Sep 25, 2024 Joint Sustainability Committee

FROM OUR AUGUST 28TH MEETING.

UM, MINUTES

[1. Approval of minutes from the August 28th, 2024 meeting of the Joint Sustainability Committee.]

WERE CIRCULATED.

IF FOLKS HAVE LOOKED AT THEM.

MAYBE WE CAN GET A MOTION.

WAS THAT HARRIS? DID WE HAVE, OKAY, THANKS.

YOU'RE A LITTLE QUIET, HARRIS, JUST SO YOU KNOW.

WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.

UH, WERE THERE ANY CHANGES OR ADDITIONS ANYBODY WANTED TO MAKE? OKAY.

ALL IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE MINUTES.

RAISE YOUR HAND.

UM, AND CHARLOTTE, YOUR CAMERA IS OFF.

SO RIGHT NOW YOUR COUNTED IS OFF THE DAIS, BUT IF YOU WANT TO TURN IT ON, THAT'S FINE.

MINUTES ARE ADOPTED.

C MEMBERS? MY NAME IS SCOTT .

AND WE GOT CHARLOTTE.

THANKS, CHARLOTTE.

GREAT.

UH, SCOTT, ARE YOU

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

FOUR, TWO ITEMS TO TALK ABOUT.

ONE IS THE BODY, UH, CONCRETE OPPORTUNITY.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE STAFF, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME FROM A COUNCIL RESOLUTION EARLIER THIS YEAR.

I WANNA TRY TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS COMMITTEE, AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT I AM HOPING TO DO THAT IS BY MAKING CONTACT WITH E-P-A-E-P-A DOES HAVE A SPEAKER THAT COULD JOIN YOUR NEXT MEETING OR A FUTURE MEETING REMOTELY TO TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAM THAT'S PART OF THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT.

IF YOU COULD PUT THAT UP ON THE SCREEN, PLEASE, I'D GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.

THE ONE THAT YOU JUST HAD THAT HAS ALL THE, ALL THE VERBIAGE ON IT.

AND THIS PARTICULAR, OKAY.

THIS PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITY, I'VE BEEN AWAY FOR MOST OF THE SUMMER.

I HAVEN'T FOLLOWED IT, BUT, UH, ANYTIME THE EPA CAN GET INVOLVED, HOPEFULLY IT WILL FOCUS THE CONVERSATION IN A MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE WAY THAN WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT YOU ALL CAN TALK ABOUT TONIGHT, OR BETWEEN NOW AND OCTOBER'S MEETING.

ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY IS THIS IDEA THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IN MARCH PUT TOGETHER A RESOLUTION TO ASK STAFF TO COME UP WITH A NEW PROGRAM, RESIDENTIAL INCENTIVE LANDSCAPING PROGRAM TO TRANSITION PEOPLE TO ELECTRIC AND COMMERCIAL.

COMMERCIAL, BY FAR, IS THE MOST DIFFICULT ONE.

I COMMUNICATED WITH STAFF FROM AUSTIN ENERGY TODAY.

THEY'RE LOOKING TO FIND OUT, UH, WHAT PROGRESS AND WOULD BE MADE.

MY QUESTION TO THEM IS, WILL YOU STOP INCENTING LEAF BLOWERS? WHICH NORMALLY THE INCENTIVE GOES ON THROUGH DECEMBER BECAUSE THAT PROGRAM RIGHT NOW IS JUST GIVING PEOPLE MONEY WITHOUT THE PERSON KNOWING THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET ANY MONEY, $15 OFF.

THERE'S NO ADVERTISEMENT IN THE STORE, THERE'S NO MARKETING THAT'S HAPPENING FROM AUSTIN ENERGY OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO THIS WAS A POORLY PLANNED PROGRAM.

THIS IS MORE OF AN EUC MATTER IN TERMS OF THE CONVERSATION, AT LEAST BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TRYING TO LEAD THE CONVERSATION AND CERTAINLY IMPORTANT AND RELEVANT TO WHAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE IS DOING.

SO I HOPE YOU INFORM YOURSELF ON THIS OPPORTUNITY BY ASKING ME QUESTIONS TODAY, OR ASKING QUESTIONS OF STAFF ABOUT HOW REDUCING LANDSCAPING AND EMISSIONS CAN REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS AND ALSO IT CAN IMPROVE AIR QUALITY.

SO THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE PART OF RESOLUTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT FORWARD.

I HOPE YOU'RE TRACKING THEM.

I HOPE YOU'RE ENGAGED.

I HOPE YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU CAN INDIVIDUALLY TO REDUCE YOUR EMISSIONS FROM THESE OPPORTUNITIES DIRECTLY.

I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THANKS, SCOTT.

UM, I'LL SAY IT'S A, IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO READ WHATEVER WE HAVE HERE.

DID YOU CIRCULATE THIS OR CAN YOU I HAVEN'T, YEAH, I HAD, I HAD SOME OTHER THINGS THAT I HAD TO DO.

YEAH, FAIR ENOUGH.

SO, YEAH,

[00:05:01]

A LOT OF VERBIAGE MORE THAN WHAT YOU CAN READ AND DIGEST.

BUT THE PROGRAM IS PART OF THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, AND THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO HELP CONTRACTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TRANSITION, BUT THEY'RE GONNA ALSO TRY TO HELP COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES, NOT ONLY FOR CONCRETE, BUT OTHER CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS THAT WOULD HAVE A LOWER EMBODIED CARBON LEVEL.

YEAH, GO AHEAD.

UH, YEAH, THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS UP.

I, I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS AND MAYBE THIS IS A POTENTIAL INVITATION TO COME SPEAK MORE ABOUT THIS AT OUR WORKING GROUP MEETING WHERE WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING CONCRETE.

UM, THE QUESTION I HAVE IS MAYBE FOR NOW, MAYBE FOR LATER, BUT IT'S LIKE, YES.

AND HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE PUSH AUSTIN TO USE THESE TYPES OF PRODUCTS GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS STARTING TO BE MORE OF THIS STANDARDIZED LABELING.

UM, YEAH.

LIKE HOW DO WE, WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO SPECIFICALLY? BECAUSE I THINK OUR OBSERVATION HAS BEEN THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE PRODUCTS EXIST, THE LABELING STARTING TO EXIST, AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN ACTION AS FAST AS WE LIKE.

SO WELCOME IDEAS ON HOW TO PUSH FOR THAT.

YEAH, CERTAINLY THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM, WHICH IS A STANDALONE PROGRAM AND THE NATIONAL PROGRAM CALLED LEAD, THOSE TWO PROGRAMS, RATE BUILDINGS.

THIS BUILDING IS RATED AND IF YOU GO TO THE FRONT DOOR THERE, YOU'LL SEE A PLAQUE THAT SHOWS MY INVOLVEMENT IN THAT EFFORT IN THE LATE NINETIES TO GET THIS RATED AND TO GET A HIGH GREEN BUILDING STANDARD.

BUT THROUGH GREEN BUILDING, YOU CAN ACHIEVE REDUCTIONS IN EMISSIONS, BOTH AT THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND IN THE PROCESS OF LAYING IT OUT, WHICH IS MORE IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS.

SO GETTING, CONNECTING WITH THE AUSTIN ENERGY'S GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM AND HOW LOW EMBODIED CONCRETE COULD WORK BY HAVING THEM INCENT IT MORE OR PROMOTE IT MORE, OR RATE IT HIGHER THE RATING SYSTEM, THAT'S ONE OPPORTUNITY THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURSUE.

WELL, THANKS, SCOTT.

I DEFINITELY LOOK FORWARD TO CONNECTING ABOUT THAT, UM, EPA SPEAKER OPPORTUNITY.

I, I THINK WE COULD USE THAT.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU, JUST SO WE CAN BE CLEAR HERE.

IS IT YOUR OPINION THAT THE CURRENT, UH, ELECTRIC LANDSCAPING INCENTIVE IS NOT ACTUALLY CHANGING CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR? I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT IT'S KIND OF GIVING MONEY AT THE POINT THE CUSTOMER HAS ALREADY MADE A DECISION.

I DON'T HAVE ANY DATA TO SUPPORT THAT, BUT IN, IN LOOKING AT THE INFORMATION THAT WAS ALREADY PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, THAT WAS PART OF THE STAFF RESPONSE FROM AUGUST 2ND THAT INDICATED THAT THE MAJORITY, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PURCHASES AT THE BIG BOX RETAIL STORES.

AND WE, WE THINK EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE, NECESSARILY THE AUSTIN ENERGY PROGRAM SUCH AS ACE HARDWARE BREEDING COMPANY, THE NUMBERS ARE SOMEWHERE IN THE 60 TO 70% RANGE FOR PEOPLE BUYING ELECTRIC LANDSCAPING EQUIPMENT WITHOUT NEEDING TO BE INCENTED, WITHOUT NEEDING THAT INCENTIVE.

SO, YES.

UM, JUST AS AN ASIDE, BUT I THINK IT'S RELEVANT.

BACK IN 2020, I CONTACTED MY HOME DEPOT CONTACT, WHO'S A STORE MANAGER, USED TO BE OVER AT THE MILLER REDEVELOP, BUT STILL IN THE AUSTIN NETWORK.

AND I SAID, CHECK WITH YOUR AREA MANAGER IF, IF YOU ALL ARE OPEN, I'M, I'M WILLING TO MANAGE ANOTHER ELECTRIC LAWNMOWER PROGRAM.

IT HAD BEEN FIVE YEARS BETWEEN THE LAST ONE AND THE MID 2010S.

AND THEY SAID, NO, WE'RE FINE.

THE MARKET'S ALREADY MATURE.

AND THEN WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE AUSTIN ENERGY PROGRAM, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY THOUGHT THAT THAT WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO REDUCE EMISSIONS.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF WHAT YOU'D CALL FREE RIDERSHIP THERE, WHERE PEOPLE, OH, IT'S LESS THAN I THOUGHT, WALK HAPPILY OUT THE BIG BOX STORE.

SO ANSWER IS YES.

SO YOU'RE SAYING LET'S FIND A WAY TO USE THAT MONEY MORE EFFECTIVELY TO STILL PUSH THINGS FURTHER, BUT NOT JUST KIND OF WASTE THE MONEY.

ARE WE GOING TO, UM, DO THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER? SO TIM, DO YOU WANNA COME UP AND PRESENT ON THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER? THANKS FOR COMING.

'CAUSE WHAT I'M HEARING, AS YOU HEARD FROM MY TESTIMONY, THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION IN THE SPRING, THEY SHOULD, THEY SHOULD HAVE ALREADY STOPPED THE REBATE, BUT THEY DID NOT.

THERE'S SOME INERTIA, THERE'S NOT THE ABILITY TO DO IT OR THERE'S NOT THE INTEREST TO DO IT.

BUT IF BOB KANE AND OTHERS SAID, STOP IT, THEN IT WOULD STOP.

AND HOPEFULLY THE UC CAN APPLY SOME CONTINUED SCRUTINY ON THIS ISSUE AT THEIR, AT THEIR COMING MEETINGS.

[00:10:01]

[3. Presentation on Solar for All program and the Solar Standard Offer – Tim Harvey, Austin Energy]

DO YOU HAVE SCOTT'S CONTACT INFO? YEAH.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

MY NAME'S TIM HARVEY.

I AM THE CUSTOMER RENEWABLE SOLUTIONS MANAGER AT AUSTIN ENERGY.

I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT TWO PROGRAMS THAT ARE COMING UP, UM, WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, ONE SOLAR FOR ALL AND THE OTHER, UH, THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UH, SO FIRST WE'LL START WITH STANDARD OFFER.

UM, SO, SO THE STANDARD OFFER IS AN APPROACH THROUGH WHICH WE WILL, UM, CITE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS ON CUSTOMER ROOFTOPS.

UM, YOU CAN SEE HERE THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PORTFOLIOS THAT WE HAVE TODAY, UH, AT PALMER EVENT CENTER, LA LOMA, AND THE BLUE GARAGE AND THE ORDER THEY WERE BUILT.

UH, AFTER THAT WE TRIED TO INCREASE THE SOLAR, THE COMMUNITY SOLAR CAPACITY THROUGH RFPS.

AND THOSE WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE PROPOSALS THAT WE GOT BACK WERE EITHER TOO HIGH IN PRICE OR THEY DIDN'T HAVE SITE CONTROL, OR THEY JUST WEREN'T VIABLE ON THE GRID.

UM, SO WE DON'T LIKE TO CONTINUALLY GO OUT FOR RFPS AND NOT AWARD PROJECTS.

UM, BUT WE DO WANT TO EXPAND THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.

SO WE'VE DEVELOPED THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER IN COORDINATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO, UM, PROVIDE A MECHANISM THROUGH WHICH WE CAN EXPAND COMMUNITY SOLAR IN A NEW WAY.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO I'M GONNA RUN, RUN YOU THROUGH LIKE A CASE EXAMPLE JUST TO HELP YOU GET ORIENTED WITH HOW THE PROGRAM WOULD WORK.

SO SAY YOU HAVE A, UM, COMMERCIAL BUILDING OWNER THAT HAS TENANTS, THE TENANTS PAY THEIR OWN UTILITY BILLS.

SO THAT BUILDING OWNER IS TYPICALLY NOT GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A SOLAR PROJECT BECAUSE, UM, WITHOUT THE STANDARD OFFER, YOU WOULD HAVE TO CONNECT THAT THE, THOSE SOLAR ARRAYS BEHIND THE TENANT METERS.

THEY WOULD THEN BENEFIT THE TENANTS THROUGH BILL SAVINGS, AND THE BUILDING OWNER WOULD NOT HAVE A DIRECT PATH TO, UM, RECEIVE THE, THE PAYBACK ON THEIR INVESTMENT.

SO THROUGH THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER, THE BUILDING OWNER COULD APPROACH A, A PARTICIPATING CONTRACTOR, HAVE THEM BUILD THE SOLAR ARRAY ON THEIR ROOFTOP OR IN THEIR PARKING LOTS AND ATTACH IT IN FRONT OF THE METERS.

AND AUSTIN ENERGY WOULD THEN PAY THAT BUILDING OWNER DIRECTLY FOR THE SYSTEM PRODUCTION, OR A, A BUILDING OWNER COULD WORK WITH A THIRD PARTY WHO IS WILLING TO PROVIDE THAT BUILDING OWNER WITH A ROOF LEASE OR PARKING LOT LEASE.

UM, SO THEY WOULD GET EXTRA REVENUE THAT WAY, AND THEN THE THIRD PARTY WOULD BUILD THE SYSTEM THROUGH A PARTICIPATING CONTRACTOR, AND THEN THE THIRD PARTY COULD GET A DIRECT PAYBACK FOR, UM, THE, THE SYSTEM THAT THEY OWN.

SO THIS OPENS UP A WHOLE NEW MARKET SECTOR IN AUSTIN THAT'S VIRTUALLY UNTAPPED.

UM, BUT IT ALSO COULD WORK ON, ON ANY TYPE OF COMMERCIAL BUILDING.

THEN, UM, AFTER AUSTIN ENERGY PROCURES THAT ENERGY THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE RATE IT, WE WOULD INCORPORATE IT INTO THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM THROUGH WHICH WE WOULD BE ABLE TO OFFER SUBSCRIPTIONS TO, UH, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WHO NORMALLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO SOLAR FOR ANY VARIOUS REASONS.

MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE UPFRONT CAPITAL, OR MAYBE THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A ROOFTOP, THEY'RE A RENTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THE DESIRED OUTCOMES, UM, OF THIS PROGRAM ARE TO HAVE A MODEL THROUGH WHICH WE CAN EXPAND COMMUNITY SOLAR, UM, AND, AND DO IT IN A WAY THAT'S SCALABLE AND REPLICABLE, UM, IN A WAY THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO CAP AT SOME POINT.

UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO INCREASE OUR LOCAL RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION AND INCREASE, UM, DEVELOPER PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY SOLAR, UM, SUBSCRIPTIONS ALSO, UM, ENABLE, UM, BILL SAVINGS FOR LOW INCOME, UH, CUSTOMERS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.

CAN YOU GO BACK, UM, I DIDN'T INCLUDE THE SLIDE THAT HAD ALL THE, THAT HAS ALL THE PRICING ON HERE.

UM, I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD BEFORE WE GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

[00:15:01]

UM, BUT THE INTENT OF AUSTIN ENERGY IS TO ALIGN THE, UH, RATE FOR SOLAR STANDARD OFFER WITH OUR AVOIDED COST.

SO THAT'S NOT ONLY OUR MARKET PRICE AT THE AUSTIN ENERGY NODE, BUT ALSO AVOIDED COST THAT WE RECEIVE FOR ANCILLARY SERVICES, AS WELL AS TRANSMISSION SAVINGS THAT WE GET FOR GENERATING, WE BA ARE BASICALLY LOWERING OUR LOAD DURING FOUR CP.

SO, UM, WE, WE DO AN ANALYSIS ALREADY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR THE VALUE OF SOLAR, AND WE WOULD USE THAT SAME ANALYSIS, UM, TO CALCULATE THE STANDARD OFFER.

THE ONLY DIFFERENCES IS THAT THE STANDARD OFFER WOULD NOT INCLUDE SOCIETAL BENEFITS.

UM, BY KEEPING IT TO OUR AVOIDED COST, THAT'S WHAT ALLOWS US TO SCALE IT COMPLETELY.

IT, IT, WE WILL NOT HAVE TO THROTTLE THAT PROGRAM.

UM, WE WILL PAUSE IT AT 20 MEGAWATTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, WE HAVE ALL THE OPERATIONS, UM, ALIGNED AND EFFICIENT.

WE MAY HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS THERE, BUT THAT WOULD ONLY BE A, A PLANNED TEMPORARY PAUSE WHILE WE MAKE, UM, NEEDED ADJUSTMENTS AND THEN WE WOULD RELEASE IT AGAIN.

SO THAT'S THE STANDARD OFFER.

UM, AND WE ARE HOPING TO BRING THAT RATE TO COUNCIL IN OCTOBER.

UM, IT ALSO HAS A POTENTIAL RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT TO IT, AND WE WILL START STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS TO EXPLORE THAT IN DECEMBER.

AND THEN, UM, TARGETING A, THE LAUNCH OF A RESIDENTIAL OFFERING IN JANUARY OF 2026, UH, WITH THE RESIDENTIAL OFFERING, WE'LL NEED TO EXPLORE, UM, SOME MORE ELABORATE CONSUMER PROTECTION, UH, FOR THEM.

AND WE WANT TO LOOK AT POTENTIAL OWNERSHIP FLIP MODELS THERE.

AND, UM, ALSO POTENTIALLY A WAY TO INCORPORATE THE REVENUES FROM COMMUNITY SOLAR, UM, INTO THAT TO, TO HELP PROVIDE A, A HIGHER BENEFIT FOR A RESIDENTIAL SOLAR HOST.

CONTRACTORS INSTALL, UH, SOLAR AND BATTERIES AT, UM, RESIDENTIAL HOMES IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.

NOW ONTO THE SOLAR FOR ALL GRANT.

THIS IS A GRANT, UM, THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE EPA OR WE'RE RECEIVING, I SHOULD SAY.

UM, WE ARE PART OF A COALITION OF STATE, OR SORRY, UH, CITIES AND AND TERRITORIES WITHIN TEXAS, UH, THAT WENT AFTER THE $7 BILLION EPA GRANT.

WE WERE AWARDED, UM, ONE OF THE HIGHEST, UH, GRANTS AT $250 MILLION FOR THE STATE OF WHICH AUSTIN ENERGY.

AND, SORRY, THIS SLIDE ISN'T UPDATED.

UM, AUSTIN ENERGY WILL BE RECEIVING $31.59 MILLION, UM, THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.

UH, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, WE WILL BE, UM, TARGETING A NUMBER OF BENEFITS FOR THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING, OF COURSE, ENVIRONMENTAL, BUT ALSO, UH, HOUSEHOLD SAVINGS.

SO, UM, I, AND I'LL GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT IN A MINUTE, BUT, UM, EQUITABLE ACCESS, THIS WILL BE A VERY MUCH A LOW INCOME, UM, FOCUSED PROGRAM AND RESILIENCY, BENEFITS, COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

SO NEXT SLIDE, I'LL GO THROUGH HOW THAT'S ALL GONNA WORK.

UM, SO THE MODEL WILL, UM, HAVE AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, FIRST ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH COMMUNITY BENEFIT ORGANIZATIONS.

WE WILL, UM, GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, PRESENT OUR PROPOSED MODEL, GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ON BARRIERS THAT THEY MAY HAVE AND WORK TO ADDRESS THOSE BARRIERS BEFORE WE SOLIDIFY OUR APPROACH.

SIMULTANEOUSLY, WE'LL BE DOING, UM, TECHNOLOGY STUDIES TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF BATTERIES, SO LOOKING TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE AVOIDED COST TO THE UTILITY CAN BE FOR THE PROPER AND OPTIMAL USE OF BATTERIES.

UM, ALSO SIMULTANEOUSLY WE WILL START A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UM, INITIATIVE THAT WILL TARGET DIS OR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TRAINING AND, UM, START TO BUILD UP THAT WORKFORCE THAT WILL HELP TO INSTALL THESE SYSTEMS. ONCE WE'VE IDENTIFIED OUR PROGRAM PATH, UM, THEN WE'LL GO OUT TO RFP.

WE PLAN TO, UM, TO WORK WITH A THIRD PARTY THROUGH A POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT AND A PERFORMANCE CONTRACT FOR SOLAR AND BATTERIES.

AND WE WILL HAVE THAT THIRD PARTY INSTALL OR IN, IN COORDINATION WITH LOCAL

[00:20:01]

SO WE'RE TARGETING 2,500 RESIDENTIAL HOMES AND ALSO 50, UM, EITHER MULTIFAMILY AND OR, UM, COMMUNITY RESILIENCE HUBS, UM, TO, UH, INSTALL 20 MEGAWATTS OF SOLAR AND 35 MEGAWATTS WITH 40 MEGAWATT HOURS OF BATTERIES ON ALL THOSE FACILITIES.

IN THE EVENT OF A GRID FAILURE FOR THAT FIRST 15 YEARS, UH, THE, THE HOST CUSTOMER WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.

SO FOR RESILIENCY PURPOSES, UM, THE HOST CUSTOMER WILL ALSO RECEIVE AN UPFRONT INCENTIVE TO HOST THE SYSTEM.

AND AT THE END OF THE 15 YEAR PERIOD, THE HOST CUSTOMER WILL, UM, RECEIVE OWNERSHIP OF THE SOLAR AND THE MAINTAINED SOLAR AND BATTERY SYSTEM FOR NO COST.

UM, DURING THAT TIME, ALL OF THAT ENERGY'S FEEDING INTO THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM, THROUGH WHICH IT IS EXCLUSIVELY OFFER OFFERED TO LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS.

UH, LOW INCOME PARTICIPANTS WILL NOT ONLY RECEIVE GREEN ENERGY THROUGH THE PROGRAM, BUT ALSO GUARANTEED 20% BILL SAVINGS FOR 15 YEARS.

UM, SO THAT IS THE PROGRAM IN A NUTSHELL.

UM, WE, WE EXPECT THAT THE COMMUNITY SOLAR CAPACITY WILL BE ENOUGH TO HAVE 3000 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THAT, TO THAT, UH, PROGRAM.

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STANDARD OFFER AND OR SOLAR FOR ALL? GO AHEAD.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND CONGRATS ON GETTING THE, THE GRANT.

UM, THANKS.

IF YOU'RE GOING OUT FOR THIS AS A PPA, UM, AND YOU'RE DOING BATTERIES AND SOLAR, WHERE DO THE BENEFITS OF SOMETHING LIKE ENERGY ARBITRAGE GO TO THIS? IS THAT, SO AM ASKING THAT IN THE RIGHT WAY? YEAH, NO, THAT'S GOOD.

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

UM, IT, ENERGY ARBITRAGE WOULD, WOULD BE ONE OF THE CONSIDERED APPROACHES TO OPTIMIZING THE BATTERY USAGE.

SO THE UTILITY IS GOING TO CONTROL THOSE BATTERIES, UM, AND ONLY DOWN TO A CERTAIN DEPTH OF DISCHARGE BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, PART OF THAT'S FOR RESILIENCY JUST IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS, A TREE FALLS.

UM, BUT, AND, AND, AND AT THE EDGE OF AN EXPECTED EVENT, WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, NOT USE THOSE BATTERIES TO THE EXTENT THAT WE COULD HAVE THE MOST POWER IN THOSE BATTERIES FOR RESILIENCY PURPOSES FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS.

BUT ON A NORMAL SUNNY DAY, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE ENERGY ARBITRAGE, UM, PRICE CHASING.

SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY, UM, DEPLOYING THOSE DURING PEAK TIMES FOUR, CP AVOIDANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE THOSE DIFFERENT OPERATIONAL, UM, UM, PROFILES THAT YOU CAN DO FOR BATTERIES TO GET THE MOST VALUE OUT OF THEM.

SO I GUESS, YEAH, THAT'S ACTUALLY A, A GREAT ANSWER, UM, AND RIGHT, BECAUSE RESILIENCY IS ONE OF THOSE BENEFITS, BUT I ACTUALLY WAS THINKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT COST, RIGHT? LIKE IF, YOU KNOW, SO IF, IF THIS IS A PRIVATE DEVELOPER THAT'S DOING THIS AND THEY'RE STORING ENERGY AND THEN SELLING THAT BACK MAYBE THROUGH THE PPA, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE ENVISIONING DOING THIS.

YEAH, SO THE PPA IS TO PURCHASE THE SOLAR ENERGY AND A PERFORMANCE CONTRACT IS FOR THE BATTERIES.

SO WE GET, WE GET THAT RETURN, UM, THE AVOIDED COST BY AVOIDING COST ON THE MARKET.

SO AUSTIN ENERGY GETS THAT.

UM, AND THEN THE PERFORMANCE CONTRACT KIND OF PAYS FOR THOSE THAT, THAT ABILITY TO CREATE THOSE AVOIDED COSTS.

THEN THE, THE GRANT WILL GO DOWN, GO TO BUY DOWN THE PPA AND THE PERFORMANCE CONTRACT TO THE EXTENT OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S AVOIDED COST, AND THAT'S IT.

SO WE'RE IN IT TO OUR AVOIDED COST, THE PPA OR THE, THE GRANTS ON TOP OF THAT TO MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE.

AND WE'RE DOING AS MUCH AS WE CAN.

SO IT, RIGHT NOW, OUR INITIAL PROJECTIONS ARE 3000 CUSTOMERS, 20 MEGAWATTS AND 30 MEGAWATTS OF BATTERIES.

BUT THAT COULD BE MORE OR LESS, IT DEPENDS ON, UM, WHAT THAT ANALYSIS IS GONNA SHOW US AND WHAT OUR ACTUAL AVOIDED COSTS ARE ON THE GRID.

I SEE THERE'S A HAND RAISE ONLINE.

YEAH, GO AHEAD, ALBERTA.

I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AROUND THE, UH, SOLAR FOR ALL.

AND SO YOU SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE 2,500, UM, UH, I GUESS WHAT HOMES THAT YOU WOULD TARGET FOR LOWER INCOME PEOPLE, IS THAT CORRECT? 2,500 HOMES IN DISADVANTAGED

[00:25:01]

COMMUNITIES.

AND SO THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE LOW INCOME, BUT THE SOLAR PRODUCED WILL GO TO LOW INCOME.

I'M SORRY, SAY THAT AGAIN, THE LAST PART AGAIN? YEAH, SO, SO THE HOME ITSELF MIGHT NOT BE OWNED BY A LOW INCOME HOMEOWNER, BUT THE SOLAR ENERGY THAT WE PURCHASE FROM THAT WILL GO TO A LOW INCOME CUSTOMER THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.

SO WOULD THAT MEAN THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE RENTING WOULD GET THE SOLAR ENERGY? I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS IF IT'S NOT FOR THE HOME ITSELF.

SO THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM, IT COULD BE ANY LOW INCOME QUALIFIED CUSTOMER IN THE CITY.

THEY COULD BE A RENTER OR THEY COULD BE ON, YOU KNOW, IN, IN AFFLUENT PART OF TOWN.

BUT IF THEY'RE LOW INCOME QUALIFIED, THEN THEY WILL HAVE ACCESS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.

AND THAT'S UNDER THE SOLAR FOR ALL PROGRAM OR THE COMMUNITY PROGRAM? IT'S, IT'S THE, IT'S THE SOLAR FOR ALL PROGRAM, BUT WE UTILIZE OUR COMMUNITY SOLAR MODEL TO HELP FACILITATE IT.

SO THIS, THIS, THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY PUTTING SOLAR PANELS ON HOMES.

IT IS, THEY'RE JUST, THE HOMES ARE NOT NECESSARILY LOW INCOME.

WE'RE, THEY'RE ALL IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.

AND IF THEY, AND IF THEY BELONG TO A LOW INCOME CUSTOMER, THEN THAT LOW INCOME CUSTOMER CAN GET THE 20% BILL SAVINGS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.

SO, AND THEN THEY WOULD ALSO GET THE OWNERSHIP AT THE END OF THE 15 YEAR PERIOD.

SO IS THERE A COST FOR THE HOMEOWNER? NO, THERE'S NO COST.

AND IN FACT, WE'LL PAY THEM TO HOST THE SYSTEM AND UPFRONT.

SO, UH, TIM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS, BUT I, I DO SHARE THESE, THESE CONCERNS ABOUT WHO IS GONNA BENEFIT FROM THE SOLAR FOR ALL.

SO I GUESS WHAT I AM CONFUSED AND CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS THAT THESE COULD GO TO AFFLUENT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SOME OF THE GENTRIFIED NEIGHBORHOODS AT THIS POINT, AND THAT THEY CAN GET THE SOLAR PANELS FROM THEIR HOUSE AND THEN THEY CAN BE STEERED TO SOME LOW INCOME PERSON.

IT'S, CAN IT, CAN IT WORK THAT WAY? AM I, AM I PUTTING THE, UH, UH, DOTTING THE I'S CORRECTLY THERE? IF IT'S IN A DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY? THAT'S WHAT I SAY, IT'S IN A DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY.

LIKE SAY FOR EXAMPLE, UH, MONIS, SO YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE MILLION DOLLAR HOMES NEXT TO REALLY RUN DOWN OR VERY LOW INCOME HOMES, AND I WON'T SAY RUN DOWN, BUT LOW INCOME HOMES.

SO THIS CAN GO, I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.

I, I'M, I REALLY AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, BUT IT'S, SINCE YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY MADE THAT DECISION, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST WEIGHING IN FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.

I THINK IT'S, WE'RE HAPPY TO HEAR YOU CALLED PATERNALISTIC.

IF NOTHING ELSE, WE'RE HAPPY TO HEAR ALL PERSPECTIVES AND WE HAVEN'T TOTALLY, UM, DIALED IN THE PROGRAM.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND, AND YOUR OPINION COUNTS AND SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE'S.

AND SO WE, WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE THAT FEEDBACK AND WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT CHALLENGE AND WE WILL, UM, REQUIRE THAT OUR THIRD PARTY TARGET NOT ONLY LOW INCOME, BUT ALSO MEDICALLY VULNERABLE, UM, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

BUT I GUESS MY CONCERN IS WHY ISN'T THIS, IT JUST SEEMS TO ME TO BE SUCH A SIMPLE THING AND NOW IT'S VERY CONVOLUTED AND, AND HAS THE POTENTIAL, IN MY VIEW, VIEW FOR CORRUPTION.

WHY COULDN'T WE, I MEAN, WHY DOESN'T AUSTIN ENERGY JUST SAY WE ARE GONNA TARGET 2,500 LOW INCOME HOMEOWNERS AND PUT IT ON THEIR ROOF? I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEX THAN THAT.

WELL, YEAH, I GUESS, OKAY, WE CAN WE'LL CONSIDER THAT, BUT WE, BUT WE NEED TO GET INTO DETAILS ABOUT HOW, WHAT THAT APPROACH LOOKS LIKE.

WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.

BUT THIS IS JUST THE, THE INITIAL PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE TO THE EPA THAT WON US THE AWARD RGO.

UM, JUST BUILDING OFF OF THAT, WHY, WHY ISN'T THAT THE LIKE DEFAULT APPROACH THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS TAKING? BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, I BELIEVE THAT 2,500 HOME, UH, LOW INCOME HOMES WOULD BE HARD TO TARGET, UM, TO FIND HOMES THAT ARE VIABLE, UNSHADED GOOD FOR SOLAR HOMES.

NOW THAT SAID, WE REALIZED THAT THERE COULD BE POTENTIAL UPGRADES NEEDED, AND THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE BUILD IN AS WELL.

UM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY ROUTING THEM THROUGH, UM, PROGRAMS THAT CAN HELP THEM WITH ROOF UPGRADES AND INCORPORATING, UM, SERVICE REBUILDS INTO THE MODEL.

BUT WE,

[00:30:01]

WE WANT TO DO OUR BEST.

WE WANT TO, UM, BE SUCCESSFUL.

WE ALSO THINK THAT THERE'S POTENTIAL, IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL, UM, AT, AT, UM, DEPLOYING THIS MODEL, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY YEARS, THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY GET ACCESS TO OTHER UNUSED FUNDS THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM.

JUST TO FOLLOW UP, SO WOULD, WOULD THINGS LIKE ROOF REPAIRS OR LIKE STRUCTURAL RETROFITS BE PART OF THE PLAN FOR THIS PROGRAM? THEY, THERE ARE PROGRAMS OUT THERE FOR THOSE KIND OF THINGS, AND WE WOULD TRY TO UTILIZE THOSE PROGRAMS, BUT, UM, THE, THE GRANT ITSELF IS NOT FOR, YOU KNOW, HOME REBUILDING AND ROOF REPAIRS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO TARGET THAT GRANT MONEY IN THE WAY THAT THE EPA DIRECTED.

UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR INITIATIVE.

THAT SAID, WE DO WANT TO HELP TO FACILITATE THAT.

WE ALSO, WHILE WE'RE AT THESE HOMES WE'LL BE DOING, IF THEY QUALIFY AND ARE NEEDED, WE'LL BE DOING, UH, FREE WEATHERIZATION AS WELL.

UM, AND ALL OF THIS IS AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMERS.

AND LET ME JUST FOLLOW UP.

SO IN 15 YEARS WHEN IT EXPIRES, IF YOU'RE IN AN AFFLUENT HOME, THEN YOU HAVE A SOLAR RETROFITTED ROOF, CORRECT? YES.

YOU WERE A COMMUNITY SOLAR HOST FOR 15 YEARS AND THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR THAT.

OTHER QUESTIONS, HARRIS, GO AHEAD.

YEAH, I JUST WANT TO, UH, ECHO ALBERTA'S CONCERNS, UM, BECAUSE THE WAY YOU MAKE IT SOUND IS JUST LIKE, 'CAUSE I LIVE OFF EAST MLK, RIGHT? EAST AIRPORT, WHICH TRADITIONALLY HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN RECENT DECADES HAS BECOME MORE, UH, MORE GENTRIFIED FOR LACK OF A BETTER, MORE POLITICALLY CORRECT TERM, RIGHT? AND SO IT'S LIKE, YEAH, TRADITIONALLY THIS AREA HAS, YOU KNOW, BIT DISADVANTAGED, BUT NOW IF YOU HAVE ALL THESE MILLION DOLLAR HOMES AND MILLION DOLLAR DUPLEXES THAT BASICALLY QUALIFY FOR FREE SOLAR, WHO ARE WE REALLY DOING A SERVICE TO? YOU KNOW, IF YOU'D BE DOING A SERVICE TO ALL OF THE LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS THAT ARE SUBSCRIBING TO THAT AND GETTING 20% BILL DISCOUNTS, RIGHT? BUT WHO IS GETTING LIKE THE LONG TERM EQUITY HERE TO ME IS THE QUESTION, RIGHT? LIKE, WE SHOULDN'T JUST BE LIKE, OH, THESE PEONS ARE JUST GETTING A FEW SAVINGS HERE AND THERE, THEY SHOULD BE HAPPY, RIGHT? LIKE, WHY AREN'T WE INVESTING IN THEIR EQUITY, UH, AND MAKING THAT A PRIORITY? YOU KNOW, WE HEAR THAT AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE CHALLENGE, MAYBE ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE COMMUNITY IS TO IDENTIFY THE HOUSING STOCK THAT WE SHOULD BE TARGETING.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS JUST THE INITIAL, UM, APPROACH THAT WE USE TO GET THE GRANT.

AND EVEN THE EPA WANTS US, AND ESPECIALLY THE EPA, WANTS US TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY THE BEST APPROACH THAT'S GOING TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN THE BEST WAY.

AND THAT'S OUR INTENT.

THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

GO AHEAD, .

WHAT IS A GOVERNANCE OF THIS PROGRAM LOOK LIKE? IS THERE LIKE A STEERING COMMITTEE? IS THERE SOME KIND OF COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP? DO YOU HAVE LIKE CBOS INVOLVED IN DECISION MAKING THAT THAT WILL BE PART OF THE, UM, THE CBO, UM, ENGAGEMENT AND, AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? I BELIEVE WE, WE NEED TO SET UP SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

UM, NONE OF THAT'S BEEN TOTALLY, UM, SUSSED OUT.

AGAIN, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE MONEY YET.

UM, BUT WHEN WE DO, WE'LL START TO STAFF UP, WE'LL START TO ENGAGE CBOS AND THEN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND WORK TOWARDS THAT.

BUT I LIKE THAT SUGGESTION.

WHO, WHO HAS BEEN, UM, ENGAGED TO DATE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS? UH, WITH THE DEVELOP OF IT, THE DEVELOPMENT OF IT.

WE, UM, WE WORKED WITH PODER SOME ON THAT, AND, UH, WE HAVE ALSO WORKED IN THE PAST WITH, UH, TERI AND SIGN AND ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, UM, PARTICULAR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS TO SEE WHAT THEIR NEEDS WERE AROUND SOLAR.

AND SO THAT HAS INFORMED THE INITIAL DESIGN OF THIS PROGRAM TO DATE IS, SO ARE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE FORMALLY, UH, PROJECT PARTNERS FOR THIS GRANT? WE HAVE NO FORMAL PROJECT PARTNERS AT AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY YET, BUT WE WILL HAVE SOON.

BUT, BUT AS PART OF YOUR GRANT APPLICATION, DID YOU IDENTIFY LIKE, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS? THEY, THEY AND, AND MANY OTHERS? YEAH,

[00:35:07]

AND, UM, I GUESS ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE INITIALLY THINKING THAT YOU WOULD TARGET DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, UM, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE MAP AND I, I THINK THAT LIKE, I THINK THERE'S A LOT LACKING FROM THIS, THIS MAP.

LIKE IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE A GOOD PORTION OF THE MONTOPOLIS COMMUNITY IS NOT INCLUDED, LIKE WHAT'S EAST OF MONTOPOLIS, UH, DRIVE, FOR EXAMPLE.

SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THE DOOR OPEN FOR ALLOWING, UM, HOSTS THAT ARE NOT IN THOSE MAPPED OUT? ONLY IF THEY'RE LOW INCOME QUALIFIED? IF THEY'RE LOW INCOME, YES.

YEAH, I GUESS I'LL JUST ADD MY 2 CENTS.

I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE PROGRAM BE, YOU KNOW, FULLY SERVING LOW INCOME AND ALLOW FOLKS IN OTHER AREAS, UM, THAT ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, IN THE, I THINK IT'S THE GRAY SHADED AREAS ON THAT MAP THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, DESIGNATED AS, AS DISADVANTAGED.

UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT LEAVES A LOT OF LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS OUT.

SO I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THERE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES MIGHT BE FINDING ENOUGH HOMES, AND I THINK IF WE SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE WHOLE SERVICE AREA, THAT PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, I THINK OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD INCREASE THE NUMBER.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT IN SOUTH AUSTIN TOO THAT ARE NOT ON THE DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY, BUT MIGHT BE LOW INCOME.

SO YEAH, I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THERE.

OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE LET TIM GO HOME? YEAH, GO AHEAD.

UH, JUST QUESTION ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN STRUCTURED? NO, FRANKLY, LIKE THE, THE, THE, UM, APPLICATION PERIOD FOR THIS WAS VERY SHORT.

THE EPA KNOWS THAT THIS IS A UNIQUE GRANT.

A LOT OF TIMES GRANTS HAVE TO BE FULLY FLESHED BEFORE THEY ARE EVEN SUBMITTED.

BUT THE EPA IS SAYING, NO, WE WANT YOU TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, DEVELOP THE PLAN WITH THE COMMUNITY.

SO WE'RE GETTING THERE, BUT WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO STAFF UP AND, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, FLESH OUT ALL THESE PLANS.

THINKING ABOUT THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP TODAY, DO YOU HAVE, UM, IDEAS ON WHAT THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE, ESPECIALLY FROM THOSE THAT ARE IN THESE COMMUNITIES THAT COULD BE SERVICED? YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHILE I'VE BEEN A PART OF IT, IT'S NOT MY FORTE AND WE WANT TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO KNOW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE CONSULTED WITH, WITH PEOPLE INCLUDING THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND, UM, OTHERS IN THE CITY.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK WE NEED TO BUILD THOSE TEAMS AND DEVELOP THAT AND THAT WILL COME.

UM, BUT WE, WE REALLY CAN'T DO TOO MUCH UNTIL WE GET MONEY TO STAFF UP AND HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO IT.

AND GO AHEAD, ROD.

GO.

I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, HAVE YOU, HAVE Y'ALL ENGAGED WITH THE, UM, EQUITY ACTION TEAM OR WITH THE EX EQUITY OFFICE IN GENERAL? AND, AND IF NOT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A POTENTIAL PATHWAY FOR YOU ALL.

UM, I, I TRUST THAT WE'LL, WE'LL GET THE ANNOUNCEMENT HERE WHEN THAT STAKEHOLDER PROCESS, I THINK YOU'VE HEARD THAT WE, WE'VE GOT SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT PROBABLY WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE IN THAT.

SHIRLEY DID, DID I SEE.

WE'LL TAKE ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET.

PIECE OF, OF THE, THE STANDARD OFFER, THAT THE IDEA IS THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN ADDITIONAL ADDER, SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, FINANCIAL BENEFIT THAT EITHER, THAT HOPEFULLY WILL FLOW TO THOSE RESIDENTIAL HOSTS.

YEAH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S EXCITING AND, AND EVEN IF, UH, FOLKS HAVE INITIAL CONCERNS, IT SOUNDS LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY'S VERY OPEN, SO WE SHOULD, UM, APPLY OURSELVES TO PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS.

UM, TIM, JUST SINCE WE DO HAVE A RESOLUTION, UM, POSTED ON THE STANDARD OFFER, I KNOW YOU DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, PRESENT THE DETAILS OF THE, THE RATE HERE TODAY, BUT I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT USING THAT, THAT MONEY, UM, FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PORTION AND JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO HEAR, SO WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, THAT THE INTENTION IS THAT WHEN RESIDENTIAL IS ADDED TO THE HOSTING

[00:40:02]

IS THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHERE YOU'RE, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO EXPLORE WITH STAKEHOLDERS? YES.

OKAY, GREAT.

I APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN.

ALRIGHT, ARE WE GONNA,

[4. Presentation on the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) 2024 Update – Heidi Kasper, Austin Energy]

THANK YOU HEIDI.

WE'RE GONNA HEAR NOW ABOUT THE 2024 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE.

HI, UH, SO THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW ME, I AM HEIDI CASPER.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF GREEN BUILDING AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AT AUSTIN ENERGY.

UM, SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS IN THE PROCESS OF ADOPTING NEW TECHNICAL CODES.

ONE OF THOSE IS THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IS LEADING THAT OVERALL EFFORT, BUT MY TEAM IS, UM, LEADING AS THE TECHNICAL EXPERTS ON THE ENERGY PIECE.

UM, IT WILL EVENTUALLY GET BROUGHT TO COUNCIL, UM, HOWEVER, IT'S GONNA GET BROUGHT BY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND WE DON'T HAVE A COUNCIL DATE YET.

SO, UM, NEXT SLIDE.

I'LL START WITH, UM, OUR OUTREACH PROCESS AND WHERE WE'RE AT.

SO WE STARTED WORKING ON OUTREACH BACK IN THE SPRING.

UM, WE'VE PRIMARILY BEEN ALIGNING THAT WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, AND USING A SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE, WE'VE ANNOUNCED IT AT OUR, UM, SEMINARS THAT WE PUT ON.

UM, DONE A NUMBER OF PRESENTATIONS, UM, PUT OUT THE WORD THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, EMAILS AND NEWSLETTERS.

WE MAILED IT OUT TO APPROXIMATELY, UM, 235 INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING SOME 157 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.

WE DID END UP WITH SOME THOUSAND, LIKE ON THE OVER A THOUSAND VIEWS ON THE PAGE.

UM, AND ABOUT 55 COMMENTS.

UM, AND WE'RE NOW GOING THROUGH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PROCESS.

IN TERMS OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT, UH, SO THERE'S A RESIDENTIAL PORTION TO THE CODE AND A COMMERCIAL PORTION.

UM, GENERALLY THE COMMENTS WERE FAIRLY UNIFORM.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF COMMENTS WERE IN SUPPORT OF ADOPTING THE CODE.

AND THEY WERE ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN US ADOPTING AN EV READINESS APPENDIX AND AN ELECTRIC APPENDIX APPENDICES.

UM, BOTH OF WHICH WE HAD PROPOSED.

WE DID RECEIVE, UM, SOME FEEDBACK ON AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS, AND I WILL TALK ABOUT OUR AFFORDABILITY IMPACT ANALYSIS LATER ON IN THE PRESENTATION.

WE ALSO RECEIVED A FAIR AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK ON WATER HEATERS.

SO WE HAVE PROPOSED AN AMENDMENT TO THE PUBLISHED CODE THAT WOULD ADD A SPACE REQUIREMENT FOR WATER HEATERS, A THREE FOOT BY THREE FOOT BY SEVEN FOOT SPACE.

THE IDEA BEING THAT IF YOU WANTED TO SWITCH FROM, UM, SAY AN ELECTRIC RESISTANCE WATER HEATER OR A TANKLESS GAS WATER HEATER NOW TO A HEAT PUMP WATER HEATER, THOSE TAKE UP MORE SPACE.

SO THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THE SPACE.

IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE FEEDBACK, WE, UM, ALSO HEARD THAT WE WANTED A, UH, STAKEHOLDERS WANTED A DC FAST CHARGING COMPLIANCE FOR, TO HELP MEET THE ELECTRIC READINESS, UH, SORRY, EV READINESS COMPONENT IN THE COMMERCIAL CODE.

AND WE HAVE ADDED THAT BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK ON THE WATER HEATING.

WE ORIGINALLY HAD AN EXEMPTION FOR, UM, EXTERIOR GAS, UH, TANKLESS GAS WATER HEATERS.

WE WEREN'T SURE HOW TO ADD A SPACE REQUIREMENT TO THAT.

WE'VE ACTUALLY REMOVED THAT BASED ON STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO INADVERTENTLY INCENTIVIZE PUTTING THOSE ON THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR HOME.

WE THOUGHT THAT THAT DID NOT WORK VERY WELL.

AND YURI, UM, OTHER THINGS, UH, SO WE DID HAVE SOME STAKEHOLDERS THAT WANTED US TO GO FURTHER ON EV READINESS AND REQUIRE CHARGING STATIONS.

WE ARE NOT, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT AT THIS POINT.

UM, BOTH FROM A, AN AFFORDABILITY CONTEXT.

AND WE THINK THAT THE MARKET WILL PROBABLY, UM, INCENTIVIZE PUTTING THE CHARGING STATIONS IN WHEN WE HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF VEHICLES.

SO WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE EV CAPABILITY AND EV READINESS, GETTING THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE.

SO, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S THE PART THAT'S CHEAPER TO DO UPFRONT.

REQUIREMENT POINT SYSTEM.

UM, SO I WILL GO QUICKLY OVER SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THIS CODE, STARTING WITH RESIDENTIAL.

THE RESIDENTIAL CODE IS ADDING AN ADDITIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY

[00:45:01]

UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN IN THE COMMERCIAL CODE.

IT HAS A SORT OF A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ABOVE PRESCRIPTIVE CODE OPTIONS.

UM, AND YOU HAVE TO GET TO A CERTAIN NUMBER OF POINTS, BUT IT GIVES BUILDERS FLEXIBILITY ON HOW TO GET THERE.

IT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE HEAT PUMP, WATER HEATERS, UM, ADDITIONAL ENVELOPE, UH, EFFICIENCY, ET CETERA.

SO IT GIVES THEM SOME FLEXIBILITY TO CHOOSE THE BEST WAY TO GET THERE.

MOST AFFORDABLY FOR THEIR PROJECT, WE'RE REQUIRING DEMAND RESPONSE CONTROLS, UH, FOR ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS WITH AN EXCEPTION THAT ALLOWS FOR TIMERS.

RIGHT NOW THE CODE REQUIRES TIMERS AND ALLOWS DEMAND RESPONSE AS, UH, AN EXCEPTION.

SO WE'RE KIND OF FLIPPING IT AS WE MOVE TOWARD, UM, A FULL DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAM FOR WATER HEATERS.

BATHROOM EXHAUST FANS WILL REQUIRE CONTROLS TO REMOVE MOISTURE, UM, TRYING TO ADDRESS HUMIDITY AT THE SOURCE.

AIR LEAKAGE REDUCTION, THAT IS HOW LEAKY YOUR BUILDING ENVELOPE IS, HAS BEEN, IS BEING TIGHTENED UP.

SO REDUCING FROM FIVE AIR CHANGES TO FOUR, THE PRESCRIPTIVE ATTIC INSTALLATION DOES SEEM A LITTLE BIT COUNTER, SO WE'RE REDUCING IT FROM R 49 TO R 38.

UM, THIS IS PART OF THE PUBLISHED CODE AND IT WAS PART OF A SUITE OF NEGOTIATION AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL AMONGST HOME BUILDERS, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS IN TERMS OF WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO ADD EFFICIENCY.

AND SO WE LOOKED AT THIS FROM AN ENERGY MODELING STANDPOINT IN OUR CLIMATE ZONE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF COST SAVINGS TO NOT REQUIRING THAT R 49.

UM, IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAVE A HUGE IMPACT HERE ON A EFFICIENCY, AND WE GET, IT GETS THE BUY-IN OF THE BUILDERS ON ALL THE OTHER EFFICIENCY THINGS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT IN WITH THIS NEW CODE.

SO IT DOES SEEM A LITTLE COUNTER, BUT, UM, THAT WAS PART OF THAT CONSENSUS AGREEMENT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.

WE WERE INVOLVED IN THAT AND WE THINK WE SHOULD STICK BY IT.

UM, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, ADOPTION OF ELECTRIC READINESS AND EV READINESS APPENDICES.

I WILL BREAK OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THOSE SPECIFICALLY LATER SINCE THOSE HAVE BEEN THE, UM, BIGGEST TOPIC OF, UH, INTEREST COMMERCIAL.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

IN THE COMMERCIAL CODE, THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS. UM, IT'S FAIRLY LIMITED.

IT'S 0.75 WATTS PER SQUARE FOOT FOR THE LARGEST THREE FLOORS.

SO RECOGNIZING THAT AS YOU GET TALLER, YOU DON'T GET MORE ROOF SPACE.

SO WE'RE BASING IT ON THE LARGEST THREE FLOORS.

UM, AND IT APPLIES TO BUILDINGS OVER 10,000 SQUARE FEET.

THERE'S AN ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM READINESS REQUIREMENT.

THIS IS ALSO BASED ON YOUR LARGEST THREE FLOORS, AND IT'S INTENDED TO ALIGN WITH THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM REQUIREMENT.

HOWEVER, WE'RE NOT REQUIRING BATTERIES OR STORAGE SYSTEM BE PUT IN NOW, JUST THAT YOU PLAN FOR IT AND HAVE SPACE, UM, AIR LEAKAGE REDUCTIONS, UH, AGAIN, UM, FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND TESTING IS BEING REQUIRED FOR GROUPS.

R AND I, RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL USES UPDATES TO THE HVAC EFFICIENCY TABLES.

THESE JUST ALIGN WITH FEDERAL STANDARDS.

THERE'S A, UH, PASS BEING INTRODUCED.

THIS IS THE TOTAL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE RATIO PATH.

IT ALLOWS FOR TRADE-OFFS.

SO IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, YOU MIGHT HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, MECHANICAL SYSTEMS. AND SO THIS ALLOWS YOU, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO MEET, UH, AN EFFICIENCY REQUIREMENT ON EACH INDIVIDUAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, YOU CAN DO SOME TRADE-OFFS.

AS LONG AS THE OVERALL PACKAGE OF MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, UM, MEETS THAT STANDARD.

THERE HAVE, AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL EFFICIENCY SECTION IN THE COMMERCIAL CODE ALREADY.

THERE HAVE BEEN UPDATES THAT TO THAT SECTION.

UM, PROVIDING MORE OPTIONS AND ALLOWING A BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY.

AND AGAIN, ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, AN ELECTRIC READY, EV READY AND DEMAND RESPONSE APPENDICES.

SO ON THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE READINESS FOR COMMERCIAL, THERE'S A TABLE.

IT VARIES BY, UM, BUILDING TYPE.

WE ARE, UM, THE, THE HIGHEST REQUIREMENT IS FOR MULTIFAMILY BECAUSE WE BELIEVE MOST PEOPLE CHARGE AT HOME AND WANT TO CHARGE AT HOME.

SO, UM, FOR MULTIFAMILY, IT IS SET AT, UM, 35% EV CAPABLE AND 5% EV READY.

EV CAPABLE IS ESSENTIALLY YOUR CAPACITY AND YOUR CONDUIT.

SO WE NEED SPACE AND YOUR PANELS, WE NEED CONDUITS SO THAT YOU CAN GET THE WIRING THERE LATER.

EV READY ADDS THE WIRING AND THE OUTLET, UM, FOR RESIDENTIAL CODE, UH, FOR ONE AND TWO FAMILY DWELLINGS.

ANY EV CAPABLE EV READY OR, UM, A CHARGING STATION WILL WORK.

AGAIN, ON COMMERCIAL, YOU CAN TRADE THESE OFF.

SO IF YOU PUT IN SOMETHING BETTER THAN EV CAPABLE OR EV READY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ADD, THEN

[00:50:01]

STILL MEET THE 40%.

THAT WOULD JUST COUNTER IT.

UM, UNDER RESIDENTIAL CODE, THAT ALSO APPLIES TO MULTIFAMILY FOUR STORIES AND LESS.

AND THERE WE ARE LOOKING FOR, UM, EV CAPABLE FOR 40%, SO ADDING SOME PARITY TO THE MULTIFAMILY, UM, UNDER THE COMMERCIAL CODE.

SO IT'S, IT'S 40% OVERALL FOR BOTH OF THOSE.

ELECTRIC READINESS.

ESSENTIALLY ON THE ELECTRIC READINESS, WE ARE LOOKING TO ADD ELECTRIC INFRASTRUCTURE, SO OUTLETS AND, UH, BRANCH CIRCUITS IN YOUR PANELS FOR COMBUSTION HEATING, WATER HEATING, COOKING, AND CLOSED DRYING.

UM, AND THAT APPLIES, UH, REALLY BOTH, UH, UNDER COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL.

COMMERCIAL, YOU SEE A FEW DIFFERENT, UH, WAYS OF THAT SHOWING UP.

RESIDENTIAL, WE HAVE SPECIFIC AMPERAGE, UM, SPELLED OUT 'CAUSE WE'RE, WE KNOW WHAT RESIDENTIAL EQUIPMENT LOOKS LIKE.

UM, AGAIN, THIS IS REALLY ABOUT, UH, WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT IF THEY HAVE A NATURAL GAS APPLIANCE IN THEIR HOME AND THAT ELECTRIC OUTLET WASN'T THERE, YOU GO TO CHANGE OUT AND YOU WANNA UPGRADE TO AN INDUCTION COOKTOP, FOR INSTANCE, IF THE ELECTRIC WORK HASN'T BEEN DONE, THAT CAN BE VERY COSTLY, UM, AND, UH, DIFFICULT.

SO ADDS BARRIERS TO FOLKS THAT MIGHT WANNA CHANGE TO AN ELECTRIC, UM, PIECE OF EQUIPMENT LATER.

SO THIS SETS IT UP SO THAT THE HOMEOWNER GOING FORWARD CAN CHOOSE THE RIGHT APPLIANCE FOR THEM IN THE FUTURE.

MY TEAM DID AN ANALYSIS OF PROJECTED ENERGY SAVINGS.

WE CURRENTLY, THE CITY USES THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE WITH SOME LOCAL AMENDMENTS BY ADOPTING THIS CODE.

UM, WE'RE PREDICTING, UH, FOR COMMERCIAL OVERALL, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A 13.4% SAVINGS ON THE CHART.

WE'VE BROKEN THAT OUT BY THE DIFFERENT BUILDING TYPES THAT WE'VE ANALYZED.

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE'S, UH, A BAR IN LIGHT GREEN THAT IS THE SAVINGS FROM THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS. UM, SO FOR INSTANCE, RESTAURANTS, THAT BUILDING IS, UH, IN OUR PROTOTYPE MODEL LESS THAN 10,000 SQUARE FEET, SO WOULDN'T HAVE THE RENEWABLE ENERGY REQUIREMENT.

AND THE BUILDINGS UNDER THE RESIDENTIAL ENERGY CODE WOULD NOT HAVE THAT EITHER.

FOR RESIDENTIAL ENERGY CODE, IT'S ABOUT 6%, UH, OVERALL, UM, WITH THE HIGHEST SAVINGS FOR YOUR MULTI-FAMILY USES AND YOUR, UM, HOMES MORE IN THE RANGE OF 4% SAVINGS.

UM, AT OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS A UNIT.

WE DID AN AFFORDABILITY IMPACT ANALYSIS, UH, ON SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.

WE ARE ESTIMATING, UM, THAT THE, THERE WILL ACTUALLY BE A REDUCTION IN THE OVERALL COST.

UM, AGAIN, THAT COMES FROM REDUCING THAT ATTIC INSTALLATION.

UM, BUT THEN YOU'RE ADDING SOME COST WITH THE EV READINESS, ELECTRIC READINESS AND, UH, ADDITIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES, UM, THAT ARE BEING REQUIRED.

SO TOTAL, WE'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT 200 TO $350 IN REDUCED COST.

I WILL NOTE THAT THE ELECTRIC READINESS, UM, COST ONLY APPLIES IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY ALL ELECTRIC.

UM, AND WHEN YOU ADD IN THE ENERGY SAVINGS, UH, THE BILL SAVINGS WE'RE THINKING IS GONNA COME IN AROUND 25 TO $50 PER YEAR.

MULTIFAMILY, UM, THIS IS A MULTIFAMILY LOW RISE.

SO MULTIFAMILY UNDER THE RESIDENTIAL CODE, AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA SEE, UM, SOME SAVINGS FROM THE ATTIC INSTALLATION BEING REDUCED, BUT WE HAVE LESS ATTIC SPACE PER, UM, SQUARE FOOT AND UNIT, SO IT DOESN'T FULLY OFFSET THE COSTS.

UM, FOR THE OTHER COMPONENTS, WE'RE THINKING THIS IS GONNA ADD ABOUT 375 TO $475 PER UNIT, UM, IN TOTAL COST WITH ABOUT, UH, $75 OF SAVINGS PER UNIT, UM, PER YEAR FOR ENERGY SAVINGS, UM, WITH A SIMPLE PAYBACK OF FIVE AND A HALF YEARS.

NEXT SLIDE, COMMERCIALS MUCH HARDER.

UM, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT DID ASK US TO TRY AND ANALYZE, UH, HIGH, HIGH-RISE MULTIFAMILY SPECIFICALLY.

SO WE TOOK OUR 10 STORY PROTOTYPE MULTIFAMILY MODEL AND DID OUR BEST TO COME UP WITH AN ESTIMATE FOR THAT SPECIFIC BUILDING TYPE.

UM, HERE THE COSTS ARE QUITE A BIT HIGHER.

WE DID END UP, UH, CREATING AN EXCEPTION UNDER THE ELECTRIC READINESS COMPONENT FOR, UM, SHARED WATER HEATING.

SO, UH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE INDIVIDUAL WATER HEATERS, YOU HAVE FOR INSTANCE, A BOILER FOR THE ENTIRE BUILDING.

UM, WE DID CREATE AN EXCEPTION THERE BECAUSE IT JUST WASN'T, UM, COMING OUT AS VERY COST EFFECTIVE.

SO WE DID CREATE THAT EXCEPTION.

IT'S STILL LOOKING TO BE,

[00:55:01]

UM, THE SAVINGS IS ABOUT $160 PER UNIT PER YEAR.

SO WE GET BETTER SAVINGS HERE.

THAT'S A SIMPLE PAYBACK OF EIGHT TO 10 YEARS.

UM, AGAIN, THE ELECTRIC READINESS COST WOULD ONLY AFFECT MIXED FUEL BUILDINGS.

SO IN THIS CASE, WE ASSUMED IN ALL, UH, WHERE, WHERE THERE WAS GAS, WE ASSUMED THAT THERE WAS GAS WHEN WE CALCULATED THIS.

THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE FOR A LOT OF MULTIFAMILY BUILDINGS.

SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT, UH, WORST CASE.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING I WILL JUST SAY ABOUT BOTH OF THESE CODES THAT'S KIND OF UNIQUE THIS CYCLE IS ELECTRIC READINESS AND EV READINESS.

LIKE THERE'S NOT A DIRECT EFFICIENCY BENEFIT UPFRONT.

SO UNLIKE PREVIOUS YEARS WHERE EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IS IMMEDIATELY RESULTING IN BILL SAVINGS UPFRONT, THE SAVINGS HERE ARE, UH, RETROFIT SAVINGS LATER DOWN THE ROAD.

SO IT'S MUCH CHEAPER TO ADD THIS INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING THE BUILDING THAN IT IS TO DO IT LATER.

UM, THAT'S WHY WE'VE INTRODUCED THEM, BUT THERE'S NOT AN IMMEDIATE PAYBACK.

THE PAYBACK COMES WHEN THAT, UM, OWNER WANTS TO MAKE A CHANGE LATER, AND IT BECOMES MUCH EASIER.

SO YOUR WATER HEATER GOES OUT AND YOU DON'T REALIZE YOU'RE LOCKED INTO GAS BECAUSE I NEED A WATER HEATER NOW, BUT, AND I DON'T HAVE TIME TO UPGRADE MY PANEL OR GET AN ELECTRICIAN IN AND DO ALL THE ELECTRICAL WORK FIRST.

AND, UH, WITH THAT, UH, I WILL TAKE QUESTIONS.

CAN, CAN I START BY JUST, IF, IF YOU COULD ACTUALLY BRING THE PRESENTATION BACK UP.

JUST WANTED TO, UH, GET A LITTLE CLARIFICATION.

ON THE SAVINGS.

UM, DID Y'ALL FACTOR IN ANY SAVINGS FROM FUEL SWITCHING DOWN THE ROAD? NO.

OR WAS THAT, OKAY, SO NONE OF THAT IS, UH, INCLUDED IN THIS ANALYSIS.

SO NEITHER THE AVOIDED ELECTRICIAN COST AT THAT POINT OF SWITCHING, NOR THAT YOU WOULD RIGHT.

SAVE IN YOUR FUEL COST AT HOME OR ON THE ROAD.

THOSE ARE NOT FACTORED IN.

SO THOSE ARE NOT FACTORED INTO THIS ANALYSIS.

SO IN FACT, YOU WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE POTENTIALLY A LOT HIGHER SAVING A LOT.

SO IT'S, RIGHT NOW THE STUDIES WE'VE SEEN SAY, UM, IN MANY OF THESE CASES, IT'S, UH, LIKE I SAID, FOUR TO SIX TIMES HIGHER, UH, COSTS TO RETROFIT THAT.

UM, BUT GIVEN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT COSTS ARE LATER AND WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IF BUILDINGS WILL SWITCH, UM, THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THIS PARTICULAR ANALYSIS.

I'LL JUST SAY I PERSONALLY HAVE DONE SOME OF THOSE RETROFITS AND THE ELECTRICAL COST IS, IT'S NOT, NOT FUN.

AND, UH, MINE WERE A FEW YEARS AGO, SO I CAN IMAGINE THAT IT'S EVEN WORSE NOW.

SO I'M, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT FOR OTHER PEOPLE I WON'T BENEFIT, BUT FOR OTHERS.

UM, OKAY.

SORRY TO HAVE YOU PUT THAT.

YEAH, I'LL, ON THAT NOTE, I WILL NOTE THIS ONLY APPLIES TO NEW CONSTRUCTION, NOT TO EXISTING BUILDINGS.

WE'RE NOT ASKING ANYBODY TO GO BACK AND DO THAT RETROFIT .

UM, SORRY.

YOU CAN TAKE THE PRESENTATION DOWN.

UH, QUESTIONS READY? YEAH, GO AHEAD.

UM, I HAVE A QUESTION.

I ACTUALLY WANTED TO GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE ABOUT ELECTRIC READINESS.

UM, YOU HAD FOR COMMERCIAL, UH, LUMPED IN THERE, UM, UH, COMBUSTIBLE KITCHENS AND THEN I THINK IT WAS CLOSED DRAWING.

UM, SO ARE WE, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMBUSTIBLE KITCHENS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESTAURANTS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHICH SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY BIG, UH, CHANGE FOR, TO GO FROM, UH, THAT EQUIPMENT TO, TO CONVERT IT TO ELECTRICAL.

UM, IN THAT ELECTRICAL READINESS, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING SPACE IN THE PANEL OR WHAT DO, WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL? YEAH, ES ESSENTIALLY, UM, ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, UH, UH, I WOULD HAVE TO GET INTO THE DETAILS ON IT, BUT YES, MOSTLY IT'S BUILDING, IT'S BASED IN THE PANEL ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT OUTLETS AND WIRING.

UM, SO THAT, UH, YOU HAVE THE OUTLET ADJACENT TO THE APPLIANCE, UM, WHERE YOU NEED IT ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, I WOULD HAVE TO GET INTO THE DETAILS.

I DIDN'T BRING ALL OF IT WITH ME, BUT YEAH, WE'RE, BUT I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT'S GONNA BE A VERY COSTLY THING TO RE I MEAN, THIS IS ALL FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.

GO BACK AND, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO GET THAT DETAIL FOR YOU.

AND WOULD WE BE BRINGING ELECTRICAL AND THE CAPABILITY FROM THE PANEL TO THE ADJACENCY OF WHATEVER UNIT OR WHATEVER FIXTURE THERE RIGHT.

WOULD REPLACE? YEAH, I THINK SO, BUT I, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT APPLIES TO ALL OF THE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN USES.

UM, I WOULD HAVE TO

[01:00:01]

I MEAN, YEAH, I CAN LOOK IT UP AS WELL.

I HADN'T, HADN'T LOOKED AT THAT YET.

MM-HMM, , THAT WAS MY, THAT WAS MY MAIN QUESTION.

THANKS, SHE, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

SURE.

UM, I THINK THIS IS GREAT.

ONE QUESTION I HAVE, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE AFFORDABILITY AROUND THE SINGLE FAMILY.

UM, SO IT, IT SAYS THAT THE SAVINGS WOULD BE 25 TO 50 PER YEAR.

IS THAT IN, UM, EFFICIENCY ELECTRICITY COSTS? YES.

UM, BECAUSE OF THE EFFICIENCY? YES.

SO EVEN WITH THE REDUCED ATTIC INSULATION, YES.

AS WE KNOW, AIR CONDITIONING IS THE NUMBER ONE COST.

SO WITH, WITH THE REDUCED ATTIC INSULATION, IT STILL SAVES, UM, YES ELECTRICITY BECAUSE OF ALL THE OTHER EFFICIENCY, UM, REQUIREMENTS THAT HAVE BROUGHT INTO THE, HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE CODE.

GREAT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AWESOME.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS, HEIDI.

UM, I'M EXCITED.

I, I KNOW SOME OF US HAVE BEEN AROUND ON THE JSC FOR A WHILE AND, AND MIGHT REMEMBER WE'VE, I DON'T KNOW, PASSED, PASSED AT LEAST, I DON'T KNOW, ONE OR TWO RESOLUTIONS ON THE EV READY AND ELECTRIC READY.

SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT HAPPENING.

HAPPY TO BE DOING IT.

UH, WILL WE, IS IS MARK READY OR SHOULD WE DO RESOLUTIONS? UH, THERE, IT'S OKAY.

THANKS

[2. Presentation on heat resilience planning efforts – Marc Coudert, Office of Resilience]

FOR JOINING US, MARK.

I APPRECIATE YOU DOING THIS REMOTELY.

UM, I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SOME FOLKS EAGERLY AWAITING YOUR, YOUR PRESENTATION ON, ON HEAT READINESS, SO THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

UM, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? 'CAUSE THE SOUND HERE IS KIND OF LAME.

YEAH, WE CAN HEAR YOU FINE.

UH, I DO WANNA SAY THAT I HAVE AN AUDIENCE OVER HERE OF ABOUT 19 STUDENTS SAY HI EVERYBODY.

UM, SO THEY'RE GONNA LISTEN IN AS WELL.

I LOVE IT.

SO, UM, WELL THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME AND I APPRECIATE, UH, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT HEAT.

UM, I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK RECENTLY THAT IT HASN'T BEEN AS HOT THIS YEAR BECAUSE LAST YEAR WE HAD 80 DAYS OVER 140 DAYS, OVER 105.

BUT I DO WANNA REMIND PEOPLE THAT IT HAS BEEN THE 11TH HOTTEST YEAR ON RECORD THIS YEAR.

SO AS MUCH AS IT FEELS COOLER, IT IS STILL VERY HOT.

THE SECOND PIECE THOUGH IS THAT MORE PEOPLE DIE OF HEAT THAN ANY OTHER NATURAL DISASTER COMBINED.

SO ALTHOUGH WE LIVE IN THE SOUTH, WE STILL THINK ABOUT THAT HEAT AS PART OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.

IT IS STILL VERY, VERY DANGEROUS.

SO AS WE WALK THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, I DO WANT TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHO'S IMPACTED BY HEAT AND HOW CAN WE START TO LOOK AT IT MORE HOLISTICALLY AND NOT JUST ONE THING.

SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO TODAY I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON HOW WE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HEAT SO FAR.

TALK ABOUT THE HEAT PLAYBOOK, WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT, AND THEN FINISH WITH CLIENT PROJECTIONS GOING FORWARD.

AND THEN ANY KIND OF NEXT STEPS WE MIGHT HAVE OR QUESTIONS YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE IN THIS PROCESS.

THEN AFTER THAT THERE WAS A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT THAT HAPPENED.

SO THE HEAT RESILIENCE PLAYBOOK, AS WE KNOW IN AUSTIN, IT IS GETTING HOTTER.

IN THE 1970S WE AVERAGED ABOUT 12 DAYS OVER A HUNDRED.

WE NOW AVERAGE ABOUT 30 DAYS OVER A HUNDRED.

BUT WE DO GET THESE YEARS WHERE IT'S ALLY HOT, LIKE I SAID, LAST YEAR WHERE WE HAD 80 DAYS OVER A HUNDRED COUNCIL IS ASKING MORE AND MORE ABOUT HEAT IN ALL ASPECTS OF OUR WORK.

BUT ALSO WHEN WE TALK TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THEY'RE STARTING TO FEEL THAT HEAT AND THEY'RE STARTING TO ASK US QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT AS WE TALK TO MORE AND MORE DEPARTMENTS, WE ARE DOING A LOT AROUND HEAT AND WHAT THE, WHAT TODAY'S DISCUSSIONS GONNA BE OUR ROUTE.

AND THEN ALSO WE NEED TO BE COMMUNICATING ABOUT HEAT.

WE KNOW THAT MORE PEOPLE GET IMPACTED BY HEAT WHEN THERE'S A CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE VERSUS OVERALL TEMPERATURE.

SO WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT HEAT BEFORE IT GETS HOT AND THEN ALSO WHEN IT IS HOT TO BE SAFE.

SO WHAT IS THE HEAT PLAYBOOK? THE HEAT RESILIENCE PLAYBOOK IS STRATEGIES THE CITY IS CURRENTLY DOING TO MITIGATE HEAT.

IT IS A WAY TO SORT OF UPLIFT EXISTING STRATEGIES ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS.

IT IS NOT A PLAN.

IT DOESN'T HAVE BUDGET, IT DOESN'T HAVE A TIMELINE.

IT'S MORE OF A WAY FOR US TO TALK ABOUT HEAT AS WE TALK WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND AS WE TALK TO FOLKS LIKE YOU.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THIS, UH, GOES BACK TO 2018 WHEN WE WORKED WITH DEPARTMENTS TO CREATE THE CLIMATE ACTION, UH, CLIMATE ACTION RESILIENCE PLAN.

AND AT THE TIME WE WERE ONLY LOOKING AT CLIMATE IMPACTS AND ASSETS AND OPERATIONS.

[01:05:01]

UH, WE HAD COVID, WE HAD THE COLD STORM WINTER STORM, BUT WE KNEW HEAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.

WE WERE ABLE TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF FUNDING THROUGH NOAA TO MAP HEAT IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT TO IDENTIFY SOCIAL VULNERABILITY.

BUT WE ALSO HAD A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO QE MEMBERS ABOUT HOW THEY'RE IMPACTED BY HEAT AT HOME AND HOW HEAT IMPACT HEAT STAMP IMPACTS THEM ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.

SO THIS LED US TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, IDENTIFY BERG AS AN AREA WE NEED TO FOCUS IN ON.

AND AS I SAID BEFORE, AS THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE ASKING US ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, WE WERE ABLE TO START TO LOOK AT ALL STRATEGIES ACROSS THE CITY.

AND THAT GOT US TO THIS HEAT RESILIENCE PLAYBOOK, WHICH WAS LAUNCHED JUST LAST MARCH.

WHO WAS INVOLVED? WE KNEW WE HAD TO, UH, THROW UP BROAD NETS.

WE INCLUDED AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN ENERGY BUILDING, SHOUT OUT TO, TO HEIDI AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH LIBRARIES.

I KNOW TIM IS ALSO THERE.

ALSO A GREAT PIECE OF THIS AUSTIN WATER, BUT ALSO KNOWING THAT CAP METRO AND TRAVIS COUNTY WERE ALSO PART OF THIS DISCUSSION.

SO A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS LOOKING AT HEAT IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

AND WHAT WE DID IS WE STARTED WITH NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE LOOKING AT C 40, WHO HAD A DOCUMENT ABOUT THE HEAT PLAYBOOK, HOW CITIES INTERNATIONALLY LOOK AT HEAT, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES, LOOKING AT ILI AND OTHER FOLKS, SEEING WHAT THEY DO TO, TO STAY COOL.

THEN BRINGING THAT BACK TO THE CITY, IDENTIFIED ABOUT 70 STRATEGIES, WORKED WITH DEPARTMENTS TO SAY, ARE WE DOING THIS? IF SO, HOW? GOT IT DOWN TO ABOUT 50 OR SO STRATEGIES AND THEN WORKED WITH DEPARTMENTS TO FINANCE TO SEE IF, IF WE'RE DOING THIS, HOW CAN WE DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER? SO IT IS SOMEWHAT ASPIRATIONAL, BUT IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET DEPARTMENTS EXCITED ABOUT NEW STRATEGIES.

SO THESE STRATEGIES ARE NOT ONLY JUST WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING, BUT WHAT WE'D LIKE TO BE DOING GOING FORWARD.

AND THEN WHEN I TALK ABOUT HEAT, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO BE THINKING THAT THERE'S NO SILVER BULLET.

IT IMPACTS EVERYTHING.

SO WE HAVE TO BE THINKING OF EVERYTHING FROM PUBLIC HEALTH TO COST OF ENERGY, TO WATER SUPPLIES, TO TREES, TO INFRASTRUCTURE.

IT IMPACTS A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY ACROSS ALL THE ASSETS THE CITY OWNS AND OPERATES.

SO THERE, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S NO SILVER BULLET.

IT HAS TO BE PART OF A LARGER CONVERSATION.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN OBVIOUS ONE, IS THAT HE DOESN'T IMPACT EVERYBODY EQUALLY.

IT IMPACTS THOSE WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF RESOURCES THE MOST.

AND THAT WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HEAT STRATEGIES AND HEAT MITIGATION, WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO HEATS.

UH, THOSE WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF RESOURCES, THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO PAY FOR, UH, FOR ENERGY BILLS.

THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE INSULATION OR, UH, INADEQUATE HVAC SYSTEMS OR THOSE WHO ARE DEPENDENT ON, UH, BUSES TO GET AROUND.

YOU KNOW, THOSE WHO ARE NOT, UH, ABLE TO BOUNCE BACK FROM HEAT EVENTS HAVE TO BE CENTERED IN THIS PROCESS.

AND WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT THOSE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.

AND THEN LASTLY, THE STRATEGIES HAVE TO BE SPREAD OUT, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT TREES, BUT ALSO WEATHERIZATION.

WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT POOLS, BUT ALSO OUTDOOR SPACES.

WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT PIECES COMING TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT LOOKS AT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE HOLISTICALLY THAN JUST ONE ACTION.

SO AS WE GO THROUGH ALL THE STRATEGIES, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW DID THEY ALL INTERCONNECT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.

SO WHEN WE WORKED WITH DEPARTMENTS, WE IDENTIFIED 56 STRATEGIES.

AND THEN AS WE LOOKED AT THEM, WE REALLY FIGURED OUT THAT THEY FILLED IN THESE, THESE THREE BUCKETS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THEY SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES AT HOME, HOW THEY SUPPORT COMMUNITY HEALTH.

NUMBER TWO IS A LITTLE BIT LARGER IN THE COMMUNITY, LIKE NEIGHBORHOOD SCALES AROUND PARKS.

AND IN THREE IS LARGE SCALE AT THE WHOLE CITY.

HOW DOES HEAT IMPACT ALL OUR ASSETS AND OPERATIONS? NEXT SLIDE.

SO I'LL START WITH THE FIRST ONE AROUND KEY RISK AND PARTICULARLY, UH, IMPACTS AT HOME.

THE MESSAGE OUT THAT HEAT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SOME OF TO CONSIDER.

I DO WANNA STRESS HERE, WHEN I SAY CHAMPIONS, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE THE SOLE EARNERS, IT JUST MEANS THAT THEY WILL PLAY A ROLE IN THIS STRATEGY AS WE GO FORWARD.

AND THEY'RE ALSO LISTED ALPHABETICAL.

SO JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST ONE MIGHT BE AWESOME, PUBLIC HEALTH DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE GONNA OWN IT.

IT MEANS THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA WORK TOGETHER ON THESE THINGS ACROSS ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS.

SO THE FIRST ONE IS KEY RISK MITIGATION AND COMMUNICATION.

AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, GETTING TO PEOPLE BEFORE IT GETS HOT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

SO HOW DO WE EFFECTIVELY GET THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE? WORKING WITH ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS AND REALLY REALIZING THAT WE NEED TO HAVE COMMUNITY GROUPS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS TO GET

[01:10:01]

THE SECOND PIECE IS REALLY GETTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, WORKING WITH FOLKS LIKE THE HOMELESS STRATEGY DEPARTMENT.

PUBLIC HEALTH HAS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, GETTING THOSE PEOPLE TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITY, TALK TO PEOPLE.

ONE-ON-ONE, THINKING ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND GETTING COMMUNITY MEMBERS ENGAGED.

THE THIRD ONE IS, UH, THINKING ABOUT HEAT IN SORT OF SAFETY.

WE HAVE 14,000 PEOPLE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS EMPLOYEES.

A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE WORK OUTSIDE.

HOW DO WE GET THEM THINKING ABOUT HEAT SAFETY AND HOW DO WE WORK WITH THEM TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE? AND THE LAST ONE REALLY TIES INTO, UM, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, WHERE I'M OUT RIGHT NOW, PARTICULARLY WITH THE UT CLIMATE COLAB.

HOW DO WE COLLECT DATA AND, AND CONNECT THOSE DATA PIECES TO DECISION MAKING WITHIN THE CITY? SO THINKING ABOUT HEAT AND HEAT DATA AND HEAT SAFETY.

NOW THINKING A LITTLE BIT BROADER AROUND COOLING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT COOLING PEOPLE AT HOME.

IN PARTICULAR, UH, COOL HOMES.

UH, WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF HOMES IN EAST AUSTIN WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE INSULATION OR HAVE TROUBLE SORT OF PAYING BILLS.

SO HOW DO WE SUPPORT STRATEGIES THAT INCREASES WEATHERIZATION AND PARTICULARLY THOSE AREAS WORKING CLOSELY WITH GREEN AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING, BUT ALSO WITH OUR OFFICE AND THE SPACE.

AND THEN A LITTLE BIT FARTHER OUT, WHAT ABOUT THOSE SPACES IN THE COMMUNITY WHO CAN HELP, LIKE COOLING CENTERS? UH, THAT WOULD BE LIKE PUBLIC HEALTH, HELPING WITH THE HEALTH CENTERS, PUBLIC LIBRARY.

UM, REC CENTERS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PROVIDING THOSE INDOOR SPACES FOR PEOPLE IN CASE THEY NEED COOLING.

AND THEN THINKING ABOUT PARKS THEMSELVES.

WHAT ARE THOSE OUTDOOR SPACES THAT COULD HELP PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THIS? SO, YOU KNOW, OUTDOOR SPACES WITH TREES, WITH MISTERS, WITH TRICKING FOUNTAINS.

AND THEN LASTLY, THE LAST ONE IS ONCE YOU HAVE THESE COOLING AREAS, HOW DO YOU CONNECT THEM WITH COOL CORRIDORS, UH, STREETS ALONG PATHWAYS, UH, BETTER SIDEWALKS, BUTT SHELTERS, ET CETERA.

AND THEN THE LAST PIECE REALLY LOOKING MUCH, MUCH LARGER AS THE WHOLE CITY THINKING ABOUT LARGE, UH, STRATEGIES.

SO THE FIRST ONE HERE IS THINKING ABOUT CODE.

THINKING ABOUT THE BUILDINGS WE OWN UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, LIKE REALLY THIRD TO TAKING BIG SCALE.

HOW DO WE START TO CODIFY HEAT RESILIENCE IN BUILDINGS AND PARTICULARLY NEW CONSTRUCTION, THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS AHEAD OF TIME.

THE SECOND ONE IS LOOKING AT, UH, TREE CANOPY.

THERE'S THIS GOAL WITHIN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN OF 50% TREE CANOPY BY 2050.

SO HOW DO WE GET EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THAT? ALL OF THE LANDOWNERS OF THE CITY.

THE THIRD ONE IS AROUND PARK DESIGN.

UH, WE OWN A LOT OF LAND AT THE CITY.

SOME OF IT'S USED FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.

HOW DO WE START TO LOOK AT ALL THE LAND DIFFERENTLY AS WAYS TO INCREASE COOLING AND MITIGATE WHO WILL IN THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY? THE THIRD ONE IS DESIGN OF PARKS.

SO LOOKING AT UNDERLIE SPACES, BUT ALSO WE ARE GROWING AS A CITY.

HOW DO WE RETHINK PARKS IN A WAY THAT SORT OF REALLY MAXIMIZE COOLING IN THE COMMUNITY? AND THEN THE FOURTH ONE THERE IS ON RESILIENT ENERGY SYSTEMS. THIS COULD BE REDUNDANT POWER, LIKE SOLAR BATTERY BACKUP AT REC CENTERS.

IT COULD ACTUALLY BE SORT OF NEW WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE GRID OR THE WAYS WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT YET.

AND THE LAST ONE IS HEAT RESILIENCE PLANNING.

AS WE WORK WITH ASSET MANAGERS, AS WE WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN WATER AND PARKS AND REC AND EVERYBODY, HOW DO WE START TO LOOK AT CLIMATE PROJECTIONS AND TYING THOSE TO DECISION MAKING AND THEN SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM PLANNING ACROSS THE CITY? NEXT SLIDE.

AND THEN I HAD TO DO A PLUGIN FOR THE UT CITY CLIMATE COLAB.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH A LOT OF FANTASTIC, UH, PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS, BUT ALSO DR.

DAVE NGI AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND LIKE WHAT KINDA RESEARCH AND DATA DO WE NEED IN THE SHORT TERM AROUND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT? WHAT KIND OF DATA DO WE NEED IN THE MEDIUM TERM AROUND ASSET MANAGERS AND ASSET BUILDERS? AND THEN ALSO LONG RANGE INTO LIKE LONG RANGE PLANNING.

UH, AUSTIN WATER HAS A HUNDRED YEAR PLAN.

HOW DO WE START TO LOOK AT DATA AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON ALL OF THESE SCALES TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION NOW FOR A FUTURE THAT IS UNCERTAIN? NEXT SLIDE.

AND THAT'S IT.

I MEAN, FOR NOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WE HAVE THE PLAN, NOW WE'RE GOING BACK TO TWO DEPARTMENTS TRYING TO SEE WHAT THEY NEED AND HOW, TRYING TO SEE HOW WE CAN PUSH SOME OF THESE FORWARD.

MARK.

DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS? LET'S SEE.

WE MIGHT, NATALIE, DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING YOUR CHWS AND, UM, THEIR

[01:15:01]

CAPACITY.

I DOES U DOES, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT'S COMING FROM THE UT SIDE OF THE HOUSE? UH, SPEAKING ON THIS FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT CHWS THEIR CAPACITY, BUT THEN ALSO HOW TO INCREASE, UM, THEIR OWN SALARIES AND WAYS THAT THEY CAN EXPAND BEYOND, UM, THEIR CURRENT PAY RATES AND WHATNOT FROM CERTIFICATIONS OR ADDITIONAL PROJECTS.

WOULD, WOULD UT BE LEADING THAT WITH PROVIDING CHWS? WOULD THAT BE A JOINT EFFORT? AND WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THEIR, UM, SUPPORT IN THIS PROJECT? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

SO CHWS ARE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.

UH, THEY COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WITHIN THE CITY ARE ACTUALLY CITY STAFF.

THEY'RE PAID, UH, THROUGH OUR OWN SYSTEMS AND THEN THEY GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND TALK TO FOLKS.

SO THAT IS SOLELY WITHIN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.

NOW UT AND NOW AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS WORKING ON, THIS IS A, UH, UH, MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS.

SO IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN A COMMUNITY WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE BEING A NURSE OR A SURGEON OR HAVE EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, WORKING IN THE HEALTH FIELD, BEING ABLE TO CALL ON THEM ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, BUT ALSO DURING AN EVENT AND THEN ACTIVATE THEM TO HELP US OUT DURING AN EVENT.

SO THAT IS ACTUALLY WITH, UT HAS THEIR OWN MEDICAL HEALTH MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS AND THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS LOOKING TO STAND UP THEIR OWN WITHIN THE CITY ARE NOW WORKING THROUGH TRAINING AND THE LEGAL ASPECTS AROUND THOSE.

SO THAT IS A CAPACITY WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD.

UM, YEAH.

UH, SO JUST FOR CLARITY, THE CHWS COULD BE INVOLVED WITH THIS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE MIGHT BE MORE SKILLED FOLKS WHO ARE TAPPED INTO FIRST.

WELL, SO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE INVOLVED.

UH, WE ACTIVATED THEM WHEN WE DID A CASPER.

SO AFTER THE LAST WINTER STORM, WE HAD PEOPLE GO OUT AND INTERVIEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WERE GREATER ON THAT.

AND THEN WE ARE TALKING TO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, GO TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND TELL THEM ABOUT THE DANGERS OF HEAT AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND LIKE.

AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE IS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST SENSITIVE AND MOST AT RISK FOR HEAT ARE THOSE WHO ARE ELDERLY, MALE AND ISOLATED.

AND, UH, MAKING SURE THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE LOOKING FOR CLUES OF THAT SOMEBODY LIVING IN A HOUSE AND THEY'RE KNOCKING ON DOORS AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE ARE SAFE.

SO THEY'RE GONNA BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS, AND THEY'RE REALLY LIKE, IF WE'RE GONNA TRY TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS HAVE TO BE PART OF THAT.

AND DO YOU KNOW IF THERE WILL BE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT SUPPORT IS SUSTAINED THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS? THAT I DON'T KNOW.

UM, I WOULD HAVE TO TALK TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ABOUT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES OR IF THERE'S ANY, ASK FOR A FUTURE BUDGET FOR THAT.

WE, WE DID FUND, UH, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WITH ARPA FUNDING WHEN WE HAD THAT THROUGH THE RESILIENCE HUB WORK.

AND, UH, WE BOUGHT ADDITIONAL, UH, RESOURCES, ADDITIONAL DIAPERS AND FORMULA FOR HEALTH CENTERS AND THEN OTHER THINGS AS WELL.

BUT THAT IS DRYING UP THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.

START TO EDUCATE PEOPLE MORE ABOUT OSHA RIGHTS AND OTHER ASPECTS.

OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? ANA? GO AHEAD.

HEY MARK.

THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, JUST WONDERING, BASED ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT YOU'VE DONE THUS FAR ON HEAT AND FEEDBACK THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD FROM, UM, ANY ADVISORY COMMITTEES, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TOP INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIES THAT YOU'RE HEARING, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, HEAT RESILIENCE UPGRADES? YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.

UM, SO AS I MENTIONED, WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH COST AND BAMO AUSTIN TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND UNDERSTAND HEAT IMPACTS, PARTICULARLY IN THE RUMBAR AREA, AN AREA THAT HAS THE MOST AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER AND THE LEAST AMOUNT OF TREE CANOPY.

AND WE WENT IN THERE THINKING THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE GONNA WANT TREES AND DRINKING FOUNTAINS AND BUS SHELTERS.

AND THEY, THEY TOTALLY DO.

AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF IT.

BUT THERE'S ALSO A, A LOT OF TALK ABOUT HOW HEAT IMPACTS THEM AT HOME.

UM, PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR KIDS DIDN'T WANT TO GO OUTSIDE BECAUSE IT WAS TOO HOT.

SO THEY SAY THERE WAS UNDER TABLETS OR IF THERE, IF IT DIDN'T GET BELOW 80 AT NIGHT AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING, THEY DIDN'T SLEEP VERY WELL.

SO THE NEXT DAY WAS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAD ANY KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OR THEIR SPOUSES WHO MIGHT WORK IN CONSTRUCTION OR IN LANDSCAPE.

IT WOULD COME HOME WITH HEADACHES OR NOSEBLEEDS OR WERE NOT REALLY RESPONDENT.

SO IT WAS A COMBINATION OF TREES FOR SURE, DRINKING FOUNTAINS.

THEY WANTED, UH, CROSSWALKS, UM, SHADING, BUT THEY ALSO WANTED, UH, INSULATION AND BETTER SORT OF RESOURCES FOR AT HOME.

SO WE STARTED TO LOOK INTO, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE

[01:20:01]

BUT IT WAS INTERESTING TO SORT OF SEE OF THAT DICHOTOMY BETWEEN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACES.

YOU KNOW, MARK, I ACTUALLY HAD A, A QUESTION AROUND THE, THE OUTDOOR SPACES.

I SAW THAT THERE WAS ONE SPECIFICALLY ON THERE ABOUT COOL COMMUNITY SPACES AND THE, YOU KNOW, HARD WAS ONE OF THE, I THINK, KEY PARTNERS OR I FORGET WHAT THE TERM WAS IN THERE.

UM, AND I JUST WONDERED WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IS THAT FLOWING THROUGH INTO LIKE HOW THEY DESIGN DIFFERENT SPACES? I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, PUTTING ON MY MOM HAT FOR A MOMENT, LIKE SOME OF THE PLAYGROUNDS ARE REALLY HOT AND I'VE NOTICED, UM, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY NOT JUST IN AUSTIN, BUT AN INCREASING TREND TOWARDS USING MATERIALS THAT ACTUALLY SEEM TO EXACERBATE THE HEAT.

YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE RUBBERIZED SURFACES.

I KNOW THEY MIGHT SEEM TEMPTING BECAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, SOFTER IF YOU FALL ON THEM, BUT LIKE I'VE BEEN OVER TO BUTLER PARK IN THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER AND IT WAS LITERALLY JUST TOO HOT.

LIKE THE, THE HEAT WAS RADIATING UP FROM THOSE RUBBERIZED SURFACES.

SO I'M JUST WONDERING IS, IS THAT AWARENESS, IS THIS PARTICIPATION GETTING THROUGH TO THOSE WHO ARE DESIGNING NEW SPACES, PLAYGROUNDS, AND OTHER SPACES AS WELL TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, NOT EXACERBATE OUR, OUR HEAT PROBLEMS? YEAH, I MEAN, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

UM, THERE, WE, I HAVE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH HARD DESIGNERS ABOUT INCLUDING MORE SHADE IN PARKS, UM, INCLUDING MORE DRINKING FOUNTAINS OUTSIDE, UM, PLANTING MORE TREES.

I MEAN, TREES ARE A CHALLENGE IN ITSELF, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND THAT.

UM, AND THEN THERE HAVE BEEN A HANDFUL OF COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS PASSED RECENTLY AND MAYBE POTENTIALLY SOME FUNDING THAT WENT APART TO TRY TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF COOLING ELEMENTS LIKE SHADE AND TREES AND SO ON.

BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THERE ARE STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT ASTROTURF, WHICH IS THAT RUBBERIZED MATERIAL IS PARTICULARLY A LOT HOTTER THAN REGULAR GRASS.

AND THAT, I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW TOO, THAT FOR VEGETATION TO BE A COOLING ELEMENT, IT HAS TO HAVE WATER.

GRASS THAT'S DEAD AND BROWN IS EQUALLY AS HOT AS A SIDEWALK.

SO I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER CHALLENGE TOO, IS ON A TIME OF DROUGHT, HOW DO WE USE WATER BETTER TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A COOLED LANDSCAPE AND ENSURING THAT IT'S NOT AS HOT.

SO THERE HAS BEEN DISCUSSIONS WITHIN ALL PARKS AND REC TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO MORE COOLING.

UH, BUT I HAVE NOT HAD THE CONVERSATION AROUND ASTROTURF.

AND, AND I'M, I ACTUALLY WASN'T, UH, ABSOLUTELY ON THE ASTROTURF, BUT THERE'S ALSO KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU'D SEE SIMILAR MATERIALS TO WHAT YOU'D SEE ON LIKE A TRACK YEAH.

NOW BEING USED ON, ON PLAYGROUNDS TOO.

SO YEAH, I MEAN, I'M, I'M GLAD THERE'S THIS, THESE CONNECTIONS BEING MADE, UM, TO, TO MY OBSERVATION, THERE'S STILL MAYBE SOME ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL WORK TO BE DONE SO THAT, THAT FOLKS CAN UNDERSTAND.

UM, YEAH, JUST THE IMPLICATIONS TO SOME OF THOSE CHOICES.

YEP.

AGREED.

I'M, I'M GLAD, I'M GLAD YOU'RE DOING THIS WORK.

'CAUSE UH, I DON'T KNOW, THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A QUOTE COOLER SUMMER, BUT IT DIDN'T, DOESN'T FEEL COOL EVEN NOW, TO ME.

SO YEAH, STILL THE 11TH HOTTEST ON RECORD.

WILL GET CANCELED PRETTY QUICK IF THERE'S A DROP OF RAIN.

ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR, OR FEEDBACK COMMENTS FOR MARK BEFORE WE LET HIM GET YEAH, GO AHEAD, JOHN.

UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER CITIES THAT, THAT ARE MODELING THIS, THAT ARE AHEAD OF US, UH, THAT WE COULD LOOK TO, TO SEE HOW THEY'RE CREATING THESE CENTERS OR THESE PATHWAYS, THESE CORRIDORS? YEAH, WE OFTEN TALK TO OTHER CITIES.

UM, I THINK TAMPA JUST CAME OUT WITH THEIR OWN HEAT RESILIENCE PLAYBOOK.

WE TALK A LOT TO THE, THE THREE CHIEF HEAT OFFICERS IN THE UNITED STATES.

THERE'S ONE IN MIAMI, ONE IN PHOENIX, AND ONE IN LA.

WE TALK A LOT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, IT'S HARD TO COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES, RIGHT? BECAUSE ONE OF THE CITIES WHO'S DOING BY FAR THE MOST IS LIKE SINGAPORE, BUT THEY'RE ALSO VERY TEMPERATE AND VERY WET AND VERY DIFFERENT CLIMATE THAN US.

AND THEN PHOENIX IS ALSO A VERY DIFFERENT CLIMATE.

BUT I THINK THERE ARE SORT OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICES AND WHAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AND THEN TO YOU ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, OBVIOUSLY, I THINK WE'RE THE BEST .

WELL, THIS IS A GREAT REPORT.

I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.

UM, ANOTHER QUESTION, JUST GOING BACK TO CHAIR, UH, WHITE'S, UM, COMMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, OFTEN VERY SIMILAR EXPERIENCES WITH, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS SOCCER GAMES AND WHATNOT WHERE, YOU KNOW, THOSE SOCCER GAMES

[01:25:01]

UH, THEY, NOTHING GETS CANCELED IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED DEGREES OUTSIDE.

AND IT'S, IT'S A BIG PROBLEM FOR THE KIDS.

IT'S A BIG PROBLEM FOR THE, UH, FOLKS SITTING OUT THERE.

AND IT'S A BIG PROBLEM FOR THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN ALL THAT DUST GETS KICKED UP IN THE AIR.

UM, AND SO JUST THINKING, AND THEN YOU SEE IT BIGGER SCALE, YOU KNOW, UT FOOTBALL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHERE THESE LARGE EVENTS ARE HAPPENING AT THESE, UH, EXTREMELY HOT TIMES.

BUT AS FAR AS PRIORITIZING SAFETY IN THESE ENVIRONMENTS, UM, YEAH, I, I MAYBE I'M JUST UNAWARE OF, OF ANY DAYS IN WHICH THE CITY IS LIKE, IT'S TOO HOT TO BE DOING THIS LIKE THEY DO FOR OZONE ACTION DAYS.

UM, IS, IS THERE ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN ON? I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING CITYWIDE INTERNALLY.

THERE ARE PROTOCOLS IF YOU GET A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE THAT WORKERS HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK EVERY 20 MINUTES AND DRINK, UH, WATER AND ELECTROLYTES.

BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY CITYWIDE ALERTS AROUND, I MEAN, WE DO, YEAH, OKAY.

SO WE DO, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, DOES HAVE HEAT EMERGENCY, AND WE DO PUT OUT A HEAT EMERGENCY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT WE DON'T STOP GAMES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

YEAH, I DO WANNA STRESS, AND I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THAT IF YOU DO HAVE KIDS PLAYING OUTSIDE, AND IF IT'S A HUNDRED DEGREES OUTSIDE, PLEASE BE CAREFUL, UNDERSTAND WHAT HEAT STROKE MIGHT LOOK LIKE, WHAT YOU KNOW, AND GIVE THEM BREAKS.

AND ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S AN IMMEDIATE SHOCK FROM A POTENTIAL HEAT STROKE OR SOMETHING WORSE.

BUT THERE'S ALSO LONGER TERM ISSUES AROUND LIKE, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH AND, UH, SORT OF, YOU KNOW, DISEASES THAT ARE TIED TO HEAT.

AND IF YOU HAVE PROLONGED EVENTS LIKE THAT, IT DOES, IT'S NOT GOOD IN THE LONG TERM.

SO JUST BE CAREFUL.

AND I WILL PROBABLY CALL ON NATALIE TO MAYBE EXPAND ON THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL.

DO YOU MIND IF I JUST FOLLOW UP REAL QUICK FROM THAT CONVERSATION? UM, PLEASE DO.

SO, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

IT'S, UH, SYNERGISTIC TO HEAR IT TODAY.

I, I'M CURIOUS IF THERE ARE ANY CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING.

I KNOW YOU'VE MENTIONED, UM, INDIVIDUALS COMING HOME THAT ARE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS OR THOSE THAT ARE OUT IN, UH, EXPO, YOU KNOW, EXPOSED TO HEAT CONSTANTLY AND THEN COME HOME TO, UM, HOMES WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING.

I KNOW THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE AR YOU KNOW, ERADICATED TOMORROW, BUT ARE THERE RESOURCES POTENTIALLY IN PLACE THAT CAN SUPPORT THOSE FAMILIES, LET'S JUST SAY FOR INSTANCE, OR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW TO SUPPORT THESE FAMILIES? THINKING OF, UM, 9 1 1 EMERGENCIES THAT HAVE BEEN RESPONDED TO, WE'VE ALREADY SAID, YOU KNOW, HEY, YES, HEAT STROKE IS EXACTLY WHAT YOUR DIAGNOSIS IS.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING? AND THEY CHECK OFF ALL OF THESE BOXES, DON'T HAVE AC I WORK OUTSIDE, WE HAVE POOR DRINKING WATER.

I CAN'T AFFORD, UH, BOTTLED WATER SERVICES AT HOME.

I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO BUY A WINDOW AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM.

I KNOW THAT CAN'T BE A SOLUTION FROM THE CITY FROM ANYWHERE, BUT IS THERE A CONVERSATION AROUND HOW WE CAN POTENTIALLY SUPPORT THESE FAMILIES WHO ARE LONG TERM GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY HEAT RELATED INCIDENCES? IS THAT A CONVERSATION THAT'S BEING HAD, IS MY QUESTION? UM, NO.

SO THE CITY, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DOES DO HEAT SURVEILLANCE, AND WE DO TRACK HOW MANY PEOPLE GET PICKED UP FOR EMS AND OR GO TO THE HOSPITAL FOR HEAT RELATED INCIDENTS.

SO WE DO TRACK THAT, AND THAT'S, WE TRACK IT BASED BY A, UH, LOCATION THEY BEEN PICKED UP, LOCATION, THEY LIVE RACE, ET CETERA, AND SEX.

SO MANY OTHER THINGS.

BUT WE HAVEN'T MADE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HEAT SURVEILLANCE DATA AND WHERE THEY LIVE, AND THEN DO THEY NEED WEATHERIZATION? MM-HMM.

, WE HAVEN'T MADE THOSE KIND OF STUDIES AND RESEARCH.

I THINK WE JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE RESOURCE AND CAPACITY TO DO THAT.

BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT NEXT STEP.

ASK STAFF TO CIRCULATE THAT TO EVERYBODY THAT ASK FOR SOME INPUT ON, ON WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN TERMS OF EQUIPMENT.

YOU KNOW, I GUESS JUST TO KIND OF SHARE, SHARE A PIECE OF INFORMATION THE, THE FOLKS HERE MIGHT BE INTERESTED RELATED TO THAT.

THE, UH, TEXAS STATE ENERGY CONSERVATION OFFICE OR CCO IS, HAS ACTUALLY APPLIED TO GET, UH, FEDERAL FUNDING THAT, THAT CAME THROUGH THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT FOR BOTH, UH, EFFICIENCY UPGRADES TO HOMES AND ALSO, UM, ELECTRIFICATION EQUIPMENT.

AND THAT INCLUDES HEAT PUMP, UH, YOU KNOW, AIR CONDITIONING AND, AND HEATING UNITS.

I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE, THEY HAVEN'T DECIDED EXACTLY WHAT EQUIPMENT, UM, BUT THERE IS A SURVEY THAT'S OUT RIGHT NOW, AND I CAN, UM,

[01:30:01]

AND SOMETHING THAT COMES TO MIND IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR A HOME THAT MAYBE DOESN'T HAVE, UM, ANY H ANY, YOU KNOW, COOLING IN ANY WAY, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE, MAYBE THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THE DUCT WORK FOR IT, BUT IF YOU PUT IN THAT SURVEY THAT, YOU KNOW, HEAT PUMP MINI SPLITS COULD BE A SOLUTION.

UM, SO THAT'S NOT CITY RESOURCES, BUT IT'S GONNA BE COMING, YOU KNOW, IN, IN ABOUT A YEAR FROM NOW, THERE'S GONNA BE A RESOURCE AVAILABLE AND FOR LOW INCOME THAT SHOULD BE FREE.

SO YEAH, I'LL CIRCULATE THAT SURVEY AND I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ENGAGE.

UH, YEAH, I THINK WE'VE GOT ALBERTA.

AND THEN DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, PLEASE? OKAY.

YES, I WANNA FOLLOW UP ON NATALIE'S COMMENTS BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS SO IMPORTANT.

YOU KNOW, DATA IS SO IMPORTANT, AND THEN WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE DATA SO IMPORTANT.

SO CAN YOU JUST BRIEFLY, UM, YOU COVERED THAT, AND I THINK I GOT IT, ABOUT WHAT DATA AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH COLLECTS AND, UM, WHERE, WHERE IS IT HOUSED? WHO SEES THAT? IS IT VIEWABLE? AND THEN HOW DO WE THEN DO WHAT NATALIE IS KIND OF TALKING ABOUT? UH, CREATE, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, A A, WE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IN THE CITY ARE REALLY GOOD THINGS, LIKE, I'M SORRY ABOUT MY DOG BARKING IN THE BACKGROUND, I APOLOGIZE.

UM, BUT, UM, LIKE WHEN WE, WHEN WE TAKE IN A, A PERSON, AN UNSHELTERED PERSON, UNHOUSED PERSON FROM THE STREET, WE, WE KIND OF TRY TO ASSESS EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH THEM.

AND SHE'S TALKING ABOUT, WELL, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE THIS CHECKOFF? AND THEN THEREFORE, THEN THEY CAN BE PERHAPS, UH, WE CAN CONNECT THEM WITH OTHER SERVICES.

SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS DATA AND WHERE IS IT BEING HOUSED AND HOW DO WE GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B WHERE THE DATA AND THE PEOPLE WHO CAN TODAY BE PROVIDING SOME OF THIS HELP ARE CONNECTED.

SO JUST BRIEFLY, TELL ME WHAT YOU COLLECT AGAIN, AND THEN WHERE IS IT? YEAH, SO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, THE MOST LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOSPITALS AND, UH, AND AMBULANCES, RIGHT? AND THEY, AND THEY HAVE SURVEILLANCE, RIGHT? I MEAN, MOST LARGER PUBLIC HEALTH, LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS HAVE EPIDEMIOLOGISTS.

THEY HAVE THESE FOLKS ON BOARD WHO, WHO'S GONNA TRACK DATA AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

WE HAVE THOSE PEOPLE AS WELL.

AND THEY TRACK, UH, PEOPLE GET PICKED UP BY HOSPITALS, AND THEN WHEN SOMEBODY GETS PICKED UP, THEY JUST SORT OF CHECK OFF BOXES.

AND SOMETIMES THEY THINK IT'S HEAT, SOMETIMES THEY MIGHT NOT.

SO IT'S SOME OFTENTIMES UNDER REPORTED, BUT IT WILL TRACK LIKE, YOU KNOW, MALE OR FEMALE OR UN UM, OR NON-BINARY, YOU KNOW, RACE, WHERE THEY GET PICKED UP, WHERE THEY LIVE, ET CETERA.

PUBLIC HEALTH HAS THAT INFORMATION, AND THEY USUALLY, TYPICALLY EMAIL IT TO, TO DEPARTMENTS ON A MONTHLY BASIS OR SOMETIMES WEEKLY BASIS IN THEIR SUMMERTIME.

AND JUST FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, BUT WE CAN PROBABLY ASK, BUT THAT'S JUST LIKE STATIONARY DATA FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

THE, THE PATHWAY TO GET FROM DATA TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTATION IS, UH, IS NOT AN EASY SORT OF CLEAR PATH.

YOU'RE GONNA NEED STAFF, YOU NEED INVESTMENTS, YOU NEED RESOURCES.

AND THAT'S OUTSIDE OF OUR SCOPE RIGHT NOW.

HEALTH WOULD KNOW THE MOST, AND THEY SHOULD BE, I THINK, LEADING THIS KIND OF EFFORT INITIATIVE THAT NATALIE RIGHTLY POINTED OUT.

BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE INSIDE THE SCOPE OF BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH, BECAUSE THIS IS BECOMING A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES, AND PARTICULARLY THEY DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT LOW INCOME, LOWER INCOME, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR.

AND I, I I I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NOT A PRIORITY FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, I'M NOT SURE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT MAYBE, MAYBE IT'S A LAGGING INDICATOR OR SOMETHING.

I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THAT OUGHT TO BE AS, AS THE CLIMATE CHANGES, AS WE GET HOTTER AND HOTTER AND THE HEAT ISLANDS THAT, THAT WE'RE BUILDING IN AUSTIN BECAUSE OF RAPID URBANIZATION.

I, I'M, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE ARE AHEAD OF THE, THE PROBLEM OR IN STEP WITH THE PROBLEM, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE BEHIND THE PROBLEM.

FROM WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING, I THINK THOSE WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF RESOURCES ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE MOST IMPACTED SENSITIVE TO HEAT.

SO I THINK IT IS GONNA TAKE ALL DEPARTMENTS, BUT PUBLIC

[01:35:01]

THE, THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE, BETWEEN COLLECTING THE DATA AND, AND THEN THEY'RE LINKING THAT DATA TO, AS WE DO WITH PERMANENT, UH, UH, WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR UNHOUSED PEOPLE.

WE, WE DON'T JUST PUT 'EM IN THE HOUSE.

WE SAY, OKAY, THEY, THEY NEED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, UM, HARM REDUCTION SERVICES, THEY NEED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

UM, I DON'T KNOW, JUST, JUST A THOUGHT.

YOU SURE? OKAY, NATALIE, GO AHEAD.

AND THEN ANNA'S NEXT SUPER FAST, ACTUALLY.

UM, CHAIR WHITE, THIS IS FOR YOU.

UH, I'D LOVE TO BRING THIS BACK TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION, UM, AND JUST SEE IF WE CAN REVISIT, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT OUR HEAT EMERGENCIES CONVERSATION, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, BUT I DO THINK ESPECIALLY WITH THIS, UM, CONTENT THAT MARCUS PROVIDED, UM, THAT IT'S SOMETHING WORTHWHILE TO REVISIT WITH THAT COMMISSION.

COULD WE, IS THIS THE RIGHT TIME TO SAY, I CAN CIRCLE BACK NEXT MONTH WITH A FOLLOW UP FOR THIS COMMISSION ON WHAT WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATION AROUND AND HOW TO GET THE BALL ROLLING EARLY? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

SO WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT ON, ON THE AGENDA, BUT PLEASE MAKE SURE WHEN YOU GET OUTREACH FROM, FROM STAFF AROUND THE TIME THAT WE FINALIZE THE NEXT AGENDA, MAKE SURE TO REITERATE JUST TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE IT ON THERE.

BUT YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

SO UPDATES FROM THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, UH, AROUND LIVING STREETS.

YEAH, JUST A COUPLE QUICK POINTS.

FIRST OF ALL, THANKS, UH, MARK, UM, FOR, FOR, FOR WORKING ON THIS.

I'VE, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS.

I DID MY PHD ON THIS STARTING OVER A DECADE AGO, AND, AND NOBODY REALLY CARED.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.

UM, AND ENTHUSIASM.

UM, JUST, I HAD A COUPLE QUICK POINTS.

UM, FIRST, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS CONVERSATION ON AIR CONDITIONING, UM, VERY IMPORTANT, UM, I, I ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THIS AS PART OF SOME RESEARCH STUDIES, AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT IT WASN'T REALLY SUFFICIENT JUST TO EXAMINE WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE HAD AIR CONDITIONING INSTALLED IN THEIR HOMES.

THIS IS PART OF WORK WE DID AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY IN, IN BALTIMORE, AND I, I BELIEVE IT FOCUSED ON EAST BALTIMORE.

UM, AND SO PEOPLE TOLD US THEY HAD AC WE, WE HAD THEIR HEALTH DATA, BUT THEN WHEN WE WENT IN AND MEASURED TEMPERATURE WITHIN THEIR HOMES, WE FOUND THAT HALF OF RESIDENTS REALLY WEREN'T USING THEIR AIR CONDITIONING AT ALL.

UM, AND SO THAT WAS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD IT.

UM, AND SO LIKE MAYBE YOU HAD A WINDOW UNIT BECAUSE YOU WERE RENTING, OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT DIDN'T WORK, BUT BY AND LARGE, WE FOUND THAT PEOPLE WEREN'T, UM, COULDN'T NECESSARILY A AFFORD IT, UM, EVEN IF THEY, THEY HAD ONE.

UM, THE DATA ON THIS IS REALLY TOUGH.

MARK, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU STARTED THIS TALKING ABOUT THAT, THAT STATISTIC, THAT HEAT IS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST FORMS OF CLIMATE DISASTER.

THAT DATA PREDATES THOSE ICD NINE CHANGE TO ICD 10.

SO FOR EVERYONE, WE USED TO NOT BE ABLE TO CODE FOR WHEN PEOPLE DIED OF, OF, OF HEAT.

AND SO THE, THE DATA NOW WE DO, UM, AT HOSPITALS, BUT WE KNOW THAT LIKE ALL CAUSE DEATH, LIKE DEATHS RISE WHEN HEAT HAPPENS.

AND IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE HEAT RELATED DATA.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK WITH PUBLIC HEALTH, I'D ENCOURAGE OUR CONVERSATION, UM, TO TAKE PART IN THAT, UM, AS WELL.

AND THEN MY LAST COMMENT, IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME, IS THAT, UH, I FIND GENERALLY IT'S CHEAPER TO MEASURE THE INDICES HERE THAT ARE FARTHEST AWAY FROM PEOPLE'S PERSONAL HEAT EXPOSURE.

SO MEASURING THINGS LIKE LAND SURFACE TEMPERATURE VIA SATELLITE, THAT'S FREE THERMOMETERS, THEY'RE CHEAP.

BUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO GET AT IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE WHEN YOU'RE AT THE PLAYGROUND, WHEN YOU'RE WALKING ON SIDEWALKS.

AND THAT CAN BE THE HARDEST AND MOST, YOU KNOW, EXPENSIVE TO DO, BUT I, I ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT WHEREVER BUDGET ALLOWS.

UM, ANY LAST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU, MARK.

REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND YOUR WORK AND YOUR TIME WITH US HERE TONIGHT.

WELL, THANK YOU.

EVERYBODY HAVE GOOD NIGHT.

SO WE HAVE, UM, THREE ITEMS, UH, POSTED FOR ACTION.

OH, DO WE? OH, YES.

I'M SO SORRY, DIANA, YOU'RE UP.

MY APOLOGIES.

UH,

[5. Updates from the Urban Transportation Commission on the Living Streets Program – Diana Wheeler]

SO I GUESS I'M THE ONLY COMMISSION TO GIVE AN UPDATE OR THIS, THAT, THAT IS JUST FINE.

NO, NO.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE.

THAT'S TOTALLY FINE.

I'M SORRY, I SCROLLED RIGHT.

PIPE.

I'M JUST GIVING AN UPDATE.

YEAH, YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.

IN SEPTEMBER, WE HAD A LIVING STREETS PROGRAM UPDATE FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT, UM, TOTALLY FAMILIAR WITH THIS.

SO, UH, AT THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, UH, MEETING

[01:40:01]

SO IN 2021, THE LIVING STREETS PROGRAM WAS MADE PERMANENT.

AND THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF LIVING STREETS.

THEY'RE ALL, UM, THESE ARE ALL LED RESIDENT LED, RIGHT? SO THERE'S, YOU CAN HAVE PLAY STREETS, YOU CAN HAVE HEALTHY STREETS, YOU CAN HAVE BLOCK PARTY, UM, AND THE BLOCK PARTY IS JUST A ONE DAY THING, RIGHT? SO RESIDENTS, YOU HAVE TO GET 60% OF THE PEOPLE ON THE STREET, YOU SUBMIT TO THE CITY.

UM, YOU CAN HAVE YOUR, UM, YOUR STREET BLOCKED OFF FOR ONE DAY FOR BLOCK PARTIES, AND THEN PLAY STREETS AND HEALTHY STREETS BOTH CAN BE BETWEEN THREE TO SIX MONTHS, RIGHT? SO THE, THE MOST AMOUNT OF TIME YOU CAN BE DESIGNATED, THIS IS SIX MONTHS, AND THEN, UM, UP TO THREE DAYS A WEEK.

SO THREE TO SIX MONTHS, UP TO THREE DAYS A WEEK, YOU CAN EITHER HAVE YOUR STREET DESIGNATED A PLACE STREET OR A HEALTHY STREET.

AND THEY DID A SURVEY AFTER THE, AFTER, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN THREE, THREE YEARS, FOUR YEARS.

AND MOST RESIDENTS REALLY ENJOYED THE HEALTHY STREETS SAID THAT MADE THEM FEEL SAFE, HAPPY, RELAXED.

HEALTHY STREET IS JUST, UM, IT'S, UM, UH, PUBLIC ACCESS CAR.

PUBLIC CAR ACCESS IS SEVERELY LIMITED SO PEOPLE CAN WALK, BIKE, ROLL, EXERCISE AND USE THEIR STREET AS AS, UM, LIVING SPACE.

UM, AND, AND EVERYBODY, UH, THAT THEY SURVEYED, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT THEY SURVEYED REALLY LIKED THE HEALTHY STREETS PROGRAM.

THE PLAY STREETS PROGRAM GOT A LOT MORE PUSHBACK.

UM, ONLY ABOUT 50% OF THE PEOPLE SAID THEY USED IT AT ALL.

A PLAY STREET IS BASICALLY, IF, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY IT STILL HAS TO BE, UM, IT'S BASED ON THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS ON A STREET, BUT BASICALLY IF YOU HAVE AT LEAST THREE FAMILIES ON THE STREET WHO ARE WILLING TO GUARD THE ENDS OF EACH STREET, UM, YOU CAN DESIGNATE IT AS A PLAY STREET.

AND THEY JUST FOUND, I THINK WHAT THEY FOUND IS THAT PROGRAM ITSELF, THEY MAY JUST MORPH INTO HEALTHY STREETS BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION.

YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO STAFF THE CLOSURE THEMSELVES FOR THE PLAY STREETS.

UM, I HAD JUST NEVER HEARD OF PLAY STREETS BEFORE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY.

SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THIS UPDATE 'CAUSE THE HEALTHY STREETS PROGRAM IS WELL RECEIVED.

IT SEEMS LIKE YOU COULD DO A HEALTHY STREET PROGRAM AND ALLOW KIDS TO PLAY BASKETBALL, BUT, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.

I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT CLAY STREETS IS NOT BEING, UM, REMOVED, BUT IT IS GOING TO, THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO REWORK IT SO THAT, UM, IN THE CASE THAT ONLY A FEW RESIDENTS, UM, NEED IT AND WANT IT, TRY TO FIND A WAY TO ALLOW CHILDREN THE SPACE TO DO THINGS LIKE BASKETBALL OR SOCCER.

UM, BUT IT'S NOT, THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE UPDATE.

THEY'RE GONNA REEXAMINE, THEY'RE GONNA REEXAMINE THE COMPLETE STREET CLOSURE FOR, UM, FOR PLAY STREETS.

AND, UH, THEY HAVE APPLIED FOR A, UH, GRANT, UM, UH, SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL.

THERE'S A GRANT.

SO MAYBE THEY'LL GET MONEY FOR THAT.

THE CITY WILL GET MONEY FOR THAT.

AND THEY'RE DOING EQUITY OUTREACH TO GET, UH, REQUESTS AND APPLICATIONS WHERE, WHERE THEY HAVE THE MOST NEED.

SO THE AREAS OF TOWN WHERE THEY'RE NOT SEEING A BUNCH OF APPLICATIONS, BUT WHERE THEY THINK THERE MIGHT BE NEED, THEY'RE DOING EQUITY OUTREACH JUST TO MAKE SURE THOSE RESIDENTS, UH, REALIZE THAT THESE PROGRAMS EXIST.

AND ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS ASK, NOT AN AUTOMATIC.

PLAYGROUND OR A SOCCER FIELD, BUT TALK ABOUT HOT.

UH, THAT'S IT.

ALBERTA, I THINK YOU NEED TO MUTE.

UM, DIANA, THANKS FOR THAT UPDATE.

I, I DIDN'T EVEN NEVER HEARD OF PLAY STREETS AND EITHER I'M, I'M CURIOUS, ARE THESE THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARY, LIKE, OKAY, OUR KIDS WANNA GO OUT AND PLAY THIS AFTERNOON, SO YOU BLOCK IT OFF? OR ARE THESE PERMANENT, OR HOW DOES IT WORK? NO, NO, NO.

SO, SO HEALTHY STREETS AND PLAY STREETS, WHEN YOU SUBMIT A PERMIT FOR IT, IT, IT'S BETWEEN THREE AND SIX MONTHS, RIGHT? SO YOU CAN SUBMIT A THREE MONTH PERMIT OR A SIX MONTH PERMIT, NOT MORE THAN THAT.

AND IT CAN ONLY BE, UM, THREE DAYS A WEEK.

UM, SO THREE DAYS A WEEK, UH, OR 12 HOURS A WEEK.

SO YOU SUBMIT THIS, LET'S SAY FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR KIDS WANTED TO HAVE A BASKETBALL GAME EVERY SUNDAY, OR TUESDAYS AND SUNDAYS, AND THEN A DIFFERENT DAY.

SOMEBODY ELSE WANTED TO PLAY SOCCER.

SO THE PARENTS COULD COME TOGETHER, SUBMIT AN APPLICATION, AND IF THEY, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A STREET, LET'S SAY IT HAS 27 HOUSES, IF THREE PARENTS SUBMIT THIS APPLICATION, THEN AS LONG AS THE PARENTS ARE WILLING TO GUARD THE BLOCKS OF THE STREET, MEANING THEY WOULD GET THE CITY SIGNS, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO STAND THERE AND LET THE RESIDENTS IN WHO LIVED THERE, BUT THEY COULD BLOCK OFF, THEY COULD LEGALLY BLOCK OFF BRUISE STREETS.

AND IT'S, SO IT'S THINGS, THE PLAY STREETS, I THINK WAS SET UP SPECIFICALLY.

SO KIDS COULD HAVE AN AREA AS A

[01:45:01]

UH, I I HOPE IT'S A SHADED STREET.

INTERESTING.

HAD BEEN IN SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH TIM AROUND THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM.

ARE ANY ANY QUESTIONS FOR DIANA? ALL RIGHT, WELL, THANKS.

I'M, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.

I'M GONNA LOOK IT UP.

UM, ALL RIGHT, SO WE'VE, WE'VE GOT THREE ITEMS, UH, POSTED FOR ACTION, UH, TWO OF THEM ON THE, UM, ON TOPICS THAT WE GOT PRESENTATIONS ON TODAY.

AND I, I MENTIONED THAT I

[6. Consider approval of a Recommendation on the Austin Energy Solar Standard Offer Program]

SO I DO HAVE SOME CHANGES TO THE RESOLUTION.

I DON'T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO SHARE, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN BE GIVEN PERMISSION TO DO THAT.

SO I, I KNOW I'M GONNA HAVE TO READ OUT THE CHANGES TO THE RESOLUTION.

UM, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

OH YEAH, HERE WE GO.

HEY, CABO, WHILE YOU'RE PULLING THAT UP, MM-HMM, , CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM? SO MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS WAS THAT THIS WOULD ALLOW LANDLORDS TO INSTALL SOLAR ON CI DON'T KNOW IF COMMERCIAL'S THE RIGHT WORDS, BUT PROPERTIES THAT THEY OWN AND THEN THEY MAKE ALL OF THE MONEY BACK FROM HAVING BASICALLY PUT LIKE A NICE RENEWABLE POWER PLANT ON THE RESIDENTS HOME.

AND THE RESIDENTS DON'T GET ANYTHING AS A RESULT OF THIS.

IS THAT THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OR THE TENANT? THE TENANTS SPECIFICALLY? I MEAN, YES AND NO.

IF IT'S A RENTAL PROPERTY, THEN YES, THE TENANT IS NOT GONNA BENEFIT UNDER THIS MODEL.

UM, THE, I THE IDEA IS THAT THIS IS THOUGH GONNA EXPAND INTO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, UM, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE OWNER OCCUPIED PROPERTIES.

AND SO IN THAT CASE, SURE THE OWNER WOULD, WOULD BENEFIT.

BUT YES, THIS IS NOT A SOLUTION FOR RENTERS BENEFITING.

UM, THERE IS ANOTHER SOLUTION THAT DOES ALLOW FOR THAT, THE SHARED SOLAR OPTION.

UM, AND, AND THAT ALLOWS THE, UM, THE PROPERTY OWNER TO INSTALL SOLAR.

AND THEN THE TENANTS ACTUALLY DO GET BILL CREDITS TO EACH OF THE, THE UNITS.

THAT'S FOR, FOR RESIDENTIAL.

UM, AUSTIN ENERGY HAS NOT SET UP AN EQUIVALENT OF THAT FOR COMMERCIAL.

I THINK THE ASSUMPTION IS, IS THAT IN MOST CASES, IF COMMERCIAL TENANTS WERE ABLE TO WORK SOMETHING OUT, THAT THEY WOULD JUST KIND OF DO SEPARATE INSTALLATIONS EVEN IF THERE WERE MULTIPLE TENANTS THERE.

UM, BUT IT IS, IT'S A CHALLENGE.

I MEAN, RIGHT NOW I WOULD SAY MOST, YOU KNOW, RES MOST RENTAL COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ARE NOT, THEY JUST DON'T GET SOLAR.

SO THIS IS, UM, NOT NECESSARILY A SOLUTION FOR ALLOWING THE TENANTS, UH, THERE THE COMMERCIAL TENANTS TO, TO BENEFIT SO MUCH AS TO UTILIZE THAT VALUABLE YEAH.

ROOFTOP SPACE FOR GENERATION.

'CAUSE WE NEED LOCAL GENERATION.

DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY AUSTIN RESIDENTS RENT VERSUS OWN? I DUNNO, DOES ANYONE HERE KNOW? LAST I KNEW THE NUMBER WAS SOMETHING LIKE 55%, BUT THAT'S OLD.

I, IT'S PROBABLY HIGHER NOW.

I DON'T KNOW.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE THAT? IT SOUNDS LIKE YEAH, THAT, THAT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO THOUGH, SO I, YEAH, THANKS.

DON'T TAKE THAT TO THE BANK.

UM, OKAY, SO THIS WAS CIRCULATED AND, UH, FOR THE MOST PART, THE, WHEREAS STATEMENTS HAVE, I BELIEVE REMAINED THE SAME.

THIS, UH, FOOTNOTE HERE, AND I'M GONNA SEE IF I CAN ZOOM IN.

I DUNNO IF PEOPLE CAN SEE THIS, UH, DID CHANGE THIS FOOTNOTE HERE THAT JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKES CLEAR THAT, UH, ACTUAL POTENTIAL TO DEPLOY ROOFTOP SOLAR WILL BE LESS THAN THE POTENTIAL ON ALL THE BUILDINGS JUST BECAUSE OF HOSTING CAPACITY OF THE DISTRIBUTION GRID.

UM, I DON'T THINK IT CHANGES ANYTHING HERE, BUT THAT WAS SOMETHING AUSTIN ENERGY WANTED TO MAKE CLEAR.

SO IT SAYS, WHILE ACTUAL POTENTIAL IS LESS, UH, ONCE OLDER BUILDINGS ARE EXCLUDED AND THE HOSTING CAPACITY OF THE DISTRIBUTION GRID IS ACCOUNTED FOR, THE POTENTIAL IS STILL LARGE ENOUGH TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO AUSTIN ENERGY'S

[01:50:01]

GENERATION NEEDS.

AND THEN WHERE WE MADE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WAS IN THIS FIRST BE IT RESOLVED.

SO I'M JUST GONNA READ THIS OUT IN FULL NOW.

THERE THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECOMMENDS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM WITHOUT DELAY AND RECOMMENDS THAT COMPENSATION FOR ENERGY PROVIDED THROUGH THE PROGRAM BE SET IN AN INTRODUCTORY RATE BASED ON THE AVERAGE AVOIDED COSTS FROM 20 21, 22, AND 23 STARTING IN MARCH, 2026.

THE RATE SHOULD BE, SHOULD RESET TO THE AVERAGE AVOIDED COST FOR THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS OF ASSESSMENTS MOVING FORWARD.

THE RATE SHOULD BE UPDATED ONCE EVERY THREE YEARS ON THE SAME CYCLE AS THE VALUE OF SOLAR TARIFF.

UM, JUST FOR BACKGROUND, AUSTIN ENERGY HAD BEEN PROPOSING AN AVOIDED COST RATE BASED ON JUST 2021.

SO HENCE THE NEGOTIATIONS 'CAUSE COSTS HAVE WENT UP.

AND SO THE AVOIDED RATE WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AS A RESULT OF THAT CHANGE.

AND THEN IN THIS SECOND, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, WE HAVE ADDED THAT AUSTIN ENERGY WILL CONSIDER IN COLLABORATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS HOW TO BEST UTILIZE REVENUE GENERATED BY COMMUNITY SOLAR SUBSCRIBERS TO FURTHER COMPENSATE RESIDENTIAL HOSTING.

UM, I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ME, UM, COMPLAINING ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM AND HOW IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT THAT MONEY IS ACTUALLY GOING TO PURCHASE MORE WIND ENERGY.

AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE GETTING VOLUNTARY SUBSCRIBER CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PEOPLE WHO WANNA SUPPORT SOLAR, THAT THE MONEY ACTUALLY GOES FOR THAT PURPOSE.

AND I BELIEVE THOSE ARE THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE.

SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RESOLUTION? AND, AND PLEASE SPEAK UP IF YOU DO, 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN SEE EVERYBODY ON THE SCREEN OR COMMENTS.

OH YEAH, GO AHEAD, ALBERTA.

SORRY, MY BATTERY WENT OUT AND I HAD TO PLUG BACK IN, SO I MISSED THE, MAYBE THE LAST TWO BE IT RESOLVED.

UM, SO COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? I'M VERY SORRY.

THAT'S OKAY.

UM, YOU SAID JUST THE LAST ONE OR, UH, I WOULD SAY THE LAST TWO.

SO THERE WERE, THERE WERE ONLY TWO THAT HAD CHANGES.

I HEARD THE FIRST ONE.

THEN THE SECOND ONE WAS JUST THE, IN THIS SECOND BE IT RESOLVED.

THE FIRST PART WAS ALREADY THERE.

UM, AND THEN WE JUST ADDED THIS SENTENCE HERE AT THE END, AUSTIN ENERGY, WE'LL CONSIDER IN COLLABORATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS HOW TO BEST UTILIZE REVENUE GENERATED BY COMMUNITY SOLAR SUBSCRIBERS TO FURTHER COMPENSATE RESIDENTIAL HOSTING.

UM, AND, AND I WAS JUST EXPLAINING THAT THE PURPOSE THERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY COLLECTED FROM THESE VOLUNTARY SUBSCRIPTIONS GOES TO THE PURPOSE THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE INTEND WHEN THEY SUBSCRIBE TO COMMUNITY SOLAR, IN OTHER WORDS, TO SUPPORT DEPLOYMENT OF SOLAR.

AND THE REASON THAT IT IS FOCUSED ON THE RESIDENTIAL HOSTING IS THAT THOSE SYSTEMS WILL BE SMALLER AND, UH, THEREFORE WILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL COST PER KILOWATT HOUR.

SO IT SEEMS, UM, YOU KNOW, LOGICAL TO, UH, GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT, UH, MORE COMPENSATION.

AND ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UM, HAVING WORKED ON THIS FOR SIX PLUS YEARS NOW, ONE OF THE INITIAL GOALS WAS TO FIND WAYS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS SEGMENTS OF THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CUSTOMER CLASS TO BENEFIT FROM SOLAR ROOFTOP SOLAR PRODUCTION.

AND SO THIS SHOULD HELP BETTER ENSURE THAT RESIDENTIAL HOST, YOU KNOW, GET A PIECE OF THE PIE AS THEIR ROOF SPACE IS USED FOR SOLAR PRODUCTION.

SO ANY THOUGHTS ON ANY OF THIS? OR IF NOT, WE CAN MOVE INTO ACTION.

I JUST DON'T WANNA, UH, SO THIS IS NOT THE RESOLUTION FOR THE SOLAR FOR ALL? NO, THIS IS JUST FOR THE STANDARD OFFER.

UH, I THINK IS PROBABLY A, A YEAR AWAY OR A BETTER PART OF A YEAR AWAY.

I GOT IT.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE.

MM-HMM, , YEP.

SOLAR FOR ALL,

[01:55:01]

SO WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME ON THAT ONE.

SERVE RESIDENTIAL RENT, LOW INCOME RENTERS.

ANNA, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UH, IT'S NOT, I THINK IT'S NOT A QUESTION.

I, I THINK COMMENT JANU.

NO, I DON'T KNOW.

THERE'S JUST LIKE GOING OFF OF THIS EQUITY THING, I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING THAT JUST LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, IRKS ME ABOUT THIS IDEA THAT LIKE, MY LANDLORD'S GONNA PUT SOLAR ON MY HOUSE AND THAT LIKE, I DON'T GET TO BENEFIT.

AND SO I DON'T, I I DON'T HAVE A FULLY FLESHED OUT CRITIQUE.

UM, I, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING SAID HERE AND YOUR POINTS, AND I JUST, I DON'T KNOW, I WANTED TO, TO VOICE THAT AND, AND ASK IF, IF OTHER PEOPLE HAD SIMILAR CONCERNS, LIKE, AM I MISSING THE FOREST BUT FOR THE TREES OR, YOU KNOW, I SHARE THAT CONCERN.

UM, I FEEL LIKE WHENEVER WE'RE DEALING WITH THE SHELL BUILDING OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TENANTS ARE USUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ROOFTOP, UH, HVAC UNITS AND EVERYTHING.

SO, AND, AND THE, THE OWNER IS REALLY THE BUILDING ELECTRIC FOR ANY EX EXTERIOR LIGHTING, UM, YOU KNOW, IS, IS NOT REALLY TAKEN UP BY THE OWNER AS IT IS SPLIT BETWEEN THE TENANTS.

BUT IF, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A, SOMETHING WITH FIVE TENANTS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SIX METERS AND THAT ONE METER IS JUST FOR THE BUILDING.

SO YEAH, I HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH THAT, NOT WITH THE TENANTS, NOT ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THAT, KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

I DON'T DISAGREE, BUT EVERY LITTLE BIT OF SOLAR THAT WE HAVE MEANS POTENTIALLY LESS FOSSIL FUEL.

AND SO THE EQUITY IS IMPORTANT, BUT MORE IMPORTANT, SORRY, NOT MORE IMPORTANT, BUT AT LEAST AS IMPORTANT, I'D HATE TO SEE US SAY, WELL, SCREW SOLAR.

'CAUSE IT'S NOT EQUITABLE.

I MEAN, IN THE END, WE ALL PAY FROM GLOBAL WARMING AND WE, WE HEARD FROM THE HEAT, YOU KNOW, RESILIENCE THAT THE POOREST, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOST ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED ARE THE MOST AT RISK.

SO I HATE TO, I'D HATE FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, STOP ANYTHING, ANY SOLAR PANEL PRODUCTION FEEDING INTO OUR GRID.

NO, I, I AGREE WITH THAT.

I THINK, I THINK, YEAH, I'M IN THAT SAME BOAT OF LIKE, HOW DO WE, HOW, HOW TO VOICE THAT IN THE RESOLUTION TO MAKE IT MORE EQUITABLE, BUT ALSO TO SUPPORT IT.

AND WHY IS IT THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE? AND THEN THE PEOPLE WHO GET THE SHORT END OF THE STICK ARE ALWAYS THE PEOPLE WHO GET THE SHORT END OF THE STICK.

THAT PART ESCAPES ME.

WE DON'T HAVE APPARENTLY THE INGENUITY TO, TO DO BOTH.

I, I, I'M JUST, I'M CONFUSED ABOUT THAT.

IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO, UM, IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE UP, A CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVE TO BE DOWN.

IT'S LIKE A ZERO SUM DEAL.

I, I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.

I, I REALLY, IT'S, IT'S PAINFUL TO, TO HEAR THIS DISCUSSION LIKE THIS THAT, OKAY, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA RUBBER STAMP THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE LARGER, BROADER ISSUE IS THIS, BUT YET, AND STILL AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE NOT DOING DUE DILIGENCE AND EQUITY TO, TO THE OTHER FOLKS.

SO I I, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE ZERO SUM, IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO THAT AND, AND, AND, AND IT, IT'S PAINFUL FOR ME TO BE IN A SPACE WHERE THAT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN.

SO I, I'M, I'M HEARING THIS CONCERN ABOUT, ABOUT RENTERS, UM, AND THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF RENTERS IT SOUNDS LIKE, THAT ARE COMING INTO THE CONVERSATION, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL.

AND I THINK EACH OF YOU ARE SPEAKING TO A DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMER CLASS, CUSTOMER GROUP THERE.

UM, IN, IN THE IMMEDIATE THIS PROGRAM, OH, LIKE OVER THE NEXT YEAR IS GONNA BE OPEN TO COMMERCIAL BECAUSE IT'S, UH, A MINIMUM OF 50 KILOWATT INSTALLATIONS.

SO THAT'S NOT GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL SCALE.

UM, I, I THINK THAT THERE POTENTIALLY COULD BE A DOOR OPEN FOR INCLUDING LOW INCOME TENANTS AS QUALIFIED FOR THE, UH, SOLAR FOR ALL INSTALLATIONS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGE WITH RENTERS IN GENERAL IS JUST, YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY WOULD THE PROPERTY OWNER MAKE THIS HUGE INVESTMENT WHEN THEY DON'T BENEFIT FROM IT? RIGHT.

UM, IT IS, IT IS A CHALLENGE, BUT WE DO HAVE THIS POT OF MONEY WITH SOLAR FOR ALL, BUT I, I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE THE, THE DOOR IS OPEN TO KIND OF MOLDING THAT TO BE USED THE WAY WE WANT.

SO I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT'S THE PLACE TO FIND THE SOLUTION TO

[02:00:01]

IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, TENANTS.

I HONESTLY, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE, THE SOLUTION IS THERE.

AND, AND I HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING FOR MANY YEARS TO TRY TO JUST EXPAND THE NUMBER OF WAYS THAT YOU CAN ACCESS SOLAR, UH, ROOFTOP SOLAR IN PARTICULAR THROUGH AUSTIN ENERGY.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE ADDED A FEW DIFFERENT, UH, THINGS THERE.

THERE'S NONPROFIT, UH, AND NONPROFIT INCENTIVE THAT IS RICHER.

UM, AND THAT STARTS TO GET AT MULTIFAMILY, UM, TENANTS IN CERTAIN PLACES.

UM, THERE'S THE SHARED SOLAR, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT.

IT, YEAH.

ADD THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THE WAY IT WORKS IS THAT THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER, UH, SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM AND ADDS CAPACITY TO THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.

YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.

WHICH PROVIDES LOW INCOME OR, UH, ELECTRICITY BILL DISCOUNTS TO LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS.

SO THERE IS AN EQUITY BENEFIT TO, UH, EX EXPANDING OR EXPANDING THE, THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM.

ALTHOUGH I WILL SAY, JUST TO BE TRANSPARENT, THE WAY THAT THE NEXT BATCH OF COMMUNITY SOLAR IS GOING TO BE OFFERED MIGHT BE DIFFERENT.

UM, SO WE'LL SEE.

I, I THINK WE DO, WE ARE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD NOW IN WHICH WE HAVE THIS BIG POT OF GRANT MONEY TO SERVE LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS.

SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE TWO ARE GONNA BE KIND OF, UH, PARALLEL, BUT SEPARATE TRACKS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE IT IN THE COMING MONTHS.

ALRIGHT, WELL I'M, I'M WILLING TO SUPPORT THE STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM WITH ROHAN'S ROHAN'S POINT.

PARDON ME.

AND, AND, AND I GUESS IF THIS IS REALLY, TO ME IT WASN'T CLEAR THAT THIS WAS TARGETED MORE AT THE STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM WAS MORE TARGETED TOWARDS COMMERCIAL INITIALLY.

INITIALLY.

BUT THE IDEA IS THAT STARTING IN DECEMBER, THERE'LL BE ANOTHER ROUND OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND YOU KNOW, THE TENTATIVE HOPEFUL COMMITMENT THAT THAT IS, UH, IN THIS IS THAT BY JANUARY OF 2026, IT'LL BE OPENED UP TO RESIDENTIAL.

SO MAYBE WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTION IN THAT SEGMENT THAT ADDRESSES TENANTS, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, CONCERNS.

THIS, UH, STANDARD OFFER RATE IS ALSO GONNA CHANGE AND IT'LL BE ON THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF DATA.

BUT COULD YOU, YEAH.

YOU HAD ALLUDED TO POSSIBLE CHANGES TO COMMUNITY SOLAR.

CAN YOU ELABORATE? YEAH.

SO THE CURRENT COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM, UM, THE SUBSCRIBERS GOT A FIXED, UH, RATE FI 15 YEAR FIXED RATE THAT REPLACED THE PSA POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT FEE ON THEIR BILL.

THAT FEE CAN FLUCTUATE MULTIPLE TIMES A YEAR, UH, IN ORDER TO COVER AUSTIN ENERGY'S, UM, BOTH FUEL COST AND JUST BASICALLY THEIR MARKET COST.

UM, AND SO THIS LOCKED THEM INTO A FIXED RATE.

SO IN WHATEVER IT WAS, 2018, I THINK IT WAS, WHEN THEY LAUNCHED THE PROGRAM, IT WAS A, YOU KNOW, IT WAS AN ADDITIONAL COST FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS FOR THE MARKET RATE CUSTOMERS.

UM, BUT NOW SINCE THE PSA HAS INCREASED, THEY'RE ACTUALLY SAVING A LITTLE BIT.

AND THE LOW INCOME HALF OF THE PROGRAM WAS ALLOCATED FOR LOW INCOME.

AND THE WAY THEY STRUCTURED IT, THEY GOT A LOWER RATE RATE FROM THE GET GO.

AND SO THEY WERE GETTING, IT WAS A VERY SMALL BILL SAVINGS, I WANNA SAY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, AVERAGE OF $2 A MONTH OR SOMETHING.

BUT NOW THEY'RE GETTING EVEN MORE BILL SAVINGS BECAUSE THE PSA HAS GONE UP.

UM, I THINK THAT MADE SENSE BECAUSE AUSTIN ENERGY'S, UM, THAT CONTRACTS FOR THEIR COMMUNITY SOLAR INSTALLATIONS THAT, THAT TIM SHOWED US, THOSE ARE FIXED RATE CONTRACTS, RIGHT? SO THEY HAD LA LOMA AND THEN THEY ADDED THE AIRPORT MAYBE THREE YEARS AGO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THOSE ARE FIXED RATES.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, OFFERING IT AT A FIXED RATE, THERE'S SOME LOGIC THERE IN THIS PROGRAM, THE RATE THAT THE HOST OR THAT THE, THE SOLAR DEVELOPER THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PRODUCING THAT ENERGY GETS, IS GONNA FLUCTUATE.

SO EVERY TIME, IT'S GONNA BE EVERY THREE YEARS, SAME SCHEDULE AS THE VALUE OF SOLAR CHANGES,

[02:05:02]

SO THEY AREN'T LOCKING INTO BEING PAID A FIXED RATE.

AND SO AUSTIN ENERGY ISN'T GONNA, THEY DON'T WANNA LOCK COMMUNITY SOLAR SUB SUBSCRIPTIONS IN AT A FIXED RATE EITHER.

SO WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM THEM IS THAT THEY WANNA MOVE IT TO BE SIMILAR AND STRUCTURE TO THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM, WHICH IS THAT THE CUSTOMER SUBSCRIBES AND YOU PAY AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT.

SO IT'S NEVER A SAVINGS, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, PREMIUM PRODUCT.

SO I THINK THAT'S FINE FOR THE, YOU KNOW, MANY PEOPLE WHO JUST WANNA SUPPORT.

I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S 20 SOME THOUSAND RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS AND GREEN CHOICE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE LISTENING AND YOU'RE ON GREEN CHOICE, IT'S A WASTE OF YOUR MONEY.

IT'S NOT DOING ANYTHING.

UM, AND I'M, I'M NOT JOKING , UH, I THINK THIS, THIS IS A GOOD, UH, ADDITION TO THE PORTFOLIO FOR THOSE PEOPLE, BUT YOU GOTTA ASK, HOW DOES, HOW IS THAT GONNA BENEFIT A LOW INCOME CUSTOMER UNLESS THEY DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A FEW EXTRA DOLLARS TO, TO PUT TOWARDS THE CAUSE.

SO IT MIGHT JUST MAKE MORE SENSE FOR THEM TO ACCESS SOLAR THROUGH SOLAR FOR ALL.

DOES THAT, I DON'T KNOW, MUDDY THE WATERS ANYMORE? MUDDIES IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT , BUT I THINK IT JUST KIND OF EMPHASIZES THAT WE CAN'T JUST RELY ON SOLAR FOR ALL TO ADDRESS THIS BECAUSE IT'S NOT NEARLY AT THE SCALE THAT IT NEEDS TO BE.

UM, THAT'S FAIR.

SO MAYBE THERE'S SOME, MAYBE THERE'S SOME WORK THAT WE CAN DO AS A, AS A COMMITTEE TO KIND OF FOCUS ON THIS ISSUE.

'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S TOP OF MIND FOR A LOT OF FOLKS AND IT'S A PRIORITY.

UM, I'M WILLING TO KIND OF WORK WITH FOLKS THAT HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT KIND OF THE LACK OF FOCUS ON SOLAR ACCESS FOR LOW INCOME FOLKS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.

YEAH, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE, UM, STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS FOR BOTH SOLAR FOR ALL AND FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PORTION OF THIS, UH, STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM ARE ANNOUNCED THAT THEY GET SHARED WITH THE COMMISSION.

AND I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YOU.

I MEAN, I, I WANT THERE TO ACTUALLY BE ACCESSED FOR LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS.

NOT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE, THE, THE CURRENT PROGRAM, IT DID THAT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST A TINY PROGRAM.

THE, THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S 400 SOME PEOPLE OR SUBSCRIBED TO IT 'CAUSE IT'S FULLY SUBSCRIBED, RIGHT? SO WE NEED, WE NEED SOMETHING THAT CAN SCALE.

UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR SHOULD WE MOVE INTO ACTION ON THIS ITEM? YEAH, ALBERTA.

SO IS THERE A WAY TO INCORPORATE RODRIGO'S, UM, RECOMMENDATION INTO, TO THIS? BECAUSE OTHERWISE I'M GONNA BE IN ABSTENTION FOR A NO VOTE.

I THINK THE INTENT OF WHAT HE'S TRYING TO DO, I I WOULD TRULY SUPPORT WHAT WOULD MAYBE I DIDN'T CATCH.

WAS THERE A CLEAR RECOMMENDATION THERE? I I'M SORRY.

YEAH, I, I DON'T, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION, BUT I THINK, UM, ALBERTA, YOUR SUGGESTION IS A GOOD ONE AND THAT MAYBE THERE'S, MAYBE IT IS APPROPRIATE TO ADD, UM, SPACE HERE TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO REALLY LIKE, FOCUS ON LOW INCOME ACCESS.

AND ALTHOUGH THIS MOVES US FORWARD IN TERMS OF EXPANDING SOLAR, IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE PROBLEM THAT MANY OF US HAVE HAVE RAISED.

AND THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL BE HELPFUL TO INCLUDE LIKE A, AN ADDITIONAL, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY X, Y, Z, UM, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? WHAT'S THE X, Y, Z , LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.

WELL, SO MAYBE JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS IS ROHAN, THIS WAS YOUR POINT, RIGHT? THAT THE ENERGY THAT COMES FROM THIS GOES INTO THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.

SORRY, I'M LIKE LOST IN THE PROGRAM NAMES.

YES, THAT IS ACCURATE.

SO, RIGHT.

SO LIKE THEY TAKE THIS ENERGY THAT THE, THE LANDLORDS, FOR LACK OF LACK OF A BETTER WORD, PRODUCE.

UM, AND THEN WE PAY SOME MONEY TO LANDLORDS AND THEN SOME, THE ENERGY GOES INTO THE SYSTEM AND THEN GOES BACK TO THE LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS.

AM I, IS THAT WHAT YOU GUYS WERE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE TO ME? SO THAT'S THE CURRENT STRUCTURE.

AND SO WE DON'T LIKE THAT OR WE DON'T THINK IT'S ENOUGH.

[02:10:02]

SO THERE'S TWO THINGS HERE.

THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT REALLY ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.

SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IF WE WANT TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM, WHICH CERTAINLY HAS A CONNECTION HERE, BUT IS TECHNICALLY THEY COULD DO THE STANDARD OFFER AND NOT HAVE A COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM AND THIS COULD STILL MOVE FORWARD, RIGHT? AS AN ENERGY PROCUREMENT METHOD.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO DIANA'S POINT, WE ARE COMING UP ON A, YOU KNOW, AS, AS THE RESOURCE PLAN MOVES FORWARD, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY IS GONNA, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, THEY'RE GONNA GET LOCAL GENERATION.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE ARE, THERE ARE JUST SIMPLY NOT THAT MANY OPTIONS, RIGHT? SO WE'RE EITHER GONNA BURN SOMETHING OR WE'RE GONNA FIND A WAY TO USE OUR ROOFTOPS FOR SOLAR JUST TO KIND OF SIMPLIFY IT FOR EVERYBODY.

UM, AND THAT'S JUST 'CAUSE WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE WIND RESOURCE LOCALLY.

WE DON'T REALLY HAVE GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE LOCALLY.

AND EVEN UTILITY SCALE SOLAR, YOU KNOW, LAND IS JUST TOO EXPENSIVE.

SO THIS IS THE ALTERNATIVE TO, YOU KNOW, THIS OBVIOUSLY WE NEED BATTERIES PAIRED WITH THIS.

'CAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE JUST SOLAR.

UM, AND HOPEFULLY KNOCK ON WOOD, WE'LL SEE AUSTIN ENERGY COMING THROUGH WITH A PROPOSAL FOR A BATTERY CONTRACT THIS FALL.

BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO KIND OF KEEP YOUR EYE ON WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PORTION OF THE PROGRAM.

AND THEN, YES, WE NEED TO WEIGH IN ON THE COMMUNITY SOLAR STRUCTURE AND HOW THAT CONNECTS WITH THE RESIDENTIAL PIECE AND HOW THAT CONNECTS ALSO WITH THE SOLAR FOR ALL.

I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT BELONGS IN THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A WHOLE PROCESS.

IT'LL BE STARTING IN DECEMBER, TECHNICALLY TWO PROCESSES THAT WILL BE HAPPENING IN PARALLEL AROUND THAT.

I HAVE A THOUGHT 'CAUSE BUT IT'S NOT IN, IT'S IN YOUR REVISED VERSION, BUT THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU INSERTED AROUND, UM, THE BRINGING TOGETHER STAKEHOLDERS TO CONSIDER HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE USED, MAYBE WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIRECTED THERE AND SAY THOSE FUNDS COULD, SHOULD POTENTIALLY BE USED TO EXPAND LOW INCOME SOLAR ACCESS.

OR WE CAN SAY THAT IS A, YOU KNOW, THAT IT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY WHEN THE, WHEN, WHATEVER GROUP THAT IS PUT TOGETHER TO THINK THROUGH HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE USED.

WE SHOULD EXPRESS A PRIORITY AS A COMMITTEE.

UM, UH, SERVING LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, AND OR THE, THE, THE SOLAR FOR ALL PROGRAM.

UH, THAT'S AN OPTION.

I I WILL SAY I PERSONALLY WOULD RATHER SEE FUNDS THAT ARE COLLECTED SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

UM, 'CAUSE WE HAVE FUNDS SPECIFICALLY FOR LOW INCOME DISCOUNTS.

UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS MY HOPE THAT THIS PROGRAM ACTUALLY WOULD UTILIZE, UH, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY THOSE FUNDS POTENTIALLY, UM, ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES, FEES, FUNDS TO MAKE THE OFFERING MORE ATTRACTIVE SO WE COULD GET MORE ROOFTOP SOLAR.

RIGHT? SO THE, THE MORE WE, UM, YEAH, JUST I GUESS ELIMINATE DIFFERENT KIND OF REVENUE STREAMS TO ACTUALLY DEPLOY SOLAR, THE LESS, THE LESS WE'LL GET AND THE LESS WE'LL GET, PARTICULARLY ON THE RESIDENTIAL MARKET, WHICH I, I THINK COMES AT THE, YOU KNOW, AT THE DETRIMENT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SERVING TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING WITH THAT LANGUAGE.

WE'RE JUST POINTING OUT THAT THERE IS AN AREA HERE THAT NEEDS TO BE BETTER MIND THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING.

SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA DO WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO, BUT I THINK THAT WE WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE IN THAT DIRECTION.

SO I DON'T, THERE'S, THERE'S NO DIRECTIVE THAT HE'S SAYING TO DO, HE'S SAYING TO INCORPORATE THIS LANGUAGE AS, AS SOMETHING TO SHOW HOW WE FEEL.

THE CONCERNS ARE AROUND LOWER INCOME PEOPLE RECEIVING THE BENEFIT FROM ANY PROGRAM REALLY, THAT CAN GO IN ANY RESOLUTION THAT WE PASS.

UH, SO I, I DON'T SEE THAT THEY'RE IN CONFLICT WITH ONE ANOTHER AT ALL.

MAYBE WE CAN, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT PRESCRIPTIVE AT ALL WHAT RODRIGO JUST LAID OUT.

COULD WE MAYBE JUST CREATE ANOTHER, BE IT RESULT THAT ADDRESSES OR THAT MAKES A STATEMENT AROUND,

[02:15:02]

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THROUGH COMMUNITY SOLAR, BUT THAT COULD BE ONE METHOD.

YEAH, I THINK THAT'S FAIR.

I MEAN, I, I DEFINITELY THINK IT'S RELATED.

UH, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE OUT OF PLACE IF WE SAY, YOU KNOW, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED AS AUSTIN ENERGY CONTINUES TO RETHINK AND RESTRUCTURE ITS SOLAR OFFERINGS.

THERE SHOULD BE A DEDICATED FOCUS ON EXPANDING ACCESS TO LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS, UM, SOLAR ACCESS TO LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS AND, AND THINKING THROUGH ALL OF THE WAYS THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE GENERATED BY, I DON'T KNOW, THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO BENEFIT FOLKS, NOT JUST BY HAVING SOLAR ON THEIR ROOFS, BUT ALSO THROUGH COMMUNITY SOLAR, THROUGH THESE OTHER PROGRAMS. OKAY.

AS AUSTIN ENERGY CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS SOLAR OFFERINGS THAT SERVING LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS, SHOULD WE SAY, INCLUDING RENTERS OR INCLUDING LOW INCOME RENTERS.

YEAH, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.

UM, SHOULD BE A PRIORITY.

I MEAN, I'D EVEN SAY BE AN URGENT PRIORITY.

UH, UM, I WOULD SAY FOR ME IT'S ABOUT THE BENEFIT AND LIKE, YOU'RE RIGHT, THE, THE COMMUNITY GETS THE BENEFIT COULD BE COST, RIGHT? LIKE MAYBE THAT'S MY, MAYBE THAT'S THE THING I'M DISGRUNTLED ABOUT.

UM, BUT IT COULD ACTUALLY BE MORE SOLAR, RIGHT? LIKE TO YOUR POINT, LIKE MAYBE THE COMMUNITY WANTS MORE SOLAR AND LIKE THEY THEY DO, THEY'VE ACTUALLY SURVEYED, THEY AGREE WITH YOU.

THEY SURVEY, THEY'VE SURVEYED THE LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS AND, AND, UH, PERHAPS, I DON'T KNOW, SURPRISINGLY OR NOT SURPRISINGLY, THEY, THEY WANT SOLAR.

AND ACTUALLY IT WAS SURPRISING THAT, UM, A LOT OF THEM WERE WILLING TO PAY SOME ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR IT.

MAYBE SMALL AMOUNTS.

I THINK GOES LIKE UP TO $5 A MONTH OR SOMETHING.

SO, UM, THERE'S DEFINITELY A, A DESIRE THERE.

I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT.

THERE'S NO REASON WHY LOW INCOME PEOPLE WOULDN'T WANT A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT JUST AS MUCH AS ANYBODY ELSE.

SO, YOU KNOW, PRETTY LOGICAL.

UM, ALL RIGHT, LET ME JUST, OKAY.

SO I HAVE BE IT FOR THE RESOLVE THAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT AUSTIN ENERGY, THAT AS AUSTIN ENERGY CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS SOLAR OFFERINGS THAT SERVING LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS, INCLUDING LOW INCOME RENTERS, SHOULD BE A, SHOULD BE A PRIORITY, SHOULD WE SAY URGENT PRIORITY.

OH YEAH, SORRY.

SHOULD BE AN URGENT AND URGENT PRIORITY.

I WE GOOD WITH THAT? ALBERTA? YEAH.

GOOD WITH THAT.

UM, I'LL JUST SAY ONE THING.

I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO PRESS THE ISSUE BECAUSE AS WE SAW FROM THE PRESENTATION EARLIER TODAY, NOT EVERYONE IS THINKING ABOUT THIS IN THE WAY THAT WE ARE.

UM, AND SO I DEFINITELY DON'T THINK IT'S OUT OF PLACE.

UM, IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, BUT MAYBE THE INTENT WAS TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER, BUT IT IS CONNECTED TO THESE BROADER ISSUES AROUND SOLAR EQUITY.

YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S FAIR.

AND ACTUALLY I THINK I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO ADD TO, SINCE WE DID HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, JUST CONTINUE, CONTINUE AS AUSTIN ENERGY CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS SOLAR OFFERINGS, INCLUDING THROUGH SOLAR FOR ALL THAT SERVING LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS, INCLUDING LOW INCOME RENTERS SHOULD BE AN URGENT PRIORITY.

I JUST, I WAS A LITTLE, YEAH, I, I THINK DISCONCERTED TO THINK THAT THAT GRANT MONEY MIGHT GO TO PEOPLE THAT DON'T REALLY NEED IT.

AND, AND YOU SAID LOW INCOME RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS BECAUSE I LIKED YOUR IDEA .

UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT MAP IS, YOU KNOW, IF, IF IF WE HAD A A, A MAP THAT LOOKED THAT WAS CITYWIDE, WE COULD FIND 2,500 HOMES OWNED BY LOWER INCOME PEOPLE.

SO I I LET'S NOT JUST LIMIT IT TO RENTERS BUT TO HOMEOWNERS PLEASE.

[02:20:02]

YEP.

UM, YEAH, IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE INCLUDING, BUT I HAVE NOW SAID INCLUDING LOW INCOME RENTERS AND UH, AND HOMEOWNERS.

ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THIS SECOND AS AMENDED.

WE'VE GOT A, A MOTION AND A SECOND.

UM, REMEMBER YOU NEED TO COME ON SCREEN TO VOTE.

UM, RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF THIS RESOLUTION.

UP WE HAVE THE, THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE.

LOOKS LIKE WE'RE UNANIMOUS ON THAT.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS.

CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY THE MOTION? SECOND, UH, I MADE THE MOTION.

CHARLOTTE MADE THE SECOND AND I WILL GET YOU THE EDITED VERSION.

ROHAN.

ALRIGHT, UM, NEXT

[7. Consider approval of a Recommendation on the adoption of the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code]

SORRY, I NEED TO GET WHERE I CAN ACTUALLY EXPAND THINGS.

I DID END UP PUTTING THIS INTO A RESOLUTION FORMAT.

I'M SORRY I DIDN'T GET IT IN TIME FOR POSTING, BUT IT'S, IT'S SHORT SO I'M JUST GONNA READ IT.

UM, IT'S JUST SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT, OF WHAT STAFF PRESENTED TO US.

SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS, UH, ADOPT THE 2024 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT THE 2024 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE CODE INCLUDING THE ELECTRIC READINESS AND EV READINESS APPENDICES RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.

UNDER RATIONALE, THE 2024 ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE WILL RESULT IN ENERGY SAVINGS IN BOTH RESIDENTIAL PROJECTED AT 6.1% AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS PROJECTED AT 13.4%.

THE EV READINESS AND ELECTRIC READINESS PROVISIONS, INCLUDING THE CHANGES RECOMMENDED BY STAFF TO REQUIRE SPACE FOR HOT WATER HEAT PUMPS WILL GIVE CURRENT AND FUTURE PROPERTY OWNERS AN AFFORDABLE PATHWAY TO CHOOSE EFFICIENT ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGIES AND ELIMINATE FOSSIL FUEL USE FOR TRANSPORTATION AND USE IN THE HOME, OH, SORRY, ELIMINATE POLLUTING FOSSIL FUEL, FUEL USE FOR TRANSPORTATION AND USE IN THE HOME.

THESE CHANGES WILL REDUCE BOTH GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND LOCAL INDOOR AIR POLLUTION YIELDING ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH BENEFITS.

ADOPTION OF THE 2024 ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE ALIGNS WITH SUSTAINABILITY, SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS GOAL ONE, STRATEGY THREE OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN ACHIEVE ENERGY EFFICIENT NET ZERO CARBON BUILDINGS, CODE AMENDMENT AND CODE AMENDMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY LISTED IN THIS STRATEGY AND ARE A PROVEN STRATEGY FOR COST EFFECTIVELY IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND MAKING OTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN THE HOME THAT ARE MUCH MORE COSTLY AS RETROFITS.

ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS? I SUPPOSE I COULD HAVE ALSO MENTIONED THAT IT WILL REDUCE, UH, THAT THE CHANGES WILL ACTUALLY REDUCE COST OF BUILDINGS, BUT ANY COMMENTS ON THIS ONE? ANYTHING YOU WANT ADDED QUESTIONS? I CAN'T SEE EVERYBODY.

I CAN STOP SHARING THOUGH.

THERE'S NO QUESTIONS.

I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT.

A MOTION FROM HANNAH? DID I HEAR SOMEBODY SAY A SECOND? OKAY.

UM, HARRIS, I THINK YOU NEED TO BE ON SCREEN PROBABLY.

OH, GOTCHA.

YEAH, I'LL SECOND IT.

OUR LAST ITEM IS THAT WE NEED TO FORMALLY RECREATE OUR WORKING GROUPS TO KEEP, KEEP THE POWERS THAT BE HAPPY.

THANKS HARRIS.

OKAY, UM, THEN LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE.

ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.

[8. Create working groups to support Joint Sustainability Committee oversight of Comprehensive Climate Implementation Process]

UM, SO THIS IS, UH, POSTED.

LET ME JUST GET THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE,

[02:25:01]

CREATE WORKING GROUPS TO SUPPORT JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT OF COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS.

SO THIS WILL INCLUDE BOTH OUR POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, AND, AND POTENTIALLY ALSO RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, IN THE KIND OF NEXT SPRING AND SUMMER TIMELINE ON BOND RELATED ISSUES.

IF ANYBODY WANTS TO MAKE THE MOTION TO RECREATE OUR WORKING GROUPS.

AND JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, OUR PAST WORKING GROUPS HAVE BEEN SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, UH, NATURAL SYSTEMS CONSUMPTION AND TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE.

WE COULD OF COURSE CHANGE THAT UP IF THERE'S DESIRE.

DOES IT CLARIFICATION QUESTION.

DO, DO WE NEED TO SAY IF WE WANTED TO COMBINE WORKING GROUPS OR CHANGE THEM LATER ON, DO DOES THAT MATTER? ARE WE ABLE TO DO THAT? I MEAN, WE'RE CREATING THEM NOW.

I MEAN THE GREAT THING ABOUT WORKING GROUPS IS LIKE THEY'RE, WE CAN CREATE A MONEY TIME.

WE COULD DISSOLVE THEM ALSO, YOU CAN HAVE AN INFORMAL GROUP BECAUSE ANY GROUP OF LESS THAN A QUORUM CAN MEET ON SOMETHING.

BUT IF YOU WANNA HAVE A FORMAL GROUP, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GO AHEAD.

WHAT DO YOU, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? NO, I WAS JUST ASKING IF WE NEEDED TO DO THAT NOW.

IF WE WANTED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE IT, UM, WE COULD, I MEAN WE CAN DO IT NOW OR WE CAN DO IT AT ANOTHER MEETING, BUT IF YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN MIND? NO.

NO.

UM, DOES THAT SOUND GOOD TO EVERYBODY THAT WE MAINTAIN THOSE FOUR GROUPS? I KNOW SOME OF THE GROUPS HAVE HAD A LOT OF PARTICIPATION AND SOME HAVE HAD LESS.

UM, I'LL SAY I KNOW THAT THE, THE SUSTAINABLE OR THE NATURAL SYSTEMS AND CONSUMPTION HAVE HAD, I THINK FEWER OF US PARTICIPATING.

SO IF THERE ARE FOLKS WHO WANT TO GET IN ON THOSE BUCKETS OF WORK, BUT I THINK WE'RE ALSO GONNA TRY TO RECRUIT IN SOME OUTSIDE OF THE COMMISSION PARTICIPATION THERE TOO.

I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MAKE THESE SAME FOUR WORKING GROUPS THAT WE PREVIOUSLY HAD.

I'LL SECOND IT.

UM, LAST, LAST TIME, IF EVERYBODY CAN COME ON SCREEN, RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU SUPPORT.

A FEW ITEMS THAT FOLKS HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD, UM, ON AROUND GETTING PROJECT CONNECT IN HERE.

IT LOOKS LIKE, OH, WE HAD ALBERTA TOO, SO UNANIMOUS ON THAT ONE TOO.

ALL RIGHT, THANKS.

UM, WE DO HAVE

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

I KNOW THERE WAS KIND OF A QUESTION AFTER THE LAST MEETING OF SOMEBODY HAD MADE I THINK A REQUEST AROUND THE, THE BUS ROUTE FREQUENCY.

IF THERE'S ANYBODY WHO WANTS ANYTHING SPECIFIC ON THAT, UM, PLEASE DO FOLLOW UP WITH MYSELF AND, AND CHARLOTTE AND STAFF, UM, JUST SO WE CAN MAKE SURE TO CONVEY THE REQUEST ACCURATELY.

UM, AND THEN ALBERTA, I KNOW YOU HAD BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE OF TREE PROTECTION, SO, UM, AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE ANY, ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN CAN ADD TO THAT OR, OR ANY OTHERS, UM, FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT WE SHOULD LOOP INTO THAT, THAT CONVERSATION.

UH, LET'S, LET'S DO THAT 'CAUSE I THINK WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET THAT ON OUR NEXT AGENDA.

SO, UM, AND THEN SAME THING WITH THE, THE KIND OF TREE CANOPY ASSESSMENT.

IF THERE HAS, YOU KNOW, BEEN ANY WORK DONE ON THAT, UH, RECENTLY, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ANYBODY WANTS TO FLAG NOW FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? I THINK LAST TIME WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT GETTING AN UPDATE ON THE CLIMATE FEE DISCUSSION.

THAT'S A GOOD ONE.

AND I'M NOT SURE IF ANY PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE ON UH, EIP PROJECT PRIORITIZATION INTERNALLY IN TERMS OF WHAT UM, LIKE WHAT STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE TO THE ADVISORY, UM, THE ADVISORY BODY THAT'S GONNA BE CREATED, BUT I DUNNO IF IT'S TOO EARLY FOR THAT.

UM, I DON'T KNOW.

ROHAN, CAN YOU SAY, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT STAFF WAS MAYBE MORE TARGETING LIKE JANUARY WITH

[02:30:01]

THE INTERNAL PROCESS.

IS THAT YOUR UNLIKELY TO BE RIGHT? YEAH.

YEAH, I THINK WE'RE A FEW MINUTES AWAY ON THAT.

UM, I'M ALSO ADDING TO THE LIST, UM, LOW CARBON CONCRETE PRESENTATION, UM, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE SCOTT HAS POTENTIALLY IDENTIFIED SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE US SOME GOOD INFORMATION ON THAT.

OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT WITH OTHER AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS, INCLUDING UPDATES FROM YOUR HOME COMMISSIONS AND INCLUDING IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, REITERATE SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION TO HEAR FROM THIS COMMISSION THAT, THAT RELATE TO OUR WORK.