS TO TRY TO ISSUE THEM A REBATE.UH, I JUST WANNA ALSO MENTION WE DO HAVE AN ACTIVE NEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM SIMILAR TO OUR RETROFIT.
UM, AS LONG AS THEY ARE EXCEEDING THE MINIMUM BUILDING ENERGY CODE, THEN WE'LL OFFER A REBATE, UM, FOR TOWARDS THOSE UPGRADES.
WE ALSO HAVE A COMMERCIAL DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAM AS WELL, WHERE WE PROVIDE PERFORMANCE BASED INCENTIVES TO COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, UM, IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR LOW CURTAILMENT.
SO I'LL BE PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM THIS EVENING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, UM, GO OVER, UM, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH A I S D.
SO IN 2017, THE CITY VOTED FOR $1 BILLION BOND PACKAGE TO HELP SPUR INVESTMENT IN A I S D DISTRICT FACILITIES, A I S D PLACES A REALLY STRONG EMPHASIS ON ENERGY AND WATER CONSERVATION, HEALTHY, CREATING A HEALTHY INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FOR THEIR STUDENTS, AND IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRACTICES.
THEY REQUIRE ALL A S D FACILITIES TO EITHER TRACK PROGRESS TOWARDS MEETING THESE GOALS BY USING AN A D SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARD, OR HAVING THE BUILDING OR FACILITY ACHIEVE LEAD SCHOOL RATING OR PARTICIPATING IN OUR AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE MINIMUM ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS.
SO FOR ANY EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT OR ANY NEW CONSTRUCTION, THEY HAVE MINIMUM ENERGY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS WHERE FOR HVAC EQUIPMENT, THEIR GOAL IS TO HAVE ANY EQUIPMENT INSTALLED EXCEED THE BUILDING ENERGY CODE BASELINE FOR THAT EQUIPMENT BY AT LEAST 5%.
ON THE LIGHTING SIDE, THEY, SIMILARLY, THEIR GOAL IS TO EXCEED THE MINIMUM CODE BY AT LEAST 10%.
SO OUR REBATES, UM, HELP ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO MEET THOSE GOALS WHERE OUR STAFF WILL WORK WITH THEIR LOCAL DESIGN ENGINEERING FIRM TO DETERMINE WHICH PIECES OF EQUIPMENT, WHICH LIGHTING COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR REBATES.
UM, AND THIS HELPS TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO PURSUE THESE, UM, HIGH EFFICIENCY ENERGY STANDARDS.
SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO PARTNER WITH ASC TO HELP MEET THESE GOALS.
SO WE DISTRIBUTED, UM, ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS IN INCENTIVES TO THE SCHOOLS INCLUDED ON THE 2017 BOND PACKAGE.
UM, AND SO NOT ONLY DO THEY HELP ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ARE MORE COMFORTABLE, ARE ABLE TO STAY COOLER, THEY'RE ALSO REDUCING THE OVERALL BILLS THAT ASU FACILITIES ARE HAVING TO PAY.
SO IT'S REALLY HELPING TO CREATE, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY MORE COMFORTABLE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, BUT ALSO HELPING TO REDUCE THE UTILITY COSTS IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP PROVIDE THESE, UM, INCENTIVES TO A S D AND I JUST REALLY WANTED AT A HIGH LEVEL TO GO OVER SOME OF THE PROJECTS, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, HELP DISTRIBUTE A REBATE FOR.
SO, UM, AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL, UM, THEY RECEIVED A $35,000 REBATE.
THEY INSTALLED A 240 TON AIRCOOLED CHILLER THAT EXCEEDED BASELINE EFFICIENCY BY ABOUT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UM, BLAZER ELEMENTARY, IF YOU COULD GO INTO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE BLA, BLEIER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECEIVED A $40,000 REBATE.
THEY INSTALLED 2 350 TON AIRCOOLED CHILLERS THAT EXCEEDED, UM, ENERGY CODE REQUIREMENTS BY ABOUT A HUNDRED PERCENT AS WELL.
THEY ALSO RENOVATED THEIR LIGHTING SYSTEM AND WERE ABLE TO REDUCE, UM, OR WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE OR INSTALL A LIGHTING SYSTEM THAT WAS 55% LOWER THAN THE BUILDING ENERGY CODE EXPECTED FOR THAT TYPE OF FACILITY.
CUZ CEASE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALSO RECEIVED ABOUT $80,000 IN REBATES.
THEY INSTALLED TWO 50 TON ROOFTOP PACKAGES.
UM, THEY ALSO INSTALLED A HIGH EFFICIENT CLOSED CIRCUIT COOLING TOWER THAT EXCEEDED ENERGY CODE STANDARDS BY ABOUT 150%.
SO AGAIN, THESE ARE VERY HIGH EFFICIENCY SYSTEMS DESIGNED TO HELP KEEP THESE STUDENTS COOL AND COMFORTABLE, UM, DURING, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE PEAK PERIODS OF THE SUMMER WHEN THE TEMPERATURES ARE ARE RISING.
SO, UM, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH A S D.
THEY HAVE PASSED ANOTHER BOND PACKAGE IN 2022.
IT'S, I THINK GONNA BE ABOUT TWO AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS IMPACTING 29 ADDITIONAL CAMPUSES.
SO WE'RE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF WORKING WITH THE DESIGN ENGINEERING FIRM TO EVALUATE THOSE PLANS, DETERMINE WHERE, UM, OUR REBATE DOLLARS COULD BE APPLIED, AND AGAIN, TO HELP A I S D ACHIEVE THEIR HIGH EFFICIENCY GOALS, KEEPING THESE STUDENTS COMFORTABLE AND ALSO HELPING TO REDUCE THEIR UTILITY COSTS.
I ALSO WILL JUST QUICKLY MENTION THAT A S D IS ALSO THE LARGEST PARTICIPANT IN OUR COMMERCIAL DR PROGRAM.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATES THAT WE PROVIDED LAST YEAR, WE DISTRIBUTED AN ADDITIONAL $160,000 IN A PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE TO A S D, UM, IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN OUR COMMERCIAL DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAM.
SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO, AND AGAIN, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH A S D FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF SCHOOLS.
AND UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THE COMMERCIAL PROGRAM, I'LL MOVE ON TO THE MULTI-FAMILY PROGRAM.
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UH, MR. CHAIR, MAY I BE RECOGNIZED TO ASK QUESTION? YES, PLEASE.COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, IS THERE ANY SOLAR? IS THERE, ARE THERE, IS THERE ANY SOLAR INSTALLATION, UH, ON THE HORIZON? IS THERE ANY SOLAR PLUS BATTERY INSTALLATION ON THE HORIZON? IS THERE ANY SOLAR SLASH BATTERY SLASH DEMAND CONTROL SO THAT YOU CAN KEEP IT OFF AT FIVE IN THE AFTERNOON, UH, ON THE HORIZON? FORTUNATELY, UM, I'M NOT PRIVY TO THE PIPELINE OF SOLAR PROJECTS AT A S D FACILITIES.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE, UM, THAT IN FRONT OF ME, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYONE ON, ON THE ONLINE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO COMMENT, BUT WE'RE, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION AND FOLLOW UP TOO.
I CAN REACH OUT TO THE SOLAR TEAM AND PROVIDE, ASK THEM TO SEND A LIST OF THE, THE SITES THAT ARE PLANNING TO RECEIVE SOLAR OR NEED DEMAND CONTROL.
SO UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST IT, IF IT ISN'T ON THE HORIZON, UM, IS THERE, THERE ARE A COUPLE NEW OR NEWER TYPES OF INSULATION THERE STILL KIND OF EXPENSIVE, BUT IS THERE, HAS THERE BEEN ANY EFFORT TO USE OR EXPERIMENT WITH VACUUM INSULATION OR AEROGEL? I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE TWO PARTICULAR INSULATION TYPES HAVE COME UP.
UM, BUT I'M TAKING NOTES AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO WANT TO ENGAGE WITH A S D IS IF THEY HAVE ANY MORE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES THAT MAYBE HAVEN'T TRADITIONALLY BEEN REBATED, THAT WE WOULD CERTAINLY BE WILLING TO REVIEW THAT AND POTENTIALLY ISSUE A REBATE.
UM, SO I JOTTED THIS DOWN AND I'LL PASS THAT ALONG TO OUR CONTACT ON THE TEAM WHO WORKS WITH ACR ENGINEERING AND THEY CAN HELP EVALUATE IF THEY ARE OPEN TO CONSIDERING OTHER TYPES OF INSULATION.
THERE'S ALSO ELECTRO CHROMATIC WINDOWS, WINDOWS THAT SURE CHANGE COLOR DURING THE COURSE OF A DAY, UH, TO, UH, LET IN OR SCREEN OUT MORE OR LESS SUN.
UH, AGAIN, THESE ARE KIND OF ON THE EDGE AND THEY'RE KIND OF EXPENSIVE, BUT IT WOULD SEEM LIKE MAYBE THEY COULD GET GRANTS OR MAYBE THERE COULD BE AN EXPERIMENT.
YEAH, THAT'S, I MEAN, IF WE'RE GONNA REACH NET ZERO, UH, WE OUGHT TO BE PUSHING TOWARDS THESE, UH, NEW THINGS, THINGS APPRECIATE THAT INPUT.
I'LL BRING THAT BACK TO THE TEAM.
AND A S D UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE HAVE A, A PRETTY, UM, SET PROCESS FOR HOW WE EVALUATE ENERGY SAVINGS BASED OFF OF BUILDING ENERGY CODE AND PROVIDING A REBATE BASED OFF OF THAT.
HOWEVER, AS I MENTIONED, WE CERTAINLY ALSO ENTERTAIN CUSTOM INCENTIVES, NEWER TECHNOLOGIES, AND I, I HEAR YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE GOING TO MEET OUR GOALS, WE SHOULD BE MORE AGGRESSIVE.
AND SO I WILL DEFINITELY MENTION THAT TO OUR STAFF TO RELAY TO, UM, ACR ENGINEERING, DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO FUND THESE MORE CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES.
AND IF THE COST DIFFERENCE IS SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN ENERGY CAN HELP CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS, UM, THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REVIEW WITH THEM.
THE FIRST IS, AND MAYBE THIS IS ACTUALLY MORE RELEVANT IF THERE WAS SOLAR INVOLVED.
I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF THE OTHER EXAMPLES ON THIS PAGE, LIKE THE AIR COOLED CHILLER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THE QUESTION IS REALLY DO THE INCENTIVES, THE, AND THE REBATES THAT YOU'RE GIVING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, ARE THEY GOING TO THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES OR ARE THEY GOING TO, UM, LIKE IN A SOLAR STRUCTURE, YOU MIGHT HAVE AN INVESTOR THAT HAS ACTUALLY PURCHASED THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S REBATES AND INCENTIVES GIVEN TO THE INVESTOR.
SO THE QUESTION IS, DO THE INCENTIVES HERE IN THIS PROGRAM GENERALLY FLOW TO THE SCHOOLS DIRECTLY OR DO THEY, UM, EVER FLOW TO PRIVATE INVESTORS WHO ARE INVESTING IN THE TECHNOLOGY, UM, FOR THESE SCHOOLS? SURE.
SO AS A COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER, OUR COMMERCIAL REBATE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED WHERE IT'S UP TO THE CUSTOMER WHERE THEY WANT THE REBATE CHECK TO BE SENT.
SO THE DEFAULT IS TO SEND IT TO THE ELECTRIC ACCOUNT HOLDER.
AND FOR ALL OF THESE A S D PAYMENTS, THAT IS THE CURRENT DEFAULT IS THAT WE ARE ISSUING THESE PAYMENTS DIRECTLY TO THE A I S D.
WE'RE NOT ISSUING IT TO ANY CONTRACTING OR ENGINEERING FIRMS. HOWEVER, IF A S D WANTED US TO SEND THE REBATE DIRECTLY TO ONE OF THEIR VENDORS AND THEY REGISTERED IN OUR SYSTEM AND REGISTERED AS A CITY CONTRACTOR, THEN WE COULD ALSO
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DISTRIBUTE THE REBATE DIRECTLY TO THAT VENDOR.SO THERE'S THAT OPTION, BUT CURRENTLY FOR A S D, THEY'VE ELECTED TO RECEIVE ALL OF THE REBATE FUNDING DIRECTLY.
WHICH PROBABLY MEANS THAT THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES MAKING THE INVESTMENT IN THE TECHNOLOGY DIRECTLY, UM, RATHER THAN HAVING AN INVESTOR.
AND THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE JUST ANSWERED THE QUESTION, MY SECOND QUESTION, WHICH IS JUST THE PROCESS IS THAT A I S D COMES TO YOU ALL, UM, WITH IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS.
IT'S NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND WHERE YOU ALL ARE IDENTIFYING SCHOOLS AND SENDING YOUR EXPERTS OUT THERE TO SAY, HEY, WE COULD DO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS COMMISSIONER, ROB, ROB OR ROBINS MENTIONED.
UM, IF YOU COULD JUST SPEAK TO THAT PROCESS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
SO THE CURRENT PROCESS IS A S D HAS A PROCESS FOR IDENTIFYING WHICH CAMPUSES, UM, TO BE INCLUDED IN THESE BOND PACKAGES AND WHAT UPGRADES TO BE INCLUDED.
AND THEN ACCORDING TO THEIR DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND ENERGY STANDARDS, UM, THEY'LL HAVE A DESIGN ENGINEERING FIRM PUT TOGETHER, UM, YOU KNOW, PROPOSAL FOR WHAT THAT EQUIPMENT WILL LOOK LIKE.
AND TYPICALLY AT THAT POINT THEY'LL TRANSMIT THAT OVER TO OUR STAFF AND WE'LL BEGIN TO EVALUATE IT, UM, FOR POTENTIAL REBATES.
AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT ABOUT, UM, CAN WE COME TO THEM WITH ADDITIONAL IDEAS AND TECHNOLOGIES THEY CAN INVEST IN, UM, WE CERTAINLY CAN DO THAT.
AND WE HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT.
UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER A S D IS ONE OF OUR LARGEST DEMAND RESPONSE CUSTOMERS, AND SO WE'RE ACTIVELY ENGAGING WITH THEM TO DETERMINE HOW WE CAN INSTALL AUTOMATED DR SYSTEMS AT MORE OF THEIR CAMPUSES SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO ENROLL ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS.
SO WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EXPANDING DR POTENTIAL AND UM, I WILL ALSO DISCUSS WITH OUR ENGINEERING TEAM TO DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANY POTENTIAL REALLY SCHOOL SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER, UM, AND MAYBE DO A PILOT OR, OR SOME OTHER, UM, TYPE OF TEST TO ENCOURAGE A I S D TO ADOPT.
SO I'LL DEFINITELY TAKE THAT BACK TO THE TEAM.
I HAD ONE QUESTION THAT'S JUST CUZ I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR YOU WHEN YOU SAID IT THE FIRST TIME IN THE 2017 GROUP, HOW MUCH, UH, IN INCENTIVES CAME OUT OF AUSTIN ENERGY ON THOSE? SO IT'S, RIGHT NOW OUR LATEST TALLY IS ABOUT $975,000.
I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS LEFT, SO I'M HOPING THAT WE'LL HIT A MILLION DOLLARS, UM, BY THE END OF WHEN THOSE ARE COMPLETED.
SO RIGHT AROUND A MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, I'LL MOVE ON TO THE MULTIFAMILY.
I'VE HAD MY HAND UP FOR A MINUTE.
UM, SO IN ORDER TO RELEASE LESS CARBON AND USE LESS ENERGY, UH, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ALREADY STATED THIS, BUT, UH, HOW MUCH ENERGY KILOWATTS, UH, ARE BEING SAVED MONTHLY FOR THE PROJECTS YOU'VE ALREADY DONE? AND THEN HOW MUCH IS ANTICIPATED TO BE SAVED MONTHLY FOR THE, FOR ALL THE A I S D UH, SCHOOLS THAT YOU PLAN ON DOING? SO I'M LOOKING UP THOSE VALUES NOW.
UM, THE WAY WE TYPICALLY CALCULATE OUR ENERGY SAVINGS IS WE USE PEAK REDUCTION IN TERMS OF THE KW ACHIEVE, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE AN A KWH VALUE BASED OFF OF THE TOTAL EXPECTED USE LIFE OF THAT EQUIPMENT.
SO LIGHTING WILL TAKE THE ANNUAL SAVINGS AND MULTIPLY THAT BY 10 HVAC, UM, MULTIPLY IT BY 15.
SO I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH, UM, TOTAL KWH VALUE.
YOU KNOW, I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T HAVE THIS SUMMED UP IN A WAY THAT I THINK I CAN QUICKLY DO THE MATH, UM, ACROSS ALL THESE SCHOOLS.
SO, UM, BUT WE DO HAVE THE VALUE, WE DO TRACK THE KWH, UM, UM, AMOUNT AND I CAN MAYBE TRY TO CALCULATE THAT IF I HAVE A MINUTE AND PROVIDE IT LATER.
BUT, UM, YEAH, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT VALUE.
I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE SAVINGS ARE IN, IN KILOWATT USAGE, SO THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, THIS IS A NUMBERED NUMBERS QUE ANOTHER NUMBERS QUESTION.
SO YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE ANSWER RIGHT NOW, BUT I WAS CURIOUS TO SEE, UM, FOR THE REBATES THAT YOU ARE GIVING OUT, IF THEY'RE COVERING, YOU KNOW, A RANGE OF PERCENTAGES OF THE UPGRADES, LIKE IF IT'S COVERING 50% OF THE UP, UH, OF THE, THE CHANGES THAT THEY'RE MAKING OR, OR, YOU KNOW, 25, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO TYPICALLY SINCE, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS BOND PACKAGE, UM, THERE ARE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, UM, MAJOR, UH, RENOVATIONS OR SOME NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO, UM, WE ACTUALLY DO NOT TRACK THE, THE PERCENTAGE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH OF OUR REBATE IS OF THE TOTAL PROJECT COST BECAUSE THE TOTAL PROJECT COST FOR THESE PROJECTS IS TYPICALLY VERY LARGE AND IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THE CUSTOMER TO PULL THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER.
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SO I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT VALUE, BUT, UM, THE RANGE OF INCENTIVES THAT WE PROVIDED FOR THESE SCHOOLS IS TYPICALLY ANYWHERE FROM 30 TO 70 TO $80,000.UM, THE TOTAL RENOVATION COST OF THESE SCHOOLS IS, YOU KNOW, FIVE, $10 MILLION.
SO IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL UPGRADE COSTS, UM, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE IN THESE ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUNDS.
SO I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT PERCENTAGE, BUT IT'S, IT'S FAIRLY SMALL FOR ESPECIALLY THESE LARGER, UH, RENOVATIONS AT THESE CAMPUSES.
UM, AND THEN ONE MORE FOLLOW UP IS, UM, YOU SAID A S D WAS THE BIGGEST CUSTOMER OF THIS PROGRAM SO FAR.
CAN YOU LIST SOME OF LIKE THE OTHER CUSTOMERS THAT Y'ALL HAVE HAD AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOME SORT OF, UM, ISSUE IN GETTING PEOPLE TO, UM, USE THE PROGRAM IF LIKE WHY THAT IS? SURE.
SO, UH, JUST TO CLAR CLARIFY, THEIR, OUR CURRENT LARGEST CUSTOMER IN OUR DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT'S SIMILAR TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY, BUT WE, UM, DEMAND RESPONSE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WHERE TYPICALLY DURING THESE PEAK SUMMER PERIODS WHEN PRICES ARE REALLY HIGH, UM, WE ISSUE A SPEC, A SIGNAL TO THESE CUSTOMERS AND WE'RE ASKING THEM TO REDUCE THEIR ENERGY CONSUMPTION OVER A VERY SPECIFIC PERIOD.
SO A I S D IS THE LARGEST CUSTOMER.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF CAMPUSES THAT PARTICIPATE.
UM, SOME OF OUR OTHER LARGE CUSTOMERS THAT PARTICIPATE, WE HAVE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT PARTICIPATE, UM, IN THAT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE SOME LARGE, BIG BOX RETAILERS THAT ALSO PARTICIPATE.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE SOME REFRIGERATION COMPANIES THAT PARTICIPATE AS WELL IN DEMAND RESPONSE.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY A VARIETY OF COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.
WE ARE UNIQUE, UM, IN AUSTIN, WE DON'T HAVE A VERY LARGE INDUSTRIAL OR MANUFACTURING PRESENCE.
OUR LARGEST INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS ARE DATA CENTERS AND SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURERS.
AND THOSE TYPES OF CUSTOMERS ARE HIGHLY SENSITIVE TO CHANGING THEIR ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND, AND IT'S NOT WORTH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE CAN PAY TO INCENTIVIZE THEM, FOR THEM TO ADJUST THEIR, UM, ADJUST THEIR BUSINESS PRACTICES OR THEIR OPERATIONS.
SO A LOT OF OUR DR IS FOCUSED ON SMALL MEDIUM COM COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE DO TARGET THE LARGER ONES.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A VERY ACTIVE PROGRAM TARGETING RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, AND I'LL TALK IN A MOMENT ABOUT OUR EFFORTS TO RAMP IT UP WITH MULTIFAMILY.
UM, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'LL MOVE ON TO THE MULTIFAMILY RECAP.
SO SIMILAR TO THE COMMERCIAL PROGRAM, THE MULTIFAMILY PROGRAM, WE OFFER ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATES DIRECTLY TO MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES THAT UNDERTAKE, UM, ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES.
WE HAVE TWO PROGRAMS WITHIN OUR MULTIFAMILY PROGRAM.
ONE IS OUR MULTI-FAMILY STANDARD PROGRAM, WHICH IS TARGETED TOWARDS, UM, MARKET RATE, UM, PROPERTIES.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A MULTI-FAMILY INCOME QUALIFIED PROGRAM, AND THAT'S TARGETED TOWARDS PROPERTIES, UM, THAT CATER TO LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
AT, FOR OUR MULTI-FAMILY INCOME QUALIFIED PROGRAM, WE PAY A HIGHER REBATE RATE.
WE'LL, WE PAY UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE COST OF INSTALLING THESE UPGRADES AT THESE PROPERTIES.
AND THAT'S TO HELP OVERCOME THE SPLIT INCENTIVE THAT WE SEE IN THE MULTIFAMILY SECTOR WHERE THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THE TENANT WHO PAYS THE BILLS, THEY'RE NOT ALIGNED ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
AND SO, UM, LIKE MANY UTILITIES, WE OFFER A VERY ROBUST INCENTIVE TO ENCOURAGE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT THESE PROPERTIES.
UM, WE RELY ON A VERY STRONG NETWORK OF LOCAL CONTRACTORS, UM, TO COMPLETE THE INSTALLATION AND HAVE THESE UPGRADES DONE AT THESE PROPERTIES.
UM, AND SIMILAR TO OUR COMMERCIAL PROGRAM, THE ENERGY SAVINGS ACHIEVED HERE SUPPORT OUR 2030 GOALS IN THE RESOURCE GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN.
UH, SO AT A HIGH LEVEL, UM, OUR BUDGET FOR OUR STANDARD PROGRAM IS AT, UM, ABOUT $900,000 FOR MULTIFAMILY INCOME QUALIFIED.
AND THESE FUNDS, AGAIN, COME FROM THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT CHARGE FOR OFFERINGS AND SERVICES ARE PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE OFFER ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.
UM, HOWEVER, WE DO A LOT MORE ATTIC INSTALLATION, DUCT CEILING AND PLATINUM REPAIR ON THE MULTIFAMILY PROGRAM.
THOSE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, ITEMS THAT ARE MORE SPECIFIC TO MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES.
UM, WE ALSO OFFER HIGH EFFICIENCY LIGHTING AND WE ALSO WILL INSTALL WATER SAVING DEVICES ON THE KITCHEN FAUCET, THE SHOWER AND THE BATHROOM FAUCET AS WELL.
AND, UM, WE'RE ALSO ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND OUR DEMAND RESPONSE CAPACITY IN THE MULTI-FAMILY SECTOR FOR THE REASONS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, WE'RE IN AUSTIN ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LARGE INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING BASIC CALL ON, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GROW DEMAND RESPONSE, UM, FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE OUR POWER PARTNER PROGRAM, WHICH IS OUR BRING YOUR OWN THERMOSTAT PROGRAM THAT MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES CAN PARTICIPATE IN.
UM, HOWEVER, WE ARE DESIGNING AND HAVE RECEIVED
[00:30:01]
A GRANT TO TEST A DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM TO TEST A NEW, UM, MULTIFAMILY DEMAND RESPONSE CONCEPT.SO IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I WILL COVER OUR SMART HOME REWARDS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.
SO AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS ENTIRELY FOCUSED ON INCREASING OUR DEMAND RESPONSE CAPACITY, UM, WITHIN THE MULTIFAMILY SECTOR WHERE THIS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT WILL BE TARGETED AT PROPERTIES, UM, THAT CATER TO LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
UM, THE CURRENT SCOPE FOR THIS DEMONSTRATION IS WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE THIS INSTALLED IN ABOUT SIX SEVEN PROPERTIES, ABOUT 1400 TOTAL TENANT UNITS.
WE RECEIVED A MILLION DOLLAR AWARD FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND AUSTIN ENERGY IS ALSO CONTRIBUTING AND MATCHING THAT AWARD WITH ABOUT $400,000.
SO IT'S ABOUT A $1.4 MILLION BUDGET.
AND SO THIS DEMONSTRATION, UM, INCLUDES TWO REALLY INNOVATIVE COMPONENTS.
THE FIRST IS, UM, THIS DUAL CUSTOMER INCENTIVE.
SO I THINK TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE'RE THE FIRST AND ONLY UTILITY THAT ARE DESIGNING AN INCENTIVE FOR MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES WHERE WE ARE GOING TO ISSUE A BILL CREDIT DIRECTLY TO ALL THE PARTICIPATING TENANTS.
AND THEN BASED OFF OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING TENANTS, WE WILL ALSO ISSUE AN ANNUAL INCENTIVE CHECK TO THE PROPERTY OWNER.
AND SO THIS HELPS TO ENSURE THAT WE OVERCOME THE SPLIT INCENTIVE THAT BOTH THE TENANT AND THE PROPERTY OWNER ARE ENGAGED AND WE HOPE ARE MORE LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAM AND BE ACTIVE AND ENGAGED, UM, UH, CUSTOMERS WITH US.
SO, UM, WE'RE OFFERING A DUAL INCENTIVE AND THE SECOND COMPONENT IS A NEW TECHNOLOGY OFFERING.
SO I HAVE, UM, THIS IS A NEW WATER HEATER CONTROLLER, UM, THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON INSTALLING AT THE FIRST FEW PROPERTIES.
AND SO INSIDE THIS BOX, UM, THERE IS, UH, THERE'S, IT ALLOWS YOU TO CONTROL THE WATER HEATER, UM, ESSENTIALLY TO SHUT IT OFF AND TURN IT ON.
UM, THERE'S ALSO CELLULAR RADIO INSIDE, SO WE CAN NOW COMMUNICATE AND BASICALLY CREATE A VIRTUAL POWER PLANT WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO CALL UPON WHEN WE HAVE THESE INSTALLED POTENTIALLY THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF WATER HEATERS.
AND SO THEN DURING THOSE HOT SUMMER PERIODS, OUR OTHER PERIODS OF GRID STRAIN WE'RE ABLE TO CURTAIL THESE DEVICES.
AND THE REALLY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY ABOUT WATER HEATERS IS TYPICALLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE SHOWERING ISN'T WHEN THE TEMPERATURES ARE HOTTEST.
SO, UM, THERE'S VERY MINIMAL COMFORT LOSS FELT BY THESE TENETS.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ROLLING THIS TECHNOLOGY OUT.
THE OTHER PART ABOUT THIS DEVICE THAT'S SPECIAL IS THAT IT USES THE CELLULAR SIGNAL TO PRODUCE A WIFI HOTSPOT SIMILAR TO YOUR SMARTPHONE.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO INSTALL SMART THERMOSTATS AT THESE PROPERTIES AS WELL CONNECT THOSE SMART THERMOSTATS TO THE WIFI, UM, NETWORK THAT WILL CONNECT IT TO THE WIFI NETWORK THAT'S PROVIDED BY THIS DEVICE.
AND THAT WAY WE HAVE A DEDICATED, UM, COMMUNICATION, UH, WITH BOTH THE WATER HEATER CONTROLLER AND THE SMART THERMOSTAT.
AND SO THE TENANT DOES NOT HAVE TO BRING THEIR OWN WIFI AND THEY'RE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE SMART THERMOSTAT AND SOME OF THOSE AMENITIES.
UM, SO YEAH, THIS IS THE WATER HEATER CONTROLLER.
UM, WE ALSO ARE PLANNING ON INSTALLING, UM, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WIFI SMART THERMOSTATS.
SO THE FIRST ONES THAT WE'LL LIKELY INSTALL ARE THE ECO B THREE LIGHT.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE HONEYWELL T FIVE, THE AMAZON THERMOSTAT AS WELL.
SO THESE ARE ALL COMPATIBLE DEVICES AND OUR HOPE IS THAT WE WILL LEAVE DISPLAY BOARDS LIKE THIS AT THESE MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES, ALLOW THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO, YOU KNOW, DETERMINE WHICH DEVICE MIGHT BE THE BEST FIT FOR THEIR TENANTS AND THEN ALLOW THEM TO SELECT IT AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT INSTALLATION.
UH, SO JUST WANT TO QUICKLY COVER SOME OF THE BENEFITS.
SO ONE OF THE PRIMARY BENEFITS OF THE TENANTS, IN ADDITION TO THE BILL CREDIT THAT THEY'LL RECEIVE, THEY'LL RECEIVE AN UPFRONT BILL CREDIT AND A RECURRING ANNUAL BILL CREDIT.
THEY'LL ALSO RECEIVE THE AMENITY OF HAVING A SMART THERMOSTAT THAT'S HAS A DEDICATED CONNECTION.
SO ONCE THEY DOWNLOAD THE SMARTPHONE APP, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ADJUST THE TEMPERATURE WHEN THEY'RE COMING HOME FROM WORK IF THEY WANT TO TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONING ANYMORE OR IF THEY'RE LAYING IN BED AND YOU KNOW, DON'T WANT TO GET UP.
UM, IT'S A REALLY NICE AMENITY TO PROVIDE.
UM, THE OTHER BIG BENEFIT THAT, UM, WE WILL BRING TO THESE TENANTS IS WHEN WE APPROACH THESE PROPERTIES, WE WILL INSTALL ANY OTHER ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES THAT THE PROPERTY IS ELIGIBLE FOR.
SO THE WATER SAVING DEVICES, L E D LIGHTING, ALL THOSE OTHER ITEMS, IF THE PROPERTY IS ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE, THEN WE PLAN ON INSTALLING THOSE AS WELL.
SO, UM, AGAIN, THE TENANT WILL GET REDUCED BILLS AND WE'LL RECEIVE THAT ADDED BILL CREDIT.
SO WE REALLY HOPE THIS IS, UM, UH, A BIG BENEFIT TO THE TENANTS.
THE PROPERTY OWNERS WILL ALSO RECEIVE AN ANNUAL RECURRING INCENTIVE.
THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE THEIR PROPERTY WITH SOME OF THESE NEW AMENITIES.
AND THE OTHER BIG BENEFIT IS THAT THE WATER HEATER CONTROLLER THAT WE SELECTED HAS AN OPTIONAL LEAK DETECTOR FUNCTIONALITY THAT WE DO PLAN ON PURCHASING.
IT'S A WIRE THAT COMES OUT AND HELPS DETECT LEAKS AND IT'LL SEND AUTOMATED NOTIFICATION TO THE PROPERTY OWNER IF A LEAK IS DETECTED.
SO OBVIOUSLY THAT REALLY CAN HELP, UM, YOU KNOW, REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF
[00:35:01]
MAINTENANCE, UM, OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY BY THESE LEAKS.UM, WE ARE IN OUR INITIAL PROPERTY THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON ROLLING THESE OUT IS WHISPER HOLLOW.
THIS IS A PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTY, UM, ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF TOWN.
UM, THE REASON WHY WE'RE STARTING HERE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S PRIVATELY OWNED AND NOT OWNED BY A GOVERNMENT UM, ENTITY, IS BECAUSE THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF PROPERTY THAT TARGETS THE LOW TO MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
UM, BASED OFF OF OUR, UH, WHEN WE, EARLIER WHEN WE DID A SNAPSHOT, ABOUT 34% OF THE TENANTS WERE ENROLLED IN OUR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE UTILITY PROGRAM.
AND SO OUR THRESHOLD FOR A PROPERTY, AS WE DEEM IT TO BE INCOME QUALIFIED IS IF THERE'S GREATER THAN 30% OF THE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ENROLLED IN CAP.
SO, UM, WE'RE PLANNING ON INSTALLING THESE AT WHISPER HOLLOW AND, UM, AFTER WHISPER HOLLOW WE'RE ALSO DISCUSSING ACTIVELY WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES AND WE'VE HAD SOME INITIAL DISCUSSIONS WITH HAKA AND THE TRAVIS COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, ONCE WE KIND OF GET THIS OFF THE GROUND AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A MODEL OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE, UM, THEN WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SHOP THIS AROUND WITH OUR KEY STAKEHOLDERS.
AND IT ALSO, UM, SHOP THIS AROUND WITH OTHER PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTIES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT TARGET THE LOW TO MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, UM, THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON.
UM, JUST TO WRAP UP HERE, UM, WE HOPE TO GET THESE INSTALLED IN ABOUT 10,000 UNITS IN THE NEXT FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.
SO, UM, BY OUR INITIAL CALCULATION, WE COULD HAVE AS MUCH DR CAPACITY FROM THIS PROGRAM, UM, CLOSE TO WHAT WE'RE GETTING FROM OUR COMMERCIAL DR PROGRAM AS WELL.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO CONTINUE TO RAMP THIS UP.
UM, AND THEN HOPEFULLY AS THIS TECHNOLOGY AND INCENTIVE, UM, IS ABLE TO PROVE DURABLE AND ATTRACTIVE, THEN UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL RAMP IT UP AND START INSTALLING, UH, YOU KNOW, IN SEVERAL THOUSAND UNITS PER YEAR AND HOPE TO GROW THIS PROGRAM EVENTUALLY TO AS MANY MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES AS WE CAN, WHETHER THEY HAVE AN ELECTRIC WATER HEATER, UM, IF THEY HAVE A GAS WATER HEATER, THEN WE'LL JUST FOCUS ON THE THERMOSTAT.
SO, UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO RAPIDLY EXPAND THIS, UM, ONCE WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE A GOOD CONCEPT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE.
AND LAST, I'LL JUST NOTE THAT WE'RE ALSO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AUSTIN ENERGY TO DISPLAY ITS LEADERSHIP IN THE UTILITY SPACE.
UM, AS PART OF THIS DOE GRANT, WE'LL HAVE A FINAL REPORT.
WE'RE GONNA BE DOING LOTS OF OUTREACH, SO THIS IS AN INCENTIVE MODEL TO EXPAND DEMAND RESPONSE CAPACITY THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE UTILIZED ACROSS THE US AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE ROLE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY CAN PLAY IN SERVING AS A MODEL FOR, FOR THIS TYPE OF NEW INCENTIVE PROGRAM AND TECHNOLOGY.
AND SO, UM, I THINK I'M WELL OVER EIGHT TO 10 MINUTES, BUT THAT CONCLUDES THE MULTIFAMILY PORTION.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF TIME ALLOWS, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON.
I SEE COMMISSIONER CAROTTI WAVING.
HEY, UH, SO I, AGAIN, SAME KIND OF QUESTION ON DATA.
YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE THAT, BUT DO YOU HAVE A FORECASTED AMOUNT OF KILOWATTS OF SAVINGS IN MONTHS OR YEARS FOR THIS PROGRAM? YEAH, SO, UM, I DO THE, WE'RE, THERE'S TWO WAYS TO LOOK AT IT.
THERE'S WINTER CAPACITY AND SUMMER CAPACITY.
WE CURRENTLY DON'T TYPICALLY CALL EVENTS IN THE WINTERTIME THOUGH WE'RE PREPARING OURSELVES TO DO SO IN THE EVENT THAT WE NEED TO.
SO WE PRIMARILY FOCUS ON THE SUMMERTIME CAPACITY.
AND SO, UM, IF A TENANT BOTH HAS AN ELECTRIC WATER HEATER AND A SMART THERMOSTAT INSTALLED, THEN WE'RE ANTICIPATING ABOUT 1.25 KW OF DEMAND RESPONSE CAPACITY PER UNIT.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU MULTIPLY THAT UP BY OUR GOAL OF ABOUT 10,000 UNITS, UM, THEN THAT I THINK COMES OUT TO ROUGHLY 12 MEGAWATTS OF OR SO OF DR CAPACITY.
SO WHAT IS THAT IN SAVINGS? WE, THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, LIKE WHAT IS THE SAVINGS? LIKE, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT FOR, SO FOR, UM, FOR DEMAND RESPONSE, BECAUSE THE PERIOD OF TIME IN WHICH WE'RE CURTAILING AND CHANGING, UM, THE EQUIPMENT, IT'S NOT TYPICALLY A LONG ENOUGH PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THERE'S A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THE ENERGY USED, UM, OVERALL LIKE KWH SAVINGS.
SO THE PRIMARY SAVINGS ARE OVER THOSE COUPLE OF HOURS.
THE KW OR THE ENERGY REDUCE, I, I DON'T HAVE A MEASURE IN FRONT OF ME.
IT'S THE KWH IS RELATIVELY SMALL, BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT'S WHEN PRICES ARE REALLY HIGH.
IT'S A VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT KWH AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE INCENTIVIZING THESE CUSTOMERS, UM, TO REDUCE DURING THAT PERIOD.
MAYBE I, MAYBE I WASN'T CLEARING ENOUGH.
SO WHAT ARE YOU GUYS FORECASTING AS A SAVINGS? SO WHENEVER YOU GUYS DO THIS, DO YOU GUYS DO MODELING OR FORECASTING OF LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA, WHENEVER WE IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SAVE, YOU KNOW, IF EVERYONE'S USING THESE SMART
[00:40:01]
THERMOSTATS, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SAVE, YOU KNOW, 10 MEGAWATTS PER UNIT PER YEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.SO THE, OR A KILOWATTS, WHATEVER.
THE, AS A DR PROGRAM, WE TYPICALLY MEASURE IT IN KW.
SO, UM, FOR A TENANT THAT HAS BOTH A WATER HEATER AND A THERMOSTAT, IT'S ABOUT 1.25 KW IN DEMAND RESPONSE CAPACITY THAT WE ESTIMATE.
SO IF WE REACH OUR GOAL OF ABOUT 10,000 UNITS, THE TOTAL SAVINGS WOULD BE ABOUT 12 MEGAWATTS OF DEMAND RESPONSE CAPACITY.
SO I DON'T HAVE A, A KWH TRANSLATION, UM, FOR THAT IT'S DR WE TYPICALLY MEASURE IT IN JUST THE PEAK REDUCTION POTENTIAL.
SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
YES, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER JOHNSON.
AND YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
THIS IS A, LOOKS LIKE A REALLY AMAZING NEW PROGRAM.
UM, SO WITH, UM, WITH THE, OR I GUESS FIRST OF ALL IS, IS THIS, UH, ROLLOUT AT WHISPER HOLLOW? ARE YOU, WERE YOU SAYING THIS IS THE, THE FIRST OR, OR WHAT STAGE ARE YOU AT? OR, OR IN OTHER WORDS, UH, MAYBE WHAT PERCENT OF THE 10,000 UNITS ARE YOU ROLLING OUT OR IS THIS JUST THE FIRST SET ARE, ARE AT WHISPER HOLLOW? UH, RIGHT NOW THIS IS A TOTAL PREVIEW AND WE HAVEN'T INSTALLED AT ANY PROPERTIES YET.
UM, WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF FINALIZING OUR VENDOR CONTRACTS.
UM, WE'RE STANDING UP A NEW REBATE APPLICATION THAT CONTAINS ALL THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR PROPERTIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PILOT.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST ABOUT FINAL WITH ALL THOSE AND WE'RE GO, WE PLAN ON INSTALLING AT WHISPER HOLLOW IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, UM, IS OUR GOAL.
AND WE'VE ALSO IDENTIFIED A SECOND PROPERTY, A NEW CONSTRUCTION PROPERTY CALLED A GAVI EAST.
UM, THEY RECEIVED, UM, THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO A SUPPLYING LOW-INCOME HOUSING AND THEY RECEIVED, UM, A, I FORGET THE TERM, BUT IT'S A SPECIAL LOWER RATE BOND, UM, FROM THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS.
AND SO, UM, WITH THAT COMMITMENT, WE'RE ALSO TARGETING THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION PROPERTY TO INSTALL THESE DEVICES AS WELL.
AND THAT, UM, THEY'RE INSTALLING THIS SUMMER.
AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, UM, AFTER THAT WE PLAN ON WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS, FOUNDATION COMMUNITY AND SOME OF THE OTHER GOVERNMENT OWNED, UM, HOUSING PROVIDERS AND THEN ALSO ROLLING THIS OUT TO OTHER PRIVATELY OWNED HOUSING PROVIDERS TOO.
UM, SO WE'LL WE'RE HOPE TO GETTING IN THE FIRST THREE PROPERTIES, UM, BY SUMMER, FALL, AND THEN THE REMAINING ADDITIONAL THREE TO FOUR PROPERTIES, UM, THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, ONCE WE'VE KIND OF TESTED THE CONCEPT, HAVE MADE ANY TWEAKS TO THE INCENTIVE MODEL, TO THE REBATE APPLICATION, THEN WE'LL KIND OF GO INTO A BROADER EXPANSION MODE AND THAT'S WHEN WE'LL TRY TO REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, START INSTALLING IN THOUSANDS OF UNITS PER YEAR IN ORDER TO HOPEFULLY MEET THAT GOAL OF THE 10,000 UNITS.
THANKS FOR, YEAH, THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT AND ELABORATING, UM, ONE, EXCUSE ME, UH, ONE THING I'LL ADD TO IS THAT, UH, DEFINITELY ON WITH STAKEHOLDER OR ENGAGEMENT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO, UM, BE SURE THAT YOU'RE COLLABORATING WITH ANY, UM, ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN THE PLUS ONE PROGRAM.
MAYBE YOU'RE ALREADY DOING THAT FOR ALL OF THEM, UH, BEYOND FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
UH, I, IN PRELIM, I'VE BEEN ON THE RMC SINCE 2018, SO IN OUR PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS KIND OF LEADING UP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROGRAM, I, WHEN I SAID, OH, MAKE SURE TO, TO PREVIOUS, UH, STAFF, MAKE SURE YOU COLLABORATE WITH THE PLUS ONE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, THAT WAS KIND OF MIND BOGGLING TO THEM.
THEY JUST, IT HADN'T OCCURRED TO THEM.
SO I WANTED TO, TO RE-UP THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, UM, I, I WAS JUST WANTED TO KNOW, SO WITH, UH, THE SMART THERMOSTATS AND THE DE AND, YOU KNOW, TURNING THAT INTO VIRTUAL POWER PLANT IN TERMS OF DEMAND RESPONSE POTENTIAL, UH, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE OR WHAT WOULD THAT MAYBE THE AVERAGE DAY LOOK LIKE, UH, IN TERMS OF HOW Y'ALL ARE CONTROLLING THE THERMOSTATS IN THE SUMMER? UH, ON, ON THE, FOR THE, UH, FOR THE RESIDENT? SURE.
FOR THE THERMOSTAT, UM, THERE'S TYPICALLY A PRE-COOLING PERIOD WHERE BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED WINDOW IN WHICH WE'RE REALLY TARGETING THE DEMAND REDUCTION, WE WILL, UM, LOWER THE TEMPERATURE SETTING TO HELP PRE-COOL THE CUSTOMER, AND THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO IDEALLY COAST, UM, DURING, ACROSS OR COAST IN TERMS OF THEIR COMFORT, UM, AND THEY WON'T EXPERIENCE AS DRAMATIC OF A TEMPERATURE INCREASE.
UM, THE CURRENT SETTING IS THAT, UM, WE TYPICALLY SET
[00:45:01]
THE, THE, THE THERMOSTAT BY FOUR DEGREES, UM, HIGHER, UM, DURING THE SUMMERTIME OR WHEN WE CALL THESE EVENTS.UM, THE OTHER VERY, UM, DISTINGUISHING THING ABOUT THESE SMART THERMOSTATS AND EVENTS IS THAT THE CUSTOMER AT ANY TIME CAN OVERRIDE THE EVENT IF THEY HAVE PEOPLE OVER, IF THEY JUST FEEL HOT, THEY CAN USE THEIR APP OR GO TO THE THERMOSTAT, TURN THE AC BACK LOWER, THEY DO NOT CURRENTLY UNDER THE CURRENT MODEL GET PENALIZED FOR THE INCENTIVE.
PART OF THIS DEMONSTRATION IS WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW OFTEN THAT'S HAPPENING AND DO WE CHANGE THE INCENTIVE MODEL AROUND THAT, BUT THEY ARE ABLE TO OVERRIDE THE TEMPERATURE SETTING AND IF ANY CUSTOMER IS, DOESN'T WANT AUSTIN ENERGY CONTROLLING THEIR THERMOSTAT, THEY CAN ALSO CHOOSE TO PERMANENTLY OPT OUT OF THE PROGRAM AS WELL AND FORFEIT THE BILL CREDIT, UM, AND THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY OFFER TO THE PARTICIPANTS.
UM, AND, AND SO, AND TO CLARIFY, CAN THEY, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, JUST DO THE, THE, UH, SMART CONTROLLER FOR THE WATER HEATER, BUT OPT OUT OF THE THERMOSTAT? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES, CORRECT.
THE WATER HEATER CONTROLLER, UM, IS BASICALLY INVISIBLE TO MOST TENANTS.
UM, WE REALLY DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY OF THEM TO NOTICE THAT IT'S BEEN INSTALLED.
HOWEVER, IF ANY TENANT DOES COMPLAIN ABOUT IT, THEN WE WILL OPT THEM OUT.
ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THIS WATER HEATER CONTROLLER IS THAT IT'S BACKED BY A SMART SOFTWARE THAT CAN, UM, DETERMINE WHAT THE USAGE PATTERNS ARE AT AN INDIVIDUAL TENANT.
AND SO IF THEY SEE A TENANT USES A LOT OF HOT WATER DURING OUR CURTAILMENT PERIOD, THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY OPT THEM OUT OF THE PROGRAM.
SO, UM, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF MOVING TO A ONE, A TWO-WAY CONTROLLER VERSUS THE CURRENT NON COMMUNICATING WATER HEATER TIMER.
YEAH, THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
I, I FEEL LIKE I HAD ONE OR TWO OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I'M FORGETTING THEM, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE A REALLY COOL PROGRAM AND EXCITED IT'S ROLLING OUT.
OH, ACTUALLY, SORRY, CAN I ADD ONE, UH, POINT I I MEANT TO, IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, I WOULD ALSO WHAT, UH, HIGHLY ENCOURAGE Y'ALL COME BACK WITH REGULAR UPDATES TO, TO THIS COMMISSION AND, AND, UM, JUST UTILIZE THE, THE RMC AT A MINIMUM, UH, TO, TO AMPLIFY YOUR, YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OR TO USE AS LEADS FOR CONTEXT FOR NEW, UM, UH, POTENTIAL LOW INCOME HOUSING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WORK IN, UM, I WORK FOR SIERRA CLUB, BUT I HAVE FRIENDS WHO WORK IN, UH, HOUSING JUSTICE AND, AND OTHER RELATED AREAS.
SO THEY, THERE'S LOTS OF OTHER NONPROFITS THAT I'M SURE EACH OF US COULD CONNECT Y'ALL WITH.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO USE YOUR, UH, YOUR USE THE, THE RMC AND, AND OTHER COMMISSIONS AS WELL AS THE RESOURCE FOR THAT SPECIFICALLY, UH, ON THE EQUITY SIDE OF THINGS.
COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, YOU GOTTA BE QUICKER NEXT TIME.
UM, FOLLOWING UP ON A QUESTION THAT COMMISSIONER KARA GOTTI HAD, CAN YOU YET QUANTIFY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WILL BE SAVED FROM THIS 12.5 MEGAWATT DEMAND SAVINGS? SO IN TERMS OF THE FINANCIAL BENEFIT, UM, THERE TO THE TENANT, THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF ENERGY SAVINGS.
SO THEY'RE NOT LIKELY TO SEE JUST BY BAN'S PROGRAM BILL? NO.
YOU MISUNDER NO, I'M, LET ME REPHRASE.
UH, AUSTIN, HOW MUCH MONEY WILL THE UTILITY SAVE FROM THIS 12.5 MEGAWATT DEMAND SAVINGS? SURE.
I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT VALUE, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THE ESTIMATE FOR WHAT OUR TOTAL, WHAT OUR DR PROGRAM SAVED IN TOTAL LAST YEAR.
SO BASED OFF OF THE AVOIDED TRANSMISSION COSTS, WE ESTIMATED THAT WE SAVED THE UTILITY AND RATE PAYERS ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS BASED OFF OF THE AVOIDED ENERGY COSTS AND ADDITIONAL MILLION DOLLARS.
SO IT'S ABOUT $4 MILLION IN SAVINGS, THAT'S THE TOTAL DR PORTFOLIO.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S ABOUT 40 TO 50 MEGAWATTS.
SO IF WE ACHIEVE 12 AND A HALF MEGAWATTS, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKELY IN THE HALF MILLION DOLLAR RANGE OR SOMEWHERE ALONG THOSE LINES BASED OFF OF, UM, PRIOR PERFORMANCE THAT WE'D BE SAVING THE UTILITY IN ADDITION TO THAT AT A CONSERVATIVE AMOUNT.
I'M GONNA TRY TO ASK TWO MORE QUICK QUESTIONS, FRY ANYWAY.
UM, YOU HAVE, YOU INSTALL LEDS IN THIS PROGRAM AND I
[00:50:02]
USE LEDS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY NOW, AND THAT'S THE THING, UH, LEDS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE MAINSTREAM LIGHTING MARKET, SO WHY DO WE CONTINUE TO GIVE THEM AWAY WHEN THEY'RE BEING DONE ANYWAY? AM I MISSING SOMETHING? SURE.WE ARE ADJUSTING OUR L E D INCENTIVES ACROSS A LOT OF OUR PROGRAMS TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
WHAT'S UNIQUE IN THE MULTIFAMILY AREA IS THAT I THINK THE ISSUE THAT, AT LEAST FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IF THE PROGRAM DIDN'T EXIST, THESE PROPERTIES WOULDN'T BE UPDATING THEIR LIGHTING, UM, UNTIL IT MAYBE FAILS OR UNTIL THE PROPERTY TURNS OVER.
SO WE'RE APPROACHING THEM WITH THESE L E D LIGHTS, UM, IN, IN OTHER PORTFOLIO SAVINGS AND, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGING THEM AND AT A HIGH COST OF PAYING FOR THE INSTALLATION TO ADOPT THESE ENERGY EFFICIENCY TECHNOLOGIES.
SO THESE ARE FOR THE COMMON AREAS OR FOR THE INDIVIDUAL UNITS? THE INDIVIDUAL UNITS.
WE ALSO DO PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR THE COMMON AREAS, BUT IT'S NOT JUST FOR INSTALLING L E D LIGHTING, THEY HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE IS AN ENERGY REDUCTION FROM WHATEVER'S CURRENTLY INSTALLED.
UM, WELL, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD ENTERTAIN STOPPING, UH, TH THIS, UH, I MEAN, INDIVIDUAL TENANTS ARE GOING TO BE BUYING THEIR OWN LIGHT BULBS IN MOST CASES ANYWAY, UH, AND THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO BUY LEDS THAN NOT.
UM, UH, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS WHY ARE WE GIVING REBATES TO PROPERTY OWNERS? WE, SO ON THE MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY OR IN THE MULTIFAMILY PROGRAM, THE REBATE IS TYPICALLY DIRECTED TOWARD THE INSTALLATION CONTRACTOR THAT PERFORMS THE UPGRADE.
SO I'M, I'M SORRY, I MISSPOKE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE DEMAND, UH, RESPONSE PROGRAM.
WE RELY ON THEIR STAFF TO INTRODUCE THE PROGRAM TO NEW TENANTS THAT COME IN TO HELP TROUBLESHOOT PROBLEMS THAT COME UP.
IT, WE RECOGNIZE IT'S NOT ZERO EFFORT ON THEIR PART, IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME STAFF ENGAGEMENT TO HELP SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE OPTED TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE TO THE PROPERTY TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINING THE INCENTIVE IN THE PROGRAM OVER THE YEARS.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, I THINK I'M WELL OVER TIME AND MAY NOT BE INVITED BACK.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY LAST QUESTIONS OR I'LL ALLOW THE AGENDA TO PROCEED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, WE APPRECIATE IT.
[3. Discussion of the Green Building Program. (Sponsors: Stone and Robbins )]
ON IN OUR AGENDA, WE'RE ON ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION OF GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM.IS THERE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM AUSTIN ENERGY HERE? HI, HEIDI CASPER, INTERIM GREEN BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER.
UH, YEAH, WE JUST HAD A FEW QUESTIONS IN GENERAL.
UH, WE KIND OF WANTED TO GET A, WHAT I'LL CALL A MINIATURE UPDATE ON, UH, WHAT THE GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM HAS BEEN UP TO SINCE WE APPOINTED SOME MEMBERS TO A WORKING GROUP WITH AUSTIN GREEN BUILDING.
UH, SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, CAN YOU JUST GIVE A GENERAL UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY PROCESS AT THIS TIME? SURE, HAPPY TO.
UM, SO WE HAVE GONE THROUGH TWO PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PERIODS.
THE TEAM IS CURRENTLY RESPONDING TO THE COMMENTS WE RECEIVED IN THAT SECOND PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PERIOD, AND WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE FINAL DRAFTS OF BOTH RATINGS ISSUED FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST AND THEN, UM, GO LIVE WITH, UH, REQUIRING THOSE NEW RATINGS BE IN EFFECT HOPEFULLY, UM, OCTOBER 1ST.
SORRY, TAKING NOTES AS THEY GO ALONG AND I'M NOT DOING IT VERY EFFICIENTLY.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD JUST IN GENERAL IS CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH WHAT THE NEXT PHASE WILL BE? I BELIEVE WE'RE GOING ON TO COMMERCIAL IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT ONE, OR AM I MISREMEMBERING? WHICH ONE IS NEXT IN THE PIPE? SO COMMERCIAL RIGHT NOW THEY ARE DOING A
[00:55:01]
LIGHT, UM, UPDATE JUST LOOKING AT MORE LIKE TYPOS AND CLARIFICATION SINCE THEY ISSUED IN 2022.THE MAIN THING ON OUR AGENDA THIS COMING YEAR IS GOING TO BE, UH, ASSISTING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE 24 CODES.
UM, AND THEN THE RATINGS, WE TEND TO LOOK AT AN ADOPTION CYCLE OF ABOUT AIMING FOR ABOUT EVERY THREE YEARS ON THOSE.
SO, UH, COMMERCIAL WOULD BE POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT A NEW RATING VERSION AND THE 2025 TIMEFRAME.
ALTHOUGH WE, WE DO KIND OF LOOK AT HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED AND WHETHER, UM, WHETHER IT'S NEEDED, HAVE OUR GOALS CHANGED, HAVE FEDERAL STANDARDS CHANGED, CODES CHANGED, THOSE ARE SORTS OF THINGS THAT TEND TO DRIVE THOSE UPDATES.
COULD YOU PLEASE CLARIFY WHAT YOU MEAN BY CODE? YOU MEAN THE ENERGY CODE? YES.
THAT, UH, MANDATES OR, UH, DIRECTS ENERGY STANDARDS, RIGHT? YES.
WE WOULD BE HELPING WITH THE ENERGY CODE PORTION.
UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS INTENDING TO ADOPT THE FULL SUITE OF 2024 BUILDING CODES, THE ENERGY CODE BEING ONE OF THOSE.
UM, IT RELATES STRONGLY TO THE MECHANICAL CODE.
SO THERE'S SOME OVERLAP WITH MECHANICAL CODE AS WELL.
UM, BUT OUR ROLE IS ON THE ENERGY CODE SIDE OF THAT.
WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION, PAUL? I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
UH, IF YOU WOULD COME BACK WITH A CONCISE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, UH, WALKING US THROUGH THE CHANGES IN UPGRADES THAT YOU HAVE MADE IN THE RESIDENTIAL AND MULTIFAMILY, UH, PROGRAMS. UH, I ENGAGED IN THIS, UH, INTENSIVELY AND LOU STONE ALSO ENGAGED, BUT, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS MAY BE NEW TO THIS AND I THINK, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT I THINK THEY WOULD, UH, LIKE TO, UM, LIKE TO KNOW MORE.
I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE, UH, A POWERPOINT OR UPDATE.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A RECORDING OF A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION I GAVE TO STAKEHOLDERS, THOUGH THAT'S ONE STEP BACK IN THE PROCESS.
UM, I CAN PROVIDE YOU THE GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS TONIGHT IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE MAJOR CHANGES IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
BUT OTHERWISE, YEAH, HAPPY TO COME BACK.
UH, I WOULD BE OKAY WITH, WITH HEARING A GENERAL UPDATE AND THEN IF THE COMMISSION STILL FEELS THAT THEY WANT A MORE FORMAL PRESENTATION, WE COULD GO FROM THERE.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE PRIMARY THINGS WE WERE LOOKING AT, WE HAVE NEW GOALS IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN LOOKING AT EMBODIED CARBON.
SO WE ADDED NEW BASIC REQUIREMENTS IN BOTH SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTIFAMILY.
RIGHT NOW THEY'RE JUST DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS, UM, TO ALLOW PROJECT TEAMS TO START UNDERSTANDING THE MATERIALS THEY'RE USING AND THE EMBODIED CARBON IMPACTS OF THOSE.
UM, IT ALSO PROVIDES US DATA TO START TO USE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT WOULD BE AND HOW TO MEASURE PROGRESS TOWARD THAT GOAL.
UM, EMBODIED CARBON BEING THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY USED TO PRODUCE A MATERIAL.
UM, SO NOT, NOT THE ENERGY USED DURING THE INSTALLATION, BUT UM, THE SORT OF LIFECYCLE ANALYSIS OF THE ENERGY USED TO MAKE THAT, UH, MATERIAL AND HOW OFTEN IT LIFECYCLE TOO IN TERMS OF HOW OFTEN THAT MATERIAL MIGHT NEED TO BE REPLACED.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE NEW POINTS AND INCREASED EMPHASIS ON HEALTHY MATERIALS IN RESPONSE TO THE WORKING GROUP, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT LOU AND PAUL PARTICIPATED ON.
UM, WE HAVE UPDATES TO ENERGY POINTS TO REFLECT CHANGES LIKE THE FEDERAL CHANGE TO THE MINIMUM EFFICIENCIES FOR HVAC EQUIPMENT.
THEY WENT FROM A C STANDARD TO A C TWO STANDARD AND SOME OF THOSE HAD INCREASED.
SO WE, UH, CORRESPONDINGLY INCREASED THE REQUIREMENTS IN THE RATING.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE NEW MEASURES AROUND RESILIENCE TOPICS.
UM, THAT'S BEEN DRIVEN HOME OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS THAT WE NEEDED TO START THINKING VERY HARD ABOUT THAT.
UH, IN THE SINGLE FAMILY RATING, WE ADDED AN EQUITY CATEGORY.
UM, IT ALREADY EXISTED IN THE MULTI-FAMILY, BUT WE'RE NOW TRYING TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN MOVE THE
[01:00:01]
NEEDLE ON EQUITY ISSUES IN SINGLE FAMILY CONSTRUCTION.MULTIFAMILY, WE'VE ADDED AN EV READINESS REQUIREMENT, UH, AT 40%, UM, FOCUSED ON READINESS AS OPPOSED TO ACTUAL CHARGING STATIONS AND WE'RE EXPECTING THAT TO BECOME PART OF CODE.
SO TRYING TO MOVE THE MARKET, GET THEM READY FOR THAT TO BECOME PART OF CODE.
UH, SINGLE FAMILY ALREADY HAD THE EV READY REQUIREMENT IN IT.
UM, WE ALSO ARE MAKING SOME UPDATES AROUND WATER REQUIREMENTS TO ADDRESS SOME FEEDBACK FROM AUSTIN WATER AND ALIGNING WITH THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.
THOSE ARE KIND OF VERY HIGH LEVEL OF WHAT WE WERE, SOME OF THOSE THINGS DRIVING THE CHANGES.
COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE REST OF THE COMMISSION, UH, BUT HAVING GONE THROUGH, UH, YOUR ORIGINAL PROPOSALS AND GIVEN MY UH, COMMENTS AND HAVING BEEN THROUGH THE WORKING GROUP ON HEALTHY BUILDING MATERIALS THAT WENT ON AND OFF FOR HALF A YEAR, UH, THESE THINGS CAN GET, UH, INVOLVED AND I THINK IT, IF YOU HAD A 15 MINUTE, 10 MINUTE, 15 MINUTE PRESENTATION FOR, UH, THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, THEY MIGHT HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF, UH, WHERE YOU'RE GOING IN THESE CHANGES.
UM, I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS REQUEST ONE MORE TIME AND IF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ARE DISINTERESTED, THEN THAT'S, THAT'S OKAY.
BUT, UM, I'M TRYING TO, UM, BE OF ASSISTANCE BY SUGGESTING THIS ASK IF THERE'S AN APPETITE FROM THE COMMISSION AND I DO SEE A RAISED HAND COMING FROM THE, FROM THE GALLERY.
UH, COMMISSIONER SCAFF, GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
YEAH, I PERSONALLY THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, SO I WOULD UM, BE IN FAVOR OF, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A LONG PRESENTATION, BUT JUST, UH, KIND OF AN OVERVIEW AND WHERE, WHERE WE'RE AT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS HELPFUL TO HEAR THE QUICK OVERVIEW.
NOW I WAS TRYING TO JOT DOWN SOME THINGS, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE IT, UM, YOU KNOW, UP ON THE SCREEN AS WELL.
GIVEN THAT I'M NOT HEARING ANY VIOLENT OPPOSITION TO THE IDEA, UM, VEHEMENT VIOLENT.
OH, I'M FEELING VIOLENT TODAY, PAUL.
UM, GIVEN THAT I'M NOT HEARING ANY VEHEMENT OPPOSITION TO THIS, UM, IF YOU COULD PREPARE SOMETHING, WE'LL COORDINATE WITH NATASHA THOUGH, BECAUSE I THINK THE AUGUST MEETING IS STACKED ALREADY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
SO WE MIGHT ASK YOU TO COME IN SEPTEMBER SINCE THIS ISN'T TIME SENSITIVE AT THIS POINT, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL COORDINATE THAT.
SO WE'LL LEAVE ITEM THREE ON THE AGENDA AND WE'LL LET IT ROLL FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE SHE STEPS OFF? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
CAN I JUST ASK A PROCESS QUESTION REALLY QUICKLY IS WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN WE'RE ON A TELEPHONE LIKE THIS, IS IT BETTER TO JUST UNMUTE AND SAY, I HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE THE HAND RAISE ISN'T AS EFFECTIVE.
I, I'M WATCHING FOR THE HAND G RAISES ON MY LAPTOP, SO I'VE GOT A, A VIEW CUZ ON THE SCREENS HERE THAT WE SEE, WE DO NOT SEE HAND G RAISES ON THOSE SCREENS.
THAT'S WHY I RELY ON MY LAPTOP OVER HERE.
SO IS IT BETTER FOR YOU FOR IF WE JUST UNMUTE AND SAY, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, IT'S TECHNICALLY BETTER IF WE TRY USING THE HAND GRAZING THING OR SMOKE SIGNALS OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
IT'S GENERALLY EASIER SO THAT THAT WAY I'M ABLE TO SEE, SO LIKE I JUST SAW COMMISSIONER CAROTTI WAVE HER HAND THERE AND I SEE YOU DO IT.
SO IT'S GENERALLY EASIER TO DO IT THAT WAY OTHER WAY.
OTHERWISE WE HAVE PEOPLE TALKING OVER ONE ANOTHER.
WE'LL TRY TO DO HAND ACTUAL PHYSICAL HAND MOTIONS,
[5. Approve a recommendation regarding the oversight of natural gas utility rates and operations. (Sponsors: Robbins and Davis) ]
RIGHT.MOVING ON IN OUR AGENDA ON THE PRINTED AGENDA OR THE NEW AGENDA RATHER.
WE'RE NOW ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE OVERSIGHT
[01:05:01]
OF NATURAL GAS UTILITY RATES AND OPERATIONS.THIS IS SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONERS ROBBINS AND DAVIS.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO LEAD US OUT TODAY? UM, I, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS.
WE WENT THROUGH AN ENTIRE LAST MEETING.
UH, WITH THIS AS A SINGLE AGENDA ITEM, I AM HOPEFUL THAT QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED, SO I AM GOING TO MOVE APPROVAL.
UH, AND DO, UH, NATASHA, UH, MS. GOODWIN, DO I NEED TO READ THIS INTO THE RECORD? OKAY.
I'M GOING TO, UH, MOVE APPROVAL OF THIS RESOLUTION.
UH, THERE MAY BE OTHER DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS, BUT I'M HOPEFUL THAT, UH, THERE'S SENTIMENT TO, UH, PA APPROVE THIS PROCESS.
QUESTION REAL QUICK, PAUL, WHICH VERSION ARE I LOOKING AT HERE? CUZ I HAVE THE ORIGINAL DRAFT FIVE, ONE OF THREE, AND THEN I HAVE, UM, IT'S, IT'S ONLY TWO PARAGRAPHS.
SO THEN IT'S FIVE ONE OF THREE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS LOOKING AT THE SAME THING HERE.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER BRAN SAID SHE PREFERRED THE SHORTER ONE, AND THAT'S WHAT'S HERE.
SO RIGHT NOW FROM A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DAVIS.
NOW WE ARE OPEN FOR DISCUSSION AND I SAW COMMISSIONER CAROTTI WAVE AT SOME POINT, OR DID I IMAGINE THAT I DID
UM, CAN YOU SHARE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ON SCREEN? OR IS IT IN THE BOOKLET? I CAN LOOK AT THAT REAL QUICK.
IT'S ON THE, UH, IT'S IN THE PACKET AGENDA.
I'M JUST GONNA LOOK AT IT AND I, I'D BE HAPPY TO READ IT IF IT'S NECESSARY.
UM, IF, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ IT, YOU CAN.
COMMISSIONER CAROTTI, UH, DO YOU NEED ME TO READ THIS OR DO YOU SEE IT IN FRONT OF YOU? IN THE PACKET? IT'S GONNA BE ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
IT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THREE, PAGE ONE OF THREE.
CUZ THERE ARE THREE DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
AND I SHOULD ALSO ADD THAT THERE'S AN ACCOMPANYING PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CITY CODE THAT IS ALSO, UH, PART AND PARCEL OF THIS.
NOW, THIS IS JUST SUGGESTED LANGUAGE AS COMMISSIONER JOHNSON POINTED OUT.
IF COUNCIL WANTS TO DO THIS, THEY WILL SEND IT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, ATTORNEY, AND THE CITY ATTORNEY MAY REWORD THIS.
UH, BUT, UH, THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO TRY AND MAKE IT AS EASY AND SUCCINCT AS POSSIBLE.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, I SAW YOU RAISE YOUR HAND EARLIER.
I, I I WAS HAVING TO ADJUST MY COMPUTER.
COMMISSIONER SCAFF, YOU WERE NEXT ON THE LIST.
I JUST WANNA CONFIRM, SO IF WE VOTE YES ON THIS, WHICH I'M, I'M IN FAVOR OF, BUT WE, WE WOULD SEND ALL THREE OF THESE DOCUMENTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE WOULD SEND THE DRAFT RESOLUTION AS WELL AS THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER, AS WELL AS KIND OF THIS BACKGROUND DOCUMENT THAT, THAT'S LISTED AS ITEM 5 3 0 3.
SO ALL THREE PAGES WOULD GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
I JUST WANNA CONFIRM THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER BRIAN? I WAS CURIOUS, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THE NEW LANGUAGE IN ITEM FIVE, ONE OF THREE, SO THAT, THAT SHORT PARAGRAPH SAYS PURVIEW TO ADVISE CITY COUNCIL ON GAS RATE CASES.
UM, SO IS THAT KIND OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME OF WHEN THE CITY HIRES A LAWYER, THAT WE WOULD
[01:10:01]
ALSO SORT OF TAKE UP THAT BATON OURSELVES AND TALK TO CITY COUNCIL AT THAT POINT? IS THAT THE IDEA OR ARE WE AGREED ON WHAT OUR INVOLVEMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE? DO WE NEED TO AGREE ON IT? IS THAT FOR LATER DISCUSSION? IF IT'S, IF YOU'RE ASKING ROBBINS, IF YOU'RE ASKING MY OPINION, IT WOULD BE FOR LATER DISCUSSION.UH, RATE CASES ARE KIND OF LIKE AN OCTOPUS.
UH, THEY ARE, UH, MULTI TENTACLE AND THEY CAN TAKE ON VARIOUS, UH, VARIOUS, UH, FORMS, IF YOU WILL.
MAYBE OCTOPUS ISN'T THE BEST ANALOGY, BUT, UM, UH, WE WOULD HAVE, IF, IF WE ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, THEN WE WOULD NEED TO DECIDE AMONGST OURSELVES HOW WE AVAIL OURSELVES OF THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO AS FAR AS THE CHARTER, DOES THE CITY HAVE A CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE THAT YOU KNOW OF? OKAY.
THE CITY, UH, DOES INDEED, UH, HAVE A CHARTER, UH, REVIEW CION, AND THAT IS THE, THE THING THAT THE CHARTER REVIEW, THE THINGS THAT THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION TAKES UP ARE GENERALLY NOT, I UNDERSTAND WHAT I JUST ASKED THE QUESTION.
SO THEY DO HAVE ONE, SO WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO PRESENT THAT CHARTER TO THEM.
THAT'S ON A SEPARATE KIND OF THING.
SO WE MAY HAVE TO SEPARATE THE CHARTER FROM OUR ASK BECAUSE IT'S MORE OF A LEGALITY ON THEIR PART THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH.
WELL, NO, THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY CODE, NOT THE CITY CHARTER.
SO DIDN'T I HEAR SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE CHARTER? NO, I DID NOT SAY IT.
DID I SAY CHARTER? I, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS, IS THE CODE NOT THE CHARTER? CORRECT.
I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY PERCEIVED SLIGHT.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER? AND, AND SO AS FAR AS THE CODE, UH, DO LEGAL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT? THEY WILL, IF COUNCIL WANTS THEM TO.
BASICALLY MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THIS RESOLUTION WOULD DO IS THIS IS ESSENTIALLY SAYING CITY COUNCIL, WE ARE OFFERING OUR SERVICES TO HELP YOU IF YOU REQUIRE IT IN GREAT CASE REVIEW WITH TEXAS GAS.
AND THEN IF CITY COUNCIL CHOOSES TO EMPLOY US, WE ARE SAYING WE BELIEVE THAT THE ATTACHED DOCUMENTS HERE REFLECT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO THEIR OWN COUNSEL'S OFFICE AND GET FURTHER INFORMATION.
AND SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, NO OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONER BOARD IS, IS ACTIVELY DOING WHAT WE'RE ASKING.
UH, BEEN DOING THIS FOR ION 50 YEARS AND I AM NOT AWARE OF IT.
BEEN AN ACTIVIST FOR ION 50 YEARS AND I AM NOT AWARE OF IT MORE THING.
SO I RECALL WAS THERE SOME TYPE OF, UM, LEGAL BATTLE OR SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THE, THE RATES? NO, AND I COULD BE WRONG.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD.
WELL, WELL, CAN WE HAVE, CAN YOU COME AND TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT? I JUST NEED CLARITY JUST REALLY QUICK.
YEAH, IF YOU COULD GO UP FRONT AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
LARRY GRAHAM WITH TEXAS GAS SERVICE.
SO YOUR, I THINK YOUR QUESTION, IF I UNDERSTOOD IT, SO CURRENTLY THERE'S NO RATE CASE GOING ON.
THE NEXT TIME WE, UH, FILE A RATE CASE WITH THE CITY, WHAT HAPPENS IS THE CITY DOES HIRE, THE LAW DEPARTMENT HIRES AN ATTORNEY AND SEVERAL CONSULTANTS TO REPRESENT THE, UH, THE INTEREST OF THE CITY.
AND I, I THINK THE, THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS THAT I, I, I HAVEN'T SUCCESSFULLY MADE CLEAR IN PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS IS THAT WE FILED THIS WITH THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OTHER CITIES, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN INTERVENES AT THE RAILROAD COMMISSION, BUT THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS
[01:15:01]
IS THE AUTHOR.THEY'RE THE BODY THAT WILL DECIDE THE RATE CASE.
SO IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT DYNAMIC, I THINK, THAN AUSTIN ENERGY OR AUSTIN WATER.
SO, AND I THINK WHAT OUR POINT HAS BEEN ALL ALONG IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO DECIDE HOW TO CHANNEL INPUT FROM THE RMC.
WE DON'T WANT TO PARALLEL THINGS GOING ON DURING A RATE CASE, RIGHT? SO THEY, THEY HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT THEIR INTERESTS, THE LAW DEPARTMENT DOES.
AND, AND SO THEY DO A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, DATA REQUESTS AND, AND YOU KNOW, AS PAUL MENTIONED, IT'S, IT'S GOVERNED BY THE PROCESS IS GOVERNED BY STATE LAW.
SO ANYWAY, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? IT DOES.
I THINK MY QUESTION IS RELATED TO WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING UP ABOUT THE, THE NEW LANGUAGE.
SO WE'RE WE REQUESTING THAT CITY COUNCIL THAT WE CAN AD ADVISE CITY COUNCIL ON GAS RATE CASES? AND FROM OUR CONVERSATION LAST TIME, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S NOT THE BEST WAY FOR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION TO GET INVOLVED.
IS THERE ANOTHER SORT OF LANGUAGE THAT WE COULD PUT? WELL, I, I WOULD SAY THIS.
I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION CAN GET INVOLVED, BUT THEY NEED TO WORK WITH THE CITY AND THE CITY'S ATTORNEY, OR TO GIVE INPUT TO THE, TO THE ATTORNEY HIRED BY THE CITY THAT'S REPRESENTING THE CITY IN THIS FORMAL PROCEEDING.
AND, AND SO, LIKE I SAID, WE JUST, WE WOULD, WE THINK IT'D BE UNWIELDY TO HAVE TWO SORT OF INVESTIGATIONS GOING ON SIMULTANEOUSLY WHEN THE CITY HAS HIRED A AN ATTORNEY TO, TO REPRESENT THEM.
AND YOUR INPUT NEEDS TO BE FOLDED INTO THAT.
AND REALLY THE CITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO DECIDE THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
AND THAT'S HOW I ENVISIONED THIS.
UH, THE CITY'S CONSULTANT AND ATTORNEY WOULD BASICALLY LAY OUT THE CASE BEFORE US AND WE WOULD COMMENT TO COUNCIL ON WHETHER WE THINK THE RATE INCREASE OR HOPED DECREASE IS JUSTIFIED, UH, WHETHER THERE'S ENOUGH MONEY IN IT FOR CERTAIN SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES LIKE LOW INCOME, UH, AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
UH, AND THOSE COMMENTS WOULD BE PASSED ALONG IN THE LAST RATE CASE.
UH, THE ONLY THING THAT RMC OUR COMMISSION HAD PURVIEW OVER WAS THE STRUCTURE OF THE RATE THAT IS, WAS IT MORE PROGRESSIVE OR MORE REGRESSIVE? UH, WE COULD NOT SAY THIS RATE IS OR ISN'T JUSTIFIED, BUT WE COULD SAY THIS RATE IS STRUCTURED POORLY SO THAT IT HURTS CONSERVATION.
THIS RATE IS STRUCTURED POORLY, SO IT HURTS LOW INCOME PEOPLE.
AND THE COMMISSION CHOSE TO DO THAT, AND THAT IN A MINOR WAY WAS INFLUENTIAL.
UH, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD BE MORE INFLUENTIAL IN THE NEXT RATE CASE.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, YOU'VE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY.
UH, I WANTED TO CHIME IN EARLIER, ESPECIALLY TO HELP CLARIFY SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS, BUT, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN ANSWERED ALREADY.
UM, I THINK WE'VE SORT OF HALF ANSWERED.
I I IS IT, OR WAS IT ORIGINALLY COMMISSIONER BRAND'S? UH, QUESTION.
I DON'T REMEMBER NOW, BUT, SO I THINK HALF OF THE MATTER IS ON THE RATE CASE SIDE, WHERE CAN WE, YOU KNOW, ADD TO OUR PURVIEW ADVISING ON THINGS RELATED TO NATURAL GAS AND TEXAS GAS SERVICE IN, IN THE RATE CASE SETTING.
UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THIS RESOLUTION, OUR, AND REALLY OUR BROADER INTENTION IS TO BE ABLE TO ADVISE ON GAS ISSUES, UH, RELATED, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING RELATED TO CITY OF O IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S, UM, CITY LIMITS YEAR ROUND IN BETWEEN RATE CASES, IT, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT PRIMARILY CONNECTED TO TO THERE BEING A RATE CASE OR NOT.
UM, AND, UM, AND BASICALLY IN GENERAL, THE, THE, THE CONTEXT OF THE BACKGROUND FOR THE NEWER COMMISSIONERS THAT WE'VE, SOME OF WHOM HAVE JOINED SINCE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ALREADY,
[01:20:01]
UH, IS THAT THERE IS NO CITY COMMISSION OR BOARD IN AUSTIN THAT DOES NATURAL GAS OR GAS ISSUES.AND SO WE JUST WANT TO ADD THAT UNDER THE BROAD UMBRELLA THAT R M C ALREADY COMPRISES AS WE DO, UH, ENERGY, WATER, AND GAS, UH, OR, UH, ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND, AND RENEWABLE ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY.
UM, AND WE KIND OF VAGUELY TOUCH ON GAS SO FAR, OR NOT SOMEWHAT VAGUELY TOUCH ON GAS SO FAR UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
WE JUST WANNA MORE EXPLICITLY EXPAND THAT AND TO HAVE A COMMISSION THAT TAKES ON THAT ROLE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, COMMISSIONER SCAFF, YOU'VE HAD YOUR HAND UP.
YEAH, MY ONLY ADDITIONAL COMMENT ON THIS IS JUST, I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE TEXAS GAS HERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK GETTING INTO THIS DEBATE ABOUT HOW WE COULD BE USEFUL AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE MIGHT BE SOME CROWDING WITH OTHER PARTIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE RAPE CASES JUST FEELS A LITTLE BIT, UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, GERMANE TO THE LARGER POINT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, RESPECTFULLY OF, OF COURSE, TEXAS GAS DOESN'T WANT ONE MORE PARTY IN THIS, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS RESOLUTION IS TO SAY THERE ISN'T A COMMISSION RIGHT NOW ADVISING CITY COUNCIL ON THIS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL, THERE'S A LOT OF SMART PEOPLE INVOLVED HERE.
I'M SURE THAT IF CITY COUNCIL DECIDES THE RMC IS A BODY THAT SHOULD ADVISE THEM AND HAVE AN EXPANDED PURVIEW TO LOOK AT THIS, I'M SURE WE WOULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CHANNEL OUR COMMENTS AND WORK WITH THE LAWYER THAT IS REPRESENTING THE CITY IN A WAY THAT'S EFFICIENT.
SO I JUST, I DON'T WANNA OVERLY STRESS THAT POINT.
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LOT IN THE LAST TWO MEETINGS.
AND AGAIN, WHILE I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT TEXAS GAS'S PREFERENCE, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE ANOTHER PARTY IN IT, I, I'M NOT, I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY MORE REASON FOR, UM, UH, EXPANDING THE PURVIEW OF THIS COMMISSION.
IT APPEARS THAT WE HAVE CLEARED THE TABLE OF QUESTIONS, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED.
I, YEAH, WE DID DO THAT, DIDN'T WE? IT'S BEEN A DAY.
UH, SO WE WILL TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
I NEED CAMERAS ON FOR ALL, ALL MEMBERS VOTING.
AND THE CHAIR VOTES? NO, THIS PASSES IS SEVEN ONE I'M HURT.
WE ARE, UH, I I, I WAS TRYING TO BE HUMOROUS, BUT I WOULD BE CURIOUS IF YOU, WITHOUT TRYING TO, UH, IN ANY WAY, UH, UH, IMPUNE YOU, IF, IF YOU COULD JUST TELL ME WHY YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
HONESTLY, I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS OUR PURVIEW TO TRY TO INJECT OURSELVES INTO A GAS RATE REVIEW.
HAD THIS BEEN STRUCTURED OR WORDED IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE WERE WORKING, PARTICULARLY IN TRYING TO HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER, UH, RENEWABLES OVER THE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE, THEN I MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE AMENABLE TO IT.
BUT THE IDEA OF TRYING TO INSERT THIS COMMISSION INTO A RATE CASE REVIEW, I, I FEEL IS NOT THE RIGHT CALL, BUT I AS ALWAYS BEEN TO THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE.
[6. Discussion and possible action to appoint up to 3 representatives from the Resource Management Commission to the Resource Planning Working Group to collaborate with Austin Energy to develop recommendations for updating Austin Energy's Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan. (Sponsors: Davis, Robbins, and Johnson)]
MOVING ON IN THE AGENDA ONTO ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPOINT UP TO THREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION TO THE RESOURCE PLANNING WORKING GROUP TO COLLABORATE WITH AUSTIN ENERGY TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UPDATING AUSTIN ENERGY'S RESOURCE GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PLANS SPONSORED BY DAVIS ROBBINS AND JOHNSON.WHO WOULD LIKE TO LEAD US OUT TODAY? COMMISSIONER DAVIS.
UM, SO THERE ARE SOME MATERIALS IN, IN YOUR, IN YOUR BACKGROUND PACKET.
I THINK, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, UH, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND ON THIS GIVEN, UH, HIS, UH, HISTORY
[01:25:01]
INTO IT.AND THEN I CAN ADD ANY, UM, ADDITIONAL CONTEXT FROM THAT, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON.
UM, YEAH, HAPPY TO HELP AND, UM, GIVE SOME OF THE HISTORY AS WELL.
UH, SO, UH, AS I'M SURE MOST OF YOU KNOW, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY IS LOOKING INTO, UH, UPDATING THEIR RESOURCE PLAN, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THEIR, WE CAN THINK OF MORE OR LESS AS THEIR ELECTRICITY MASTER PLAN.
UM, THE LAST TIME WE UPDATED IT WAS THE PROCESS.
THE WORKING GROUP PROCESS TOOK PLACE IN THE FALL OF 2019 THROUGH, UH, FEBRUARY OR MARCH OF 2020.
UM, AND THE RESOURCE PLAN WAS, UH, APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, UH, AS SOON AS THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, THAT WAS THE START OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, AND SOME OF THE CONTEXT NOW IS THAT, UM, IN THAT, OR, OR FOR REOPENING? THE, THE RESOURCE PLAN IS THAT, UM, A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN IT WAS PASSED, THERE WAS A PROVISION STATING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS, UH, LARGE MATERIAL CHANGES TO THE ENERGY MARKET OR THE ENERGY, THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE OF ENERGY ISSUES, THEN THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION COULD REOPEN THE RESOURCE PLAN, UM, OR, OR, UH, OR THE CITY COUNCIL COULD.
AND SO BASICALLY GIVEN THE FAILURE TO RETIRE FAYETTE, UM, AND THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSIONS HAPPENING ANYWAY AMONG DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE LAST FALL WAS THE RATE CASE, UH, AND THE RATE HIKES THAT WERE PASSED.
UM, AS A RESULT, THIS, UH, AND FAYETTE BEING, UH, THE FAILURE TO RETIRE FAYETTE, THE RESOURCE PLAN WAS BROUGHT UP AS A, AS BEING A, A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE.
AND, AND CITY COUNCIL DECIDED TO PASS A RESOLUTION INDICATING THAT IT SHOULD BE REOPENED ON RELATED TO, TO SEVERAL ISSUES IN THEIR ORIGINAL RESOLUTION.
UM, AND SO, UM, GENERALLY IT, OR THE LAST, UH, SEVERAL TIMES SINCE I THINK 2013, IT'S BEEN A WORKING GROUP OF THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION.
UM, AND THEN, UH, BASICALLY DESIGNING AND CREATING A RESOURCE PLAN UPDATE.
AND THEN THE LAST COUPLE TIMES AROUND, UH, WE VOTED ON IT IN A JOINT, WE DISCUSSED AND VOTED ON IT IN A JOINT E U C R M C MEETING.
UH, AND THEN IT WOULD GO TO, TO THE NEXT STEP OF THE PROCESS.
AND IT CAN EITHER GO THROUGH THE, UM, US ENERGY UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL, WHICH IS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, I, I THINK MOST FOLKS KNOW, BUT I WANNA CLARIFY THAT.
AND THEN IT CAN EITHER GO THROUGH THAT OR IT CAN GO DIRECTLY TO, TO CITY COUNCIL IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
UM, AND BASICALLY WITH THE CONTEXT OF THE, UH, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, UH, NEW TO THE, UH, ENERGY LANDSCAPE, UH, WITH THE IRA, UH, THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, WITH CHANGES IN TAX INCENTIVES, PARTICULARLY WITH, UH, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY MAY BE ABLE TO GET TAX INCENTIVES FOR OWNING A RENEWABLE GENERATION, WHICH IT HAS PREVIOUSLY ONLY BEEN ABLE TO GO THE TAX CENTERS ONLY GOING TO PRIVATE ENTITIES AND THEN AUSTIN ENTRY DOING PPAS WITH THEM, UH, THE NEW MONEY TO THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HELP SHUT DOWN FAYETTE, UH, THROUGH THE IRA, UH, AND THEN OTHER FUNDS TO THE, UM, I I J A, THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT, UH, RUNNING PARALLEL TO SOME OF THAT FUNDING.
WE, UH, THOUGHT IT, WELL, THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REOPEN THE RESOURCE PLANNING WORK, UH, RESOURCE PLAN UPDATE, EXCUSE ME, AND DO SO WITH A WORKING GROUP.
IF THERE'S ANY OTHER CONTEXT OR HISTORY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO, TO LET ME KNOW.
UM, YOU'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER COMMISSIONER DAVIS.
UM, THAT WAS GREAT BACKGROUND.
UM, IN ADDITION, LAST WEEK AT THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION, UH, THAT BODY DID MOVE TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP.
SO THEY ARE THE SORT OF OWNERS OF THE WORKING GROUP, AND IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO, UM, RECRUIT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN ADDITION, UH, TO THIS WORKING GROUP AS WELL AS UP TO THREE MEMBERS FROM OUR BODY, THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, UM, WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, I BELIEVE THE, THE, UM, THE PLAN IS FOR AUSTIN ENERGY TO, UM, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR THAT UPDATED RESOURCE PLAN BY FEBRUARY OF 2024, UM, TO THE E U C, AND THEN LATER ON TO COUNCIL.
AND SO THAT WORKING GROUP WOULD WORK, UM, COLLABORATIVELY, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, BRING THE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD.
[01:30:01]
AND, UM, THE, THE OTHER THING TO SAY ABOUT, UH, WHAT WAS PASSED LAST WEEK AT THE E U C IS THE, THERE IS A DESIRE TO HAVE, UH, REPRESENTATION FROM THE COMMUNITY WITH A, UM, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON, UM, DIVERSITY AND EQUITY AS WELL.SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS MEMBERS FROM THIS BODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SERVE, UM, ON THAT WORKING GROUP.
COMMISSIONER ROBBINS LOOKS LIKE HE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY.
UM, I LIVE FOR THIS STUFF, UH, I'D LIKE TO JOIN IT IF IT'S POSSIBLE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT IN, IN GENERAL, WHAT THIS IS, WHAT OUR PROCESS FOR THIS IS, IS THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO PASS A SEPARATE RESOLUTION.
WE NEED TO NOMINATE AND APPROVE THREE MEMBERS TO JOIN THIS PREEXISTING WORKING GROUP ALREADY.
SO I PRESUME I'M ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS.
COMMISSIONER BRENN, YOU CAN INSERT A QUESTION.
UM, I'M NEW AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ON A WORKING GROUP BEFORE.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS LIKE WHAT THE TIME COMMITMENT LOOKS LIKE.
COMMISSIONER DAVIS GIVE IT A SHOT.
UM, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE BACKGROUND THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS, THERE MIGHT BE SOME, YOU KNOW, COMING UP TO SPEED OR SOME, YOU KNOW, OTHER SIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, SIDE MEETINGS FROM THAT.
BUT THAT'S ABOUT WHAT I WOULD EXPECT.
UM, AND, UH, I, FOR CONTEXT ALSO, UM, AS SORT OF A, A COMPROMISE WORK TO PASS THE WORKING GROUP, UM, THE RESOLUTION HAD INITIALLY OUTLINED SOME ASPECTS OF THE SCOPE OF IT, AND ALL OF THOSE ARE STRUCK OUT.
SO THE EUC IS WORKING, I THINK PRIMARILY THIS WEEK TO, WITH AUSTIN ENERGY LEADERSHIP TO DETERMINE THE, THE FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS, UH, AND, AND CERTAIN, AND THE, HOW BIG THE WORKING GROUP WILL BE, CERTAIN THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO, UM, THAT'S ALSO WHY WE SAY ONE TO TWO.
WE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW IF IT'S GONNA MEET ONE OR TWO TIMES A MONTH YET.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY, OR IN THE PAST THEY'VE BEEN TWO, GENERALLY TWO HOUR MEETINGS, UH, TWICE A MONTH.
UH, AND THEN IT MAY TAKE SOME HOMEWORK, PARTICULARLY AT THE BEGINNING FOR, FOR BRAND NEW FOLKS LIKE, UM, CHARLOTTE WAS SAYING.
AND, UM, I, I THINK THE LAST TIME AROUND THE WORKING GROUP WAS VER WAS MORE HIGHLY TECHNICAL, UH, WITH, UH, KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY OF CLEAN ENERGY AND FOSSIL FUEL, UH, RETIREMENT GOALS.
AND MOST OF THOSE GOALS ARE, WELL, THEY, THEY CAN BE DISCUSSED, BUT, UH, A LOT OF UC COMMISSIONERS WERE SAYING THEY DON'T ANTICIPATE IT BEING AT QUITE AS TECHNICAL AS LAST TIME POTENTIALLY.
UH, SO THAT COULD BE A BENEFIT.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY ON AVERAGE FIVE OR SIX HOURS A MONTH.
OH, AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, DECEMBER, THEY'RE ONLY GONNA MEET ONCE IF THAT, UM, SO THERE ALSO, YOU KNOW, COULD BE SOME SHUFFLING MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE IN NOVEMBER, AND THEN MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE EXTRA IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS? SOUNDS GOOD.
COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, THE DINOSAUR IN THE ROOM IS THAT IT'S DISPATCHABILITY, UH, IS THAT TO BE CARBON FREE? AUSTIN ENERGY WOULD HAVE TO COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN ITS COAL IN NATURAL GAS PLANTS.
AND THEN WHAT WILL YOU HAVE WHEN THE INTERMITTENT WIND AND SUN AREN'T THERE? SO I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING FOR A LONG TIME, UH, STORAGE AND DISPATCHABLE RENEWABLE OPTIONS, AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, I WOULD ADVOCATE FOR, UH, UH, IF I'M THERE.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT CAMPAIGNING RIGHT NOW.
UM,
[01:35:01]
WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE ACTIVE ON THIS COMMISSION FIRST, AND THEN, I DUNNO, WE COULD HAVE YOU GUYS BATTLE IT OUT TO THE DEATHIVE COMMISSIONER GARY, COMMISSIONER OTTI.
COMMISSIONER BRENN AND COMMISSIONER ROBBINS INTERESTED, I'VE NEVER HAD PEOPLE INTERESTED FOR MORE THAN AT SLOTS I HAVE TO FILL.
UM, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT PROCESS I SHOULD BE USING HERE AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE I HAVE FOUR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THREE SLOTS, OTHER THAN IF ANYONE FEELS THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE THAT'S MORE QUALIFIED OR WHATEVER, IF THEY WANTED TO STEP BACK, OTHERWISE WE COULD, YES.
COMMISSIONER DAVIS, YOU HAD SOMETHING, ANY OPTION FOR THREE AND AN ALTERNATE? UH, I MEAN, WE CAN DO WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE WISH TO DO.
I SUPPOSE WE COULD SAY THREE PLUS ONE THAT WAY.
FOR EXAMPLE, A COMMISSIONER BRENN FINDS OUT THAT IT IS MORE OF A TIME COMMITMENT THAN SHE THOUGHT.
THEN WE HAVE A DESIGNATED BACKUP ALREADY THERE.
UM, BUT IF EVERYBODY IS ALSO EAGER AND READY TO GET STARTED, WHO'S GONNA BE THE ONE THAT BECOMES THE ALTERNATE TO START OFF? SO YOU, YOU STILL GOTTA GUESS, YOU GOTTA GO FOR A VOTE
UM, NOT EXACTLY SURE THOUGH, HOW I DO THAT WITH FOUR PEOPLE ON THREE SLOTS.
I THINK SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR A GROUP OF THREE.
CAN THE FOURTH PERSON BE ON AS ONE OF THE CITIZENS? UH, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I, I DON'T, I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW.
UM, IT, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, THERE AREN'T ANY FORMAL, UH, I, I JUST DON'T KNOW.
I THERE, BUT I, THERE CAN BE THREE PEOPLE REPRESENTING THE RMC.
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION THAT WE SHOULD ASK OFFICER ENERGY STAFF.
WE DO KNOW, OR, OR A, OR CITY LEGAL IF NECESSARY.
I DON'T KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, THEY RECOMMEND HAVING A RMC MEMBER, UH, SOMEONE WHO'S ON THE RMC JUST SERVING AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND NOT REPRESENTING THE RMC.
UM, THERE'S SEVERAL STAFF MEMBERS HERE.
ANY IDEAS? UM, SO THE RESOLUTION THAT THE EUC PASSED HAS IT, THAT IT'S UP TO THE EUC TO DECIDE WHO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE.
SO YOU COULD LOBBY THEM, I GUESS
UM, I WILL ALSO POINT OUT THOUGH, UM, IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE PACKET FROM LAST WEEK'S EUC MEETING OR WATCH THE PRESENTATION, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPECIAL CALLED MEETINGS OF THE EUC ALONG THE WAY.
SO IF YOU JUST WANNA SORT OF BE ENGAGED IN THAT SENSE AND NOT AN OFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP, YOU COULD DO THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, I, COMMISSIONER GARY HAD RAISED HER HAND FIRST.
NO, ONLY IF WE WERE READY FOR A MOTION.
SO IF WE'RE STILL DOING QUESTIONS, I, I THINK WE'RE STILL DISCUSSING.
COMMISSIONER DAVIS, I JUST WANTED TO INVITE ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS WHO'VE EXPRESSED INTEREST TO SAY A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO, WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, IF, IF THEY WANT, I'VE HEARD FROM COMMISSIONER ROBBINS.
UM, IF ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO, I, I SEE COMMISSIONER CAROTTI GOT HER HAND UP FIRST.
UM, YEAH, I HAVE A HUGE INTEREST IN THIS, ESPECIALLY SINCE I WORK FOR, UM, L C RCRA AND I DEAL WITH TRANSMISSION ELECTRICITY.
UM, I THINK ESPECIALLY WORKING TOWARDS THE CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN, UM, IS REALLY VITALLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
UH, WITH MY BACKGROUND BEING AN ENVIRONMENTALIST AND WORKING FOR THE SIERRA CLUB, I THINK IT'S VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO REDUCE OUR ENERGY USAGE AND BECOME ONE, AND AS A CITY TRY TO REDUCE OUR, UH, NOT ONLY EMISSIONS, BUT ESPECIALLY OUR ELECTRICITY USAGE AS A WHOLE.
SO, WE'LL SEE IF THAT'S A SELLING POINT.
I DON'T KNOW, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S INTERESTED IN ONE OF THE, UH, SLOTS? COMMISSIONER BREN? YEAH.
I, I GUESS I WORK FOR, UM, ENERGY MODELING, LIKE CONSULTING FOR, FOR BUILDINGS.
AND SO I'VE BEEN DOING A BIT OF LIKE DECARBONIZATION WORK AROUND, UM, ANALYSIS AROUND LIKE THE US
[01:40:01]
AND I'M JUST SUPER INTERESTED IN, IN YEAH, UTILITIES, DECARBONIZING.AND I HAVE A GOOD SENSE FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE TEXAS STANDS IN RELATION TO OTHER STATES.
UM, SO I THINK I COULD BRING THAT, UM, POSITION TO THE TABLE.
AND I'M ALSO JUST REALLY INTERESTED IN THE CONVERSATION AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M CURIOUS AND LIKE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND I'LL ROUND IT OUT.
SO, UH, WITH MY PREVIOUS POLITICAL EXPERIENCE BACK IN CALIFORNIA, SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE PASS, UH, TO GET TO NET ZERO, UM, A FEW OTHER, UH, LIGHTING AND GAS, UM, INITIATIVES THAT WE PASSED AS WELL, THAT WE INITIATED.
NOT ONLY THAT, I ALSO BRING A SPECIAL COMPONENT AND RISK AND SAFETY COMPONENTS OF IT, YOU KNOW, ANALYZING THE RISK, WHAT ARE OUR RISK FACTORS AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO TRY TO, UM, PUSH FORWARD THESE INITIATIVES AND HOW IT WILL TAKE A WHOLE EFFECT ON THE CITY AND THE OUTCOME.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND THAT'S WONDERFUL.
AND I THINK THIS WORKING GROUP IS GONNA BE LIKE REALLY GREAT.
AND PAUL, I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE FOR GOING ON WELL, REALLY FIVE DECADES.
AND I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS UTILITY FOR FIVE DECADES, AND I HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF HOW TO DEAL WITH THE BUREAUCRACY THAN, UH, MOST PEOPLE.
UH, I, UM, WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT THE BIGGEST ISSUE YOU WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH IS THE DISPATCHABILITY OF THE PLANTS, UH, TO JUST, IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE BACKGROUND, THE LAST WORKING GROUP, UH, AND THE LAST, UH, ELECTRIC RATE CASES, I GUESS THE RATE CASE IN 2016 HAD RETIRING FAYETTE AS ITS CENTER POINT AND AUSTIN ENERGY.
UH, BASICALLY, UH, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, SAID THAT WE COULD NOT FIND A SUCCESSFUL WAY TO NEGOTIATE WITH L C RCRA.
AND, UM, IT IS MY SENSE THAT, AND I, IT'S MY SENSE THAT THEY CANNOT, UH, IT IS MY SENSE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY AND L C R A AND ERCOT DO NOT WANT TO TURN THAT PLANT OFF BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOTHING TO REPLACE IT WITH THAT OFFERS THE SAME, UH, DISPATCHABILITY.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I SPECIALIZE IN, SO I WOULD LIKE TO BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO THE WAY THIS WORKS IS I AM LOOKING FOR A NOMINATED SLATE.
IN A PERFECT WORLD, IT WOULD BE A NOMINATED SLATE FROM PEOPLE THAT AREN'T ALREADY NOMINATED, BUT WHOEVER RAISES THE HAND FIRST, I'LL GO AHEAD.
YOU SAID NO ONE, BUT THAT'S FINE.
SO I'LL DO COMMISSION BRAND, UM, I, SORRY, IF PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME WRONG.
I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST NAME.
I'M SORRY IF I PRONOUNCE IT WRONG.
I HAVE A MOTION TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONERS GARY BRENN AND CAROTTI TO THE E U C RESOURCE PLANNING WORKING GROUP.
IS THERE A SECOND? WELL, THAT'S ALWAYS ENTERTAINING BEING NO SECOND.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT WE TRY AND FIND A WAY TO FIGURE THIS OUT AMONGST OURSELVES.
[01:45:01]
UM, I MEAN, IT HAS TO BE DONE WITHIN THE CONSTRUCT OF A FORMAL MEETING WITH THE VOTE.UH, WE, WE CAN'T, UH, NO, IT, WE CAN'T WALK IT BE OTHERWISE WE COULD PUNT IT TO NEXT MEETING.
IT COULD BE DONE, UH, BY A DISCUSSION BETWEEN US.
YEAH, I WAS INTERESTED IN SECONDING THE MOTION.
OKAY, SO THEN THERE IS A MOTION ON THE TABLE AND A SECOND.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COUNTER MOTION.
I, I I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
I WOULD, UH, LIKE TO MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT, UH, THE FOUR OF US TALK AMONGST OURSELVES AND COME UP WITH A, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LIVE WITH.
I'M HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE ON HOW THAT MOTION WORKS, PAUL.
UM, HOWEVER, IF TWO SPONSORS WERE TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THIS THING, THEN WE COULD BASICALLY TAKE THIS OFF THE TABLE AND WE COULD TRY TO BRING IT BACK NEXT TIME.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, THAT SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE QUORUM HOPPING.
IS THAT CORRECT? BECAUSE IT IS ONLY A GROUP OF FOUR PEOPLE, THEY COULD TALK AMONGST THEMSELVES AND BRING THIS BACK UP.
SO, SO NOW SINCE YOU HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE, IF HE'S GOING TO AMEND THE MOTION, THEN HE NEEDS A SECOND.
OR YOU CAN TABLE THE MOTION OR YOU CAN VOTE ON IT.
UH, HE COULD WITHDRAW AND THEN WITHDRAW AND THEN THEY COULD HYPOTHETICALLY WITHDRAW.
BUT NOW EVERYBODY'S GOTTA BASICALLY AGREE TO PUT THEIR GUNS BACK AND THEIR HOLSTERS ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
RIGHT? BUT, SO YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING WITH THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE TAPE.
THE MOTION TO AMEND IS WITHDRAWN.
SO I HAVE A MOTION THAT IS SITTING OUT THERE RIGHT NOW TO PUT COMMISSIONER CAROTTI, BREN, AND GARY ON THE COMMISSION.
IT CAN BE SECONDED OR IT CAN BE WITHDRAWN.
I SECOND? YEAH, THE MOTION WAS SECONDED.
AND NOW, SO NOW YOU'RE IN DISCUSSION.
OR, OR NOT, OR SOMEONE CAN AMEND IT OR MOVE TO TABLE IT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WORD SALAD WE WERE DEALING WITH THERE.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO TABLE.
IS THERE A SECOND ON THAT? MOTION? SECOND.
UM, DO I NEED A ROLL CALL ON THAT ONE OR DO I JUST DO IT ALL IN FAVOR? I THINK.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
THOSE ON, ON REMOTE PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERAS.
OKAY, I'M GONNA HAVE TO DO IT BY, I'M GONNA HAVE TO DO IT BY ROLL CALL BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE ALL HANDS.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THIS THE HARD WAY.
I THINK IT'S CUZ YOU SAID SAY I.
SO WE WERE ALL GONNA SAY I YEAH, I, I I REALIZE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A FOLLY IN WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO THERE AND I APOLOGIZE, BUT WE'RE JUST GONNA DO THIS ON ROLL THAT WAY I KNOW WHAT I'VE GOT.
OKAY? UH, ROBBINS, IF I VOTE FOR YOU'RE VOTING TO TABLE, VOTE TO TABLE.
SO THAT'S AN I, BREN, OPPOSE CAROTTI OPPOSED DAVE DAVIS.
SO WE ARE TABLED ON A VOTE OF FIVE TO THREE.
SO THEN I AM DONE WITH THAT ITEM NOW OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE I NEED TO DO?
[01:50:01]
UH, SO, SO I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.SO TABLING IT, SO WHAT WOULD, WHAT ARE WE DOING? SO WE ARE NOT APPOINTING MEMBERS.
BUT DURING THIS TIME, LIKE, I GUESS WHAT WOULD BE THE PURPOSE? LIKE WHAT WERE WE GONNA SO THAT THERE CAN BE AN INFORMAL DISCUSSION AMONGST THE FOUR.
WITHOUT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION BECAUSE THEN YOU WOULD BE WALKING A QUORUM AND WE CAN'T HAVE THAT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST PATH FORWARD IS AND PRESENT TO THIS GROUP.
THE SLATE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
ACTUALLY WE COULD HAVE FIVE PEOPLE SPEAK, BUT YOUR WRITING CONCEPT.
[7. Review and Approve the Annual Internal Review of the Resource Management Commission for July 2022 through June 2023.]
DULY REPRIMANDED.MOVING ON ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, REVIEW AND APPROVE THE INTERN.
THE ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW OF THE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT COMMISSION FOR JULY, 2022 THROUGH JUNE, 2023.
UH, IN THE BACK OF YOUR PACKETS IS WHERE YOU'LL FIND THIS DOCUMENTATION.
THIS IS A REQUIRED FORM, UH, THAT THE CITY, UH, CLERK'S OFFICE HAS US DO EVERY YEAR.
UM, IT IS THE JOB OF THE CHAIR TO FILL OUT THIS DOCUMENT.
UH, IT, IT ESSENTIALLY PUTS THROUGH SOME HIGHLIGHTS THAT THE COMMISSION HAS DONE DURING THE YEAR.
ALSO ADVISING THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR, WITH, UH, UH, EXCUSE ME, WITH WHAT OUR CHARTER IS AS WELL AS A COM, UH, IS AS WELL AS OUTLINING GOALS THAT THE COMMISSION HAD IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND HOW WE FEEL WE'VE DONE IN AREAS THAT WE MAY CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON IN THE FUTURE.
SO THIS IS, UH, WHAT I DID WITH THIS DOCUMENT BASICALLY IS TAKE A LOT OF THE INFORMATION, UH, HONESTLY POACHED FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S VERSION, WHICH WAS POACHED FROM THE PREVIOUS AND THE PREVIOUS.
AND THAT'S A BIG PART OF HOW THIS WORKS.
BUT ALSO, UH, LISTING OUT SOME OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THIS COMMISSION.
THIS IS A PAPERWORK EXERCISE, BUT IT DOES REQUIRE A VOTE OF THE COMMISSION FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONSIDER THIS TO BE FINAL.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE DOCUMENT THAT'S IN THERE? COMMISSIONER BREN, ARE YOU ABLE TO SUMMARIZE SOME OF WHAT'S IN THE DOCUMENT? I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT IS, IS IT STARTS OUT BY LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, SAYING, YOU KNOW, HERE'S WHAT WE ARE REQUIRED BY COUNSEL TO DO.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE ON THERE THAT WE REVIEW ANY, UM, A ANYTHING THAT COMES ACROSS RELATED TO CONSERVATION OR, YES.
YEAH, MAYBE A QUESTION OF CLA CLARIFICATION.
CAN YOU SUMMARIZE LIKE WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR? JUST CUZ I'M CURIOUS.
YEAH, I MEAN, WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR, YOU'LL FIND UNDER SECTION ONE AND THE RMC SPEC MISSION SPECIFIC ACTIONS INCLUDED.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE AT TONIGHT'S MEETING, WE APPROVED AN ENERGY REBATE FOR THE, UH, WAS IT BETHANY LUTHERAN? BETHANY LUTHER.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT'S THE VERY FIRST THING ON THERE IS TALKING ABOUT HOW WE HAVE APPROVED SIMILAR PROGRAM, UH, REBATE PROGRAM, ITEMS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE ALSO REVIEWED THE AUSTIN WATER, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
THEY COME EVERY YEAR AND SAY THIS IS WHAT THE FIVE YEAR WINDOW OF TIME LOOKS LIKE FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
I'LL SEE YOU PAUL, GET TO YOU IN A SECOND.
UM, THEN WE ALSO HAVE, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, WE PR WE UH, PASSED A RESOLUTION LAST YEAR WHERE WE WANTED TO CHANGE, UH, THE TARIFF FOR TEXAS GAS TIED IN WITH THEIR CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. UH, WE CREATED THE TEXAS GAS WORKING GROUP, UH, TO WORK WITH THEM ON MAKING SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT PROGRAM.
WE ALSO HAD OUR MEMBERS JOIN A WORKING GROUP WITH AUSTIN ENERGY ON THE GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM THAT WE HAD, UH, THE, THE Q AND A PRESENTATION ON EARLIER.
SO IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR, UM, ALONG WITH PAPERWORK EXERCISES LIKE THIS.
IS THAT UH, FAIR? ALL RIGHT, PAUL, YOU HAD YOUR HAND.
SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS OFF TO THE FOLKS AT THE CITY CLERK, A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE.
SECOND, MOVED BY COMMISSIONER GARY AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ROBBINS.
THIS SHOULD BE ONE THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO BY A VOTE OF ACCLIMATION.
SORRY, JUST SAW YOUR HAND GO UP.
LIKE WHAT IS SHE DOING AGAIN? TALKING ABOUT
UH, IF YOU GUYS CAN TURN ON YOUR CAMERAS.
IF YOU'RE REMOTE, RAISE YOUR HANDS NICE AND HIGH SO I CAN SEE 'EM.
AND IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON APPEARS TO BE OFF THE DAIS, BUT WE ARE GOOD.
SEVEN ZERO WITH COMMISSIONER JOHNSON OFF THE DAAS.
[8. Update from the Texas Gas Service Working Group]
AND LAST ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE THE WORKING GROUP UPDATE, UH, UPDATE FROM THE GROUP THAT WAS WORKING WITH TEXAS GAS.UM, ON THE, UH, THE, UH, COME ON.
[01:55:01]
I'M JUST TIRED.UH, ON THE, UH, INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR, UH, RENEWABLES AND COMMISSIONER ROBBINS.
THANK YOU FOR BAILING ME OUT CUZ I NEEDED TO COUGH.
WELL, YOU WANTED US TO MEET TO TRY AND COME UP WITH A COMPROMISE.
UH, AND THAT, IS THAT THE WORD YOU WERE LOOKING FOR? YES.
I JUST HAVE A FROG ON MY THROAT RIGHT NOW, BUT YES, BASICALLY WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, WHY I ASKED FOR THIS TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA WAS TO HAVE A DISCUSSION.
HOW IS THAT GROUP'S PROGRESS WORKING WITH TEXAS GAS? DO WE FEEL THERE'S PROGRESS BEING MADE IN THIS EFFORT? A GENERAL UPDATE IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE REQUESTED FROM TEXAS GAS SERVICE YET.
SO WE REALLY HAVE LITTLE, IF ANYTHING, TO REPORT.
UM, AND IT ISN'T FOR LACK OF TRYING.
UM, I AM GOING TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF NOW AND NOT THE OTHER TWO COMMISSIONERS AND THEY MAY OR MAY NOT SHARE MY OPINION, BUT YOUR SUGGESTION OF A COMPROMISE WAS VALID ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT THE OTHER PARTY WANTS TO COMPROMISE.
IF THE OTHER PARTY CANNOT GIVE US INFORMATION, UH, IN A TIMELY MANNER, THEN MAYBE PERHAPS THEY DON'T WANT TO COMPROMISE, IN WHICH CASE, UH, OUR WORKING GROUP WOULD HAVE TO GO IN A SEPARATE, UH, IN ANOTHER DIRECTION.
UM, I, I CANNOT, UM, SAY ANYTHING ELSE EXCEPT, UM, IF THEY HAVE, IN MY OPINION, IF THEY CANNOT GET US THE INFORMATION RE REQUESTED, UH, IN TIME FOR OUR THE RMCS AUGUST MEETING, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT OUR WORKING GROUP GO IN THAT SEPARATE DIRECTION.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S ME, UH, COMMISSIONER GARY, COMMISSIONER CAROTTI.
THEY'LL HAVE TO, UM, CHIME IN ON HOW THEY FEEL.
I WOULD WELCOME FEEDBACK FROM THE OTHER MEMBERS.
I AM KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THIS PROCESS WORKED.
I DO SEE A HAND FROM COMMISSIONER CARTI.
UH, THANKS PAUL FOR STATING THAT I, I KIND OF AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS THAT WE HAVE, UH, SENT OUT EMAILS AND TRYING TO CONTACT, UM, TEXAS GAS SERVICE.
WE STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE REQUESTED INFORMATION.
I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER ROBBINS HAS GONE OUT AND, UH, DETAINED SOME INFORMATION AND DATA THAT HE HAS SENT OUT TO US.
SO, UM, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED ANOTHER MEETING BEFORE WE DETERMINE ANYTHING WITH OUR WORKING GROUP BEFORE WE, UM, MOVE FORWARD.
AND I SUGGEST THAT WE DECIDE ON WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE AFTER WE HAVE THIS, UH, MEETING BEFORE WE DECIDE ANYTHING.
I, I THINK AT THIS TIME WE PROBABLY WOULD WANT TO REACH OUT AND DO A FINAL.
I DON'T THINK I, WE GAVE THEM A TIMELINE AT LEAST.
I DON'T RECALL SAYING IF WE COULD HAVE THIS WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS OR 14 DAYS.
I MEAN, WE JUST KIND OF POSED THE QUESTIONS AND, AND PROVIDED THE INFORMATION REQUESTING WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
UH, I THINK IF, I THINK AS A WHOLE, IF WE WOULD COMMUNICATE A LITTLE BIT MORE AND PROVIDE JUST SPECIFICS AND TIMELINES, GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SAY YES OR NO WITHIN THAT TIMELINE AND THEN AT THAT POINT WE COULD DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT WE WANNA GO ANOTHER DIRECTION.
THOSE A QUESTION TO THE THREE MEMBERS OF THAT, UH, WORKING GROUP.
WHEN WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO HAVE YOU COME BACK AND UPDATE AGAIN ON THIS PROCESS? I WOULD SAY LIKE EITHER SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO THINK, YOU KNOW, IF IF THERE'S MEMBERS OUT ON VACATION AND THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE SUMMERTIME, SO THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING IF WE CAN JUST WAIT TILL SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER,
[02:00:01]
THEY GIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE IF THEY ARE TAKING VACATIONS TO COME BACK, GIVE US THE INFORMATION WE NEED, WE WORK TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS THIS FALL BEFORE WE MOVE ANY FURTHER.UH, I WOULD THEORETICALLY THAT MAKES SENSE.
WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT I WOULD LIKE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO HAVE SOME EFFECT ON TEXAS GAS SERVICES NEXT BUDGET.
AND THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE LESS, UH, PROBABILITY THAT, THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN.
SO WHEN DOES THE BUDGET? UH, TECHNICALLY IT HAS TO BE FINALIZED BY THE END OF NOVEMBER, BUT IT IS A, UH, LOGICAL GUESS THAT THE GAS COMPANY MAY FINALIZE IT OR HAVE A GOOD DRAFT BY SEPTEMBER.
SO I STILL THINK IF WE COULD WAIT TILL SEPTEMBER, OUR NEXT MEETING IS SEPTEMBER, REACH OUT TO THEM THE END OF THIS MONTH, GIVING THEM TILL AUGUST TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, A FULL CONVERSATION WITH US, PROVIDE THE DATA THAT WE NEED, NEED GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO WORK ON IT AND REPORT IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THAT GIVES THEM, IF WE NEED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES FOR THE BUDGET, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION WHEN THEY PRESENT THEM.
YEAH, AND, AND JUST I THINK THAT, OH, GO AHEAD.
I JUST WANTED TO INTERJECT HERE THAT IF WE ASK THEM, I THINK WE NEED TO ASK THEM AGAIN FOR THE INFORMATION THAT WE STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED BECAUSE I DID JUST LOOK UP THE EMAIL AND IT DID SAY THAT, UH, I THINK TEXAS GAS DID GET BACK TO US SAYING THAT THEY WOULD PROVIDE US A DATE WHEN THEY CAN GET THAT TO US.
UNLESS I MISSED THE EMAIL AND IT WASN'T SENT TO ME.
IT DID SAY BY JUNE 23RD, 2023 AND WE NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING.
SO WE CAN REACH OUT ONE MORE TIME, I THINK, AND STATE THE SAME THING, BUT THEN GIVE THEM A DATE OF WHEN WE NEED IT BY AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH HIM AND UH, MAKE SURE THE ONUS IS ON ME TO, TO TRY TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
UH, AND, AND YOU'LL PROVIDE UH, A TIME SENSITIVE DEADLINE.
UH, ONE QUESTION I JUST HAD, I WANTED TO CLARIFY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, CUZ YOU MENTIONED THE BUDGET DEADLINE, PAUL, THIS IS TIED IN WITH THE, THE, THE TARIFF, WHICH IS ON A, WHAT, WHAT'S THE RENEWAL YEAR FOR IT? IS IT 20, LATE 24 LIKE SEPTEMBER OR, CAUSE IT FOLLOWS THE FISCAL, CORRECT? IT IS A THREE YEAR TARIFF.
YEAH, BUT THEY ADJUST IT EVERY YEAR.
I I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD KIND OF THE RULES OF THE ROAD FOR THAT ONE BECAUSE THAT IF IT'S ON A FISCAL YEAR, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT FOLLOWS AUSTIN'S, THEN THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME ON THE WHAT, WHAT THE STRUCTURE MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, DRYER STUBS.
UH, WE KNOW OUR FAVORITE, OUR, OUR OUR FAVORITE CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND TANKLESS WATER HEATERS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO THAT WOULD PROVIDE HYPOTHETICALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE RUNWAY BECAUSE FROM, AT LEAST THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT FROM TEXAS GASES PERSPECTIVE, THE DOLLARS FOR THEM AREN'T GOING TO CHANGE.
IT'S MORE ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE PLACING THEIR BETS IN TERMS OF THOSE, THOSE RESOURCES.
BUT THE DOLLARS TO THE PROGRAM WOULDN'T CHANGE.
WELL IT, ALL OF THAT IS UP IN THE AIR.
IF TEXAS GAS SERVICE WISHES THEM TO CHANGE OR IF WE CAN COME TO AN AGREEMENT, UH, THEN THEY CAN CHANGE, THEY COULD THEORETICALLY BE HIGHER OR LOWER.
I THINK THEY SHOULD BE MUCH LOWER, BUT WE'LL GO THERE ANOTHER TIME.
IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENT ON THIS DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT THEN, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO HAVE IT BACK ON THE AGENDA AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER.
AS LONG AS THAT'S NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT STACKING THAT ONE TOO MUCH NOW.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS GONNA FIT.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ARE THERE ANYTHING THAT WE WANT TO BRING UP FOR FUTURE MEETINGS THAT WE'D WANNA START THINKING ABOUT FOR ADDING ONTO THE AGENDA BASED ON, UM, AS OF NOW FOR, UM, AUGUST, WE DO HAVE THE TEXAS GAS SERVICE QUARTERLY UPDATE.WE WILL HAVE THE AUSTIN WATER QUARTERLY UPDATE.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE OVERVIEW OF THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM AND WE WILL HAVE A R C A IN REFERENCE TO THE CLEAN ENERGY INNOVATION FELLOWSHIP, ALONG WITH, UM, THE ITEM TO APPOINT, UH, THROUGH REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE WORKING GROUP THAT'S GONNA COME BACK NEXT MONTH.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR, UM, IN
[02:05:01]
AUGUST.AND I, I, I SEEM TO RECALL ALSO THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER, UH, SOLAR REBATE THING THAT WAS IN THE PIPELINE OR DID I ENTIRELY MISHEAR THAT BUT I I SEEM TO RECALL WHEN WE HAD OUR PREP THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE IN THE PIPELINE.
THOSE ARE QUICK COMMISSIONER STONE.
UM, YES, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS.
I WOULD, UH, WHEN WE HAVE THE GREEN CHOICE INTRODUCTION, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A SOMEWHAT BRIEF DISCUSSION OF A PROPOSAL TO CHANGE GREEN CHOICE.
UM, IT WOULD BE FOR PURPOSES OF DISCUSSION AND NOT A VOTE.
UH, AS I'VE SAID PREVIOUSLY, I EXPECT THIS TO TAKE SEVERAL MEETINGS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KICK IT OFF IN AUGUST IF WE COULD.
SO IS THAT SEPARATE FROM YOUR ORIGINAL REQUEST? THE REPURPOSING? BECAUSE THAT REQUEST YOU ASKED FOR FALL AND SO THAT'S WHERE I HAVE IT TARGETED ON OUR WORKING CALENDAR.
SO NEXT MONTH WOULD JUST BE A OVERVIEW.
MY MEMORY IS HAZY ON THIS, UH, MS. GOODWIN AND I THOUGHT I HAD SUGGESTED, UH, AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER.
UH, I THOUGHT SINCE THIS IS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED ANYWAY, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO BRING IT UP.
IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF HOW MUCH TIME IT'S GOING TO TAKE, UH, IN THE MEETING AND IF IT'S UH, BETTER TO SCHEDULE IT IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER, WE'LL WORK WITH STAFF ON IT.
YEAH, WE, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT ONE, PAUL, BUT I MEAN WE, WE DEFINITELY DO WANT TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF LEVEL LOADING THE MEETINGS SO IT WILL GET, WE'LL GET STARTED ON IT.
SOME, I HAVE A COMMENT WE COULD PUSH IF, IF IT'S POSSIBLE WE COULD PUSH THE GREEN CHOICE, UM, PROGRAM OVERVIEW TO I GUESS SEPTEMBER AND THEN HAVE THE DISCUSSION THEN AS WELL.
WOULD THAT WORK? YES, THAT'LL WORK.
SO WE WILL DO THE OVERVIEW IN SEPTEMBER AND THEN OCTOBER WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE REPURPOSING OF THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM.
SO WILL THAT WORK? SAY AGAIN? SO FOR SEPTEMBER WE WOULD DO THE OVERVIEW OF THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM AND THEN OCTOBER WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE DISCUSSION.
THE REPURPOSING OF THE GREEN CHOICE.
NO, I WOULD LIKE REPURPOSING TO BE ON THE SAME MEETING.
IS THAT POSSIBLE? UH, CHAIR STONE, I MEAN, CAN WE BALANCE THE MEETING OUT TO YOU? THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHY I'M KIND OF LOOKING OVER AT NATASHA, CUZ I DON'T KNOW OFF TOP OF MY HEAD WHAT SEPTEMBER LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW.
WELL FOR UM, SEPTEMBER WE HAVE THE C E S BUDGET AND WE HAVE UM, THE ENERGY RESOURCES, NEW TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PRESENTATION IS WHAT WE HAVE SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER.
SO IF WE GIVE A OVERVIEW AND THEN THE NEXT MONTH COME BACK WITH A DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT WOULD BALANCE I, WELL IF I HAD MY PREFERENCE, I WOULD HAVE THEM ON THE SAME MEETING.
I'M GONNA LEAVE THE DISCRETION TO THE CHAIR BECAUSE WE WANNA STRUCTURE THESE MEETINGS SO THAT WE'RE OUT BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
SO, UH, I'M GOING TO, I'M, I'M TELLING YOU MY PREFERENCE, BUT IF THE CHAIR DECIDES TO PUNT THIS UNTIL OCTOBER, THEN I'LL LIVE WITH IT.
UH, I THINK MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO KEEP GREENCHOICE IN AUGUST FOR AN OVERVIEW AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION IN SEPTEMBER.
THAT WAY PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT GREENCHOICE IS IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
AND THEN YOU COME BACK THE FOLLOWING MONTH AND NOW WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BRAVE NEW WORLD, THE NEW VISION, WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE TO CALL IT.
UM, I TEND TO THINK THAT THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE BEST CUZ I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW JUST HOW GREENCHOICE WORKS IN ITS CURRENT FORM BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT PLAYING WITH IT.
AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE SOMEBODY UP THERE GIVING THEIR PRESENTATION EXPLAINING HOW GREEN CHOICE WORKS AND THEN HAVING THEM GETTING PELTED WITH QUESTIONS THAT ARE ALL
[02:10:01]
TRYING TO LEAD TOWARD SOMETHING ELSE.I'D RATHER BREAK THOSE TWO, TWO DISCUSSIONS IN HALF.
SO I WOULD SAY WE'LL HAVE THE GREEN CHOICE ORIENTATION IN AUGUST AND THEN WE'LL START DISCUSSION IN SEPTEMBER.
SEEING NOTHING ELSE ON THE AGENDA, I'LL ENTERTAIN MY FAVORITE MOTION.
MOVE TO CLOSE MOTION DO ADJOURN.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? HEARING NONE.