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[CALL MEETING TO ORDER ]
THE, THE, UH, CHAIR IS A AWAY ON BUSINESS, SO I AM TAKING IT PLACE.UH, OUR FIRST ITEM BEFORE WE TAKE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION IS TO INTRODUCE OUR NEWEST COMMISSIONER, UH, DINO
UH, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.
ACTIVATE THIS OR, UH, PRESS THE RED BUTTON WHEN YOU SPEAK AND, UH, TURN IT OFF WHEN YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING.
I'M PLEASED, PLEASED TO BE HERE.
SO I'M JUST JOINED THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, UH, UH, DISTRICT THREE.
AND, UM, YEAH, JUST A VERY SORT OF VERBAL ABOUT MYSELF.
SO I, UH, GREW UP IN AUSTIN, UM, DID AN UNDERGRADUATE AT, UH, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.
I THEN MOVED TO CALIFORNIA, UH, AND DID MY GRADUATE WORK THERE.
ALSO IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.
UH, I'VE WORKED THE LAST 13 YEARS AT TESLA.
UM, SPENT 10 YEARS ON VEHICLES AND ABOUT THREE YEARS ON, UH, ENERGY AND SOLAR.
UM, SO SOME OF MY PRODUCTS ARE, YEAH, TESLA POWERWALL.
UM, IT'S, YEAH, IRRELEVANT ONE TO MENTION, UM, FOR THIS.
AND I NO LONGER WORK AT TESLA, UM, AS OF ABOUT 10 MONTHS AGO.
AND, UH, I'M NOW SORT OF BETWEEN, BETWEEN ADVENTURES, SO TO SPEAK.
SO, YEAH, REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING EVERYONE IN PERSON.
UH, FIRST, UH, ORDER OF BUSINESS IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Resource Management Commission Regular Meeting on February 20, 2024.]
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, APPROVAL OF MINUTES.MR. VICE CHAIR ALISON SILVERSTEIN HERE.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE A CHANGE TO THE MINUTES.
PLEASE, PLEASE, THE ITEM, LET ME CHECK MY NOTE.
THE BOLD LANGUAGE IS PRETTY UNCLEAR, AND I THINK WE CAN CORRECT THAT.
IT, IT APPEARS THAT THIS VOTE FAILED, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY.
AND SO THE MOTION TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION WAS NOT RECOMMENDED IS A LITTLE UNCLEAR.
I THINK WE CAN FIX THAT BY, BY SAYING IN THE MIDDLE LINE, RECLAIMED WATER CONNECTIONS FAILED TO PASS IN PLACE OF WAS NOT RECOMMENDED.
AND THAT WILL LEAVE A CLEANER RECORD FOR OUR MANY FANS OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC.
DOES THAT WORK FOR EVERYBODY? VICE CHAIR? MAY I PLEASE? OKAY.
SO, UH, RECOMMENDATION THE ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
IT DOES REFLECT THAT IT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED.
SO IF YOU LOOK IN THE BOLDED LANGUAGE THAT IS RIGHT BELOW THE, UH, AGENDA LANGUAGE, YOU'LL SAY THAT, UM, SEE THAT IT SAYS THAT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED ON VICE CHAIR ROBBINS MOTION COMMISSIONER S SILVERSTEIN SECOND ON A 4 3 1 VOTE.
I, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE LANGUAGE IS THERE, BUT THE LANGUAGE OF WAS NOT RECOMMENDED IS HIGHLY UNCLEAR, AND I RECOMMEND THAT WE REPLACE WAS NOT RECOMMENDED WITH THE LANGUAGE FAILED TO PASS.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, MS. GOODWIN.
THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY MENTION OF OUR, UH, OTHER RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, YOUR HONOR, FOR, I WAS NOT CLEAR WHETHER OUR OTHER RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL WAS EMBEDDED IN THE SECOND HALF OF THAT O OF ITEM EIGHT.
UM, WHATEVER WE, IT IS THAT WE RECOMMENDED, AND I DON'T RECALL ALL OF THE DETAILS ABOUT THE ADDING ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE TO THE POSTING LANGUAGE, THOSE, THAT ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IS NOT REFLECTED IN THE MINUTES.
SO IF YOU HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO ADD THAT INTO THE SECOND HALF OF ITEM EIGHT MINUTES.
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IT'S, IT'S THERE, BUT AS MY MANAGER EXPLAINED DURING THE LAST MEETING, WE CANNOT CHANGE THE POSTING LANGUAGE OF A RCA.SO THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO JUST PUT IT INTO THE MINUTES AND YOU'LL SEE THAT LAST SENTENCE WAS ADDED.
SO THAT IS REFLECTED THERE IN THE MINUTES.
VERY, VERY HELPFUL CLARIFICATION.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UH, AMENDMENTS? OKAY.
UM, DOES SOMEONE WANT TO, UH, MOVE APPROVAL OR WILL SOMEONE MOVE APPROVAL? SOME MOVE SECOND.
AND WILL SOMEONE SECOND? SECOND.
FOR THE RECORD, UM, EVERYONE HAS TO, IF YOU'RE REMOTE, YOU HAVE TO SHOW YOUR FACE DURING THE VOTE.
UM, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS? YES, COMMISSIONER KARA GOTTI, READ IN THE CHAT.
I'M HAVING ISSUES, SO I NEED TO FIX THAT.
UM, CAN WE ALLOW, UH, UM, COMMISSIONER CAROTTI TO VOTE SINCE SHE'S HAVING TECHNICAL PROBLEMS? OKAY.
SHE CAN'T COME ON CAMERA, BUT THAT'S FINE.
BUT SHE SAID SHE WASN'T VOTING FOR IT UNLESS I MISUNDERSTOOD.
UH, COMMISSIONER CAROTTI, WERE YOU AGAINST THE THIS OR NO, I WASN'T AGAINST IT.
I JUST DIDN'T THINK I COULD VOTE SINCE I WASN'T ON CAMERA.
AND COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN? YES.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE UP ITEM
[2. Recommend approving issuance of a capacity-based incentive to the City of Sunset Valley, for installation of solar electric systems on their facilities located at 3203 and 3207 Jones Road, Sunset Valley, TX, 78745, in an amount not to exceed $119,899.]
TWO, UH, RECOMMEND APPROVING ISSUANCE OF A CAPACITY BASED INCENTIVE TO THE SUN CITY OF SUNSET VALLEY FOR INSTALLATION OF SOLAR ELECTRIC SYSTEMS ON THEIR FACILITIES LOCATED AT 32 0 3 AND 32 0 7 JONES ROAD, SUNSET VALLEY, TEXAS 7 8 7 4 5 IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $119,899.UM, WOULD STAFF GIVE US A VERY QUICK SUMMARY OF THIS? IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LONG.
SO THIS IS, UM, FOR A COUPLE OF FACILITIES, UM, THAT BELONG TO SUNSET VALLEY.
UM, IT'S A TOTAL OF 133 KILOWATTS DC.
UM, AND, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT.
BUT LOOKS LIKE, UM, THIS WOULD BE OFFSETTING, UM, ALL OF THE BUILDING'S HISTORIC CONSUMPTION, UM, AND THE, THIS WOULD BE A NONPROFIT CAPACITY BASED INCENTIVE THAT'S UPFRONT.
COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, WHAT DOES THE VOTE TODAY REPRESENT EXACTLY? WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE MAY BE RECOMMENDING THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVE, UH, PERFORMANCE BASED INCENTIVES TO A NONPROFIT, UH, FOR,
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UM, INCENTING SOLAR CELLS ON THEIR ROOF.AND, AND WHAT DOES THE MAY, WHAT DOES IT DEPEND ON? LIKE DOES THE VOTE DEFINITELY MEAN THAT THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION OR DOES DEPEND ON SOME FUTURE ACTION? UH, THE CITY COUNCIL ASKS US TO STUDY AND COMMENT ON ISSUES RELATED TO OUR PURVIEW, AND THEY ARE, THEY ARE DEPENDING ON US TO VET THESE THINGS.
AT LEAST I FLATTER MYSELF TO THINK SO.
BUT THE VOTE TODAY FOR WHAT WE IN THIS ROOM AND ONLINE ARE VOTING ON, UH, REPRESENTS WHAT EXACTLY TO THE COUNCIL, LIKE RECOMMEND DO THE 133 KILOWATTS OR, YES.
DO I HAVE A QUESTION? THIS IS COMMISSIONER GARY.
UH, UH, MS. GOODWIN, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT PAGE THE BREAKDOWN IS, OR IS THERE A BREAKDOWN FOR THE 119,000? THE 119,000 IS A CAPACITY BASED INCENTIVE.
AND SO IT'S BASED ON THE, THE DC WATTAGE OF THE SYSTEM AND THE INCENTIVE AMOUNT, I BELIEVE, LET'S SEE IT, IT'S GONNA BE 90, UH, YEAH, 90 CENTS A WATT DC PAGES SEVEN AND EIGHT OF THE PDF.
IT'S LISTED ITEM NUMBER TWO RIGHT AT THE TOP.
IT'S RIGHT BEHIND, UM, THE DRAFT MINUTES IN THE PACKET.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONER DAVIS? UM, JUST FOR THE RECORD, WHAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE EUC FOR THIS ITEM? YESTERDAY? THEY PASSED IT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, PLEASE.
UM, JUST FOR CLARITY, AND I THINK I KNOW THIS ALREADY, BUT, UH, SUNSET VALLEY IS IN OUR LOAN LOAD ZONE, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT WOULD BE PROVIDING THAT ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL VALUE TO, TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AUSTIN, UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
UM, DO YOU KNOW THE TIMELINE, IF THIS IS APPROVED, WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEPS AND HOW, AND WHAT PARTICULAR TIMELINE YOU HAVE FOR THIS PROJECT TO BE COMPLETED? YEAH, SO THIS PROJECT IS GONNA BE GIVEN A, UM, 365, UH, AND THEY'LL HAVE 6 365 DAYS TO INSTALL IT.
UM, IT DOES NOT TYPICALLY TAKE THAT LONG, UM, BUT IF, AND IT COULD POSSIBLY TAKE LONGER IF THEY RUN INTO SOME KIND OF SUPPLY ISSUES, IN WHICH CASE THEY COULD, UM, POTENTIALLY ASK FOR AN EXTENSION, BUT WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT VERY WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR RESPONSE AND DEFINITELY BRINGING CLARITY TO THIS, UH, ITEM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SORRY, THIS IS COMMISSIONER CAROTTI.
UM, JUST SO I HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING, UM, SOMETI, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO REVIEW ALL THESE THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, TWO HOURS.
SO JUST FOR MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS DOES THE, DOES, UM, SUNSET VALLEY HAVE OTHER INCENTIVES FROM AUSTIN ENERGY? UM, NOT FOR THE ADOPTION OF SOLAR, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, UM, YOU KNOW, BILL CREDITS THAT THEY CAN GENERATE THROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF, OF RENEWABLE ENERGY AFTER THEY INSTALL THE SYSTEM.
WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW, I MEAN, YOU MAY NOT AT THIS POINT.
WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW THE PERCENTAGE OF LIKE WHAT SUNSET VALLEY'S INCENTIVES ARE COMPARED TO LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN? DO YOU HAVE THAT BREAKDOWN OR NO? ARE YOU ASKING IF SUNSET VALLEY IS OFFERING ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES TO THEIR CUSTOMERS? NO.
ON TOP OF LIKE, WE'RE AUSTIN, AUSTIN ENERGY IS GIVING SUNSET VALLEY AND INCENTIVE, CORRECT? RIGHT, THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS JUST, UH, DIFFERENT DIFFERENTIATING LIKE HOW MUCH SUNSET VALLEY
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IS GETTING SINCE THEY'RE KIND OF THEIR OWN LITTLE PLACE, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'RE GIVING ELECTRICITY TO THEM COMPARED TO, I'M JUST KIND OF SEPARATING THE TWO ENTITIES, BASICALLY.LIKE HOW MUCH, LIKE WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE, NOT THE NUMBER, BUT LIKE A PERCENTAGE, LIKE, IS 20% GOING TO SUNSET VALLEY AND 80% GOING TO THE CITY OF BOSTON TYPE FOR THE SAME, FOR THIS SAME, UH, SOLAR BENEFIT? AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER, I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION I'M ASKING.
I'M, I'M STILL UNCLEAR ON THE QUESTION.
UM, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH OF OUR SOLAR INCENTIVES GO TO SUNSET VALLEY AS OPPOSED TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, OR, YES, EXACTLY.
UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS EQUALLY ELIGIBLE FOR INCENTIVES AS SUNSET VALLEY.
UM, THAT SAID, WE DON'T OFTEN SEE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, DEPARTMENTS MOVING FORWARD WITH SOLAR INCENTIVES.
MOST OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S, UH, SOLAR FLEET WAS INSTALLED BY AUSTIN ENERGY AND TYPICALLY THROUGH GRANT FUNDING.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL, MOVE APPROVAL? SILVERSTEIN? UH, UH, BOTH OF YOU SPOKE AT ONCE.
UH, HAPPY GIVE TO WHOMEVER ELSE SPOKE.
UH, COM UH, WE WILL SAY COMMISSIONER DAVIS, UH, UH, MOVED.
AND COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN SECONDED.
UH, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MS. GOODWIN.
COMMISSIONER, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
CAN YOU HAVE TO, FOR THE VOTE, YOU HAVE TO SHOW YOUR FACE UNLESS SOMETHING OH, I'M SORRY.
I THOUGHT I HAD IT ON WHEN I SAID YES, SO YES.
UM, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON? YES, COMMISSIONER, WE GONNA GET IT RIGHT? UH,
AND COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN, WE SEE YOU, BUT WE DIDN'T HEAR YOU.
[7. Staff briefing regarding the Austin Climate Equity Plan Overview by Phillip Duran, Climate Analyst, Sr, Office of Sustainability.]
WE'RE, IT IS OUR CUSTOM TO, UH, TAKE BRIEFINGS, UH, FIRST IF WE CAN.SO, UM, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, UH, STAFF BRIEFING, UH, FROM PHILIP DURAN REGARDING THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN OVERVIEW.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE, UH, COMMISSIONERS DAVIS AND JOHNSON, UH, HAVE, UH, SPENT SOME TIME ON REGARDING THE JOINT, UH, SUSTAINABILITY TASK FORCE THAT, UH, REVIEWS THIS.
UM, SO, UH, MR. DURAN, WELCOME.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE, UH, KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO 20 MINUTES OR LESS, AND THEN WE'LL ALLOW SOME TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
YEAH, I, UM, WE'VE GOT QUITE A FEW SLIDES HERE, BUT I'LL DO MY BEST.
I MIGHT BE KINDA SPEEDING THROUGH IT, UH, BUT OF COURSE, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT, I I WOULD PREFER IF YOU JUST THROW UP YOUR HAND AND, AND SAY SOMETHING AND WE CAN JUST ADDRESS IT AS IT COMES.
BUT, UH, YEAH, WE'LL LEAVE SOME TIME AT THE END FOR QUESTIONS AS WELL.
UH, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW ME, I'M PHILIP DURAN, THE, UH, SENIOR CLIMATE ANALYST AT THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
SO, UH, WHAT I TELL MY MOM THAT MEANS IS THAT I LEAD OUR, UH, MATH AND SCIENCE WORK, UH, EVERYTHING THAT RELATES TO SUSTAINABILITY, UH, RESILIENCE, CLIMATE, FOOD, SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES
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SUPPORTING OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE CITY, UM, WHEN THEY NEED IT, UM, SUPPORTING EXTERNAL PARTNERS AS WELL.AND IN PARTICULAR RELEVANT TO THIS CONVERSATION IS, UH, YOU KNOW, I LEAD THE TECHNICAL WORK AROUND TRACKING OUR PROGRESS IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND LED THE WORK, UH, DEVELOPING THE NUMBERS THAT WENT INTO IT.
SO, UH, SARAH EMAILED US A WHILE AGO AND ASKED, UH, SOMEBODY FROM THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY TO COME OVER AND KIND OF GIVE THE OVERVIEW OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, AND I DREW THE LONG STRAW AND HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BEING WITH Y'ALL HERE TODAY.
SO, GREAT TO MEET YOU ALL IF WE HAVEN'T MET, AND GREAT TO SEE SO MANY FAMILIAR FACES IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL.
SO, UM, I'LL JUST DO A QUICK OVERVIEW OF KIND OF THE PROCESS THAT WENT INTO DEVELOPING THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, IT WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021.
IT WAS A MANY YEARS OF EFFORT.
WENT INTO, UH, DEVELOPING THE PLAN LEADING UP TO THAT.
I'LL DO A KIND OF A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF WHAT'S IN THE PLAN, UH, PARTICULARLY THE SECTIONS AND THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES THAT, UH, PERTAIN TO THIS BODY HERE.
AND THEN I'LL DO A QUICK STATUS UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE NEW, UH, NOW RELATIVE TO ITS IMPLEMENTATION, UH, SLIDE, RIGHT? SO, UH, A LOT OF TIMES, UM, KINDA GIVING THIS, UH, PRESENTATION, I'LL SHOW A NUMBER OF FIGURES THAT KIND OF INDICATE, UH, TRAJECTORIES OF, OF CLIMATE AND, AND IMPACTS AND TEMPERATURE CHANGE AND EVERYTHING.
I'LL JUST LEAVE IT TO THIS ONE FIGURE.
I THINK WE ALL SOMEWHAT WELL VERSED IN, UH, ON THIS TOPIC, BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, WE LIVE IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALL LIVE HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
WE FELT THE SUMMER'S GETTING HOTTER AND IN SOME CASES THE WINTER'S GETTING COLDER OVER THE LAST 10, 20 YEARS.
AND THIS IS JUST DATA THAT REALLY JUST SHOWS THAT, UH, THINGS ARE GETTING WARMER HERE ACROSS TEXAS AND CERTAINLY HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
SO, IT, IT IS THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, OCCASIONALLY WE'LL GET THE QUESTION, WHY LEAD WITH EQUITY IN A CLIMATE PLAN? UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE RECENTLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, A FEW EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS COME TO MIND, BUT I THINK WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT IT'S OUR LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THAT ARE PERHAPS MORE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY THOSE CLIMATE HAZARDS THAN A LOT OF US ARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY EXPERIENCE THOSE CLIMATE SHOCKS KIND OF MORE ACUTELY.
UM, THEY HAVE FEWER RESOURCES TO BOUNCE BACK FROM AN EVENT AND END UP SUFFERING LONGER TERM IMPACTS, UH, BOTH MEN IN TERMS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, UH, THAT, UH, THAT SORT OF CONTINUE ON AFTER THE EVENT, UH, SLIDE.
SO IN, IN DEVELOPING THE PLAN IN SO FAR AS WE HAD AN ORG CHART, THIS IS KIND OF IT, UM, IT, UH, SORT OF THE LEADERSHIP BODY WAS COMPOSED OF, UH, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE OF FELLOW, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSION, OR A FELLOW COMMISSION, A STEERING COMMITTEE COMPOSED OF, UH, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS FROM THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY LEADERS, UM, FOLKS THAT SORT OF LIKE, UH, HAD A MORE STRATEGIC EYE TOWARDS THE PLANNING.
AND THEN THE CLIMATE ENVIRONMENT LEADERSHIP TEAM, UH, THAT WAS COMPOSED OF, UH, DIRECTORS FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT FOCUS ON THAT KIND OF WORK.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAD FIVE GROUP FIVE ADVISORY GROUPS, UH, SOMEWHAT SELF-ORGANIZED, SOMEWHAT SUPPORTED BY OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY STAFF THAT ENDED UP, UH, SORTING INTO THESE SORT OF SUBJECT MATTER OR SUBJECT AREAS THAT ULTIMATELY WOULD BECOME THE, UH, SECTIONS OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, UH, THAT WE'LL GO INTO MORE HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
BUT A COUPLE OF THINGS TO KIND OF, UH, HIGHLIGHT HERE IS WE HAD A PRETTY DIVERSE SET OF PARTICIPATION ACROSS THIS, UH, THIS ORG CHART.
UM, IN THE ADVISORY GROUPS, WE HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, JUST REGULAR FOLKS THAT EITHER REALLY CARED ABOUT IT, MAYBE HAD SOMETHING TO SAY, MAYBE HAD FELT THE EFFECTS THEMSELVES, AND WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME INPUT.
AND, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD, EVERYBODY THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROCESS WENT THROUGH A MANDATORY EQUITY TRAINING TO REALLY, UM, CENTER THAT IN THEIR APPROACH TO PLANNING THE PLAN SLIDE.
UM, ON THE TOPIC OF KIND OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND, UH, ELEVATING COMMUNITY VOICES, WE DID HAVE THE FUNDS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN TO, UH, RUN A FIRST COHORT OF COMMUNITY CLIMATE AMBASSADORS, OUR FIRST COHORT EVER IN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
SO THESE WERE JUST REGULAR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, THAT HAD AN INTEREST IN CLIMATE ACTION AND HOW, WHAT, WHAT WAS GONNA END UP BEING IN THE PLAN.
AND WE, WE DID FIND THE FUNDS TO, TO ACTUALLY PAY THEM FOR THEIR TIME, BUT THEIR TASK WAS REALLY TO GET OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY, TALK TO THE FOLKS THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY INTERACTED WITH, ESPECIALLY COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WERE TYPICALLY A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO REACH, MAYBE HADN'T ALWAYS BEEN LOOPED INTO PLANNING PROCESSES AND, YOU KNOW, GATHER THEIR, THEIR INPUT AND KIND OF SYNTHESIZE IT IN A WAY THAT WOULD BE USEFUL, UM, FOR SOME OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND GOING INTO THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
AND WHAT YOU SEE THERE IN THE VISUAL, UM,
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I GUESS ON YOUR LEFT, THERE ARE THE THEMES THAT THEY REALLY BUBBLED TO THE TOP IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND THEY WANTED TO ELEVATE WITH US.AND SO WE, WE KEPT AN EYE ON ALL THAT IN DEVELOPING THE LANGUAGE FOR THE PLAN.
AND, AND A LOT OF THOSE THEMES, I MEAN, THEY'RE DIRECTLY IN THERE.
UM, THAT LANGUAGE IS IN THE PLAN SLIDE.
UM, SO THIS, THIS IS REALLY JUST TO SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF COMMUNITY VOICES HEARD.
THERE WERE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AT THE TABLE.
UM, FOLKS THAT A CLIMATE ACTION, THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN WOULD IMPACT.
UM, THEY WERE PART OF THOSE ADVISORY GROUPS AND THOSE, THE STEERING COMMITTEE, THE LEADERSHIP GROUPS AS WELL.
AND I THINK ALL IN ALL, WHEN WE ADD UP, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE ORGANIZATIONS, THESE CBOS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AMBASSADORS, CITY STAFF, I THINK WHEN WE COUNTED UP THE NUMBERS, IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE OVER 200 PEOPLE THAT ENDED UP DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE PLAN.
SO, UH, DEFINITELY A, A TEAM EFFORT, A GROUP EFFORT, UH, FOR EVERYTHING THAT WENT INTO IT SLIDE.
SO THAT'S A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF HOW THE PLAN WAS DEVELOPED.
I THOUGHT I MIGHT PAUSE HERE FOR ONE QUESTION, JUST A QUICK QUESTION IF ANYBODY HAS IT SINCE I'VE KIND OF GOT THIS BROKEN INTO SECTIONS, OTHERWISE I CAN KEEP TRUCKING ON.
WE'LL KEEP MOVING UNLESS ACTUALLY I CAN'T SEE PEOPLE THAT ARE VIRTUAL
SO WHAT'S IN THE PLAN? UM, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO WORK WITH OUR GRAPHIC DESIGN FOLKS TO DEVELOP A VISUAL FOR THIS, BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE TO THINK OF THE PLAN AS KIND OF A, LIKE A TREE.
UM, THE NET ZERO BY 2040 TARGET IS SORT OF LIKE OUR TRUNK, KIND OF LIKE OUR, OUR SORT OF THE CORE, THE KERNEL, THE CORE OF THE PLAN.
UM, THE BIG BRANCHES THAT STEM FROM THAT ARE THE FIVE SECTIONS OF THE PLAN, UM, THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, TRANSPORTATION, ELECTRIFICATION, TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE, FOOD AND PRODUCT CONSUMPTION AND NATURAL SYSTEMS. UM, LATER ON IN THIS PRESENTATION, WE'LL GO INTO SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS AND TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION, AS I THINK IT PERTAINS TO ALL THE MOST.
UM, BUT WE, BUT SORT OF ABOVE THOSE FIVE BRANCHES OF THE PLAN, I GUESS.
UM, WE'VE GOT 17 QUANTITATIVE GOALS, UM, THAT SORT OF LAY OUT HOW WE WOULD ACHIEVE EMISSION REDUCTIONS ON THE SCALE THAT WE'VE ESTIMATED, UM, BY 2030.
AND THEN I GUESS THE LEAVES, AS IT WERE, THAT LIVE UNDER, ABOVE THOSE GOALS ARE 75 STRATEGIES.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE EQUITY LIVES IN THE PLAN.
UH, THAT'S WHERE, UH, OUR ADVISORY GROUPS AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE ACTUALLY IN THERE HELPING US DRAFT LANGUAGE AND SORT OF, UH, CREATING A DOCUMENT THAT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, A BEST CASE SCENARIO ROADMAP FOR THEM FOR HOW CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
UM, YEAH, AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE TOUCHED ON THIS, UM, BEFORE, BUT EQUITY IS THROUGHOUT, PARTICULARLY IN THE STRATEGIES, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE PRIORITIZE TARGETING, UH, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, UH, JUST ADJUST, TRANSITION TO GREEN JOBS, AND THEN, UH, PRIORITIZING HEALTH AND OTHER CO-BENEFITS, UH, IN ADDITION TO CLIMATE ACTION MITIGATION SLIDE.
RIGHT? SO 17 GOALS, 75 STRATEGIES.
THIS VISUAL HERE IS SORT OF TO REPRESENT OR KIND OF LIKE HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT IN SOME CASES, THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN PULLS ON EXISTING GOALS AND STRATEGIES, PILLARS FROM OTHER CITY PLANS.
UM, IT SORT OF SITS AT THE CENTER OF THOSE THINGS AND TIES 'EM TOGETHER.
IN OTHER INSTANCES, WE'VE GOT NEW GOALS, NEW INFORMATION, SORT OF, UH, NEW PRIORITIES, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE THINK IS KIND OF LIKE AN AMBITIOUS ROADMAP FOR HOW CLIMATE ACTION WOULD LOOK IN AUSTIN OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS AND BEYOND.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHAT THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN IS NOT IS A, UH, I GUESS REALLY PRESCRIPTIVE IMPLEMENTATION, UH, OUTLINE WITH, YOU KNOW, ACTION ITEMS, LIKE REALLY STRAIGHT TO ACTION ITEMS AND LIKE BUDGETS AND LIKE EXPENDITURES.
UM, IT, IT'S MORE OF A ROADMAP AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN DISCUSSING THIS SLIDE.
YEAH, SO I'D JUST LIKE TO SORT OF HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE PRETTY, THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, I THINK IS A, IS A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE DOCUMENT AND KIND OF LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SORT OF WHERE WE SIT AMONG PEER CITIES AND SORT OF IN THE LANDSCAPE OF CLIMATE ACTION PLANS IN THE US.
UM, WE ARE ONE OF FOUR MAJOR US CITIES TO SET THE AMBITIOUS NET BY NET ZERO BY 2040 TARGET.
UH, OTHER TARGETS ARE FURTHER OUT THAN THAT.
UM, WE'RE ONE OF FIVE MAJOR CITIES TO PUT EQUITY AT THE CENTER OF CLIMATE INITIATIVES.
UM, YOU ALL ARE MORE THAN FAMILIAR WITH THIS, THAT, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY HAS THE GOAL OF REACHING A HUNDRED PERCENT CARBON FREE ELECTRICITY BY 2035, WHICH IS LIKE BLEEDING EDGE.
AND, AND I MEAN, Y'ALL CAN SPEAK MORE TO THIS THAN ME, BUT BLEEDING EDGE AND, UH, ELECTRIC UTILITIES ACROSS THE US AND, UM, KIND OF MORE IMPORTANT TO LOCAL, UH, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN PARTICULAR, UH, EMISSIONS HAVE REDUCED 25% SINCE 2011, WHICH IS TRENDING DOWN, WHICH IS GREAT TO
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SEE.UM, BUT KIND OF PERHAPS MORE IMPACTFUL IS AS AUSTIN HAS GROWN, JUST SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL SEEN IT HAPPEN.
UM, WE'VE MANAGED TO DECREASE PER CAPITA EMISSIONS BY ABOUT A THIRD, DESPITE POPULATION INCREASING BY ABOUT A THIRD OVER THAT SAME TIMEFRAME.
SO, UH, THAT'S AN ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR SURE.
AND, AND WHAT WE WANT TO SEE, UH, SLIDE, OKAY, SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ANALYSIS THAT WENT INTO THE PLAN.
UH, IF YOU PULL UP THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN DOCUMENT, YOU'LL FIND THIS IN THERE.
UM, THIS IS REALLY TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WHILE AMBITIOUS, UM, EVEN IF WE WERE TO IMPLEMENT ALL OF THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES FULLY IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, WE WOULD, BASED ON THE ANALYSIS THAT THAT WE DID, WE WOULD STILL NOT MEET OUR NET ZERO BY 2040 TARGET THAT JUST GOT, KIND OF GOES TO SHOW YOU HOW AMBITIOUS THAT, UH, THAT TARGET IS.
UM, SO THE LIGHT GRAY AREA THERE IS LIKE EMISSIONS REMAINING AFTER WE'RE IMPLEMENTING DIFFERENT PORTIONS OF THE PLAN.
UH, SO THIS REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THAT, YOU KNOW, DESPITE THE GOOD PLAN THAT WE HAVE, AND AS AMBITIOUS AS IT IS, THERE'S STILL, UH, IMPORTANT WORK TO BE DONE AND, AND SORT OF A GAP TO BE FILLED THERE, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE MOST RELEVANT TO Y'ALL HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S MULTIPLE STRATEGIES OR MULTIPLE GOALS IN EACH SECTION, AND THEN MULTIPLE STRATEGIES UNDERNEATH EACH GOAL.
YOU KNOW, I WON'T BORE EVERYBODY WITH READING THROUGH THEM ALL HERE.
I ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO GO AND READ THE PLAN AND DIG DEEP, DIG DEEPER INTO IT, AND FOLLOW UP WITH QUESTIONS, EMAILS, WHATEVER, UH, AS, AS YOU LIKE.
BUT, UH, WE'LL JUST DO A QUICK OVERVIEW REAL QUICK OF, UH, SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS.
SO, UH, SLIDE, RIGHT? SO THESE FOUR GOALS, UH, ARE WHAT WE HAVE IN THAT SECTION OF THE PLAN.
UH, THEY'RE TO BE ACHIEVED, YOU KNOW, IN AN IDEAL SITUATION BY 2030.
GOAL ONE FOCUSES ON, UH, ACHIEVING NET ZERO CARBON, UH, BUILDINGS FOR ALL NEW BUILDINGS BY 2030, UH, THROUGH DECARBONIZATION AND ELECTRIFICATION.
UM, GOAL TWO FOCUSES ON REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM REFRIGERANT LEAKAGE, WHICH IS A BIG SORT OF ROGUE SOURCE, UH, THAT IS OFTEN UNACCOUNTED FOR.
GOAL THREE, UH, FOCUSES ON REDUCING EMBODIED CARBON IN, UH, BUILDING MATERIALS.
SO THAT'S STEEL, CONCRETE, GLASS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND GOAL FOUR FOCUSES ON, UH, EQUITABLY ACHIEVING, UH, FURTHER WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, THOSE BULLET POINTS ARE SORT OF REPRESENTATIVE, CALL THEM TITLES OF OUR STRATEGIES, BUT EACH ONE OF THOSE BULLET POINTS HAS PLENTY OF TEXT UNDERNEATH IT THAT REALLY, UH, SORT OF DESCRIBES IN DETAIL KIND OF HOW WE'LL GET THERE FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE STRATEGIES IN THE FULL TEXT OF THE PLAN.
SO, AGAIN, ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO GO CHECK THAT OUT.
SO ONTO TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION SLIDE.
SO IN THE TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION SECTION OF THE PLAN, THERE ARE THREE GOALS TO BE ACHIEVED BY 2030.
UM, THE FIRST ONE TARGETS 40% OF ALL VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED BY ELECTRIC VEHICLES, UH, IN AUSTIN BY 2030.
UM, THE SECOND GOAL, UH, IS MORE FOCUSED ON CREATING THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT 40% MTS BY 2030.
AND THE THIRD GOAL IS ABOUT, UH, CREATING, UM, MORE OF SORT OF A REGIONAL COALITION AND INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND, UH, ELECTRIFICATION OF AN EMERGING INDUSTRY, UH, OF EVS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE REGION BY 2030 AS WELL.
UH, SLIDE, UH, I'LL PAUSE THERE AGAIN FOR A QUICK QUESTION IF ANYBODY HAS ONE.
UM, AND OTHERWISE WE'LL, WE'LL FORGE ONTO THE FINAL PORTION OF THE, THE SLIDES.
SO STATUS UPDATE OF HOW WE'RE DOING, UM, FOCUSING ON THE, THE BIG TARGET FIRST, THE NET ZERO BY 2040 TARGET.
UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING A COMMUNITY WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY AT, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN ACROSS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UH, SINCE 2010.
UM, YOU'LL NOTE THAT BY OUR ESTIMATION EMISSIONS PEAKED IN 2011 AND HAVE BEEN TRENDING DOWN EVER SINCE THEN.
UH, IT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING, UH, DATA POINT.
YOU CAN CERTAINLY SEE THE COVID DIP, UH, DURING LOCKDOWN IN 2020.
UM, BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT VERY QUICKLY AFTER THAT, UH, EMISSIONS REBOUNDED.
THEY, THEY ARE CONTINUING TO DECLINE.
BUT AS OF 2022, UM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON MY ANALYSIS AND, AND
[00:35:01]
CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER FOLKS THAT KIND OF WORK IN THIS, UM, THIS AREA, UH, ACTIVITY AND BEHAVIORS SORT OF BACK TO NORMAL IN 2022, SORT OF BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL.SO WE'VE REBOUNDED AS IT WERE.
SO THIS IS THAT SAME FIGURE JUST BROKEN OUT BY SECTOR.
UM, I, I'LL JUST REAL QUICKLY GO ONE BY ONE, LEFT TO RIGHT.
WE COMBINE ENERGY AND BUILDINGS INTO SORT OF LIKE ONE VERTICAL BAR THERE.
UM, THAT'S BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A, IT IS TRADITIONALLY ONE OF THE LARGEST SOURCES OF EMISSIONS FOR US.
AND, UH, OFTENTIMES MITIGATION STRATEGIES SORT OF ALIGN, UH, CAN ALIGN OR BE COMPLIMENTARY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ELECTRICITY AND NATURAL GAS.
AN IMPORTANT THING TO, TO NOTE THERE IS THAT EMISSIONS FROM ELECTRICITY CONTINUE TO GO DOWN AGGRESSIVELY AND RAPIDLY.
THAT'S THANKS TO AUSTIN ENERGY'S DECARBONIZATION EFFORTS.
BUT, UM, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVE AND, AND THAT WE USE, EMISSIONS FROM NATURAL GAS ARE ACTUALLY ON THE RISE, UM, ONTO TRANSPORTATION.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT TRANSPORTATION HAS BEEN RELATIVELY STEADY, UH, KIND OF TRENDING UPWARD WITH POPULATION AND THEREFORE CARS ON THE ROAD, BIG DIP DURING COVID.
UM, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WERE SEEING ON THAT LAST FIGURE.
AND, UH, AS OF 20 21, 20 22, THOSE, THOSE EMISSIONS HAVE BOUNCED BACK.
THAT ACTIVITY HAS BOUNCE BOUNCED BACK, BUT NOT QUITE TO THE LEVELS THAT IT WAS BEFORE.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, MORE FOLKS ARE HYBRID, WORKING, WORKING FROM HOME IN A MORE FLEXIBLE WORK SITUATION.
SO IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT AND THE POTENTIAL MAGNITUDE OF, UH, IMPACT THAT, THAT KIND OF THING COULD HAVE.
UM, IN INDUSTRIAL SECTOR, UH, WE'RE ALL PROBABLY AWARE OF THIS, UH, SOUNDS LIKE AT LEAST ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS FOR SURE IS.
BUT AUSTIN IS HOME TO SOME OF THE LARGEST SEMICONDUCTOR FABRICATION FACILITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
I THINK THE SAMSUNG FACILITY HERE MIGHT BE THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF OUTPUT.
UM, AND IT, IT'S THOSE INDUSTRIES AND, AND IN SOME CASES, UM, LIKE CEMENT AND MASON REMANUFACTURING THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THAT SECTOR, THOSE ARE RELATIVELY STABLE.
UM, DESPITE SORT OF LIKE SOME ANNUAL FLUCTUATIONS, UM, WE CAPTURE REFRIGERANTS, UH, AT A COMMUNITY-WIDE SCALE, UH, WHICH IS SOMEWHAT UNIQUE IN THIS SPACE.
NOT A LOT OF OTHER CITIES, UH, LEADING CITIES LIKE US DO THAT.
UH, IT'S, IT'S AN AREA THAT WE'D LIKE TO EXPLORE FURTHER AND GET MORE DETAILED ON, BUT IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO AT LEAST HAVE IT IN THERE, TO HAVE AN EYE ON IT.
AND THEN WASTE EMISSIONS ARE MOSTLY FROM SOLID WASTE AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND THE BYPRODUCTS OF THAT, AND DESPITE SOME FLUCTUATIONS THERE, THOSE ARE RELATIVELY STABLE AS WELL.
UH, SO THIS IS JUST OUR MOST RECENT YEAR, 2022.
UM, JUST SHOWING THIS ONE TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ADD NATURAL GAS AND ELECTRICITY TOGETHER, THAT'S 40% OF THE PIE, UH, SENSIBLY OUR LARGEST SECTOR, BUT ELECTRICITY IS QUICKLY DECARBONIZING.
AND SO IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT TRANSPORTATION WILL SOON BE OUR LARGEST SOURCE OF EMISSIONS, UH, IN THE AUSTIN AREA, UM, IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, FIVE-ISH YEARS.
CALL IT, UH, SLIDE, RIGHT? SO I MENTIONED, UH, COMMUNITY CLIMATE AMBASSADORS, COHORT ONE, UM, IN SORT OF THE, THE, THE PREVIOUS SECTION.
UM, SINCE THEN, WE HAVE ACTUALLY HAD A SECOND COHORT OF COMMUNITY CLIMATE AMBASSADORS.
UH, THAT GROUP PIVOTED FROM FOCUSING ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND INPUT, ALTHOUGH THEY DID PLENTY OF THAT TO MORE, UM, COMMUNITY IMPACT AND ACTION THROUGH AMBASSADOR LED PROJECTS.
UM, THESE FOLKS DID SOME REALLY GREAT WORK.
THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO, AND, UM, AND, AND I DUNNO, WE, WE WERE JUST REALLY IMPRESSED WITH, WITH EVERYTHING THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO, UH, ACHIEVE.
UM, I'VE GOT SOME LINKS EMBEDDED HERE ON THE SLIDE, SO COMMISSIONERS AND WHOEVER'S INTERESTED, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO CLICK THROUGH AND LEARN MORE ABOUT 'EM.
BUT JUST, UH, SUPER, SUPER QUICK HIGHLIGHTS ARE, UH, UH, REALLY, UH, I THINK IMPORTANT, IMPACTFUL VIDEO ON, UH, ORGANIZING FOR RENTER'S RIGHTS IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
UM, THERE WERE EVENTS AND PUBLICATIONS AND SHOWCASES ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW IT IMPACTS SOME OF OUR MORE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES THAT, THAT I WAS MENTIONING BEFORE THAT OFTEN HAVEN'T FELT LIKE THEIR VOICE HAS BEEN HEARD IN THE PLANNING PROCESS AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS.
UM, ANOTHER GROUP DID SOME WORK TO RAISE, UH, RESILIENCE AND PREPAREDNESS AWARENESS, INCLUDING TRANS, UH, TRANSLATING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PREPAREDNESS GUIDE INTO SPANISH.
AND THEN PLENTY OF PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
DEFINITELY GO AND, AND CLICK THROUGH TO LEARN MORE.
UH, SO IT, IT CAME UP EARLIER, BUT, UM, THERE'S A LOT IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, THE NET ZERO BY 20 40 17 GOALS, 75 STRATEGIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE HERE, SIT HERE AND, UH, LISTEN TO ME GIVE UPDATES ON ALL OF IT.
BUT LUCKILY WE DO HAVE A WEBPAGE THAT TRACKS PROGRESS.
UM, WE'VE COLLECTED, UH, YOU'LL RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE FIGURES THAT I'VE SHOWN HERE, SOME METRICS
[00:40:01]
AND THINGS, BUT WE'VE ALSO COLLECTED LANGUAGE AND NARRATIVE FROM PARTNERS, BOTH WITHIN THE CITY AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS ON THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT SUPPORTS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CLIMATE PLAN.AND THERE'S MORE DETAIL THAN AS MUCH DETAIL AS YOU COULD EVER WANT, UH, AT THIS, UH, LINK HERE.
SO I ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO GO CHECK THAT OUT AS WELL AND KIND OF DRILL DOWN IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
UH, SLIDE, RIGHT? SO A LITTLE, LITTLE BONUS SLIDE ON WHAT'S NEXT.
UM, SO WE HAD CLIMATE AMBASSADORS ONE AND TWO, AND VERSION THREE IS GONNA BE, IS GONNA CONTINUE OUR FOCUS ON COMMUNITY IMPACT THROUGH A NEW FOOD CLIMATE AND RESILIENCE MINI GRANT PROGRAM THAT WE'RE LAUNCHING THIS YEAR.
UH, SO KEEP AN EAR OUT FOR THAT.
UM, WE'RE ALSO DOING A LOT OF WORK, UH, TO COORDINATE, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN WIDE, AND THEN ALSO WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO PURSUE ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE FLOWING FROM, UH, FEDERAL FUNDING, INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW, UH, ALL OF THE ABOVE.
UM, SO THAT INCLUDES WORKING WITH A CONSULTANT ON GRANT APPLICATIONS, UH, PURSUING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSERVATION BLOCK GRANTS, UM, WORK, UH, APPLYING FOR AT LEAST TWO, UH, CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT PROGRAMS. WE ACTUALLY JUST SUBMITTED THE PRIORITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, OUR FIRST EVER REGIONAL CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
UM, WE'RE, UH, WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND A CONSULTANT TO, UH, SOME COMMUNITY CHANGE GRANTS AS WELL.
AND THAT'S A, UH, THAT'LL BE A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS BETWEEN CBOS AND CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEN, UH, WE'RE ALSO LEANING INTO THE CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENT TAX CREDITS.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT TAX EXEMPT ENTITIES LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL EVER BE ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE CREDITS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AS WELL.
UM, MORE RECENTLY, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF LIKE, UH, COME ON, EVERYBODY'S RADAR IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT FUND, UH, RESOLUTION THAT WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL, UH, LAST MONTH IN FEBRUARY.
AND, UH, IN THAT RESOLUTION, WE'RE CHARGED WITH IDENTIFYING PROJECTS THAT NEED FUNDING TO MEET THE CITY'S GOALS, NOT JUST IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, BUT IN A LAUNDRY LIST OF OTHER PLANS THAT TOUCH ON ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY, UM, BOTH IN THE CITY AND ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS RESILIENCE AND WATER CONSERVATION, UH, UH, A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS.
AND SO THE, THE NEAR TERM ROADMAP THERE, UM, IS FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UH, TO DRAFT SOME PUBLIC OR TO COLLECT SOME PUBLIC RECOMMENDATIONS AND DRAFT SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OF THEIR OWN IN MARCH AND APRIL.
AND THEN, UM, FOR, IN, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE JSC FOR CITY STAFF, TO PROVIDE A PRIORITIZED LIST OF PROGRAMS, PROJECTS, INVESTMENTS THAT REDUCE EO TWO EMISSIONS, CONSERVE AND PROTECT WATER RESOURCES, IMPROVE RESILIENCE AND SUPPORT, UH, CITY, UH, SUSTAINABILITY WITH OPTIONS FOR FUNDING.
I THINK THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE.
UM, HOW'D I DO ON TIME THERE? PAUL?
UH, I'M SURE, UH, SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
UH, AS A COURTESY, I'D LIKE COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONERS DAVIS AND JOHNSON, UH, TO GO FIRST IF THEY HAVE THEM, SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN INTEGRALLY INVOLVED IN SHEPHERDING THIS.
UH, UM, THANK YOU CHAIR ROBBINS, AND THANK YOU, UM, PHILIP FOR THAT.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M GONNA DEFER TO MY COMMISSIONERS, UM, FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
AND I ALSO JUST DO WANT TO SAY THAT THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN, UM, WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE NEXT WEDNESDAY, THE 27TH, 6:00 PM AT CITY HALL.
UM, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO, TO HAVE AS MUCH INPUT AS WE CAN FROM, UM, FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, ON WHAT'S A FUN.
SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON.
YEAH, THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
UM, AND, UH, AND REALLY, UH, COMMISSIONER DAVIS FOR SHEPHERDING IT.
I WAS REALLY JUST THE CO-SPONSOR.
I DIDN'T DO MUCH DO, DO, DO THE WORK SHE DID.
UM, I, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I DO WANNA, OR MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION, BUT, UM, IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE FROM THE SLIDE OF, UH, EMISSIONS AND THE, THE TRAJECTORY, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE STEEPER CURVE FROM THE, THAT THAT REPRESENTS THE GOAL TO GO NET ZERO BY 2040 AND NET NEGATIVE AFTERWARD, IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE WE'RE BE, WE'RE BEHIND ON REDUCING OUR EMISSIONS.
SO I WANTED TO SEE IF, UH, DO YOU, IS THAT WHAT YOUR DATA IS EXPLICITLY SHOWING? OR, OR IF YOU COULD COMMENT ON THAT? YEAH,
[00:45:01]
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.UM, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, W FIRST THING IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY, THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF MY JOB.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I ASSEMBLE.
UM, AND IT IS, I STAND BEHIND IT.
IT IS A GREAT WORK, BUT THERE'S, IT IS ALSO SORT OF INHERENTLY IMPRECISE BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH AGGREGATE NUMBERS AT A LARGE COMMUNITY SCALE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME MARGIN FAIR IN THERE, BUT IT'S GENERALLY, IT DOES SHOW OUR TRENDS.
UM, I GUESS I WOULD SAY IT'S ENCOURAGING TO ME THAT WE ARE TRENDING DOWN.
UM, PERHAPS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT TRENDING DOWN FASTER.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE'RE PULLING A LOT OF LEVERS, THE LEVERS THAT WE HAVE TO PULL, UM, THROUGH LIKE DECARBONIZATION OF OUR ELECTRICITY AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF MORE PRODUCTS OF MARKET FORCES AND COMMUNITY WIDE IMPACTS AND THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO ACHIEVE.
UM, BUT, UM, CERTAINLY WE'RE PURSUING THAT AS MUCH AS WE CAN THROUGH LIKE OUR REGIONAL COLLABORATIONS AND, AND, UH, ALL OF THOSE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT I MENTIONED.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THAT PICTURE WILL PERHAPS COME BECOME A LITTLE BIT CLEARER OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
UM, SHANE, YEAH, THANKS FOR YOUR QUESTION.
AND, AND GOOD TO SEE YOU, PHIL.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
UH, COMMISSIONER KARA GOTTI HAS HER HAND UP IN CASE Y'ALL DIDN'T SEE ON THE SCREEN.
I WAS TRYING TO LOOK IT UP, BUT I DIDN'T GET TO IT IN TIME.
UM, SINCE THIS DEPARTMENT HAS STARTED, WHAT KIND OF, UM, HAVE YOU SEEN LIKE SIGNIFICANT, UH, IMPROVEMENTS I GUESS IN THE CLIMATE CHANGE OR, UH, POSITIVE MOVEMENT TOWARDS POLLUTION REDUCTION, UM, AT KIND OF, UH, AT WHAT SCALE? SORT OF LIKE ACROSS THE COUNTRY STATE, AUSTIN, WITHIN THE CITY ORGANIZATION? ALL OF THE ABOVE.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE AT, RIGHT? YOU'RE WITH THE CITY? YEAH, YEAH.
SO I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE CITY.
I MEAN, SO I GUESS I SHOULD, I SHOULD START BY SAYING I'VE ONLY BEEN WITH THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, UH, FOR THREE YEARS.
SO THERE IS A, UM, THERE'S A, HIS A LONG HISTORY BEFORE I ARRIVED HERE THAT I, I CAN'T NECESSARILY SPEAK TO.
UM, I THINK THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY WAS FOUNDED IN 2010.
UM, AND I MEAN, I GUESS I CAN SAY FROM, FROM MY EXPERIENCE THAT PARTNERS WITHIN THE CITY ARE PRETTY GREAT TO WORK WITH AND ARE GENERALLY LIKE DOING GOOD WORK AND WANTING TO DO GOOD WORK.
UH, AND THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF ENTHUSIASM IN THAT SPACE.
IT WOULD BE MY, MY PERSONAL ASSESSMENT.
BUT, UH, MAYBE I'M NOT MAKING MYSELF CLEAR.
I MEAN, WITH DATA, LIKE IS POLLUTION, IS, IS IT DECREASING, IS IT INCREASING? IS IT KIND OF STAYING THE SAME, UM, WITHIN THE CITY? WITHIN, SO WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ORGANIZATION? YEAH.
I MEAN THAT, I, I DIDN'T SHOW THAT, BUT WE ALSO DO, UH, THE SAME SORT OF CARBON FOOTPRINT WORK FOR THE CITY.
AND OUR EMISSIONS AS AN ORGANIZATION HAVE, UH, DECLINED CONSIDERABLY SINCE WE STARTED MEASURING IT IN 2010.
SOMETHING LIKE, DON'T HOLD ME TO THIS, BUT I'M GONNA, I WANT TO SAY THAT WE ARE AT 20% EMISSIONS TODAY THAT WE WERE IN 2010 AS A CITY ORGANIZATION.
SO A LOT OF PROGRESS TO BE MADE THERE.
IF YOU, IF YOU SHOOT ME AN EMAIL, I CAN FOLLOW YOU, FOLLOW UP WITH A PUBLIC DASHBOARD THAT SHOWS ALL THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN JUST ON TOP OF THAT, UM, 'CAUSE IT KIND OF GOES WITH IT THAT THIS QUESTION, UM, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE, THIS NEW BILL HAS PASSED THAT NON-ATTAINMENT AREAS, UM, ARE THE ONLY AREAS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO GET AN AUTOMOBILE EMISSIONS TEST, DID Y'ALL HAVE A VOICE IN THAT AT ALL? WERE Y'ALL ABLE TO VOICE OR SAY ANYTHING TO, UM, THE GOVERNOR ABOUT HOW THIS WILL AFFECT EVERYONE? UM, YEAH, SO WE HAVE A STAFFER IN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY THAT FOCUSES ON AIR QUALITY.
UM, AND IM MORTAL, UM, OUR REAL SORT OF, UH, POINT OF, OF SORT OF LIKE INPUT IS THROUGH THE CLEAN AIR COALITION, WHICH SOME OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ATTEND.
AND THEN ALSO THROUGH LIKE OUR REGIONAL PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS, CAMPO AND CAP COG, UH, I GUESS I, SO AS IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I, UH, LIKE REGULARLY KIND OF LIKE DIP MY TOE IN.
I CAN'T NECESSARILY SPEAK TO LIKE HOW THAT INPUT FILTERED UP TO THE STATE LEVEL, BUT, UM, THERE MAY BE SOME FOLKS AT THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WE COULD CHECK WITH ON THAT.
I, I GUESS, I'M NOT SURE, I CAN'T GIVE YOU A, A SOLID ANSWER ON THAT ONE.
IT WOULD JUST BE NICE TO, TO HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICE OF
[00:50:01]
SUSTAINABILITY DID HAVE A VOICE IN THAT JUST BECAUSE IT, IT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AIR MOVES, IT DOESN'T JUST STAY IN ONE AREA.SO YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO AFFECT, UM, EVEN THE NON-ATTAINMENT AREAS.
YEAH, I MEAN, I I WOULD SAY WE ARE CERTAINLY ENGAGED AND VERY ENGAGED IN THAT TOPIC AND CARE ABOUT IT AND, AND, UH, IN SO FAR AS WE ARE ABLE TO SORT OF AFFECT THE OUTCOME WE ARE DOING THAT IT IS YEAH, ABSOLUTELY A PRIORITY FOR US.
UH, COMMISSIONER
UM, THANK YOU PHILLIP, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU CAN HIGHLIGHT WHAT, UM, WHAT IS IN THE PLAN WITH RESPECT TO LIKE REDUCING DIRECT BURNING OF NATURAL GAS? YEAH.
UM, LIKE IN BUILDINGS, FOR EXAMPLE.
YEAH, I ASSUME THAT ENTIRE BAR IS, IS HEATING.
UM, SPACE HEATING, WATER HEATING, UM, OH, SURE.
THERE ARE SOME OTHER SORT OF LIKE APPLICATIONS FOR NATURAL GAS, LIKE IN, IN THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR.
UH, COULD, COULD I JUST, UH, JUMP IN? I KNOW A TINY BIT ABOUT THIS.
UM, THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR, UH, IS ALL ABOUT HEATING.
UH, THEN THERE'S, UH, AND THAT'S ABOUT A THIRD OF NATURAL GAS USE.
AND THEN ABOUT A THIRD OF IT IS UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THEIR HUGE CO-GENERATION SYSTEM, UH, COMBINED HEAT AND POWER.
AND THEN A THIRD OF IT IS COMMERCIAL, WHICH IS EVERYTHING FROM RESTAURANTS ALL THE WAY UP TO, UM, INDUSTRIES.
I ASSUME, I ASSUME FOR THE PURPOSES OF YOUR ACCOUNTING, PLEASE CORRECT.
THIS IS, IF THIS IS WRONG, THE NATURAL GAS BAR AND ALL THE CHARTS YOU'RE SHOWING WAS ABOUT DIRECT BIRDING, NOT GENERATION.
ACTUALLY THE AUSTIN OR THE, UH, UT POWER PLANT IS, IS INCLUDED IN THAT BAR.
UM, SO THAT'S ELECTRICITY, BUT IT'S NOT IN THE ELECTRICITY BUCKET.
AND GIVEN THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND SORT OF WHICH BUCKET TO INCLUDE THAT IN, UM, IT'S KIND OF ALWAYS BEEN PUT IN THE NATURAL GAS BUCKET.
WE KNOW THE FUEL THAT THEY USE, WE KNOW THE QUANTITY AT WHICH THEY USE IT, AND IT IS, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO TEASE APART HOW MUCH OF THAT GOES TO ELECTRICITY VERSUS HOW MUCH OF THAT GOES TO CODE GENERATION AND LIKE DISTRICT ENERGY, HEAT, AND POWER.
UM, SO WE DECIDED TO KIND OF KEEP IT SIMPLE FOR COMMUNICATION PURPOSES AND INCLUDE IT IN THAT BUCKET.
THE OTHER TWO THIRDS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THERE, PAUL RESIDENTIAL YEAH, A LOT OF, UH, SPACE AND WATER HEATING.
A VERY, VERY SMALL PORTION OF THAT IS GOING TO COOKING AND RESIDENTIAL.
AND IN COMMERCIAL, THE LION'S SHARE IS ALSO GONNA BE SPACE AND WATER HEATING.
THERE IS A LOT OF LIKE COOKING THAT'S FROM NATURAL GAS AND COMMERCIAL SECTOR, BUT STILL MORE OF IT'S GONNA GO TOWARDS SPACE AND WATER HEATING THERE.
BUT YOU ALSO HAVE INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES YEAH.
I THINK THE QUESTION IS, YEAH, INTERESTING SIDE NOTE, BUT I THINK THE QUESTION YEAH.
STILL, CAN YOU COMMENT ON LIKE WHAT IS IN THE PLAN THAT IT'S LIKE WHAT'S THE, WHAT IS THIS PLAN'S POSITION ON REDUCING YEAH.
SO THAT'S IT, IT IS, IT, IT'S COMPREHENSIVE ACROSS NATURAL GAS.
SO LIKE IF NATURAL GAS IS LEADING TO EMISSIONS, OUR IT'S GOAL ONE OF THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDING SECTION, UM, THE TARGET IS TO REDUCE THAT BY 30% BY 2030.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT THE, THE PLAN CALLS OUT FROM A OUR 2019 BASELINE YEAR.
AND IF THE ANSWER IS JUST GO READ THE PLAN, WHICH I WOULD HAPPILY DO, THAT'S TOTALLY FINE.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE HIGHLIGHT ON, ON HOW TO GET TO THE 30%? LIKE ARE THERE, IS THERE ANYTHING REALLY BIG WORTH MENTIONING? YEAH.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CONSERVATION, THERE'S EFFICIENCY, UM, LIKE REDUCED CONSUMPTION BEYOND THAT.
I, YOU KNOW, I SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT SORT OF THE LEVERS THAT WE HAVE TO PULL AT THE CITY AND THE LEVERS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO PULL AT THE CITY.
UM, I THINK BEYOND THAT, IT'S PROBABLY A QUESTION BEST ASKED OF THE NATURAL GAS COMPANIES THEMSELVES.
UM, I, I'M, I, I JUST, I GUESS I JUST, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM.
UM, I'M SORRY, MY CYNICISM IS OFFICIAL AND I HAVE BEEN OUTSPOKEN, UH, AS A CRITIC OF, UH, THE MAIN GAS COMPANY HERE.
'CAUSE UH, I, I, I WANT ALL COMMISSIONERS TO GO BEFORE ME.
UH, I THINK I, I, YEAH, LINE OF QUESTIONING CONCLUDED I, I'LL READ THE PLAN AND IN THIS SECTION IT'S JUST AN, AN AREA OF INTEREST.
I THINK IT'S GETS A LITTLE BIT UNDERSERVED IN TERMS OF LIKE THOUGHT AND PLANNING OF THE
[00:55:01]
REDUCED, LIKE ACTIONABLE, YOU KNOW, PLAN TO REDUCE DIRECT BURNING OF NATURAL GAS, ESPECIALLY IN SPACE HEATING.AND FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL OR WHATEVER, BUT APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTIONS ON THAT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, COMMISSIONER, FARMER
UH, CAN, CAN YOU JUST FOLLOW UP ON, UH, THAT LINE OF QUESTIONING, SO LIKE THE BUILDING'S GOAL IS NET ZERO BY 2030, BUT THEN IT'S ONLY A 30% REDUCTION OF NATURAL GAS.
SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT THERE WILL BE BUILDINGS NEED TO PRODUCE AN EXTRA, YOU KNOW, MAKE UP FOR THAT 70% OF NATURAL GAS BURNING? LIKE HOW DOES THAT RIGHT.
UM, FLUSH OUT? SO THAT GOAL, LET ME PULL IT UP HERE ON MY LAPTOP.
THAT THAT GOAL IS A LITTLE BIT OF A, UM, SORT OF A MULTI-PART GOAL.
UH, SO IT'S ACHIEVE NET ZERO CARBON FOR ALL NEW BUILDINGS BY 2030 AND REDUCE EMISSIONS BY 25% FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS WHILE LOWERING ALL NATURAL GAS RELATED EMISSIONS BY 30%.
AND SO ALL OF THAT, IT'S SORT OF, THERE'S SOME OVERLAP AND SOME STACKING AND ALL OF THEM ARE FOR 2030, BUT THAT, THAT ASSUMES THAT THERE'S, I'M ASSUMING THERE'S GONNA BE NATURAL GAS IN NEW BUILDINGS.
I WOULD ASSUME THEY'RE BETWEEN NOW AND 2030.
YEAH, I WOULD ALSO ASSUME THAT, YEAH.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST, I'M CURIOUS LIKE HOW THAT, HOW, LIKE HOW DO YOU GET TO NET ZERO WHILE ONLY GETTING TO 30% REDUCTION? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK, AGAIN, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, FROM OUR VANTAGE POINT HERE IN THE CITY, UH, WE SORT OF HAVE TO FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND THE, THE STUFF THAT WE HAVE DIRECT OR INDIRECT, UH, CONTROL OVER, RIGHT? AND SO, YEAH, THAT, THAT IS THAT.
SO FOR, FOR BUILDINGS, THAT'S WHERE WE FOCUS, UM, WITH OUR PARTNERS.
I APPRECIATE US, YOU LETTING US, UH, GRILL YOU A LITTLE BIT ON THIS.
OTHER, OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND, AND FUTURE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, SILVERSTEIN, COMMISSIONER GARY, DO YOU HAVE, UH, ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I'M GOOD, THANK YOU.
JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, COMMISSIONER FARMER, UM, WHEN WILL WE HAVE THE 2023 DATA? USUALLY THERE'S, UH, THIS IS A PAIN POINT FOR ME TOO, SO I DON'T LOVE IT EITHER.
USUALLY THERE'S A SIX TO NINE MONTH LAG ON DATA AVAILABILITY, SO COOL.
IT'S THIRD OR FOURTH QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
YEAH, WE, WE KIND OF ONLY JUST PUBLISHED 2022 FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.
UM, I, UH, AM PRESUMING THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS, AND I WANTED TO, UM, ASK SOME LEADING QUESTIONS.
AND THE COMPANY HAS A HISTORY OF NOT DOING VERY MUCH.
UM, THERE IS YOUR OFFICE CAN DO.
UM, AND THAT IS THAT TEXAS GAS SERVICE, WHICH IS THE MAIN PROVIDER OF, UH, GAS IN THE CITY.
UH, THEIR FRANCHISE IS, UH, FOR RENEWAL IN 2026.
THIS IS A ONCE IN A 20 YEAR OPPORTUNITY TO GET VERY LONG NEEDED REFORMS. THIS IS THEIR LICENSE TO OPERATE.
AND DOES THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE PLAN TO BE A STAKEHOLDER IN THIS PROCESS FOR RENEWAL OF THE FRANCHISE? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, I'M GONNA TAKE THE, UH, EASY WAY OUT ON THIS AND SAY THAT'S ABOVE MY PAY GRADE, BUT I, I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD PROBABLY, IF, IF WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
UM, BUT I, I DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU TODAY ON THAT.
UM, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND, UH, YOU DO.
SO THIS WOULD BE THE BEST TIME.
[01:00:01]
COMPANY HAS NO PRAGMATIC RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAM.UH, RIGHT NOW AUSTIN ENERGY IS AT 51% RENEWABLE, UH, TEXAS GAS SERVICE.
AND THE OTHER TWO U UTILITIES THAT SERVE AUSTIN WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF NATURAL GAS HAVE NOTHING.
THE CLOSEST THAT THEY CAN COME IS, UM, SEWAGE GAS OR LANDFILL GAS, WHICH IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND NOT VERY, UH, AVAILABLE.
UH, THEIR CONSERVATION, THE CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR THESE UTILITIES, UH, FOR THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR IS LARGELY NOT COST EFFECTIVE.
UH, THEIR RATE STRUCTURES ARE REGRESSIVE.
THE MORE YOU USE, THE LESS YOU ARE CHARGED PER UNIT.
THIS OBVIOUSLY DISCOURAGES CONSERVATION AND IT ALSO HURTS THE POOR AND THE BILL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS COULD BE CONFUSED FOR SATIRE BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF, UH, FUNDING IS SO LOW.
SO THESE WOULD BE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE, UH, MIGHT CONSIDER SHOULD THEY BE PART OF THE STAKEHOLDERS PROCESS IN THE FRANCHISE RENEWAL.
UM, I HAVE NO, UH, OTHER COMMENTS AT THIS POINT.
UH, IF ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER, UH, WOULD LIKE ANOTHER CHANCE FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON, UH, COMMISSIONER OR, OH, I WAS THE, I'VE BEEN PLAYING AROUND WITH THE DASHBOARD AND IT'S GREAT, SO I JUST, KUDOS AND, UH, EVERYONE SHOULD CHECK IT OUT.
YEAH, IT WAS A, UH, IT BIG TEAM EFFORT, UH, BY A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE OFFICE AND THEN, UM, A LOT OF PARTNERS AROUND THE CITY AS WELL, PUTTING IN SOME TIME AND SOME ENERGY.
SO KUDOS TO EVERYBODY ON THAT ONE.
UH, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO SORT OF TELL PEOPLE HOW TO NAVIGATE TO GET THERE? THERE MIGHT BE A FEW PEOPLE WATCHING WHO WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SEE THIS DASHBOARD? YEAH, ON THE, THE SLIDES I JUST WENT THROUGH, UM, THERE'S A LINK IN THERE WITH THE URL ACTUALLY SPELLED OUT.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE, FOR ME ANYWAYS, IT'S SLIDE 22.
AND THEN FROM THERE, I THINK THE, THE WEBSITE IS EASY TO NAVIGATE.
IT'S, UH, I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR.
UM, YOU CAN GO THROUGH EVERY GOAL, EVERY STRATEGY, YOU CAN EVEN DOWNLOAD ALL THE LANGUAGE IF YOU WANT.
ALL THE INFORMATION YOU COULD EVER WANT IS THERE.
UH, FOR THE HOME VIEWER, UH, THE COMMISSION, OUR COMMISSION'S WEBSITE IS AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/RMC AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE DISCUSS ARE CLICKABLE.
SO YES, YOU CAN, UH, CLICK TO DOWNLOAD, UH, THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE'S PRESENTATION AND GO TO SLIDE 22 AND SEE THAT LINK.
UH, AGAIN, UM, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU AND ALL YOUR STAFF FOR THEIR WORK.
[3. Approve a recommendation regarding the creation of a pilot program of multifamily supportive housing projects and assist with the Passive House certification.]
ARE MOVING ON TO, UH, ITEM THREE, APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE CREATION OF A PILOT PROGRAM OF MULTIFAMILY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND ASSIST WITH THE PASSIVE HOUSE CERTIFICATION, COMMISSIONER FARMER.UM, YEAH, SO WE KIND OF WALKED THROUGH THIS LAST MONTH.
UM, THERE WAS SOME CHANGE TO THE LANGUAGE, UH, AFTER MEETING WITH, UM, HEIDI AND RICHARD AND COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE'S OFFICE, UM, TO, UH, MAKE IT A LITTLE LESS PRESCRIPTIVE, UM, AND, AND KIND OF LET, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY KIND OF DEFINE THE PROGRAM AS THEY LOOK INTO IT FURTHER.
UM, SO THAT'S BEEN REFLECTED IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE RESOLUTION.
UM, BUT OTHERWISE I THINK, UH, IT IS GOOD TO GO PENDING DISCUSSION.
[01:05:01]
TO MOVE APPROVAL, UH, IS, I'M SORRY.UH, UM, MS. GOODWIN, UH, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN HAS HER HAND RAISED.
OH, SO SHE WANTS TO BEAT ME TO IT.
I THINK THIS IS A FABULOUS IDEA AND I'LL BE HONORED TO SECOND IT.
UM, AND, UH, WITH A MOTION AND SECOND, THERE MAY BE DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS.
UH, OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, COMMISSIONER DAVIS? UH, YES.
CAN WE BRING UP, UH, THE ITEM THAT WE ARE VOTING ON ONTO THE SCREEN? I CAN'T VOTE.
I MEAN, THERE ARE TWO, THERE ARE TWO DRAFT RESOLUTIONS.
I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO THE FIRST, THE FIRST VERSION IS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER POOL'S OFFICE, AND THE SECOND VERSION WAS THE VERSION THAT AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, REWORKED.
SO THAT'S THE SAME BACKUP FROM LAST MONTH.
IF I THINK THIS IS AMY EVERHART, UM, AE STAFF, I THINK WHAT HAPPENED IS LAST MONTH YOU HAD VERSIONS ONE AND TWO, YOU TABLED THEM TO THIS MEETING, AND SINCE THEN WE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE'S OFFICE, AND THERE SHOULD BE A THIRD VERSION, WHICH WE HAVE, RIGHT? YEAH, BECAUSE THIS IS FOUR PAGES IN THE ORIGINAL ONE.
SO THE ONE THAT'S UP THERE NOW IS THE LATEST ONE THAT COMMISSIONER FARMER SENT.
THE OTHER ONE ONE, THE ONE UP THERE NOW IS DATED FOR THE AGENDA OF APRIL 18.
IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE MARCH 19? THE ONE THAT YOU'RE SEEING IS DATED APRIL 18TH, BECAUSE THAT'S THE CITY COUNCIL DATE WHERE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL WANTS TO TAKE IT TO COUNCIL.
YEAH, I THINK THAT, BUT THE, THE ONE THAT'S UP IS THE LANGUAGE THAT IS THE MOST CURRENT.
UM, SO I THINK, I GUESS WE JUST NEED TO UPDATE THE DATE ON THAT, BUT THAT'S THE CURRENT VERSION, WHEREAS THE TWO FOLLOWING WERE FROM LAST MONTH'S.
CAN YOU SCROLL DOWN TO THE BE RESOLVED SECTION? SO THE BE RESOLVED HERE WOULD HAVE TO BE THE, OR ESSENTIALLY THE, THE MOTION THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO MAKE IS TO RECOMMEND NO, HE HAD IT.
I THINK THE SECOND ONE IS IT IN, I'M SORRY, IN IT BE RESOLVED, WHICH IS PAGE 15 OF 67 IN THE PACKET, THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTS THE CITY MANAGER TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF AN AUSTIN PASSIVE HOUSE CHALLENGE PILOT PROGRAM AND REPORT BACK TO THE COUNCIL OF THE SECOND QUARTER FFY 2025.
NOW MAYBE THE AU MAYBE THAT SOONER THAN LIKE APRIL OF 2025, MAYBE IF AUSTIN'S FISCAL YEAR STARTS IN SEPTEMBER, THAT'S DECEMBER, 2024.
BUT I'D SURE LIKE TO SEE, WE ALREADY KNOW A LOT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND ITS FEASIBILITY, AND I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO HAVE IT LAST THAT LONG IN TERMS OF IT COMING BACK FOR, WITH THE RECOMMENDATION.
WHAT AM I MISSING? YOU'RE, I THINK YOU'RE MISSING WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER INTENDS TO DO? WHO'S TAKING THIS FORWARD?
[01:10:01]
IS THAT RIGHT? I THINK, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK THINK THE COUNCIL MEMBER DOESN'T MIND THIS TAKING A LONG TIME.I MEAN, I THINK THE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE WAS HOPING TO GET THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKED THROUGH WHILE SHE WAS STILL IN OFFICE, WHICH IS, BUT YEAH, I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY, I GUESS, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THE MOVING THE DATE FORWARD.
IS THERE ANY REASON Y'ALL CAN'T PUT PEDAL TO THE METAL AND COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION FASTER THAN THE REQUIRED DATE WHENEVER Q2 FY 2025 IS, UH, CAN I RECOGNIZE, UH, HEIDI CASPER WITH AUSTIN ENERGY? THANKS PAUL.
UM, HEIDI CASPER, AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING.
UM, W WE CAN LOOK AT IT, BUT GIVEN CURRENT STAFFING AND CURRENT PRIORITIES WITH TRYING TO MOVE A NEW ENERGY CODE FORWARD, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOW, AND JUST THE TIME THAT IT TAKES FOR CITY PROCUREMENT PROCESSES TO FIGURE OUT, UM, HOW WE'RE GOING TO RUN IT, UM, WHEREAS THE BUDGET FOR IT GOING TO COME FROM AND THEN A RECRUITMENT PROCESS FOR HOW ARE WE GONNA IDENTIFY THE PILOT PROJECTS.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
AND WHILE WE'RE CLARIFYING THINGS, THE, THE ATTESTATION ON PAGE FOUR SHOULD READ ADOPTED 2024 RATHER THAN 2023.
SO WE, WE CAN AMEND, UH, THE, THE YEAR AND, AND THEN WE WOULD NEED TO RE THE, UH, BE IT RESOLVED TO BY THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION.
APOLOGIES FOR NOT CATCHING THAT AND UPDATING IT.
UH, GOOD CATCH ON THE DATE, UH, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY, SO I'M TAKING IT THAT CHANGING THE DATE AND CHANGING THE PUBLIC BODY FROM CITY COUNCIL TO RMC, OUR FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS.
SO, UH, I DON'T HEAR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
UM, I AM, AM GENERALLY IN SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PROJECT.
I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, THE FOUR, UM, BE IT RESOLVED, ARE TO INITIATE A PILOT PROGRAM LIMITED TO THREE OR FOUR PROJECTS WITH A FINANCIAL INCENTIVE.
I KNOW LAST TIME WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DOLLAR FIGURES, BUT THAT'S BEEN REMOVED.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING IN THE BALLPARK OF, OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN, IN OTHER LOCALES, UM, ANNUAL REPORTING AND REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES IF NEEDED.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE VERSION WE'RE ON.
THE FIR THE, THE FIRST ONE IN THE PACKET.
I'M GOING TO ASSUME THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AND, UH, UN UNLESS SOMEBODY SAYS SOMETHING AND THE, THE NEXT 10 SECONDS, I WOULD LIKE, UH, UH, MS. GOODWIN TO CALL THE ROLE.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
AND COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN? YES.
[01:15:06]
OKAY.[4. Approve a recommendation on repurposing the GreenChoice Program and increasing dispatchable renewable energy.]
APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION ON REPURPOSING THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM IN INCREASING DISPATCHABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY.UM, I HAVE A SHORT PRESENTATION ON THIS.
UM, UH, SOME OF THESE SLIDES HAVE BEEN SHOWN BACK IN SEPTEMBER, BUT, UH, SOME OF THEM ARE BRAND NEW, UH, COMMISSION.
I'M ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF A RESOLUTION ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO REPURPOSE THE CITY'S GREEN CHOICE REVENUE INTO A PROGRAM THAT WILL SUPPORT TO DISPATCHABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY.
AUSTIN ENERGY BEGAN ITS AWARD-WINNING PROGRAM IN 2001 TO ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO VIRTUALLY BUY 100% GREEN POWER.
ITS INCREASED REVENUE HELPED THE UTILITY JUSTIFY THE PURCHASE OF MORE WIND POWER.
UH, AND THIS IS CURRENTLY AT THREE QUARTERS OF A CENT MORE, AND IT INCREASES THE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL BILL ABOUT 6%.
UH, IN 2022, THERE WERE, UH, 984 MILLION KILOWATT HOURS SOLD, WHICH IS ABOUT, WAS ABOUT 7% OF AUSTIN'S TOTAL CONSUMPTION.
UH, THIS AMOUNTED TO ABOUT $7.4 MILLION IN 2022 ADDITIONAL REVENUE, AND ABOUT 28,000 OR 5% OF, UH, 22, 22 CUSTOMERS SLIDE.
NOW, OUR UTILITY HAS INCREASED ITS SHARE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM LESS THAN 1% IN THE YEAR 2000 TO 51% TODAY.
AND IT HAS A GOAL SLIDE OF REACHING 80% RENEWABLE ENERGY BY 2035 SLIDE.
AND THIS PROMPTS THE QUESTION, WHY SHOULD WE ASK CUSTOMERS TO PAY MORE FOR WHAT THE UTILITY IS DOING ANYWAY? SLIDE.
UH, GETTING MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY IS NO LONGER A BIG CHALLENGE.
INSTEAD, THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE IS USING THE ENERGY WHEN IT IS NEEDED KNOWN AS DISPATCHABILITY.
HERE IS A GRAPH OF THE PERCENTAGE OF A RENEWABLE ENERGY BY HOUR ON THE ERCOT ELECTRIC GRID IN HOT, IN THE HOT AUGUST OF LAST YEAR.
AND IT RANGED FROM A HIGH OF 48% TO A LOW OF ONLY 3%.
SLIDE DISPATCHABILITY IS THE ACHILLES HEEL OF CLEAN ENERGY, AND IT ISN'T A SECRET.
IT WAS ON THE BANNER OF YESTERDAY'S AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN SLIDE.
CONSIDER THE EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADERS IN DISPATCHABLE RENEWABLE, UH, IN, LET ME REPHRASE.
CONSIDER THE EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADERS IN INTERMITTENT USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY, WHICH IS DENMARK.
IN 20 23, 60 9% OF ITS ELECTRICITY WAS PRODUCED FROM INTERMITTENT WIND AND SOLAR, ONLY 31% WAS DISPATCHABLE.
HOW DID THE COUNTRY MANAGE THIS SLIDE? BECAUSE IT TRADED WITH ITS NEIGHBORS AT TIMES OF HIGH AND LOW PRODUCTION.
UH, I'M NOT SURE HOW WELL YOU CAN SEE THESE, BUT THIS IS THE PERCENTAGE OF DISPATCHABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY IN EVERY COUNTRY IN WESTERN EUROPE.
AND IT SHOWS THE CIRCLE OF DENMARK, UH, AND IT'S AT 31%, BUT IT'S SURROUNDED BY COUNTRIES WHICH MU WITH MUCH BIGGER SHARES.
[01:20:01]
IS IN MANY RESPECTS, ONE GRID, WHICH ACTS, IF YOU'LL PARDON THE ANALOGY, AS A HUGE KIND OF BATTERY SLIDE.DENMARK TRADES WITH NORWAY, SWEDEN, GERMANY, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.
EVERY MOMENT OF THE YEAR, YOU CAN WATCH THE TRADES IN REAL TIME ONLINE IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED.
UH, SO LET'S TAKE THE $7.4 MILLION A YEAR AND REPURPOSE IT TO FUND DISPATCHABLE ENERGY PROJECTS.
HERE IS JUST ONE IDEA, LEVERAGING THE FUNDS WITH OTHER UTILITIES, PUBLIC ENTITIES, NONPROFITS, UM, AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR SLIDE.
AND THIS IS NOT JUST A PIONEERING EFFORT.
UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, DISPATCHABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY MIGHT EVEN MAKE MONEY, UH, BY BUYING LOW AND SELLING HIGH IN PEAK SUMMER AND WINTER, UH, HOURS SLIDE.
NOW, AUSTIN ENERGY, IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, HAVE CRITICIZED THEIR THIS PROPOSAL.
AND THERE ARE THREE, UH, POINTS, BIG POINTS THAT THEY'VE MADE.
ONE IS THAT, UH, THE, UM, THAT GREEN CHOICE ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO PURCHASE 100% WIND.
UH, SECOND, THAT A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SHOWED THAT PARTICIPANTS IN GREENCHOICE WERE HAPPY WITH THE PROGRAM.
AND THREE, THAT THE PROGRAM IS NOT CURRENTLY MAKING MONEY AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF A FLAWED STRUCTURE.
THERE IS NO COUNTRY IN THE WORLD RUNNING ON ANYTHING CLOSE TO 100% INTERMITTENT WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY.
IT IS NOT, IT IS PRACTICALLY NOT POSSIBLE.
THIS IS WHY I USE DENMARK AS ONE EXAMPLE SLIDE.
NO SURVEY HAS BEEN CONDUCTED ASKING GREEN CHOICE PARTICIPANTS IF THEY WANT DISPATCHABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY.
AND THIRD GREEN CHO, THE GREEN CHOICE REVENUE SHORTFALL IS BEING CORRECTED AND PHASED IN.
AUSTIN BEGAN PURSUIT OF CLEAN ENERGY IN THE EARLY 1980S AND NEVER STOPPED.
UH, MANY TIMES WE HAD BEEN AN INNOVATOR AND LED THE WAY, BUT IN THE CASE OF GREEN CHOICE, WE ARE MARCHING IN PLACE.
WE ARE STUCK IN THE SAME PLACE THAT WE WERE IN 23 YEARS AGO.
AUSTIN HAS NO PROGRAM OR MANDATE TO PURSUE DISPATCHABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY REPURPOSING GREEN CHOICE WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN.
THIS WAS UNANIMOUSLY, UH, RECOMMENDED BY THE GENERATION PLAN WORKING GROUP, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING SHORTLY.
UH, I, UM, I, UH, NEED TO EMPHASIZE TO THE AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF THAT I AM NOT A TROLL THAT USUALLY ATTACKS YOUR PROGRAMS. UH, I USUALLY VOTE FOR THEM AND OFTEN MAKE THE MOTIONS FOR THEM.
GREEN CHOICE IN ITS CURRENT FORM NEEDS TO CHANGE.
UH, WE DID NOT BECOME A LEADER IN CLEAN ENERGY BY FOLLOWING CONVENTION AND DOING WHAT WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE.
SO WITH THAT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT A MOTION ON THE TABLE, UH, WHICH IS IN YOUR PACKET, UM, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION.
UH, I, I, OF COURSE, I WANT YOU TO SPEAK AND I, LET ME READ THIS INTO THE RECORD AND TRY AND TEE THIS UP.
[01:25:01]
UH, OKAY.I'M, I'M GONNA STOP, UH, AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE A MOTION AFTER, UH, RICHARD GENE C UH, SPEAKS, UH, THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, UH, RICHARD GENESEE, VICE AUSTIN ENERGY, VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS, UH, THE COMMISSION WITH JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS TO CLARIFY AND MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMISSION IS FULLY INFORMED ABOUT OUR EFFORTS.
UH, HERE WE HAVE MET, UH, SEVERAL TIMES, UH, WITH VICE CHAIR ROBBINS AND, AND COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN ON, UH, THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM.
AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE MADE, UH, PROGRESS, UH, AS COMM UH, AS VICE CHAIR.
UM, ROBINS INDICATED THE PROGRAM IS LAUNCHED ORIGINALLY IN 2001, AND HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME.
THE PROGRAM HAS NOT BEEN STATIC.
UM, IN FACT, OUR CHARGE WITH ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS IS TO CONSTANTLY IMPROVE AND EVOLVE OUR PROGRAM.
SO, AND, UH, TO, UH, UH, IN WORKING WITH THE TWO RMC COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE HAVE, UH, AGREED, UH, THAT PART OF THE, UH, IMPROVEMENT NEEDED WITH GREEN CHOICE IS HOW GREEN CHOICE IS BEING, UH, COMMUNICATED TO BY, YOU KNOW, ABOUT TWO CUSTOMERS.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE MADE CHOICES AND HAVE INITIATED THOSE CHANGES.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, AS, AS VICE CHAIR ROBINS INDICATED, UH, THERE ARE SOME, UH, CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE WORKING ON.
I DON'T THINK THAT REPURPOSING, WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT REPURPOSING THE, IT'S KIND OF, UH, A LITTLE INAPPROPRIATE TO TERM THEM REVENUES.
THEY'RE NOT REALLY REVENUES OF THE, UH, PROGRAM.
AND THE PROGRAM WILL NOT BE CASH POSITIVE AGAIN UNTIL THE YEAR 2027.
UH, AND I ALSO WANTED TO JUST POINT OUT TO THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WERE WE TO REPOSITION, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FUNDS FROM GREEN CHOICE, THE RATES WOULD INCREASE BY THE SAME PROPORTIONAL AMOUNT.
SO, UM, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NECESSITATE WOULD NECESSITATE FURTHER STUDY, UH, BEFORE WE WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT AN ACTION LIKE THIS.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE AGREE WITH, UH, A LOT OF THE PRINCIPLES THAT, UH, VICE CHAIR ROBBINS IS DISCUSSING.
I'D ALMOST SUMMARIZE IT BY SAYING SOME OF THE THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT, UH, POTENTIALLY CORRECT IDEA, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING PROPOSED IN A WAY THAT MIGHT BE, MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT CONSEQUENCES, UNANTICIPATED CONSEQUENCES, THAN ACTUALLY HURT THE PORTFOLIO.
AND OF, UH, CUSTOMERS WHO ELECTED TO, UH, PAY A PREMIUM IN ORDER FOR THEIR ENERGY TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT GREEN, NOT NECESSARILY WIND, OR MAYBE IT WAS ORIGINALLY WIND.
BUT THE PURPOSE OF GREEN CHOICE TODAY IS JUST SO RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS HAVE AN OPTION TO ELECT A CHOICE TO PAY A PREMIUM FOR THEIR ENERGY TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT GREEN.
AND ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, THAT'S A, THAT'S A CHOICE CUSTOMERS MAKE.
ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, IT'S EXCEEDINGLY IMPORTANT TO CUSTOMERS BECAUSE THEIR POLICIES MAY BE, UH, VERY MUCH DRIVEN BY THE NECESSITY THAT THEY BE A HUNDRED PERCENT GREEN.
SO WE OFFER THEM THAT OPTION THROUGH GREEN CHOICE.
SO THAT, THAT IS SIMPLY WHAT THE, WHAT THE, UH, PROGRAM OFFERING IS TODAY.
AND AS, AS VICE CHAIR ROBBINS INDICATED, THE, UH, SURVEY THAT WE'VE DONE HAS INDICATED THAT CUSTOMERS ARE VERY SATISFIED WITH THE PROGRAM IN ITS CURRENT STATE.
AND THAT SURVEY WAS DONE ACROSS RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE COMMISSIONERS BEFORE YOU CONSIDERED THIS PROPOSAL HAD, UM, UH, INFORMATION.
UH, SO MY PURPOSE HERE TONIGHT WAS JUST TO EDUCATE, UM, AND TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, UH, WE ARE IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE NOT IN SUPPORT OF THIS, UH, PROPOSED RESOLUTION.
UM, UM, PLEASE, I WAS WONDERING, YEAH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER SAIZ.
I WAS WONDERING IF I GONNA ASK JUST A CLARIFY CLARIFIER OR TWO, AND I APOLOGIZE.
I'M, I'M DEFINITELY THE NEW PERSON HERE, SO
[01:30:01]
DON'T MEAN TO DERAIL, BUT, UM, JUST A, A SIMPLE ONE ON GREEN CHOICE.SO, UH, NOT CASHFLOW POSITIVE NOW, BUT PREDICTED TO BE IN THE FUTURE IS THE, IS THE ACTUAL NUTS AND BOLTS OF HOW IT WORKS.
CUSTOMERS PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THEN YOU ACTUALLY BUY MORE ELECTRICITY FROM WIND AND SOLAR SOURCES.
YEAH, WE HAVE PPAS, WE HAVE CONTRACTS THAT WE ENTER INTO, RIGHT, OKAY.
UM, IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THAT, BUT THERE'S NOT, IT'S NOT AS IF THERE'S AN ACTUAL DIRECT TIE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE DO IS WE ENSURE THAT THE ENERGY IS A HUNDRED PERCENT GREEN TO THOSE CUSTOMERS, AND THAT'S CERTIFIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CERTIFY.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH A THIRD PARTY THAT ACTUALLY CERTIFIES THAT TRANSACTION, SO THAT'S SECURE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, UH, SPECIFIES THAT IT'S NO LONGER NEEDED BECAUSE OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S INCREASINGLY GREEN PORTFOLIO, UM, OR CLEAN ENERGY PORTFOLIO.
UH, THE, THE POINT IS THAT GREEN CHOICE OFFERS THE CUSTOMERS THAT CHOICE TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT GREEN.
IT HAS LESS TO DO WITH HOW MUCH OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S PORTFOLIO IS GREEN.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE CHOICE THOSE CUSTOMERS ARE MAKING, AND THAT THEY WANT TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT GREEN IN THEIR ENERGY SELECTION, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
BUT WHEN WE GET TO A HUNDRED PERCENT, OBVIOUSLY THE PROGRAM DOES BECOME DEFUNCT.
UH, THANKS FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
AND IS, IS, AND MAYBE, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A PING PONG BACK TO YOU.
SO, UM, THE, MY QUESTION IS, UM, DO YOU INTEND, WOULD, WOULD YOU HAVE THIS, THE, UM, IF YOU HAD A MAGIC WAND, WOULD YOU HAVE THIS, THE PROGRAM STAY THE SAME EXCEPT WHEN IT IS CASH FLOW POSITIVE, DO SOMETHING WITH THAT MONEY RELATED TO DISPATCHABLE ENERGY? OR WOULD YOU SIMPLY CHANGE IT TO SAY, LIKE, GREEN CHOICE NOW MEANS YOU PAY A LITTLE BIT EXTRA TO SUPPORT DISPATCHABLE ENERGY? WELL, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION, WE DON'T HAVE PROJECTS YET.
UH, BUT, UH, IN MY FIRST PRESENTATION IN SEPTEMBER, I ACTUALLY, UH, LAID OUT A FEW POSSIBLE TECHNOLOGIES.
THEY WERE, UH, IN PRODUCT FORM, BUT SORT OF ON THE CUTTING EDGE, UM, UM, STORAGE BATTERIES, FOR INSTANCE, THAT, BUT THIS, SORRY TO INTERRUPT THIS QUESTION IS MORE ABOUT THE LIKE, STRUCTURE OF, OF HOW YOU WOULD CHANGE THE PRO PROGRAM.
YOU WOULD TAKE THE $7.4 MILLION OR WHATEVER THE REVENUE IS, AND YOU WOULD USE IT TO FUND, UH, BATTERIES OR DISPATCHABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION.
SO THIS IS NOT ABOUT CHANGING THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM.
I'M STILL ABLE TO BUY A HUNDRED PERCENT RENEWABLE.
BUT IT'S JUST WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THAT PROFIT.
SO IS THIS REALLY, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS JUST A, A, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT.
SORRY FOR WORKING THROUGH IT KIND OF ON THE FLY HERE, BUT, UM, DOESN'T THAT JUST GO TO LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY'S BUDGET FOR WHICH THERE ARE PROBABLY LIKE, UH, MANY OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THAT, UH, IT KIND OF, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENED IS OVER THE YEARS, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY, AND I'M, I'M, I HAVE A, UM, REPUTATION, UM, GOOD OR BAD OF BEING RATHER PLAIN, UH, IN MY MEANING.
UH, AND I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT, UH, I WAS A GREEN CHOICE SUBSCRIBER FROM ABOUT 2003 TO ABOUT 2023, AND I QUIT.
AND THERE WERE A COUPLE REASONS FOR IT WAS, BUT THE BIGGEST ONE IS I COULDN'T JUSTIFY IT ANYMORE BECAUSE I FELT IT WAS ALMOST MEANINGLESS.
I COULDN'T JUSTIFY IT TO MY FRIENDS OR, UH, UM, WHO LIVE IN AUSTIN IN OUR AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMERS.
IT'S LIKE, YOU WANT ME TO PAY MORE MONEY FOR WHAT THE CITY'S ALREADY DOING NOW? AND EVEN WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW ISN'T ENOUGH BECAUSE WE NO LONG, IT'S NO LONGER ABOUT GETTING WIND ON THE SYSTEM.
IT'S ABOUT GETTING WIND ON THE SYSTEM THAT YOU CAN STORE WHEN YOU NEED IT.
UH, AND SO I, I TOOK ALL THAT, AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT
[01:35:01]
I QUIT GREEN CHOICE, BUT WITH THE INTENTION ON THIS COMMISSION OF TRYING TO REPURPOSE IT FOR, UH, TO ACTUALLY GET DISPATCHABILITY, UH, AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD HOPE AUSTIN ENERGY WOULD DO.THEY WOULD ASK ME, OR YOU OR, UH, THE AVERAGE CUSTOMER TO PAY MORE TO TAKE US TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
UH, NOW GETTING BACK TO, IS THIS, UH, GOING TO COST EVERYBODY MORE? AUSTIN ENERGY, IN MY OPINION, HAS KIND OF MISLED CUSTOMERS.
THEY'RE SAYING, BUY THIS IN, ITS 100% GREEN, AND IT REALLY ISN'T.
LOOK AT DENMARK, LOOK AT, UH, UH, ANY, UM, COUNTRY WHO IS GRAPPLING WITH THIS ISSUE.
AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND ONE MAJOR COUNTRY OR UTILITY THAT DOES NOT HAVE DISPATCHABLE BACKUP.
IF YOU'RE LUCKY AND YOU'RE IN NEW ZEALAND OR BRAZIL, WELL, MAYBE YOU HAVE HYDROELECTRICITY AND IT'S CARBON FREE OR GEOTHERMAL, BUT IT HAS TO BE DISPATCHABLE.
IN TEXAS, WE DON'T HAVE GEOTHERMAL.
SO IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE SOMETHING ELSE.
SO WHY, WHY DO THESE THINGS HAVE TO BE COUPLED THE, THE LIKE, DISPATCHABLE ENERGY, SOLAR STORAGE, WIND AND STORAGE WITH YOU DEFINITELY MAKES SENSE THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.
UM, BUT THIS GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM IN PARTICULAR SEEMS LIKE JUST LIKE A, AN INTERESTING, LIKE WHY THIS IN PARTICULAR, LIKE YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, IT'S AN OBSOLETE PROGRAM, IN MY OPINION, WHO DOESN'T SOUND ENTIRELY OBSOLETE BECAUSE MR. VICE HERE, WE'RE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UH, WELL WAIT, I DON'T WANT TO CUT OFF COMMISSIONER ERUS.
I CAN, YEAH, I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
I I'D LIKE TO ANSWER, I THINK HIS QUESTION PLEASE.
AND THAT IS THAT THERE ARE REALLY, YOU HAVE JUMPED IN AT AN INTERESTING TIME INTO THIS CONVERSATION.
THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PROPOSALS OR ISSUES IN PLAY HERE, AND WE ARE DISCUSSING, AND THEY'RE CLOSELY RELATED TO, TO EACH OTHER, BUT NOT EXACTLY THE SAME.
COMMISSIONER ROBIN'S PROPOSAL IS BOTH ABOUT WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM AND WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE GREEN CHOICE REVENUES? AND HIS PROPOSAL VERY EXPLICITLY HERE IS LET'S COMMIT TO SPEND THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM REVENUES FOR A VERY SPECIFIC PURPOSE, RATHER THAN GOING INTO THE GENERAL AUSTIN ENERGY BUDGET.
THE SECOND PROPOSAL, WHICH COM, UM, MR. GENESEE ALLUDED TO ON THAT, UM, I AND VICE CHAIR ROBBINS HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT SO FAR, IS HOW DO WE REDESIGN THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM ITSELF TO BE MORE MODERN AND FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE VERY QUESTIONS YOU'VE ASKED ABOUT, IF THIS ISN'T CHANGING THE AMOUNT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY THAT AUSTIN ENERGY BUYS, HOW DO WE MAKE IT MORE FOCUSED AND COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY ABOUT WHAT IT IS DOING AND WHAT ROLE IT IS SERVING IN THE TRANSITION TO A CLEANER DE AFFORDABLE DECARBONIZED SYSTEM FOR AUSTIN ENERGY? AND THAT IS IMPLICATED IN VICE CHAIR ROBIN'S PROPOSAL, BUT IT'S A COM IT IS A SEPARATE BUT CLOSELY RELATED ISSUE.
AND I HAVE COMMITTED TO WORK OFFLINE WITH COMMISSIONER ROBBINS AND MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF TO SEE WHERE WE CAN GO ON THAT AND THEN BRING, SEE IF WE ACTUALLY NEED RMC ACTION AT ALL, OR JUST IF, IF WE CAN ALL GET TO A BETTER PROPOSAL FOR WHAT GREEN CHOICE WILL LOOK LIKE, THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS READY TO ACCEPT AND BRING TO US WITH AS A PROPOSAL, RATHER THAN US BEATING THEM OVER THE HEAD AND SHOULDERS.
SO I HOPE THAT IS HELPFUL IN TERMS OF CLARIFYING, YOU ARE ASKING ALL THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, BUT THERE ARE MULTIPLE ISSUES IN PLAY HERE, AND YOU'RE COVERING BOTH OF THEM.
SO, SO GOOD JOB ON YOUR FIRST MEETING, MY FRIEND.
YEAH, THANKS FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
UH, AND IF I'M UNDERSTANDING RIGHT THAT MY MOMENT IN TIME IS LIKE, YOU'RE READY TO VOTE RIGHT ON THIS ISSUE, YOU WOULD LIKE TO WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS FOR A COUPLE MEETINGS, BUT, UM, I TAKE NO ONE FOR GRANTED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE VOTES
[01:40:01]
ARE HERE TONIGHT.IF THEY'RE NOT, I WILL CONTINUE TO CRUSADE.
BUT, UM, UM, I I, I, I DO WANT TO DOUBLE BACK ON ONE THING.
UH, WHEN I SAID THE PROGRAM IS OBSOLETE AND STAFF IS TAKING THIS IN, UH, THIS $7.4 MILLION OR WHATEVER EXTRA REVENUE, THEY'RE TAKING IT INTO THE FUEL BUDGET, AND THEY'RE, THEY'VE SORT OF GROWN TO EXPECT IT.
UH, AND I, I'M SORRY, I HAVE NO SYMPATHY.
UH, IT WOULD BE A VERY MINOR INCREASE TO THE, UH, OVERALL, UM, UH, FUEL BUDGET, UH, PSA AS IT'S CALLED, UM, UM, POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT, UH, IF IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY MONEY IN ARBITRAGE, UH, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I CAN, UH, JUSTIFY, UH, CONTINUING AN OBSOLETE PROGRAM, UH, BECAUSE AUSTIN ENERGY MISTAKENLY RELIED, UH, ON THIS AS A FUEL SUBSIDY.
IF, IF I COULD, UM, I'D LIKE TO ACTUALLY CALL THE MANAGER OF THE CUSTOMER RENEWABLE SOLUTIONS GROUP UP HERE AGAIN, TIM HARVEY, WHO ACTUALLY CAN, UM, YEAH, EXPLAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW MORE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, JUST SO THE COMMISSION UNDERSTANDS HOW IT OPERATES AND HOW WE DO NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, AGREE WITH THE ASSESSMENT THAT IT IS AN OBSOLETE PROGRAM.
BUT HE DID KIND OF EXPLAIN THIS AT THE LAST MEETING, PLEASE, MR. HARVEY.
HI, TIM HARVEY, CUSTOMER RENEWABLE SOLUTIONS MANAGER.
SO, UM, JUST TO KIND OF DISCUSS HOW THE REVENUE FLOWS WORK, UM, FOR MOST CUSTOMERS, RESIDENTIAL, SMALL COMMERCIAL, UM, THAT DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT, IT'S A FLOATING PREMIUM.
SO IT'S 75, UM, CENTS, OR SORRY, 0.75 CENTS PER KILOWATT HOUR OVER THE PSA AS A PREMIUM THAT JUST FLOATS AND HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ON CONTRACT AND THEY'RE ON FIVE YEAR CONTRACTS.
THEY'RE, THE PATRON CUSTOMERS REPRESENTS ABOUT, UM, TWO THIRDS OF THE TOTAL CONSUMPTION OF THE PROGRAM.
AND THOSE CUSTOMERS ARE ON A FIXED PRICE THAT REPLACES THE PSA.
SO, UM, THAT FIXED PRICE STARTED AS A PREMIUM, BUT IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, WE SAW A LOT OF MARKET CHANGES AND ERCOT, WHICH HAVE AFFECTED OUR, OUR COSTS TO DELIVER POWER TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND SO, AS SUCH, WE'VE HAD TO RAISE THAT, THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT.
SO ALL OF THE PATRON CUSTOMERS ARE ON THAT FIXED PRICE THAT REPLACED THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT.
SO NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL PAYING LESS THAN EVERY OTHER CUSTOMER THAT DOESN'T, THAT ISN'T ON GREEN CHOICE.
AND THAT'S WHY IN 2022, WE HAD REVENUES, BUT IN 2023 AND THIS YEAR, AND UNTIL 2027, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE TO HAVE ANY, ANY REVENUES TO PUT TOWARDS ANY KIND OF RESEARCH.
SO, CLARIFYING QUESTION THERE, THOUGH, UM, THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT INCLUDES THINGS BEYOND JUST GREEN CHOICE, RIGHT? THIS IS A STACK OF THINGS.
RIGHT? SO THAT REPRESENTS BASICALLY OUR, IT USED TO BE FUEL COSTS, BUT NOW IT'S MORE LIKE POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S ALSO FUEL COSTS, BUT SO DOES IT REALLY MAKE SENSE TO, UM, TO VIEW THE, WHETHER OR NOT GREEN CHOICE AS AN ITEM IS CASHFLOW POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE BASED ON FUEL COSTS? BECAUSE ISN'T ISN'T THE GREEN CHOICE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT BUYING CONTRACTS THAT ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT RENEWABLE, RIGHT.
WHICH SHOULD BE, IF YOU WERE TO BREAK THAT OUT, JUST THAT.
SO, SO FOR, FOR THE PATRON CUSTOMERS, WE FIXED THAT COST.
SO WHILE PATRON WAS A PREMIUM AT FIRST, WHEN THE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN THE ERCOT MARKET IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS DUE TO THE
[01:45:01]
WINTER STORMS AND SCARCITY OF GENERATION.AND SO NOW THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT IS MORE THAN THE COMMUNITY SOLAR ARE, OR SORRY, THE, THE GREEN CHOICE, UM, ADJUSTMENT, RIGHT? BUT THAT I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT THIS OTHER THAN LIKE THAT, THAT'S NOT REALLY GREEN CHOICE'S FAULT, RIGHT? NO, IT'S NOT, NOT AT ALL.
BUT IT'S JUST TO EXPLAIN WHY THE PROGRAM ITSELF IS NOT GOING TO BE CASH FLOW POSITIVE UNTIL 2027 WHEN THOSE START TO ROLL OFF.
SO POWERS BUYING THE COST OF BUYING POWER CHANGED, RIGHT? AND SO THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT WERE ON A FIXED, HAD A FIXED CONTRACT, THEY NOW BENEFITED 'CAUSE THEY PAY A LOWER COST.
UM, RIGHT? BUT THE, THERE'S ONLY A PIECE OF THAT IS GREEN CHOICE, RIGHT? THE COST CHANGED ACROSS THE BOARD FOR, FOR WHAT IS, WHAT IS IN THAT PSA BUCKET, BUT GREEN CHOICE IS ONLY A PIECE OF THAT, RIGHT? SO I STILL DON'T THINK IT REALLY MAKES SENSE TO A SMALL PIECE OF IT TO SAY GREEN CHOICE AS A THING, IS CASHFLOW NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE BECAUSE ALL OF THESE OTHER COSTS CHANGED.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WELL, AS A PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD LOOK AT THE PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM AND YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS PLAYING THAT FLOATING PREMIUM.
SO THAT MONEY IS COMING IN CASHFLOW POSITIVE, BUT THEN ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE FIXED ARE NOW PAYING LESS THAN THE PSA.
SO THAT'S OFFSETTING THAT CASHFLOW POSITIVE AND ACTUALLY TAKING IT NEGATIVE.
BUT, SO THERE ARE PROBABLY ALSO CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ON A FIXED CONTRACT THAT DO NOT DO GREEN CHOICE, AND THEY ARE ALSO, YOU'RE ALSO CASHFLOW NEGATIVE FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS, RIGHT? UM, I DON'T KNOW OF OF OTHER CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ON FIXED CONTRACTS.
THERE COULD BE THE, THE PSA, UH, IS NOT ON A CONTRACT BASIS, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GREEN CHOICE.
THAT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING OF MY PART THEN.
SO, SO THE PSA FLUCTUATES OFTEN.
UM, YEAH, IT IT'S AN ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT FOR, UH, AN AVERAGE OF ALL THE FUEL GAS, NUCLEAR COAL.
UM, SO ALL OF WHICH IS TO SAY THAT THERE, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE REVENUES FROM THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM UNTIL 2027 UNTIL RECENTLY IT WAS ANNUAL.
AND, AND, AND, AND I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT THE PATRON, UH, PROGRAM HAS BEEN CHANGED AND IS NOW ALSO A FLOATING PREMIUM OF HALF A CENT OVER THE, UM, PSA AND THAT'S TO REFLECT THAT FIVE YEAR COMMITMENT THAT COMPANIES MAKE.
YEAH, I STILL THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF LIKE, OF ACCOUNTING THAT CAN BE CHANGED AR ARBITRARILY TO SAY WHETHER OR NOT THE GREEN CHOICE SPECIFICALLY IS BASED ON WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, UM, TO SAY GREEN CHOICE SPECIFICALLY, IS CASHFLOW POSITIVE OR, OR NEGATIVE? UM, YEAH.
WELL, I THINK I, YOU KNOW, I, JUST TO MAKE, EXPLAIN A LITTLE FURTHER, I, OUR UTILITY SCALE WIND PROJECTS ARE OUT IN WEST TEXAS.
AND SO THO THAT GENERATION HAS TO SELL INTO THE ERCOT MARKET AT THE LOAD ZONE PRICE FOR THAT AREA THAT IT'S IN.
AND THAT LOAD ZONE PRICE WHERE THERE ISN'T LOAD TENDS TO BE LOWER THAN THE LOAD ZONE PRICE LIKE AUSTIN, WHERE THERE IS LOAD MM-HMM.
AND SO AS WE'VE RETIRED SOME OF OUR LOCAL GENERATION WITHIN OUR LOAD ZONE RECENTLY, THAT LOAD ZONE PRICES WENT UP.
SO WHAT WE HAVE IS A, A, A CASE OF PRICE SEPARATION MARKET AT A HIGHER PRICE.
AND THAT REFLECTS THE CONGESTION OF THE MARKET AND, AND, UM, SO THAT, AND, AND THE TRANSMISSION AS WELL.
SO THE CONGESTION AND THE TRANSMISSION CAN FLUCTUATE WHILE WE HAVE FIXED COSTS OR FIXED PPAS FOR THIS ENERGY TO GET IT HERE TO LOAD COSTS MONEY.
SO JUST SO YOU I SEE, UNDERSTAND, JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND IT, SO IT'S NOT A FIXED CONTRACT, ACTUALLY BUYING A HUNDRED PERCENT RENEWABLE ENERGY ACTUALLY WENT UP SUCH THAT YOU CANNOT DO IT FOR THE YOU PREMIUM THAT YOU AGREED TO AT THE TIME OF MAKING THOSE CONTRACTS.
WELL, I MEAN, THEN I THINK IT MAKES SENSE IF I, IF MY NEW UNDERSTANDING IS RIGHT, IT'S LIKE, THEN YEAH, THEN IT MAKES SENSE.
I I THINK IT'S MORE ALONG THE LINES OF, UH, EVERYTHING ELSE WENT UP.
[01:50:02]
I, I COULD BE WRONG.UH, IT COULD BE BOTH DYNAMICS AT ONCE.
BUT WITH, UH, THE WAR IN UKRAINE AND THE INCREASE IN GAS PRICES, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, UH, BEING IN YOUR FIELD, UH, UH, FUEL WENT SKY HIGH AND IT'S REFLECTED IN THE ELECTRIC RATES.
BUT I GUESS IF, IF GREEN CHOICE CUSTOMERS DON'T, IF THEY ARE REALLY IN A SENSE ONLY BUYING RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY, THEN THEY SHOULD NOT, THEN WHETHER OR NOT WE SAY GREEN CHOICE IS CASHFLOW POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE SHOULD BE TOTALLY INDEPENDENT OF NATURAL GAS AND OTHER LIKE FUEL SOURCES.
AND, BUT AUSTIN ENERGY HAS NOT SET THE PRICE, THE GREEN CHOICE RATES AS A FUNCTION OF THE COST OF RENEWABLE ENERGY ACQUISITION.
THEY HAVE SET THE PRICES CHARGED FOR GREEN CHOICE BASED ON AN ASSESSMENT OF COMPARABLE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MARKET.
SO THE, AS AS FUND HAS BEEN TO LISTEN TO THIS CONVERSATION, THE COST OF THE GREEN, IT IS NOT VERY FEW OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S RATES ARE EXPECTED TO DELIVER A 1 4 1 MATCHING BETWEEN THE COST OF THE PROGRAM AND THE RECOVERY OF REVENUES FOR THAT PROGRAM.
SO I THINK Y'ALL ARE DOING A GLORIOUS JOB PURSUING A RED HERRING.
THE IMPORTANT ISSUE HERE IS NOT WHY DID PRICES GO UP FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY, BUT RATHER SHOULD WE USE THESE, THESE REVENUES SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TO IMPROVE THE INTEGRATION AND USE AND CAPABILITY OF MAKING RENEWABLE ENERGY MORE RELIABLE AND DISPATCHABLE AS WITH MEASURES LIKE, UM, MORE BATTERIES OR MORE DEMAND RESPONSE, OR MORE OF OTHER KINDS OF TECHNOLOGY.
SO I WANNA ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO SORT OF REFOCUS ON WHAT'S THE POINT OF VICE CHAIR ROBBINS PROPOSAL, WHICH IS HOW SHOULD WE SPEND THE MONEY? THANK YOU.
UH, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? NO, I DIDN'T.
IT WAS PROBABLY SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO I, I GUESS THE, THE IDEA THAT, LIKE, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S THE COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS WHO ARE ALMOST ENTIRELY AUSTIN ENERGY, RIGHT? AND AI OR AUSTIN, CITY OF AUSTIN AND A ISD, AND THEN OTHERS WHO NEED TO MEET GREEN REX FOR THEIR ESG OR OTHER PARAMETERS, ALL OF THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS UNTIL RECENTLY, AND PROBABLY SOME OTHER COMMISSIONERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, LIKE IF WE ARE PRIVILEGED ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO PAY A PREMIUM ON OUR ELECTRIC BILL, I THINK THAT, I GUESS WHEN I PAY THAT PREMIUM.
AND SO I GUESS WHAT I'M NOT CLEAR ON IS WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS HAPPENING.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE, IT SOUNDS LIKE NO, FROM THE REPORT WE GOT EARLIER, AND THEN WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING IS LIKE, KIND OF, SORT OF MAYBE, BUT LIKE, AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT LIKE MAYBE THOSE TWO THINGS NEED TO BE DECOUPLED AND THERE'S LIKE THE GREEN CHOICE FOR THE COMPANIES THAT NEED THE RECS, AND THEN THERE'S THE GREEN CHOICE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WANNA FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE NEED TO BE TWO SEPARATE THINGS OR NOT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO, IT IS UNAMBIGUOUS THAT YOUR CHOICE TO CONSUME GREEN CHOICE ENERGY HAS NO IMPACT ON AUSTIN ENER, ON THE AMOUNT OF RENEWABLES THAT AUSTIN ENERGY PURCHASES AND USES.
HOW CAN THAT BE TRUE? IT SOUNDS THAT'S THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE'RE, I'M HEARING RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S WHY THE PROGRAM NEEDS TO BE REVISED AND IMPROVED, PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT TO COMMUNICATION.
THEN WE NEED TO GET TO WHAT THE FACTS ARE.
AUSTIN ENERGY IS AUSTIN ENERGY CONSUMING FOR ECONOMIC AND DECARBONIZATION GOALS.
AUSTIN ENERGY IS 53% OF THE UTILITY ENERGY USE IS RENEWABLE, BUT GREEN CHOICE IS SERVING APPROXIMATELY 7% RENEWABLES, PERIOD.
SO THE REST, THE 53 MINUS SEVEN IS GRAVY IN, IN TERMS OF RENEWABLES.
I MEAN, IT'S SAVING US MONEY AND IT'S KEEPING OUR LIGHTS ON.
BUT YOUR CHOICE, IF YOU WERE TO CONSUME A LOT MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY, YOU WOULD NOT CHANGE THAT 53%.
YOU WOULDN'T MOVE THAT NEEDLE BACK IN THE DAY.
UH, COMMISSIONER CITA, UH, WHEN WIND POWER WAS FIRST INTRODUCED IN TEXAS, GREEN CHOICE WAS A BIG DEAL.
UH, IT ALLOWED THE UTILITY MORE LATITUDE TO, UH, GO OUT INTO THE MARKET AND PURCHASE MORE
[01:55:01]
WIND.UH, WE ARE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM ANYMORE.
AND SO, UH, I'M SAYING, LET'S MOVE ON.
I SHOWED YOU ALL THE FRONT PAGE OF YESTERDAY'S STATESMAN.
UH, LET'S SAY THAT, UH, THE COMMISSION DOESN'T PASS THIS MOTION TONIGHT.
WHAT'S AUSTIN ENERGY'S, UH, ANSWER TO DISPATCHABILITY? THAT'S A LOADED QUESTION.
THEIR UTILITY DOESN'T HAVE ONE.
UH, AND I AM TRYING TO FIND A MODEST WAY OF MOVING THIS FORWARD.
AND, UH, I, THAT, THAT IS MY MOTIVATION HERE.
CAN I, CAN I MAKE A COUPLE POINTS? WELL, YES, BUT AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO, UH, THIS IS TO MOVE ON.
THE, MY MY COMMENT IS JUST TO ASK IF WE DON'T GET THE VOTE THAT YOU WANT TONIGHT, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, CAN YOU BRING IT BACK TO THE TABLE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT? I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO JUMP IN AND SAY THE SAME THING.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO VOTE AND GO FROM THERE.
BOTH SIDES HAVE STATED THEIR PART.
AUSTIN ENERGY, AND YOU, COMMISSIONER ROBINSON HAS STATED THEIR PART.
IT'S TIME FOR US TO MOVE ON, SO I'M READY TO VOTE.
IF WE NEED TO MAKE, IF WE NEED CLEARER UNDERSTANDING, THEN LET'S TAKE THIS OFFLINE.
I, I, I, I ALLUDED TO THAT A MOMENT AGO, SO, YES.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UH, THAT, DO I NEED TO READ THIS OUT? EVERYONE HAS THIS IN THEIR PACKET.
I THINK WE ALL GOT UNDERSTANDING.
AND IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND SILVERSTEIN.
UM, BEFORE I, BEFORE WE VOTE, UM, TWO THINGS.
ONE, UM, I, IF THIS DOESN'T SUCCEED, I WILL BRING THIS BACK, UH, BUT NOT INCESSANTLY BECAUSE I DO NOT, UH, I DON'T WANT THIS, UH, TO BE AN ISSUE AT EVERY MEETING.
UM, IT COULD BE THAT AS MORE INFORMATION AND THINKING ON THIS GROWS, UH, PEOPLE'S, UH, MINDS WILL CHANGE.
SECOND, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? UH, COMMISSIONER DAVIS? YES.
UM, JUST A QUESTION FOR COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN.
UM, DID YOU SAY THAT YOU WERE WORKING ON A RE-IMAGINING OF THIS PROGRAM WITH, WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, OFFLINE AND EXPECT TO HAVE A, A DIFFERENT PROPOSAL? I THOUGHT I RECALL THAT FROM OUR LAST DISCUSSION.
I AM TALKING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY ABOUT HOW THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM ITSELF, NOT HOW THE FUNDS ARE USED, BUT HOW THE PROGRAM ITSELF IS STRUCTURED AND COMMUNICATED.
MY VIEW IS THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE FAR MORE OF A NUTS AND BOLTS.
HERE'S HOW YOU GET YOUR VERIFIED GREEN ENERGY WITH A MORE CLEAR TRANSACTIONAL BASIS OF THIS IS WHAT GREEN ENERGY DOES FOR US, AND HERE'S HOW YOU CAN USE IT FOR YOUR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS, RATHER THAN THE SORT OF BROAD, LOOSE, THIS IS GREEN AND GOOD FOR YOU KIND OF THING, LIKE VITAMINS.
SO I'M IN CONVERSATION WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AT THIS TIME ABOUT THAT, AND WELCOME ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO JOIN THAT CONVERSATION, BUT DIDN'T THINK IT WAS PRODUCTIVE TO KEEP IT BRINGING IT BACK TO YOU ALL WITHOUT A VERY CLEAR, MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE PATH FORWARD.
WHEN I BEGAN THIS, UH, MY, MY CAREER IN THE LATE SEVENTIES, UM, EXCUSE ME.
I THOUGHT WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A VOTE.
I WE'VE ALREADY GOT THE FIRST AND SECOND OF THE CONVERSATION IN BETWEEN.
I DON'T NEED TO, TO, I I WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT, VICE CHAIR.
I DON'T MEAN TO BE DISRESPECTFUL, BUT I THINK WE, WE GOT THE MOTION TO VOTE.
I THINK OUR VOTE NEEDS TO GO FOR IT.
AND I WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT.
[02:00:01]
WHEN I BEGAN THIS IN THE LATE SEVENTIES, WE WERE TOLD THAT WHAT WE WERE DOING TODAY, UH, WOULDN'T WORK AND WAS IRRELEVANT.UH, WE DID NOT GET HERE BY FOLLOWING CONVENTION.
UH, MS. GOODWIN, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE COMMISSIONER ROBBINS? YES.
COMMISSIONER, UH, SILVERSTEIN? YES.
SO IT DOES NOT PASS BECAUSE IT NEEDS SIX VOTES.
I WILL BRING THIS BACK, BUT NOT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
[5. Approve a budget recommendation to conduct outreach and engagement for City of Austin sustainability incentives.]
BUDGET RECOMMENDATION TO CONDUCT OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.UM, SO THIS ITEM IS, UH, COMING FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
UH, AT OUR LAST MEETING, THE JSC RECOMMENDED A NUMBER OF BUDGET, UH, ITEMS FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S BUDGET.
UM, ONE OF THEM I FELT WAS RELEVANT TO BRING TO THIS BODY, TO THIS COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION.
UM, AND IT IS ABOUT OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABILITY INCENTIVES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO, UM, RIGHT NOW, AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN WATER HAVE VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT ARE, UM, PROVIDING, UH, INCENTIVES, REBATES, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT FOR, UM, SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE MANY OF WHICH UNDERUTILIZED, ESPECIALLY AMONG THE LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS IN THE CITY.
UM, WEATHERIZATION REPAIR, WATER CONSERVATION, RAINWATER COLLECTION, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, THERE ARE BUDGETS FOR, UM, THOSE ITEMS, BUT THEY'RE NOT, UM, BEING, UM, FULLY UTILIZED.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE JSC WAS, UM, TWO PARTS, UM, FOR A TOTAL OF 320,000.
UM, THE FIRST PART IS, UH, A HEADCOUNT, A FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT FOR A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST THAT DOES, UH, OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH PROMOTING THAT FULL SUITE OF SUSTAINABILITY INCENTIVES, UM, PARTICULARLY FOR, UM, ENGAGING WITH, UM, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, UM, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UH, ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS IN THE AREA THAT DO OUTREACH AND DO PROGRAMS, UM, UM, WITH THOSE POPULATIONS.
AND THE SECOND PIECE OF IT WAS, UH, FOR GRANTS, CONTRACTS AND STIPENDS, UM, FOR THOSE, UM, PARTNERS, PARTNERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THEY WOULD WORK WITHIN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, UM, TO CONDUCT THAT OUTREACH.
UM, SO THIS ONE I THOUGHT WAS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, RELATED.
WE HAVE ANOTHER ITEM ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT ABOUT MAKING IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO FIND THESE INCENTIVES.
SO I THINK THAT KIND OF, UM, DOVETAILS WITH THIS.
BUT, UM, AS I SAID, THIS WAS PASSED BY THE JSC IN FEBRUARY, SO I BROUGHT IT TO THE RMC FOR CONSIDERATION HERE.
I'M SORRY, IS IT, WAS THAT COMMISSIONER DAVIS? YES.
SORRY, YOU DIDN'T SAY YOUR NAME AND I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO YOU WERE AND WHO THIS WAS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS YOU.
WHERE ARE WE? ARE ARE, I'LL, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION AND I WILL SECOND IT.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION, UH, COMMISSIONERS? ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR COMMISSIONER DAVIS?
[02:05:03]
IS THIS FOR, THIS IS COMMISSIONER CAROTTI, IS THIS FOR ONE FTE? YES.UM, IT WOULD BE ONE FTEA COMMUNITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE A BUDGET FOR, UM, OUTREACH GRANTS, CONTRACTS AND STIPENDS FOR THOSE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS.
DO WE NOT, AND I'M JUST ASKING 'CAUSE I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH, UM, THIS DEPARTMENT.
UM, ARE WE NOT ALREADY, UH, DOING THIS TYPE OF WORK IN SOME OTHER ASPECT LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY OR AUSTIN WATER? UM, DO WE NOT ALREADY HAVE SOME SORT OF RESOURCE FOR, UM, YEAH, YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
UM, AUSTIN ENERGY, I WON'T SPEAK THERE.
WE DO HAVE AUSTIN ENERGY HERE WHO CAN SPEAK TO IT MORE, UM, ROBUSTLY THAN I CAN, BUT DEFINITELY AUSTIN WATER AND AUSTIN ENERGY DO HAVE SOME OUTREACH.
UM, THE IDEA HERE WOULD BE THIS PERSON WOULD ACTUALLY SIT IN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THEY WOULD COORDINATE ACROSS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, SO NOT JUST AUSTIN ENERGY, NOT JUST AUSTIN WATER.
UM, AND THEY WOULD REALLY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, TAKING, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKING THE LEAD ON AROUND MAXIMIZING THE, UM, THE UPTAKE OF THE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES.
THE FULL SUITE, UM, WITHIN THAT IS OFFERED BY THE CITY.
COULD THEY KIND OF BE LIKE THE LIAISON FOR EACH DEPARTMENT? LIKE WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO CONTACT EACH DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE, UM, AND I'M ONLY SAYING THIS BECAUSE I WORK FOR THE CITY AND I UNDERSTAND HOW SOMETIMES IT CAN BE, UM, VERY DIVIDED.
SO IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SEE SOMEONE LIKE IN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT COULD TAKE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER AND GO, HEY, THIS IS WHAT I'VE COME UP WITH FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
SO IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, I I LOVE THAT.
AND, AND THIS WAS, UM, IN PARTICULAR, WE DIDN'T WANNA MAKE THIS AS PRESCRIPTIVE OF A JOB DESCRIPTION, UM, BUT REALLY TO SAY WHAT THE GOAL IS, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE, AND KIND OF, UM, PUT SOME FUNDING BEHIND IT TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT.
BUT YES, I WOULD ALSO ENVISION THAT THAT PERSON WOULD LIAISE WITH ALL THE VARIOUS, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE OFFERING SUCH PROGRAMS WITHIN, WITHIN THE CITY DEPARTMENTS.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS WORK AND, AND THIS IS AN AMAZING IDEA.
AND, AND I WOULD SAY EVEN THIS ISN'T, UH, IN CONVERSATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, A NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK OR ROLE HAS, OR, YOU KNOW, ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED BY A ROLE LIKE THIS FOR YEARS.
I WOULD SAY LIKE, THIS HAS BEEN A, THIS WOULD'VE BEEN A NEED FIVE YEARS AGO AT LEAST.
UM, SO IT'D BE GREAT TO TO, TO DO THIS.
UM, AND SO IS THE, UM, UM, I GUESS ARE, ARE THE PER, PERHAPS WE MIGHT EVEN WANNA AMEND IT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, A MINIMUM OF $320,000.
UM, JUST WITH, I THINK PARTICULARLY WITH COST OF LIVING BEING SO HIGH AND A LOT OF, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, AN S $120,000 BUDGET FOR A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION IS GONNA GO TO OVERHEAD AND, YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE SCENE COSTS.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, UH, TRULY THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF MONEY, UH, YOU KNOW, BOTH FOR SALARY, BUT THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO FIND THERE MAY BE A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR, FOR GRANTS AND OTHER, AND STIPENDS, I THINK WOULD BE STIPENDS IN PARTICULAR, I THINK IS, WOULD BE A HUGE GAME CHANGER IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I GUESS TO TO, TO SUMMARIZE, ARE THE, UH, CAN WE, YOU KNOW, UH, POTENTIALLY AMEND THIS TO SAY A MINIMUM OF THREE 20,000 OR, OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, SAY A MIDYEAR BUDGET AND THEN NEXT YEAR SAY, OH, WE ACTUALLY NEED MORE MONEY FOR, UH, THE GRANTS OR, OR THE CONTRACTS AND WHATNOT? THANKS FOR THAT.
UM, I'M CERTAINLY AMENABLE TO, UM, LANGUAGE IN THERE, A MINIMUM OF 320.
UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S BROKEN OUT FOR ONE 20 FOR THE, UM, HEADCOUNT
[02:10:01]
AND 200 FOR THE GRANTS AND STIPENDS.UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE THAT AS A, AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS, AS YOU KNOW, IT GOES TO COUNSEL TO DO WHAT THEY SEE FIT.
UH, UH, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON ARE, DO YOU HAVE A FOLLOW UP? NO, THAT'S ALL.
UH, OTHER COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, UH, MS. GOODWIN, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COMMISSIONER ROBBINS? YES.
COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN? YES.
CONGRATULATIONS, COMMISSIONER.
[6. Approve a recommendation regarding the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035.]
APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING AUSTIN ENERGY'S RESOURCE GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN TO 2035.UH, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN HAS A PRESENTATION ON THIS.
UM, LET ME, AS, AS THE PRESENTATION COMES UP, LET ME SAVE YOU TIME ALL TIME AND TELL YOU THAT I'M NOT GONNA PRESENT 90% OF WHAT'S IN THIS POWERPOINT.
GOOD NEWS, PARTICULARLY SINCE IT'S LATE.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, BECAUSE THE STATUS OF WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PROCESS HAS CHANGED.
THE, THE NUTSHELL VERSION OF THIS IS THAT AUSTIN ENERGY PRO WAS WORKING ON A PROPOSED, UM, GENERATION AND RESOURCE PLAN FOR 20, I WASN'T NEVER BEEN SURE WHETHER IT'S 2030 OR 2035.
AND THEY CAME OUT WITH AN INITIAL SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT EUC AND HAD A SOLID ANALYTICAL PROCESS THAT IS DESCRIBED IN HERE.
AND WE CAN VISIT A FEW OF THESE PAGES.
THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP INVITED A NUMBER OF CITIZENS AND MEMBERS OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION TO JOIN THAT WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE AUSTIN ENERGY ANALYSIS PROCESS PROPOSALS, AND OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS OF OUR OWN.
I WAS PRIVILEGED TO BE ON THAT GROUP WITH, UM, VICE CHAIR ROBBINS COMMISSIONER, KARA GOTTI, COMMISSIONER GARY, I THINK, AND, UM, SHANE, I SAW YOU THERE A LOT.
AND IF I LEFT ANYBODY OUT, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.
THE, WE LOOKED AT THIS, WE THOUGHT THERE WAS A BETTER PATH THAN THE AUSTIN ENERGY PLAN.
AND WE, THE THEN SAID TO, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY, WE THINK THERE'S A BETTER WAY PREPARED A REPORT THAT CAME OUT FROM THE EUC ON FEBRUARY ONE THAT WENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT SAID, WE THINK THAT THIS PROPOSAL, AUSTIN ENERGY, SHOULD BE TAKING A, UM, PATH THAT IS FAR MORE RENEWABLE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY, DEMAND RESPONSE STORAGE, AGGRESSIVE AND SHUTTING DOWN THE FAYETTE PLANT AND THE NATURAL GAS PLANTS EARLIER THAN AUSTIN ENERGY WAS COMMITTING TO.
AND AUSTIN ENERGY DID A, UM, AND THEN, THEN THE CITY COUNCIL GOT INVOLVED AND SAID, WE'RE NOT CRAZY ABOUT YOUR DRAFT PLAN.
LET'S GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
AUSTIN ENERGY SENT A LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL IN MARCH 8TH SAYING, WE'RE GONNA PUT THAT PLAN ON HOLD AND GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE COMMUNITY, THE EUC WORKING GROUP.
AND RATHER THAN JUST STUDY TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENTS AND POSSIBILITIES, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA GO OUT TO THE MARKET WITH RFPS FOR POTENTIAL RESOURCES.
AND, WHICH I HUGELY APPLAUD BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY, THE BEST WAY TO TELL WHETHER RESOURCES ARE VIABLE IS TO GET PROPOSALS ON WHAT THEY'RE GONNA COST AND HOW AVAILABLE THEY ARE.
SO, AND THEN THE AUSTIN ENERGY TOOK A PRESENTATION LAST NIGHT TO THE EUC SAYING, UM, WE'RE GONNA PAUSE THE CURRENT PROCESS, REDIRECT IT, AND WORK WITH YOU AND THE COMMUNITY AND THE INDUSTRY TO COME UP WITH A FINAL PLAN THAT WE'RE ALL HAPPIER WITH IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
[02:15:01]
ALL OF THAT, WE CAN WALK THROUGH AS MUCH OF THIS.I'LL WALK THROUGH A FEW PAGES OF THE POWERPOINT WITH YOU JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND.
THE PUNCHLINE HERE IS THAT ALL OF THE WAREHOUSES IN ON PAGES 20 AND 21 OF YOUR RMC PACKET ESSENTIALLY GET TO THE PUNCHLINE OF SAYING, HEY, AUSTIN ENERGY, LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP A BETTER RESOURCE AND GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN.
SO WE KIND OF ALREADY GOT THIS AND THIS RESOLUTION OF ESSENTIALLY PUTS THE INK ON THAT WE ALREADY GOT WHAT THE RESOLUTION ASKS FOR, BUT IT WOULD BE A NICE GESTURE TO ASK FOR IT AND APPROVE IT ANYHOW.
AND I HAVE, WHEN WE GET TO ACTUALLY DISCUSSING THE RESOLUTION, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE FINAL, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED.
SO, UM, IF WE CAN ADVANCE THE SLIDES, STOP.
ESSENTIALLY THE BULK OF THE RESOURCES THAT AUSTIN ENERGY'S ORIGINAL PLAN PRO LOOKED AT WAS ALL OF ALL OF THE THINGS IN THE BLUE BOX, LOCAL SOLAR, DISTRIBUTED STORAGE, LONG DURATION STORAGE, DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT.
I'M ALWAYS NERVOUS WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT AS A GENERIC THING RATHER THAN BEING VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT ENERGY EFFICIENCY, DEMAND RESPONSE, DISTRIBUTED GENERATION, AND A BUNCH OF DISTRIBUTED STORAGE AND A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS.
AND THEN THEY LOOKED AT STUFF LIKE, UM, CARBON FREE GENERATION IS A, INCLUDES RENEWABLES AND, UM, LIKE WIND AND SOLAR, DIRECT AIR CAPTURE.
OH, AND TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN A THREAD IN THIS ALL ALONG BECAUSE OF THE ISSUES THAT THAT WE HAVE WITH RESPECT TO BEING ABLE TO SERVE AUSTIN'S LOAD BECAUSE OF THE PRICE SEPARATION THAT TIM HARVEY MENTIONED ABOUT RESOURCES BEING MORE EXPENSIVE TO GET INTO AUSTIN, THEN THEY ARE GEN WHERE THEY ARE GENERATED IN PLACES LIKE WEST TEXAS OR ON THE COAST.
AUSTIN ENERGY'S INITIAL TAKEAWAYS WERE THAT THEY NEEDED TO BUILD A HYDROGEN CAPABLE NATURAL GAS FIRED POWER PLANT.
THEY INCLUDED, AND THAT ONLY PORTFOLIOS THAT DIDN'T HAVE HIGH PERCENTAGES OF SOLAR AND STORAGE COULD OVERCOME EXTREME WEATHER RISK.
UM, ONLY PORTFOLIOS THAT INCLUDED HYDROGEN CAPABLE NATURAL GAS COMBINED CYCLE PLANTS COULD MEET THE AFFORDABILITY GOALS AND ENABLE MORE RENEWABLES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
OUR WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDED AFTER GOING THROUGH MANY, MANY MEETINGS AND MUCH ANALYSIS, RECOMMENDED A VERY SPECIFIC AND BROAD SET OF TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING RETIRING THE FAYETTE COAL PLANT AND THE TWO GAS PLANTS BY 2035.
AND, UM, RECOMMENDED THAT WE LEAN VERY HEAVILY ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY, DEMAND RESPONSE, RENEWABLES, LOCAL SOLAR AND STORAGE WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO INCREASING LONG DURATION STORAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND USING THE COMBINATION PARTICULARLY OF DEMAND RESPONSE AND STORAGE AND TRANSMISSION UPGRADES TO REDUCE OUR DEPEN OUR NEED FOR THE CAPABILITIES OF GAS GENERATION FOR, UM, NEW GAS GENERATION FOR FLEXIBILITY AND DISPATCHABILITY.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF SLIDES HERE THAT WILL TELL YOU ALL THAT YOU WANT TO KNOW IN YOUR OWN TIME ON WHAT WE RECOMMENDED.
AND THERE IS FARTHER DOWN LINKS TO THE REPORT FROM OUR WORKING GROUP AND TO THE AUSTIN ENERGY WORKING GROUP.
ALL OF THESE YOU SHOULD VIEW AS, UM, PREPARATORY TO THE PROCESS THAT I HOPE WE ARE GOING TO BE GOING FORWARD WITH, WHERE OUR MEMBERS OF OUR WORKING GROUP AND THE, THE PUBLIC AND DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES PUT IN SOME QUALITY TIME WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AND WITH THE RESULTS OF SEVERAL STUDIES THAT WE RECOMMEND THAT THEY UNDERTAKE.
AND THEIR RFP FINDINGS DO COME OUT WITH A BETTER PLAN THAT AS AUSTIN ENERGY MANAGER BOB KHAN COMMITTED TO, WILL BE MORE CONSISTENT WITH COMMUNITY VALUES THAN THE INITIAL DRAFT PLAN THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT.
SO WITH ALL THAT SAID, I AM, UM, HAPPY TO THROW THIS BACK TO VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE E-U-C-R-M-C WORKING GROUP.
UM, ANY OF YOU ALL THAT HAVE QUESTIONS THANK YOU.
RICHARD, DID I SAY ANYTHING THAT, THAT MISREPRESENTED
[02:20:01]
WHERE Y'ALL ARE ON THIS OR AMY? NO, YOU ACTUALLY DID A GREAT RECAP.UM, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, COMMISSIONER FARMER, UM, ON, UH, ON PAGE FOUR, THE GRAPH OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE, THE MATRIX OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHAT DOES REACH REFER TO? UH, YOU KNOW, I AM, I AM NEW TO REACH.
I'M GONNA LET SOMEONE ELSE ANSWER THAT WITH MORE EXPERIENCE.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT IS A PLAN TO LIMIT AND CIRCUMSCRIBE THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE GAS PLANTS ARE RUN.
I CAN ANSWER THAT IF, UH, WHILE THE AE STAFF ARE WALKING UP OR IF THEY WANNA DEFER TO ME.
IT'S, IT STANDS FOR REDUCING EMISSIONS AFFORDABLY FOR CLIMATE HEALTH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND IT'S, UM, BASICALLY FOREGOING REVENUE IN INSTEAD OF A CARBON PRICING.
IT'S FOREGOING REVENUE TO DISPATCH, UH, INIT, UH, FAYETTE AS OF NOW AT HIGHER PRICE POINTS, UH, TO REDUCE THE EMISSIONS, REDUCING HOW MUCH FAYETTE IS RUN TO REDUCE THE EMISSIONS.
UM, IN THE 20, UH, IN THE 2030 PLAN, WHICH WAS 2030 RESOURCE PLAN, WHICH WAS CREATED IN 2020.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, UM, IMPLEMENTED ON THE GAS PLANT STARTING IN 2022 OR END OF 2022 OR 2023 WHEN FAYETTE WAS RETIRED.
UH, AND SO I THINK THE WORKING GROUP WAS TRYING TO EXPAND IT TO, UH, APPLY TO GAS GENERATION AS WELL.
BUT, UM, I I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S BEEN USED OR IS IN THE NEAR TERM FUTURE GOING TO BE USED FOR, FOR ON THE GAS GENERATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I CAN PREEMPTIVELY ANSWER THIS QUESTION OR MAYBE FOLKS DIDN'T NOTICE.
BUT, UM, THE RES THE RA PROGRAM, RAAS RESILIENCE AS A SERVICE WAS, UM, TREATED BEED IN RESPONSE TO A STATE LEGISLATION THAT BASICALLY ALLOWED, UM, OR REQUIRED TO AN EXTENT A BACKUP GENERATION FOR E-SERVICES, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE LARGE STORE, THE GROCERY STORES.
AND SO THAT WAS DEVELOPED AFTER THE, UM, 2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UM, AND IT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND AE STAFF CAN BETTER CLARIFY THIS IF THEY WISH, BUT BASICALLY IT, IT WOULD BE CONSTITUTE BACKUP GENERATORS AROUND THE CITY AT SITES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM, UH, OR THAT WERE DEFINED IN THAT LEGISLATION.
UM, AND SO IT ACTUALLY, AS OF YOU KNOW, THAT TIMEFRAME, IT LOOKS LIKE NEW SMALL GAS GENERATIONS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SITES IT IS, SO I DON'T WANT TO MISREPRESENT THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK THE WORKING GROUP WAS TRYING TO LIMIT THAT USE TO ONLY HIGH PRICE PERIODS TO, TO MINIMIZE, UM, LOCAL POLLUTION, UH, LOCAL KNOCKS, UH, PARTICULAR MATTER, ET CETERA.
UM, MS. GOODWIN, IF WE COULD GO TO SLIDE 11 OF MY PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT, THAT THE AUSTIN ENERGY'S CONCERNS IN TERMS OF OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY ARE VERY SIGNIFICANT AND APPROPRIATE AND WE SHARED THEM.
SO THE WORKING GROUP ASKED AUSTIN ENERGY TO CONDUCT A NUMBER OF VERY SPECIFIC AND DETAILED STUDIES, AND I WANTED TO BRING THOSE TO YOUR ATTENTION.
ONE OF THE OTHER CRITERIA THAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, WE WANTED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT AND A MASSIVE INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY THAT AUSTIN ENERGY OFFERS.
AND FOR MORE OF THAT TO BE FOCUSED ON WINTER AS WELL AS SUMMER PEAK, WHERE MOST OF HISTORICALLY, MUCH OF, OF AUSTIN AND TEXAS ENERGY EFFICIENCY HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON SUMMER AND HEAT RATHER THAN WINTER.
BUT AS ELECTRIFICATION INCREASES, AS WE ALL KNOW, WINTER LOAD BECOMES MUCH MORE CHALLENGING TO MANAGE.
SO WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT, HERE ARE ADDITIONAL STUDIES THAT, TECHNICAL ISSUES WE CAN'T ANSWER, BUT WE WOULD LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY TO PUT SOME EFFORT INTO AS PART OF PREPARATION.
AND, AND IN KEEPING WITH OUR GOAL TO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY, WE THOUGHT THAT AUSTIN ENERGY'S AFFORDABILITY GOAL WAS TO RESTRICTIVE.
AND SO WE'VE ASKED THEM TO MODIFY THAT AND I JUST WANTED TO CALL THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION RATHER THAN
[02:25:01]
SUGGEST THAT WE WERE TAKING AFFORDABILITY FOR GRANTED, WHICH WE AREN'T.UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, I WILL BE HAPPY TO OFFER MY FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE RESOLUTION.
IF YOU CAN GO BACK TO THAT PLEASE.
THE RESOLUTION ITSELF, IS THIS UNDER BE IT RESOLVED? YEAH, IT'S PAGE 20 OF THE, THERE WE GO.
SO THE BOTTOM BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, I WOULD JUST WANT TO ADD THE WORDS ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND DEMAND RESPONSE INTO THAT LIST OF, OF MEASURES THAT WE WANT AUSTIN ENERGY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
BECAUSE OTHERWISE THIS SOUNDS LIKE WE ONLY CARE ABOUT SUPPLY SIDE RESOURCES, WHICH IS VERY FAR FROM THE TRUTH.
THE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP BELIEVE THAT ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND DEMAND RESPONSE AND THEN STORAGE SHOULD BE THE PRINCIPLE TOOLS THAT THE FIRST TOOLS THAT WE BRING TO THIS FIGHT IN TERMS OF RESOURCE ADEQUACY, RELIABILITY, AND AFFORDABILITY.
AND THEREFORE IT WOULD BE WRONG TO LEAVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND DEMAND RESPONSE OUT OF THIS LIST.
UH, SO THE LAST BE IT RESOLVED WOULD SAY, UH, INCLUDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, DEMAND RESPONSE, TRANSMISSION UPGRADES, UTILITY SCALE AND DISTRIBUTED BATTERY STORAGE AND EXPANSION OF LOCAL AND COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. CORRECT? YES.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I'M LOSING TRACK HERE.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION OR DO WE OKAY.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SLIGHTLY REVISED, UH, RESOLUTION? SO MOVED.
UM, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MS. GOODWIN.
COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN? YES.
UH, AND JUST TO PUT A BUTTON ON THIS, OF THE MANY THINGS IN THE WORKING GROUP'S RESOLUTION WAS A UNANIMOUS REQUEST TO REPURPOSE THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM.
UM, AND FINALLY, ALMOST FINALLY, UH, WE HAVE A DISCUSSION
[8. Discussion regarding creating a Utility Rebate and Incentive webpage for the City of Austin.]
REGARDING CREATING A UTILITY REBATE AND INCENTIVE WEBPAGE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, CHAMPION BY COMMISSIONER CAR GOTTI.UM, I'M, UM, I'M NOT GONNA CROWD YOU, BUT ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME MIGHT YOU NEED FOR THIS COMMISSIONER? NOT MUCH AT ALL.
SO, YEAH, SO WHAT I WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WAS TO HAVE ALL THE UTILITIES, UH, ELECTRIC WATER AND GAS TO HAVE A MAIN WEBSITE PAGE AND THEN FROM THAT MAIN WEBSITE PAGE HAVE ALL THESE HIGH LEVEL INCENTIVES LISTED.
AND THEN FROM THERE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PUT LINKS ON, UM, TO GO TO THE DETAILED AUSTIN, UH, ENERGY PAGE TO GAS, TO AUSTIN WATER.
UM, AND THE REASON TO DO THIS IS BECAUSE ALL OF THESE WEBSITES ARE SCATTERED WITH INFORMATION.
YOU CAN GO ON THERE AND IT'S JUST LIKE, WHAT? IT'S LIKE SOMEONE JUST THREW AND SCREAMED A BUNCH OF INFORMATION AT YOU.
SO IN ORDER FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE AND USE THIS INFORMATION, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA OFFER, RIGHT? WE WANNA OFFER THESE INCENTIVES.
[02:30:01]
SUSTAINABLE, MORE EFFICIENT, UM, WITH UTILITY USE.SO IF WE CAN DIRECT THEM TO THIS ONE PLACE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE, MORE EFFICIENT THAN HAVING THEM ALL OVER THE PLACE.
'CAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY INCENTIVES THAT THIS CITY OFFERS.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S EVEN A WATERSHED.
WATERSHED ALSO OFFERS, I'LL GET TO THEM 'CAUSE THAT'S WHO I WORK FOR.
BUT ANYWAY, FOR, FOR THE UTILITIES.
BUT THE, THE MAIN QUESTION IS WHO, WHO CAN DO THAT? WHO CAN MAKE THIS ONE WEBPAGE, UM, THAT UTILIZES AND CAN LIAISON WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, TEXAS GAS AND AUSTIN WATER.
DOES ANY WINDOW, DOES ANYONE HAVE THAT INFORMATION? THAT'S THE CONVERSATION.
UH, I AM VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF THE CONCEPT.
I JUST WANT TO ANSWER, UH, OUR ASK I HOW ASK AND ANSWER.
DOES THIS, IS IT SIMILAR TO 2 1 1? THE DIG? WELL, THAT'S 2 1 1.
I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A PHONE NUMBER AND I THOUGHT IT WAS 2 1 1 THAT HAD SOCIAL RESOURCES, UH, ALL IN THE SAME PLACE.
UM, UM, I THINK THOSE ARE MORE HEALTH RELATED.
UM, REGARDLESS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO, WE, WE TOOK COMMISSIONER KARA GOTTI'S SUGGESTION AS STAFF AND MET WITH OUR, WITH AUSTIN ENERGY'S COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING TEAM.
THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT THE APPROPRIATE VENUE BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MORE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO WE LOOPED IN THE, UM, CORPORATE PIO OFFICE.
AND SO I THINK WE JUST NEED SOME DIRECTION IF WE ARE GOING TO PUT STAFF TIME INTO FIGURING THIS OUT, IF THIS IS A PRIORITY THAT, THAT YOU GUYS WANNA DO.
IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT MAY HAVE SEEMED AT THE BEGINNING.
AND I ALSO DON'T SURE THINK WE SHOULD INCLUDE TEXAS GAS IN THIS JUST 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT A CITY DEPARTMENT.
I JUST THOUGHT, THOUGHT OF THIS.
WHAT ABOUT THE OFFICE OF OF SUSTAINABILITY? WOULD THEY BE INTERESTED? I THINK COULD WE LIVE THEM IN, UM, I THINK WE COULD TAKE DIRECTION.
STAFF COULD TAKE DIRECTION FROM Y'ALL TO, TO DO FEASIBILITY OF WHO'S MOST APPROPRIATE AND WHAT MOST, WHAT DEPARTMENT'S MOST APPROPRIATE, WHERE IT'S MOST APPROPRIATE TO BE HOUSED.
UM, BUT I, WE CAN'T JUST DO SOMETHING BASED ON ONE COMMISSIONER'S SUGGESTION.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO'S TALKING RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS AMY EVERHART FROM AUSTIN ENERGY.
IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT IF EVERYONE CAN LIKE ANNOUNCE WHO'S TALKING WHEN YOU'RE TALKING, ESPECIALLY IN THE ROOM.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T SEE WHO IT IS COMMISSIONS.
SO HOW DO WE GET THIS TO MOVE FORWARD? SINCE I'M THE ONE COMMISSIONER THAT'S SUGGESTING IT.
SO DO WE GET ALL THE COMMISSIONERS TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, AND THEN SOMEONE'S GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH IT? OR HOW DOES THAT MOVE FORWARD? YEAH.
THE, THE MECHANISM FOR A, FOR A COMMISSION TO DIRECT ANYBODY TO DO ANYTHING IS TO WRITE A RESOLUTION AND GET SUPPORT TO DO SO.
AND, AND I'M, UH, I'M, UH, BOUGHT IN AS A SPONSOR, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, COMMISSIONER.
IF YOU WANNA, UH, MAY, UH, CREATE A DRAFT WORDING.
UM, UM, OTHER, ARE THERE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO, UH, WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THIS? UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN.
COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN DOES, I THINK THIS IS A FABULOUS IDEA.
IF YOU HAVE TIME TO WRITE A RESOLUTION AND BRING IT BACK NEXT TIME, YOU CAN COUNT ON MY VOTE.
YEAH, I'LL DRAFT, I'LL DRAFT SOMETHING UP AND I'LL SEND IT TO BOTH YOU AND COMMISSIONER ROBBINS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UH, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? UH, COMMISSIONER FARMER? UM, I, I THINK, UH, THE POINT ABOUT TEXAS GAS MAYBE NOT BEING INCLUDED IN THIS MIGHT, UM, I AGREE WITH THAT AND WOULD SUPPORT THAT.
UM, TEXAS GAS NOT BEING INCLUDED IN THIS.
UM, BUT I THINK ALSO INCLUDING MAYBE FEDERAL INCENTIVES, LIKE
[02:35:01]
I, YOU KNOW, STUFF FROM IRA, UM, THAT'S AVAILABLE, TAX CREDITS, REBATES, THAT SORT OF THING.UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAKES IT TOO CUMBERSOME FOR STAFF TO INCLUDE, BUT THERE'S LIKE A LOT OF THIS STUFF STACKS.
THERE'S LIKE CITY AND COUNTY AND FEDERAL, UH, INCENTIVES THAT WOULD ALL BE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE.
AND I THINK IS THAT WOULD BE IN LINE WITH THE SPIRIT OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO TO GIVE PEOPLE RESOURCES TO HELP THEM, UH, YOU KNOW, BE MORE SUSTAINABLE IN THEIR HOMES OR BUSINESSES.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE, IF WE WRITE THIS RESOLUTION, WHO, WHO TAKES IT AND GOES, OKAY, YOU'RE GONNA DO THIS, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE.
SO WHO, WHO GETS TO DECIDE THAT? COUNSEL? UM, MS. EVERHART? YES.
UM, COUNSEL WOULD PICK IT UP AND TAKE IT FROM THERE AND DECIDE IF IT'S A PRIORITY OF THEIRS.
UM, COMMISSIONER FARMER? UM, I'M JUST, TEXAS GAS SERVICE, UH, HAS MANY FAULTS, BUT, UH, ARE, WOULDN'T IT MAKE SENSE TO INCLUDE THEM? THEY DO HAVE A LOW INCOME PROGRAM.
UM, I SURE, I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW.
I I IMAGINE IT WOULD BE A LOT HARDER BE THAN BEING A PRIVATE ENTITY TO KIND OF COORDINATE ALL THIS.
UM, I THINK IF WE JUST PUT A LINK TO THE TEXAS GAS, IF WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT ANYTHING, BUT WE COULD PUT A LINK ON THERE THAT SAYS TEXAS GAS.
I THINK JUST LIKE ANY OTHER FEDERAL, LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OTHER GRANTS OR INCENTIVES, YOU KNOW, MY MAIN THING WAS JUST GETTING THE INCENTIVES OUT THERE FOR THE CITY, FROM THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, IF CIVILIANS OR WHOEVER, UH, ARE ABLE TO GET THESE OTHER GRANTS THAT ARE FEDERAL, UH, FUNDED FOR UTILITIES, AND BY ALL MEANS, YEAH, WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, RESEARCH AND PUT THOSE LINKS ON THERE TOO.
WELL, UM, DID YOU, DO YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? NO.
UH, OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
WELL, UM, UM, SEND US A DRAFT AND IT'S VERY HIGHLY LIKELY THAT I'LL CO-SPONSOR IT.
UM, AND I THINK WE CAN, UH, MOVE ON TO THE, UH, LAST ITEM.
UH, BUT I'M GONNA USE MY DISCRETION AS CHAIR, UH, TO CIRCLE BACK.
UH, AND THERE'S A REASON THAT I'M DOING THIS NOW.
UH, I AM, WE ARE LIMITED BY QUORUM LAWS TO TALK TO NO MORE THAN FIVE COMMISSIONERS, UH, OUTSIDE OF A MEETING.
AND I'M NOT PRECISELY SURE HOW THAT'S, UH, GOING TO GO WITH THE GREEN CHOICE RESOLUTION THAT JUST, UH, FAILED BY ONE VOTE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK COMMISSIONERS, DAVIS AND SA SARUS, UH, IF THEY, WHAT WOULD MAKE THEM INCLINED TO SUPPORT THIS, POSSIBLY SUPPORT THIS IN THE FUTURE? AND DON'T BE SHY.
I I HONESTLY DON'T THINK THIS IS COMMISSIONER DAVIS.
I HONESTLY DON'T THINK I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, BUT I, I DON'T, I'M KIND OF SPENT TONIGHT.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THE QUORUM THING WORKS.
I, I'M HAPPY TO YOU, YOU MAY OR I'LL HAVE TO CHECK MY NOTES.
YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE LOOPED IN.
YEAH, SO I, I WOULD JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE, LIKE NUTS AND BOLTS OF IT.
UM, IF THE, TO TAKE A POSITION, LIKE IF THE, IF THE PROGRAM REALLY IS, UM, DEFUNCT AND DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE, THOSE ARE THINGS AS YOUR POSITION.
UM, I JUST NEED TO COME TO THE, LIKE THE BRASS TACKS OF WHY THAT IS TRUE OR FALSE.
THAT'S REALLY ALL I NEED TO, TO KNOW.
AND THEN I GUESS IT WOULD, THAT'S A PRECURSOR TO LIKE THE, MY POSITION ON THE, UM, THE ACTUAL, IS IT CALLED A RESOLUTION? THE RESOLUTION? UM, WHICH WOULD BE TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID, WHICH I MAY OR MAY NOT DISAGREE WITH.
BUT THAT'S, I THINK SEPARATE FROM
[02:40:01]
THE, JUST KIND OF UNDERLINING, UH, SO YOU NEED TO, YOU NEED TO KNOW IS IT BROKEN OR NOT, KIND OF THING.UM, AND I THINK I MAY BE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION FROM AUSTIN ENERGY, MAYBE JUST LOOKING AT SOME OF THE PREVIOUS, UM, UH, MEETING NOTES AND, AND SUCH FROM MEETINGS I WASN'T HERE FOR.
UM, AND IF I'M ALLOWED TO ASK FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS OF AUSTIN ENERGY, THEN UM, I CAN DO THAT.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
WHICH SHOULD BE VERY SHORT, IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UH, COMMISSIONERS SHOULD TAKE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE ELECTIONS, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING FOR CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND, UH, THE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS, UH, O OTHER THAN UM, UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE MAY BE ONE FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER KARA GOTTI ON THE WEBSITE, SO WE SHOULD PENCIL THAT IN FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHERS? UM, I'D LIKE TO PUT A PLACEHOLDER FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN THAT THE COUNCIL HAS DIRECTED THE, UM, JSC TO, UM, PROPOSE.
COMM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? UM, VERY GOOD.
UH, AND WITH THAT WE ARE ADJOURNED.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, YOUR HELP TONIGHT.