Oct 15, 2024 Resource Management

IN YOUR PACKETS IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU HAVE, UH, MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING IF YOU COULD REVIEW THOSE AND THEN I'LL BE LOOKING TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

UH, AS A REMINDER TO COMMISSION MEMBERS, THERE'S A CLIPBOARD FLOATING AROUND.

IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED IN, PLEASE DO SO.

[1. Approve the minutes of the Resource Management Commission Regular Meeting on September 17, 2024.]

SO MOVE, HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MISSION.

UH, THE MO THE BY COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LUKI.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

UH, WELL, WE'LL JUST GO WITH, UH, VOTE OF ACCLAMATIONS.

ANYBODY OPPOSED? INSTEAD, THERE BEING NONE.

THEY ARE ADOPTED.

[2. Recommend conducting a public hearing and approve an ordinance amending Ordinance No. 20240814-006 to revise Fiscal Year 2025 Electric Tariff to enable locally sited solar generation, including local distributed community solar (Solar Standard Offer Rider – Solar Integrator); to remove the maximum capacity limits for on-site renewable generation for High Load Factor Primary Voltage (Demand greater than or equal to 3,000 kW and less than 20,000 kW), High Load Factor Primary Voltage (Demand greater than or equal to 20,000 kW), and High Load Factor Transmission Voltage (Demand greater than or equal to 20 MW); and to correct terms and conditions for High Load Factor Transmission Voltage (Demand greater than or equal to 20 MW).]

MOVING ON TO OUR, UH, REGULAR AGENDA.

WE HAVE DISCUSSION ACTION ITEMS. NUMBER TWO, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR CONDUCTING A PUBLIC HEARING, YADA, YADA, YADA.

THAT'S A LOT.

UM, SO IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THIS? I SEE TIM HESITANTLY RAISING HIS HAND.

IF YOU WOULD JOIN US UP ON THE DAY AND PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

IT'S .

YOU DIDN'T READ THE WHOLE THING, CAN YOU? IS WHICH ONE IS THIS? NUMBER TWO, RECOMMENDATION PUBLIC HEARING TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 2 0 2 4 0 8 1 4 0 6 TO REVISE FISCAL YEAR 2025 ELECTRIC TARIFF TO ENABLE LOCALLY CITED LOW SOLAR GENERATION.

OKAY, THAT'S ME.

BEAUTIFUL.

HELLO, I'M TIM HARVEY.

I'M THE CUSTOMER, ME CUSTOMER RENEWABLE SOLUTIONS MANAGER AT AUSTIN ENERGY.

OKAY, SO THIS IS FOR THE STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM THAT I PRESENTED ON LAST MONTH.

UM, THERE WAS A HOLDOVER FOR Y'ALL TO VOTE ON THAT.

AND, UM, SO I'M, I'M ABLE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN.

SO IF YOU COULD, SINCE I'M THE ONE WHO BROUGHT IN THE PROPOSAL LAST TIME FOR IN MAKING ALL OF OUR SOLAR PROJECTS PROPOSALS HAVE THE SAME TARIFF IN TERMS OF THE PAYMENT, CAN YOU PLEASE WALK US THROUGH WHAT YOUR ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL IS NOW? I MEAN, YES.

IT, IT'S NOT AN ALTERNATE PROPOSAL.

THIS IS WHAT YOU GUYS WANNA DO, BUT EXPLAIN US WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS AND WHY I SHOULD BE HAPPY WITH THIS, PLEASE.

YEAH, SO, SO THERE HAS BEEN SOME CHANGES MADE SINCE THE, UH, PRESENTATION LAST MONTH.

UM, RATHER THAN UTILIZE THE 2021 NUMBER, UM, WE ARE AVERAGING 20 21, 20 22, AND 2023.

SO THE INTRODUCTORY RATE WOULD BE 11.24 CENTS PER KILOWATT HOUR FOR SYSTEMS UNDER A MEGAWATT AND 8.41 CENTS FOR SYSTEMS OVER A MEGAWATT.

AND THEN THAT RATE GETS UPDATED, UM, IN TANDEM WITH THE VALUE OF SOLAR AND, UM, AND WHICH WOULD BE MARCH OF 2026.

AND AT THAT TIME, IT WILL MOVE TO A FIVE YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE AND THEN, UM, MAINTAIN THAT INTO PERPETUITY.

DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MUCH OF THE AVOIDED COSTS ARE, UM, ENERGY CONGESTION CHARGES? THAT, THAT I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT ERCOT WON'T BE FIXING BY BUILDING NEW TRANSMISSION ANYTIME SOON TO BAIL US OUT IN TERMS OF, OF ENERGY, OF, OF TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION CON CONGESTION.

YEAH, I THINK THOSE CHARGES ARE BUILT INTO THE ENERGY CHARGE THAT, UM, SO IT'S THE AUSTIN ZONEAL.

THE AE LOAD ZONE DAY AHEAD MARKET PRICE IS WHAT THE ANALYSIS BASED ON AND THE, THE VALUE THAT YOU ALL WOULD BE PAYING UNDER THIS NEW CALCULATION, HOW IS IT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE HAD ASKED IF WE WERE GETTING THE TWO AND A TWO POINT SOMETHING AND CHANGE AT ADDER FOR THE ADDITIONAL SOCIETAL COST OF CARBON, ET CETERA? IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE RIGHT, UM, SOCIETAL BENEFITS ADDER.

SO, BUT, BUT HOW MUCH HIGHER IS, IS WHAT YOU, THE NEW MATH RELATIVE TO WHAT THE MATH THAT WE HAD ASKED YOU TO DO? UM, I BELIEVE THAT WHAT WE HAD INITIALLY PROPOSED WAS, UH, 7.60 CENTS.

UM, AND SO BY AVERAGING, UM, 20 21, 22 AND 23, THAT WENT UP TO 11.24 CENTS.

SO, AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, I'D RATHER SEE THE OLD ONE, BUT AS A MATTER OF PRACTICALITY, I'M DOWN WITH THIS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ .

UM, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.

SO THEN IN, I THINK YOUR MIC'S ON, OH, IS IT

[00:05:02]

RED IS GOOD.

RED IS ON, UM, THAT IN JANUARY.

IS THAT JANUARY? NO, IT'S NOT ON, WHAT'S THAT? IS IT ON THE MIC? OKAY.

IT'S ON, IS THE MIC ON NOW? OKAY, THERE IT IS.

UM, YEAH, I'M JUST A, UH, ASKING TO CLARIFY.

SO AS OF, I GUESS IN 14 MONTHS FROM NOW, THE, THE PRICE THAT'S, THAT WILL BE, UH, PAID IS THE SAME AS WHAT WAS PROPOSED LAST MONTH, RIGHT? IS THAT RIGHT? NO, IT, WELL, SORT OF AND IN, IN 14 MONTHS, UM, THE PRICE WILL CHANGE TO REFLECT THE AVERAGE OF 20 21, 22, 23, 24, AND 25.

RIGHT.

WHICH IS WHAT WE WENT OVER.

THAT'S, THERE'S NO CHANGE FROM WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT FOUR WEEKS AGO.

YES.

THERE'S JUST A CHANGE FOR THE, FOR THE NEXT YEAR, BASICALLY.

IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, FOR THE, THE ENTER, THE LAUNCH VALUE THE FIRST YEAR.

, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? SO I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION AND THAT IS, UH, I, I USED A DIFFERENT TERM, BUT SOCIAL COST OF CARBON IS NOT INCLUDED WITHIN THIS CALCULATION, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IF WE CHOOSE TO TAKE UP THAT ISSUE AT A LATER TIME, WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, BUT FOR NOW, THAT'S, IT'S JUST NOT A PART OF THIS MATH.

SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DAVIS.

I'M GOOD.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? OTHERWISE, I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

SO, MOVE.

I HAVE A MOTION FOR COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN TO, UH, APPROVE ITEM NUMBER TWO ON THE AGENDA.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ONLINE, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERAS WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME FOR VOTING, UH, DAVIS.

YES.

COMMISSIONER FARMER? YES.

COMMISSIONER GARY, WE COULDN'T HEAR YOU.

SORRY.

ABSTAIN.

COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ? YES.

UH, COMMISSIONER LUKI? YES.

COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN? YES.

AND THE CHAIR WILL VOTE YES.

THIS PASSES 6 0 1.

MOVING ON TO THE

[3. Recommend approval of an ordinance amending the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Austin Energy Operating Budget Special Revenue Fund (Ordinance No. 20240814-007) to accept and appropriate $31,593,683 in grant funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and add three full-time equivalent grant positions to implement the Solar for All residential-serving community and residential rooftop solar program.]

NEXT ITEM IN OUR AGENDA, UH, RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE AMENDING FISCAL YEAR 24 25, AUSTIN ENERGY OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.

UH, DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS ONE FOR US? HI, THIS IS TIM HARVEY, UH, CUSTOMER RENEWABLE SOLUTIONS.

WE MISSED YOU.

IT'S BEEN AGES.

YEAH, I FIGURED YOU MIGHT HAVE FORGOT MY NAME.

SO, SO THIS IS, UM, FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF, UM, THE, A GRANT THAT WE WON AND, AND, UM, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COALITION, UM, FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT INCLUDES, UM, SEVERAL CITIES AND COUNTIES.

UM, AND SO THE TOTAL AWARD THAT WAS GIVEN TO TEXAS IS, UH, $249 MILLION OF WHICH AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, IS SET TO RECEIVE 31.59 MILLION.

AND SO WE INTEND TO, TO USE THIS TO, UM, INSTALL SOLAR AND BATTERIES ON LOW INCOME HOMES AND CREATE, UH, 20% BILL SAVINGS FOR LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS.

AFTER THE 15 YEAR PERIOD THAT OWNERSHIP FLIPS TO THE HOMEOWNER WILL BE FURTHER DEVELOPING THIS APPROACH WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, IN THE COMING MONTHS SHOULD COUNCIL GRANT THIS.

UM, AND THEN, UM, IT ALSO INCORPORATES WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND HAS A RESILIENCY BENEFITS.

UH, WHILE OTHERS CONSIDER THINGS.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

WHAT IS THE EXPECTED LIFESPAN OF ONE OF THESE INSTALLATIONS? UH, THE EXPECTED LIFESPAN OF SOLAR IS ROUGHLY AROUND 20 TO 25 YEARS.

UM, THAT'S, THAT'S USUALLY FOR THE ENTIRE SYSTEM NOWADAYS.

UH, USUALLY THE INVERTER WILL GO OUT FIRST AND THEN YOU CAN REPLACE THAT AND GET MORE LIFE OUT OF IT.

TO DO A DISPOSAL SLASH REPLACEMENT AT THAT POINT? IT WOULD BE THE HOMEOWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY AT THAT POINT.

AND SO WHEN THIS THING HAS, YOU SAID THAT THERE IS A POINT IN TIME WHEN THIS FLIPS OVER TO THE HOMEOWNER AND THEY TAKE OWNERSHIP.

WHAT WAS THAT POINT AGAIN? AT 15 YEARS.

OKAY, SO AT 15 YEARS.

SO THEN WHAT HAPPENS, LET'S SAY IN YEAR 22 WHEN THE SYSTEM IS FINALLY PRONOUNCED DEAD, UM, DOES IT JUST REMAIN ON THE ROOF OR IS THE, IS IT NOW THE HOMEOWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY

[00:10:01]

THANKS COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE MM-HMM.

HOW IT WORKED.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS? COMMISSIONER SCHWARZ? YEAH, IT JUST BRINGS UP A QUESTION FOR ME.

SO, IS THERE AN ANALYSIS OF IF AT AT 15 YEARS, IS IT, IS IT AN ASSET OR LIABILITY AT THAT POINT? IF IT'S FLIPPING TO THE HOMEOWNER, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, UH, THE COST TO REMOVE IT IS 10 GRAND, WHAT IS YEAH, SO THE HOMEOWNER, I MEAN, I'M, IN MY OPINION IT WOULD BE AN ASSET STILL BECAUSE IT STILL HAS USEFUL LIFE ON IT.

UM, THESE SYSTEMS ARE GONNA BE MAINTAINED UP UNTIL THAT DATE BY A THIRD PARTY.

UM, THE HOMEOWNER, THE HOMEOWNER WILL HAVE A CHOICE TO ACCEPT THAT SYSTEM OR REQUEST THAT IT BE REMOVED.

GOTCHA.

AND THEN IF IT'S REMOVED, THEN YOU KNOW, WE WOULD RETURN THE ROOF BACK TO ITS, UM, YOU KNOW, PRES SOLAR CONDITION.

ALRIGHT.

MR. HARVEY, WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION ABOUT THE, THE PROPORTION OR BALANCE OF THE SOLAR KILOWATTS INSTALLED BEING ON? UM, ALL OF 'EM HAVE TO GO TO, TO, TO LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND, AND DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND LOW INCOME HOMEOWNERS.

, IS ANY OF THIS GOING ON MULTIFAMILY HOUSING? WHAT IS, YES.

DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THE BALANCE BETWEEN MM-HMM.

, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY MULTIFAMILY HOUSING VERSUS INDIVIDUAL HOMES? PLEASE? OUR PLAN IS TO DO 2,500 RESIDENTIAL HOMES AND 25 MULTIFAMILY SLASH RESILIENCE CENTERS.

SO, JUST TO BE CLEAR, BEFORE THE HOMEOWNER MR. CHAIRMAN GETS LOOKS AT 20 YEARS OR SO, AND, AND WHETHER THEIR SYSTEM IS STARTING TO LOSE A STEP AND NOT GENERATE AS MUCH, OR WHEN STUFF STARTS TO BREAK OUTSIDE THAT INITIAL 15 YEAR PERIOD, THE FACILITIES, HOMES AND, AND FACILITIES THAT HAVE THESE ON THEIR ROOFS ARE GETTING 15 PLUS YEARS OF SAVINGS IN TERMS OF BILL REDUCTIONS.

BEFORE ANYTHING GOES WRONG, WE HOPE WITH THE SOLAR THAT COULD ULTIMATELY BECOME THE HOMEOWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY OR THE FACILITY OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY.

THEY WOULD ALSO GET ACCESS TO THE BATTERY FOR RESILIENCY DURING THAT TIME.

I, I DID HAVE ONE FOLLOW UP, AND THEN I SEE TWO HANDS THAT POPPED UP IN THE MEANTIME.

PLUS, APPARENTLY COMMISSIONER FARMER, YOUR THIRD COMMISSIONER FARMER, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE.

UH, QUESTION FOR YOU IS, UM, WHAT HAPPENS IF A HOME IS SOLD DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME? IF THE HOME IS SOLD, THEN THE NEW OWNER WOULD, UM, BECOME THE HOST.

AND IT, IT'S, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THAT NEW OWNER IS NOT INCOME QUALIFIED OR WHATEVER THE CRITERIA IS UNDER THE PLAN AT THAT POINT, NO.

AND, YOU KNOW, COULD, UM, POTENTIALLY DISQUALIFY, UM, ANY CUSTOMERS THAT MAY BE AFFLUENT, BUT LIVING IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.

BUT, BUT THESE WILL BE IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND WE'LL BE TARGETING LOW INCOME THE WHOLE WAY THAT I UNDERSTAND.

I JUST ALSO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S DISADVANTAGED TODAY MAY NOT BE DISADVANTAGED IN 10 YEARS.

SO THAT'S WHY I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.

UH, ALSO, I, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, WHILE THE, THE SYSTEM WOULD REMAIN ON THE HOUSE AND THEN OWNERSHIP WOULD FLIP TO THE NEW OWNER, IF THE NEW OWNER IS NOT INCOME QUALIFIED, THEY WOULD NOT RECEIVE THE 20% BILL DISCOUNTS THAT SOLAR ENERGY WOULD GO TO PROVIDE A 20% BILL DISCOUNT FOR A LOW INCOME CUSTOMER.

GOOD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT.

I HAVE LUKEY DAVIS AND THEN FARMER IN THAT ORDER.

SO GO AHEAD.

COMMISSIONER LUKI, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THIS BATTERY YOU JUST SPOKE OF.

IS THERE A BATTERY GONNA BE PUT ON THESE HOUSES? THAT'S RIGHT.

SOLAR AND, AND BATTERIES.

AND THE BATTERIES WILL BE OPERATED AS A VIRTUAL POWER PLANT BY THE UTILITY FOR THE FIRST 15 YEARS.

COMMISSIONER DAVIS, UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE LOW INCOME QUALIFICATION, IS THERE, WHAT, WHAT IS THE RIGOR AROUND LIKE OWNER OCCUPANCY? ARE THESE LOW INCOME HOME OWNERS? ARE THEY HOMES WITHIN AN AREA THAT'S CONSIDERED TO BE DISADVANTAGED? OR WHAT, HOW IS THAT GONNA BE DETERMINED? EXACTLY.

SO WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY.

UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY TO GET THE FEEDBACK ON THAT TO TRY TO REFINE OUR APPROACH.

BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT AT MINIMUM THEY'LL BE IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES OR, UM, HAVE A LOW INCOME HOME HOMEOWNER TO START WITH.

AND, AND WE ARE, ARE, IDEALLY WE'RE TARGETING ALL LOW INCOME

[00:15:02]

SO IN THE CASE OF SAY A QUOTE UNQUOTE DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY WHERE YOU HAVE RENTERS, UM, THAT MAY BE LOW INCOME RENTERS OF A HOME IN THAT AREA THAT QUALIFIES UNDER WHATEVER CRITERIA IT GETS ESTABLISHED.

BUT THE OWNER IS, YOU KNOW, AN OWNER OF MANY MM-HMM.

RENTAL PROPERTIES, FOR EXAMPLE.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FARMER.

, UM, IS THAT, IS THE INTENTION TO, TO CITE THOSE IN, IN A IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT AND GIVE THE RESIDENTS THE RENTERS, UM, THE BILL CREDITS AND THE OWNER GETS THE BENEFIT OF THE, UM, THE 15 YEARS OF THE, OF THE SOLAR SITING? YEAH.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THOSE COMPLICATED SCENARIOS, UM, THAT WE HOPE TO GET MORE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT, YOU KNOW, OUR POLICY WILL BE.

UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE WE DO IS SPEND ALL THIS MONEY, UM, AND, AND INSTALL THESE SYSTEMS. UM, I THINK THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR MORE MONEY IF WE CAN DO THAT IN AN EXPEDITIOUS AND JUDICIOUS FASHION.

UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A MATTER OF, UM, YOU KNOW, FINDING THOSE, THE RIGHT LOCATIONS TO INSTALL THIS STUFF AND THEN GETTING IT INSTALLED.

UM, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANT TO DO THAT VERY CAREFULLY.

AND THEN I HAVE COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN ON DECK.

THANKS.

UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE VIRTUAL POWER PLANT AND GET A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT'S DONE.

HOW MUCH THEY DISCHARGING WHEN THEY'RE NOT DISCHARGING, WHEN THEY'RE USED FOR RESILIENCY, ET CETERA.

I, I DIDN'T HEAR THE LAST PART OF THAT.

I JUST ASKED FOR LIKE, UH, DO THE BATTERIES, DO THE BATTERIES LIKE DISCHARGE DAILY FROM 80 TO 20, UNLESS THERE'S LIKE A WEATHER EVENT COMING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

LIKE HOW DO YOU, HOW DOES THAT ALL GET CONTROLLED? YEAH.

SO, OR IS IT PART OF LIKE A BIGGER SYSTEM OR SOMETHING THAT EXISTS ALREADY? MM-HMM.

, GREAT QUESTION.

THERE'S A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS THERE.

AND AGAIN, SOME OF THAT WILL BE INFORMED BY THE COMMUNITY.

BUT YES, WE INTEND TO OPERATE THOSE BATTERIES PROBABLY PRETTY CLOSE ON A DAILY BASIS TO, UM, AS A VIRTUAL POWER PLANT, UM, WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS AT LEAST SOME AMOUNT OF THE BATTERY, UM, LEFT FOR RESILIENCY PURPOSES, UM, AT ANY TIME.

AND THEN, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR POLICIES THAT WOULD SAY, OKAY, WE'RE AT THE EDGE OF AN EVENT, LET'S CHARGE THESE BATTERIES, OR, UM, LET'S AT LEAST NOT DISCHARGE THEM.

UM, SO WE, BUT WE'VE YET TO CREATE ALL OF THOSE POLICIES, AND AGAIN, WE WANNA WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO FINE TUNE THAT.

THANKS.

UM, CAN I ASK A QUICK FOLLOW UP? UM, IS, ARE YOU GUYS, IS THIS LIKE A PILOT PROGRAM OR ARE Y'ALL THINKING ABOUT LIKE, IF THIS IS SUCCESSFUL, THEN AUSTIN ENERGY WOULD BE EXPANDING THIS USING, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER FUNDING SOURCES? OR IS THIS KIND OF LIKE A DISTINCT THING THAT IS WHAT IT IS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS GONNA DEPEND ON THE ECONOMICS, BUT, UM, THIS IS CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE 31 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS, UM, CERTAINLY PROVIDES US ENOUGH CUSHION TO EXPLORE THIS.

UM, BUT I'M, I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN REPLICABLE, UM, AND SCALABLE PROGRAMS. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'RE EXPLORING.

AND IF IT IS REPLICABLE AND SCALABLE, THEN UM, WE'LL ENDEAVOR TO DO SO.

GREAT.

COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN.

FOR THE RECIPIENTS? THAT'S CORRECT.

UM, WILL, WILL YOU BE LINING UP, UM, LOW INCOME, LIKE GREEN BANK FUNDING, UH, ACCESS FOR THE LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS WHO WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM? THE CUSTOMER DOESN'T HAVE ANY OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS FOR THIS, SO, UM, NO.

DO, DO YOU NEED TO BE DOING, IS IT YOUR EXPECTATION THAT YOU'LL NEED TO BE DOING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WEATHERIZATION AND INSULATION TO MAKE SOME OF THESE HOMES, UM, OF SUFFICIENT QUALITY TO TAKE SOLAR AND BATTERY ON THEM? SO, SO WHILE WE'RE THERE, UM, WE WILL, UM, BE CROSS-PROMOTING OUR FREE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.

AND SO, SO YOUR PLAN IS IN FACT TO STACK SERVICES

[00:20:01]

UM, JUST AS AN ASIDE, THE TECH TERI, WHICH USED TO BE THE TEXAS ENERGY POVERTY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, HAS A GEOLOCATION TOOL THAT THEY, THAT SEVERAL OF THE INVESTOR ON UTILITIES HAVE BEEN USING TO IDENTIFY AND QUALIFY LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS.

AND THAT MIGHT BE VERY BENEFICIAL FOR YOU ALL IN TERMS OF A SIGNIFICANT TIME AND COST SAVING TO USE HERE IN AUSTIN FOR THAT PURPOSE.

'CAUSE 'CAUSE THEY'RE GETTING MASSIVE COST REDUCTIONS IN TERMS OF, UM, CUSTOMER LOW INCOME, CUSTOMER IDENTIFICATION AND TARGETING AND NOT HAVING TO, TO GET IN THE CUSTOMER'S FACE FOR INCOME QUALIFICATION.

, WHICH I UNDERSTAND TO BE A ROYAL PAIN IN THE, REDUCES THE PROBABILITY OF MAKING THE SALE, SHALL WE SAY.

UM, THE LAST THING I JUST WANTED TO DO IS PILE ON WITH COMMISSIONER FARMER ON THE TOPIC OF VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS AND SAY, ONCE YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS FOR WITH LOW INCOME, HOW ABOUT GETTING THE VPP FOR THE REST OF US PLEASE? EX EXCEPT ONE THAT ACTUALLY REWARDS US FOR SAVING YOU MONEY BY USING OUR BATTERIES.

WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON THAT AS WELL.

UM, I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION, AND THEN I SEE YOU VICE CHAIR, I'LL GET TO YOU IN A MINUTE.

UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS WE STILL HAVE TO CREATE ESSENTIALLY CRITERIA FOR WHO WOULD QUALIFY FOR THIS, UH, IDENTIFY VENDORS AND, AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING ON THIS, THIS, UH, UH, RESOLUTION TONIGHT IS ESSENTIALLY JUST APPROVING AUSTIN TO RECEIVE THE MONEY AND SET IT ASIDE FOR THIS THING THAT WILL PROBABLY STILL BE A YEAR AT LEAST OR SO OUT BEFORE WE ACTUALLY START GOING OUT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND SIGNING UP PEOPLE.

IS THAT A FAIR ASSESSMENT? TO SOME EXTENT? UM, SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH COMMUNITY BENEFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP US WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

WE'RE GOING TO BE KICKING OFF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UM, TO HELP TO PROVIDE THE WORKFORCE FOR THIS EFFORT.

UM, AND WE'LL, WE'LL ALSO BE, UM, LAUNCHING, OR WE'RE GONNA HAVE THREE NEW FTES THROUGH THIS, THROUGH THE GRANT FUNDING.

UM, SO WE'LL NEED TO GET THEM ON BOARD SO THAT THEY CAN HELP US WITH THIS EFFORT.

SO ALL OF THOSE THREE THINGS WILL HAPPEN RIGHT, RIGHT AWAY, UH, OR AS FAST AS WE CAN DO IT.

I GUESS MY QUESTION ULTIMATELY IS, IS WILL YOU BE COMING BACK TO THE COMMISSION TO PRESENT TO US, THIS IS WHAT OUR CRITERIA ARE FOR EVALUATING THIS? OR IS IT GOING TO BE SOMETHING WHERE WHEN WE APPROVE THIS, WE'RE SENDING A WISH OFF INTO THE UNIVERSE THAT THIS WAS ALL GONNA WORK OUT? NOW WE'LL HAVE PERIODIC UPDATES.

UM, I, YOU KNOW, AND, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE, WELL, I'M NOT SURE.

I'LL HAVE TO FIND OUT IF, UM, WE NEED COUNCIL AUTHORITY WHEN WE SPEND OVER THE COUNCIL LIMIT ON MONEY THAT COMES FROM A GRANT.

I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT, BUT, UM, THAT'S, UH, PROBABILITY.

I MEAN, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY MY CONCERN WOULD JUST BE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE THIS THING IS APPROVED OR WE'D LIKE THE LAST STOP BEFORE AUSTIN ENERGY GOES OFF INTO A QUIET CONFERENCE ROOM SOMEWHERE IN THIS BUILDING AND DECIDES WHAT THESE PEOPLE'S FUTURE MIGHT LOOK LIKE, AND NOBODY EVER HAS ANY INPUT, AGAIN, WHETHER IT'S THIS COMMISSION OR SOMEBODY THAT'S INVOLVED IN FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES OR SOMEBODY THAT'S INVOLVED IN TRYING TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT HYPOTHETICALLY THERE'S ONE MORE SET OF EYES IN THIS PROCESS ALONG THE WAY.

BE THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING FOR HERE.

THE, THE LAST THING WE WANNA DO IS CREATE THIS IN A, IN A VACUUM.

WE WANT TO HAVE COMMUNITY INPUT AND INPUT FROM ALL SIDES, UH, ESPECIALLY THE PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE IN THESE FIELDS.

AND THAT CAN HELP US WITH OUR EFFORTS TO TARGET THE BENEFITS TO LOW INCOME AND MAXIMIZE THEM TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.

MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY, THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE FUNDS HAVE AGGRESSIVE, EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ONGOING.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS FOR BOTH THE DESIGN OF THE PROGRAM AND ITS ONGOING DELIVERY.

SO, SO EVEN IF THEY DON'T COME BACK TO US, THEY'RE GONNA BE ANSWERING TO THE PUBLIC AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.

SOUNDS GOOD.

VICE CHAIR, ROBBINS, DO YOU HAVE ANY FEEL FOR HOW MANY MEGAWATTS THIS IS GOING TO SAVE? MM-HMM.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE PLANNING, UH, TO INSTALL 20 MEGAWATTS OF SOLAR, 35 MEGAWATTS OF BATTERIES, WHICH WOULD BE ROUGHLY 40 MEGAWATT HOURS OF BATTERIES.

THANK

[00:25:01]

YOU.

IF IT HAS, IF IT HAS, HMM.

I'M SORRY, I, I ARRIVED LATE.

WOULD IT BE OUT OF TURN FOR ME TO MOVE APPROVAL? NO, I WAS ABOUT TO ASK IF THERE WAS ANY FURTHER COMMENT, ALTHOUGH I SEE COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN RAISING A HAND, SO I'M GONNA LET HER SLIDE IN IN FRONT OF YOU THERE, PAUL? NO, I, I, I WAS GONNA ASK IF I COULD MOVE APPROVAL ON THIS BECAUSE I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH THE TEAM THAT PUT THIS APPLICATION TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF THE STATE.

SO IT'D MAKE ME VERY HAPPY.

SURE.

GO TO HELP AUSTIN GET THIS CASH LOCKED IN .

SO I MOVE ADOPTION.

COMMISSIONER FARMER? YES.

SECOND MOTION IS MADE BY COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN TO APPROVE ITEM THREE ON OUR AGENDA AND SECONDED BY THE VICE CHAIR ROBBINS.

SO WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL.

VOTE YOU'RE REMOTE.

PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERAS.

UH, VICE CHAIR ROBBINS? YES.

UH, COMMISSIONER DAVIS? YES.

COMMISSIONER GARY? YES.

COMMISSIONER LUKI? YES.

COMMISSIONER TI? YES.

COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ? YES.

COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN? YES, PLEASE.

AND STONE WILL VOTE YES AS WELL.

SO THAT IS A UNANIMOUS VOTE.

WHAT WAS THAT? NINE ZERO.

DID I COUNT IT RIGHT? BEAUTIFUL.

LOVE IT WHEN I GOT A NUMBER.

RIGHT.

MOVING ON OUR AGENDA

[4. Discuss and recommend approval of the 2025 Resource Management Commission Meeting Schedule.]

TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, DISCUSS AND RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION SCHEDULE FOR 2025.

UM, I DON'T, I'M ASSUMING YOU HAVE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT.

IT'S BASICALLY FOLLOWING OUR SAME THIRD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH SCHEDULE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MARCH BECAUSE OF SPRING BREAK.

AND IS THAT THE, THAT'S THE ONLY CHANGE, CORRECT.

SO IF YOU LIKE IT AND YOU WANT TO PUT A RING ON IT, I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

SO MOVED.

I HAVE MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN TO APPROVE THE SCHEDULE.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DAVIS.

WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL.

VOTE VICE CHAIR ROBBINS? YES.

COMMISSIONER DAVIS? YES.

COMMISSIONER FARMER? YES.

COMMISSIONER GARY? YES.

NEED THE CAMERA ON PLEASE? UH, GIMME ONE SEC, PLEASE.

COMMISSIONER LUKI? YES.

COMMISSIONER STI? YES.

COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ? YES.

COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN? YES.

THE CHAIR VOTES? YES.

9 0 0.

UH, MR. CHAIR? UH, YES.

I WAS, UH, DELAYED IN GETTING HERE.

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT I COULD REGISTER MY VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE STANDARD OFFER? UH, WE ALREADY PASSED IT, SO I I I, IT, IT WOULD JUST ADD A TINY BIT OF MOMENTUM.

THAT'S ALL IT IS NOTED BY VIRTUE OF YOU SAYING IT ON TV FOR ALL THE THREES OF VIEWERS WHO MIGHT WATCH US, BUT I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THAT ROLL CALL AGAIN.

SO, BUT IT MAKES THE COUNT 7 0 1 INSTEAD OF 6 0 1, CORRECT? YEAH, EITHER WAY, IT'S STILL PASSED.

UM, SO MOVING ON OR MOVING ON IN OUR AGENDA.

AND I'LL REMIND YOU ALL BY THE WAY, THAT THERE IS A COMMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE GOING OVERHEAD AT ABOUT SEVEN 30 TONIGHT.

UM, GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS.

THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE 'CAUSE I MISSED IT YESTERDAY.

SO IT'S A ONCE AN 80,000 YEAR COMMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE MISSING IF WE DRAG THIS OFF.

THAT HAVEN'T

[5. Staff briefing on the proposed revisions to Austin’s Water Conservation Plan and Drought Contingency Plan by Kevin Kluge, Water Conservation Division Manager, Austin Water.]

BEEN SAID.

STAFF BRIEFING.

ITEM NUMBER FIVE, STAFF BRIEFING ON THE PROPOSED REVISION TO AUSTIN'S WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.

AND WE HAVE, UH, KEVIN KLUGE, KLUG.

AM I PRONOUNCING THAT CORRECTLY? KLUGE? YES.

KLUGE.

I HAD IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

WHAT TIME DO YOU WANNA BE WALKED IN OUT THE DOOR? .

I JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO STAND IN THE WINDOW AND LOOK OUT.

THERE'S NOTHING ELSE.

I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA RUSH WHAT'S IMPORTANT BUSINESS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT.

VERY GOOD.

MY NAME IS KEVIN KLUGE.

I'M THE WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION MANAGER FOR AUSTIN WATER.

AND THIS IS A RELATIVELY SHORT BRIEFING, UH, REGARDING THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.

UH, AS YOU MAY RECALL, LAST SPRING WE CAME TO YOU FOR, UH, YOUR RECOMMENDATION OF THE CONSERVATION PLAN AND THE DROUGHT PLAN.

UM, UH, YOU APPROVED THAT, YOU RECOMMENDED THAT.

AND THEN WE WENT TO AUSTIN WATER, UH, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.

I'M SORRY.

AND THEY APPROVED IT, BUT WHEN THEY ADOPTED IT, WE COMMITTED AS AUSTIN WATER.

WE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH OUR WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE OVER THE SUMMER, REVIEWING THE PLANS AND THEN GOING BACK TO THE COUNCIL

[00:30:01]

IN NOVEMBER.

SO IF THIS ALL SEEMS LIKE DEJA VU, IT IS, UH, WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, UH, IN NOVEMBER, UH, FOR A ADOPTION OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.

WE WILL BE BACK HERE NEXT MONTH ON NOVEMBER 19TH TO PRESENT THOSE PLANS TO YOU.

BUT BECAUSE THAT NOVEMBER 19TH IS ONLY TWO DAYS BEFORE WHEN WE'RE HITTING COUNCIL, WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BIT OF A PREVIEW OF WHAT'S WILL BE COMING UP AT YOUR NEXT MEETING.

SO YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, SECTIONS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO YOU AS I DESCRIBE 'EM TONIGHT.

SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE.

UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT BEEN WITH US, THAT WERE NOT WITH US IN THE SPRING, UM, WATER CONSERVATION AND THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN ARE TWO PLANS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.

AND THEY'RE REQUIRED TO BE UPDATED EVERY FIVE YEARS.

AND FOR THIS, THEY WERE DUE TO BE UPDATED AT THE BEGINNING OF MAY, OF, OF EARLY EARLIER MAY, EXCUSE ME, WATER CONSERVATION PLAN ON THE LEFT THERE.

ESSENTIALLY THAT'S OUR PLAN DAY IN, DAY OUT.

HOW ARE WE GONNA SAVE WATER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN? UH, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT THROUGH INCENTIVES.

WE'RE GONNA DO THAT THROUGH WE WATERING ENFORCEMENT, WATER LOSS, REDUCTION, AND REUSE ACTIVITIES.

SO IT REALLY DESCRIBES ALL THAT WE'RE DOING, ALL THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING.

AND ONE THING THAT IS REQUIRED IN THAT WATER CONSERVATION PLAN ARE GOALS, FIVE AND 10 YEAR GOALS FOR TOTAL PER PERSON WATER USE OR GALLONS PER CAPITA DAILY, OR GPCD, TOTAL GPCD, RESIDENTIAL GPCD.

AND THEN TWO METRICS FOR FOR WATER LOSS.

THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT THERE DESCRIBED THAT'S REALLY FOCUSES ON DROUGHT CONDITIONS WHEN WE ARE IN DIFFERENT DROUGHT STAGES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, DROUGHT STAGES ARE REALLY DEPENDENT UPON THE COMBINED STORAGE OF LAKE BUCHANAN AND LAKE TRAVIS.

AND AS THOSE, AS THE STORAGE IN THOSE TWO LAKES DROP, WE ENTER INTO HIGHER LEVELS OF DROUGHT STAGE.

WE ARE CURRENTLY IN DROUGHT STAGE TWO.

THE DROUGHT PLAN ALSO DISCUSSES THE TRIGGERS TO ENTER THOSE DROUGHT STAGES AND THE DIFFERENT ACTIONS THAT WILL BE UNDERTAKEN IN THOSE DIFFERENT DROUGHT STAGES.

OUR DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN HAS TO BE, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THE DROUGHT PLAN OF THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY 'CAUSE THEY ARE OUR WHOLESALER.

UM, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR DROUGHT PLAN JIVES WITH THEIR DROUGHT PLAN.

SO THAT'S JUST A BRIEF BACKGROUND ON THE TWO DIFFERENT PLANS.

AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, AND AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE TOOK THE CONSERVATION PLAN AND DROUGHT PLAN, UH, TO YOU AND TO THE COUNCIL IN THE SPRING.

UM, THE COUNCIL DID ADOPT THAT TO MEET A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT STATE REQUIREMENTS.

THEY ADOPTED THAT ON MAY 2ND.

BUT WE DID MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO LOOK AGAIN AT THESE PLANS, WORK WITH THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE, AND THEN BRING IT BACK IN NOVEMBER.

PERSON WATER USE GO UP OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS INSTEAD OF GOING DOWN? 'CAUSE 'CAUSE ON THAT TOP LINE THERE, YOU SEE THE GOALS FROM THE LAST PLAN, THE 2019 PLAN.

NOW, THESE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES ARE GONNA GIVE YOU A BIT OF A SUMMARY OF WHERE WE WERE AFTER THAT MAY 2ND ADOPTION TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.

HOW DID THE CHANGE THE PLAN CHANGE OVER THIS SUMMER? UM, AS I MENTIONED, THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN HAS GOALS, UH, FIVE AND 10 YEAR GOALS, UH, FOR TOTAL GPCD AND A FEW OTHERS.

UH, BUT TOTAL GPC IS THE ONE THAT MOST PEOPLE FOCUS ON.

ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THERE, YOU SEE TWO TABLES, ONE FOR THE 2019 WATER FORWARD PLAN, OR I'M SORRY, WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.

AND ONE FOR THE PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED.

JUST LAST MAY YOU SEE THAT THE BASELINE GCDS, THAT'S THE SECOND COLUMN IN BOTH OF THOSE ACTUALLY WENT UP.

SO IN THE 2019 PLAN, THE BASELINE PER PERSON WATER USE WAS 126 GALLONS PER DAY.

AND IN THIS LAST PLAN, IT WENT UP ONE GALLON 127.

SO THE QUESTION REALLY CAME UP AS WE WERE TAKING THESE PLANS THROUGH COUNCIL COMMISSIONS AND THEN TO COUNCIL, WHAT HAPPENED? WHY DID OUR PER

[00:35:01]

AND THE GOAL WAS FOR, IN 2024, WE WOULD HAVE A PER PERSON WATER USE OF ONE 19.

AND IN A SENSE, WE ENDED UP WITH BASELINE, WHICH IS AN AVERAGE OF 1 27.

HENCE THE QUESTION FROM A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS.

WHY DID WE NOT MEET THOSE GOALS FROM THE 2019 PLAN? AND THERE WAS ADDITIONAL CONCERN THAT IN OUR LAST PLAN, THE GOALS WERE NOT AS AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH AS IN THE 2019 PLAN.

WE SET THOSE GOALS IN THAT MAY, MAY 2ND PLAN ON ACTIVITIES THAT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT THERE, CONTINUE EXISTING WATER, USE WATER REUSE AND WATER LOSS ACTIVITIES, IMPLEMENT LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION, ENHANCE COMMERCIAL INCENTIVES, AND EXPAND THE USE OF OF MY A TX WATER.

SO THESE WERE QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP AFTER THAT MAY 2ND ADOPTION OF THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.

THAT COMMERCIAL, UH, WATER USE WENT BACK UP AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, PEOPLE WERE GOING BACK TO THE OFFICE, PEOPLE WERE GOING TO THE STORES AND WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT WE DID NOT SEE ANY DECLINE IN THAT RESIDENTIAL WATER USE.

ARE YOU GONNA ANSWER THE QUESTION WHY, WHY WE DID NOT GET TO ONE 19? YEAH.

WHY, WHY DID THE NUMBERS GO UP? GOOD QUESTION THAT.

UM, AND WE'RE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

THE NEXT SLIDE ACTUALLY ANSWERS THAT, THAT, THAT WAS A QUESTION.

UM, IN THE 2019 WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, WE HAD A, A BASELINE OF 1 26 AND WE HAD A GOAL IN 2024 OF ONE 19.

AND THEN WE ENDED UP LAST YEAR, AND WE WERE LOOKING AT THE HISTORICAL DATA AND MADE AN AVERAGE AND WE GOT TO THAT 1 27.

AND THE QUESTION WAS, WHY DID, WHY ARE WE NOT AT ONE 19? WHY ARE WE AT 1 27? AND THIS WAS A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED A LOT BY THE WATER FOUR TASK FORCE AND STAFF TOOK A LOOK AT THAT AND CAME UP, UH, WITH FOUR KEY FACTORS ON, ON WHY WE DID NOT MEET THOSE ONE 19 GOALS.

AND I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT ONE 19 GOAL IN THE 2019 WATER CONSERVATION PLAN WAS BASED ON THAT 2018 WATER FORWARD PLAN.

I'M NOT SURE IF YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT, BUT THE WATER FORWARD PLAN IS AUSTIN'S 100 YEAR WATER SUPPLY PLAN.

IT'S A GREAT PLAN.

IT WAS ADOPTED IN 2018 AND THAT PLAN REALLY LED INTO THAT CONSERVATION PLAN.

SO THE FOUR KEY FACTORS ON WHY WE DID NOT MEET THOSE GOALS, UM, WE FOUND THAT FIRST OF ALL, THAT WATER FORWARD PLAN AND THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, THEIR, THEIR GOALS WERE LIKELY BASED ON UNDER PROJECTED DEMANDS.

THE PROJECTED DEMANDS FOR THE WATER FORWARD PLAN WERE BASED ON THE YEARS 20 13, 20 14, AND 20 15, 20 13, AND 2014 WERE ON THE TAIL END OF THAT LAST BIG DROUGHT, AS YOU MAY RECALL.

SO BY 2013 AND 2014, THE PUBLIC WAS VERY AWARE OF, OF DROUGHT AND WE WERE REALLY IMPLEMENTING THE RESTRICTIONS.

2015 WAS ONE OF THE WETTEST YEARS IN TEXAS ON RECORD.

SO WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF RAINFALL, PEOPLE DON'T IRRIGATE.

SO THE WATER USE REALLY WENT DOWN.

SO THE DEMAND PROJECTIONS WERE REALLY UNDER PROJECTING WHAT WE MIGHT SEE IN A NORMAL YEAR.

SECONDLY, WE HAD A NUMBER OF RECENT YEARS OF REALLY HOT AND DRY WEATHER.

WHILE WE NEVER WANNA BLAME, IT WAS JUST ALL THE WEATHER'S FAULT.

YOU MAY RECALL 2022 AND 2023 WERE RECORD HIGH HEAT YEARS.

UM, SO THAT REALLY CONTRIBUTED TO A LOT OF LANDSCAPE WATER USE IN THOSE TWO YEARS.

THE THIRD KEY FACTOR THAT WE FOUND THAT CONTRIBUTED TO, UM, THE WATER LOSS OR THE WATER USE RATHER, WAS POST PANDEMIC CHANGES IN CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR CONTRIBUTED TO INCREASED DEMAND, PARTICULARLY IN THE RESIDENTIAL.

LEMME EXPLAIN THAT FOR A MINUTE.

AS YOU MAY RECALL, IN 2020, UH, 20 20, 20 21 WHERE WE HAD THE PANDEMIC, A LOT OF PEOPLE STARTED WORKING FROM HOME.

THERE WAS A LOT OF LOCKDOWN, THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY.

PEOPLE STAYED AT HOME A LOT MORE IN THAT TIME PERIOD.

RESIDENTIAL WATER USE WENT UP, AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT.

AND COMMERCIAL WATER USE WENT DOWN.

AND THIS HAPPENED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

ALL NEARLY ALL UTILITIES SAW THIS.

HOWEVER, AS WE WERE COMING OUT OF THE LOCKDOWN, UH, THINGS WERE MORE RETURNING TO NORMAL.

[00:40:01]

UM, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY THAT IS.

IT MAY BE THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE STILL WORKING FROM HOME AND USING MORE WATER AT HOME.

AND IT MAY BE THAT DURING THAT PANDEMIC, PEOPLE EXPANDED THEIR LANDSCAPES, THEY WERE AT HOME MORE.

THEY PUT IN POOLS SO THEY CAN ENJOY A POOL IN PRIVACY.

UM, BUT FOR VARIOUS REASONS THAT RESIDENTIAL WATER USE DID NOT COME BACK DOWN.

AND FINALLY, KEY WATER, FORWARD WATER CONSERVATION AND REUSE STRATEGIES FROM THAT 2018 PLAN, THEY DID NOT PRODUCE THE YIELDS THAT WERE PROJECTED.

SO IN THE 2018 PLAN WATER FORWARD PLAN, THERE WERE SIX, SIX STRATEGIES THAT WERE PROJECTED TO BE STARTING IN 2020.

AND, AND GOING FORWARD, OF THOSE SIX STRATEGIES, WATER REUSE WAS CLEARLY THE LARGEST.

IT HAD OVER 40% OF EXPECTED YIELD.

UM, RECLAIMED WATER WAS ABOUT 28%.

SO THOSE TWO STRATEGIES WERE REALLY THE, THE BIG PARTS OF WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING.

UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE STRATEGIES DID NOT PRODUCE THOSE YIELDS.

WE DID NOT SEE THE DECLINE IN WATER LOSS THAT WE WERE PLANNING FOR AND HOPING FOR.

UM, IN FACT, IT PRETTY STAYED PRETTY CONSTANT OR EVEN WENT UP A LITTLE BIT.

AND THE RECLAIMED, WHILE RECLAIMED WATER CONTINUES TO EXPAND, IT WASN'T AN EXPANSION THAT WAS PLANNED FOR IN THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.

SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR FACTORS ON ON WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY INSTEAD OF THAT ONE 19 AS WAS UH, PLANNED FOR.

ALRIGHT, NEXT SLIDE.

SO THAT WAS KIND OF TAKING A LOOK BACK IN THE PAST.

WHY WEREN'T WE WHERE WE WERE HOPING TO BE.

THESE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THESE, THE NEW PLAN THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE IN NOVEMBER HAS, HOW HAS THE PLAN CHANGED FROM MAY 2ND INTO NOVEMBER? OKAY.

WHAT ARE WE DOING DIFFERENTLY ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THE, THERE YOU SEE THE ACTIVITIES CITED IN THE MAY 2ND PLAN.

WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO MORE TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS AND SAVE MORE WATER? CERTAINLY WATER LOSS.

WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE ON WATER LOSS, UH, LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION TRANSFORMATION.

I SPOKE, UH, I THINK A COUPLE TIMES, UM, OVER THIS LAST YEAR ABOUT LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION FOR NEW HOMES.

UM, MOVING THEM TO A LANDSCAPE THAT DOESN'T USE DRINKING WATER, UH, RECLAIMED WATER.

USE THE MY A TX WATER SYSTEM THAT THOSE SMART METERS THAT ARE BEING INSTALLED.

AND THEN COMMERCIAL INCENTIVES AND PUBLIC OUTREACH.

SO THOSE ARE WHAT WE HAD IN THAT LAST PLAN OVER THE SUMMER.

WE'VE WORKED A LOT WITH THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE AND WITHIN THE STAFF TO SEE WHAT MORE COULD BE DONE, UM, OVER THE NEXT FIVE AND 10 YEARS.

SO THAT'S ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THERE.

WATER LOSS, UH, REDUCTION.

FIRST OF ALL, YES, WE HAD IT ON THE OTHER SIDE, BUT UH, OVER A YEAR AGO WE CONTRACTED WITH AN EXTERNAL FIRM THAT SPECIALIZES IN WATER LOSS, BLACK AND VE.

AND THEY'VE BEEN ANALYZING WHAT AUSTIN WATER DOES, UM, AND HAVE RECENTLY COME BACK WITH A REPORT, UM, THAT, THAT LOOKS AT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BLACK VE NOTED WAS THAT AUSTIN WATER IS DOING ALL THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE CHECKING ALL THE BOXES, BUT WHAT THEY CAME BACK WITH WERE OVER 20 RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO DO THOSE THINGS MORE EFFECTIVELY AND MAYBE FOCUS DIFFERENT AREAS SO THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS BEING INCORPORATED IN THIS NEW PLAN.

UH, SECOND ONE, RESTRICT DRIP IRRIGATION ALSO.

AND SINCE 2016 HAS HAD A RESTRICTION ON AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION TO ONE DAY A WEEK, ANYTIME DROUGHT, NON DROUGHT TIME, ANY WINTER OR SUMMER.

IT'S ALWAYS ONE DAY A WEEK FOR AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION.

BUT THERE HAS BEEN ZERO RESTRICTIONS ON DRIP IRRIGATION.

SO DRIP COULD BE USED ANYTIME, ANY DAY FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT.

NOW, WHILE AUSTIN WATER RECOGNIZES THAT DRIP IRRIGATION CAN BE A VERY EFFICIENT WAY TO PROVIDE WATER TO PLANTS, WE ARE ALSO INCREASINGLY RECOGNIZING THAT IF DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEMS

[00:45:01]

ARE INSTALLED POORLY, POORLY MAINTAINED, OR IF THEY'RE JUST BEING USED EXTENSIVELY, THEY CAN USE ALMOST AS MUCH WATER AS A SPRAY IRRIGATION SYSTEM.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING, AND THIS WILL BE IN THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, UM, IS TO RESTRICT DRIP IRRIGATION.

WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS THAT IN, UM, CONSERVATION OR NON DROUGHT STAGE, STAGE ONE DROUGHT, STAGE TWO DROUGHT DRIP IRRIGATION WILL BE RESTRICTED TO TWO DAYS OF WORK, TWO DAYS OF WEEK.

UM, BUT IN STAGE THREE AND STAGE FOUR IT WILL GO DOWN TO ONE DAY A WEEK, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT HOSE END IRRIGATION AND AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION.

SO RESTRICT DRIP IRRIGATION, GO PURPLE REQUIREMENTS.

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF THIS BACK IN MARCH.

THERE WAS A BIG, UH, PROGRAM THAT WAS ADOPTED BY, UH, APPROVED RATHER BY THE COUNCIL THAT REALLY, UM, PUT ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS ON HOOKING UP TO RECLAIM SYSTEMS FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT AND ONSITE WATER REUSE.

SO WE EXPECT A LOT OF PUSH, UM, OR A LOT MORE RESULTS FROM RECLAIMED AND REUSE THROUGH THIS GO PURPLE PROGRAM.

MY ETX WATER, AS I MENTIONED, THAT SHOULD BE DONE THIS YEAR.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE PRETTY MUCH FULL DEPLOYMENT OF THE SMART METERS THIS YEAR, UM, BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.

AND SO WE ARE ANTICIPATING BEING ABLE TO, AND ACTUALLY NEEDING TO REALLY LEAN INTO USING THAT SYSTEM MORE REALLY NOT JUST FOCUSING ON RESIDENTIAL USERS, BUT COMMERCIAL USERS HAVE TO BE ENGAGED WITH MYX WATER AS WELL.

AND OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, WE WILL START TO DEVELOP DATA AND PROCESSES TO BE ABLE TO BENCHMARK WATER USES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES, UM, AND OF DIFFERENT RESIDENTIAL USERS, WHICH MAY THEN, UH, LEAD INTO BUDGETING OF, OF WATER USERS.

AND THEN FINALLY INCREASE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND MARKETING BOTH AT KIND OF FROM THE TOP DOWN WITH DIFFERENT MEDIA TYPES, BUT ALSO WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO HAVE FURTHER OUTREACH INTO THE COMMUNITY FROM THE BOTTOMS UP, FROM MORE GRASSROOTS WAYS OF DOING THAT.

SO THOSE ARE THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE ADDED ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THERE TO THIS NEXT PLAN.

SO WHEN YOU SEE THE PLAN, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO POINT SOME OF THOSE.

FOR THE WATER LOSS REDUCTION PLAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE BLACK AND VEATCH REPORT IS IN DRAFT STILL.

UH, THE BLACK AND VEATCH IS FINAL.

OH, OKAY.

SO, AND HAS BEEN, WHAT IS THE CURRENT LEAK AND LOSS PERCENTAGE AND, AND HOW, IF YOU IMPLEMENTED ALL OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT GOING DOWN? I HAVE TO ADMIT, I DON'T REMEMBER THE, THE WATER LOSS THAT THEY'VE, UM, IT'S 16 TO 20% LAST I CHECKED.

RIGHT.

ALRIGHT.

UM, AND THIS BLACK AND VEATCH REALLY LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES AND ESTIMATED HOW MUCH THEY COULD, UM, IMPROVE, IMPROVE, REDUCE, RIGHT? WHETHER THEY'RE LEAKS AND LOSSES, REAL LOSSES, THE WATER FLOWING OUT OF PIPES OR JOINTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

OR THEY, AND THEY ALSO LOOKED AT WHAT'S CALLED APPARENT LOSSES, UM, WHICH IS REALLY KIND OF WATER LOST, LOST THROUGH DATA.

UM, FOR INSTANCE, IF A METER DIDN'T REGISTER CORRECTLY, INNOCENCE LOSING, UM, WATER.

SO THE BLACK AND VEATCH, IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD REPORT.

UM, WE JUST RECENTLY RECEIVED IT AND HAVE, HAVE STARTED TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS REPORT.

WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS GENERALLY IN THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.

YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE EVERYTHING IN THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN JUST 'CAUSE IT'S TOO MUCH TO PUT IN THERE.

UM, BUT WE, UH, HAVE ESTABLISHED NEW CROSS-DIVISIONAL, UM, COMMITTEE, I GUESS IS THE, THE TERM, UM, TO START IMPLEMENTING THOSE AND IMPLEMENTING WILL BE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

UM, UM, BUT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THAT, CAN I ASK YOU TO PLEASE SHARE THE, THE LINK OR THE BLACK AND VEATCH REPORT WITH MS. GOODWIN WHO COULD MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THOSE OF US WHO ARE INTERESTED? MM-HMM.

, YES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IF I COULD ASK ONE QUESTION REAL QUICK BEFORE YOU MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, JUST FOR NAMING CONVENTION PURPOSES, DRIP DRIP IRRIGATION IS WHAT I WOULD CALL SOAKER HOSES.

IS IT THE SAME OR NO? IF NOT, COULD YOU EDUCATE ME A LITTLE BIT, PLEASE? I'D APPRECIATE IT.

NO, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

SO SOAKER HOSES ARE THE, I GUESS, POROUS MORE POROUS HOSES.

, THEY KINDA HAVE SOME TEXTURE TO IT AND WHEN YOU TURN 'EM ON, THEY KIND OF SEEP OUT AMONGST THE WHOLE LINE.

[00:50:01]

UH, DRIP IRRIGATION, UH, IS THE HARDER PLASTIC LINES AND THEY HAVE SPECIFIC EMITTERS, UM, COMING OUT OF THE LINES.

AND AS I SAID, WE'LL BE BACK HERE NEXT MONTH.

UM, AND YOU'LL ACTUALLY HAVE A PLAN, UH, TO SEE, UM, BEFORE I ARRIVE SO WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT ANY OF THESE NEXT.

THERE YOU GO.

ALRIGHT, A FINAL AREA THAT AUSTIN WATER IS REALLY GONNA BE LEANING INTO IN ADDITION TO ALL THE ACTIVITIES I MENTIONED BEFORE, IS THE REPORTING OF THIS, UH, IMPLEMENTATION.

EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION REALLY IS DEPENDENT UPON MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING THINGS DONE AND THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE, AND I'M SURE MANY OTHERS WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OR SO OR SO, BEING ABLE TO SEE ARE THINGS BEING DONE.

SO WE WILL BE DEVELOPING A QUARTERLY REPORT, UM, THAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED NOT JUST TO THE RMC, UM, BUT TO THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION AND THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE.

NOW THE RMC HAS HAD QUARTERLY REPORTS FROM WATER CONSERVATION FOR SOME TIME NOW, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION.

UM, BUT THE REPORT HAS GENERALLY INVOLVED JUST, UH, IN INCENTIVE RATES, APPLICATIONS, UM, WATER ENFORCEMENT RATES, UM, IT'S BEEN SOMEWHAT LIMITED AND BEEN SHOWN IN GRAPHS AND SOMEWHAT OF A POWERPOINT FORMAT.

WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING TO DO IS REALLY KIND OF UPSCALE THAT QUARTERLY REPORT.

SO WE'LL INCLUDE NOT ONLY CONSERVATION INFORMATION ON IMPLEMENTATION, BUT ALSO INFORMATION ON RECLAIMED WATER OR WATER LOSS ACTIVITIES, UH, OR OUTREACH, UM, AND, AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES.

SO NEXT MONTH YOU'LL RECEIVE ONE OF THE OLD QUARTERLY REPORTS, JUST NOT TO GET YOUR HOPES UP.

THE NEXT MONTH'S QUARTERLY REPORT WILL BE THE OLD ONE, BUT AUSTIN WATER STAFF WILL BE MEETING TO DETERMINE WHAT WE CAN PUT IN, HOW CAN WE KEEP IT TO SOMEWHAT OF A MANAGEABLE SIZE, MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE PAGES.

AND, BUT IT STILL PROVIDE ALL THE INFORMATION GOING FORWARD.

AND THEN AN ANNUAL REPORT, WE ARE LOOKING TO DO THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE OTHER MEASURES, UH, SUCH AS WATER LOSS, UM, WATER LOSS PER GPCD, OR, UH, TOTAL GPC, WHAT HAVE YOU.

AND THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE, UH, THAT I HAVE REGARDING GIVING YOU A PREVIEW OF WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE SEEING.

UH, OVER THIS SUMMER WE'VE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT WE CAN DO, UM, DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN REPORT THAT OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND COMMISSIONS.

AND THROUGH THAT WE THINK THAT WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH AMENDING THOSE WATER LOSS GOALS.

AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS OF CONCERN IN THE MAY 2ND PLAN.

UP ON THE TOP THERE YOU SEE THE 2019 PLAN WITH THE 2024, THE FIVE YEAR GOAL OF ONE 19 AND THE 10 YEAR GOAL OF 1 0 6.

IN WHAT WE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL ON MAY 2ND, WE HAD TOTAL PER PERSON WATER USE GOALS IN FIVE YEARS OF 1 23 AND ONE 16.

AND BASED ON THESE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES, WE FEEL THAT THE GOALS COULD BE MOVED DOWN TO 1 21 AND ONE 14.

UH, WE FEEL THAT THESE GOALS ARE BOTH ACHIEVABLE AND ASPIRATIONAL.

UM, THIS IS NOT GONNA BE EASY TO MEET THOSE GPCD GOALS IN FIVE OR 10 YEARS, BUT THEY CAN BE MET, UM, WITH A LOT OF WORK AND SOME IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW AND EXPANDED ACTIVITIES.

SO WE'LL BE AMENDING THOSE WATER USE GOALS.

AND THIS IS JUST THE FINAL SLIDE.

UM, THE LEFT HAND SIDE, JUST AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF ALL THE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE, AS WELL AS PUBLIC WORK GROUPS OVER THE SUMMER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.

THERE YOU SEE UPCOMING, UH, DATES, UH, OCTOBER 15TH, OF COURSE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, UH, WILL BE GOING TO A COUNCIL WORK SESSION LATER THIS MONTH.

WATER FOR TASK FORCE MEETING SEVERAL OF THOSE, UH, LAST ONE BEING

[00:55:01]

NOVEMBER 4TH.

AND THEN WE'LL BE GOING TO WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION ON NOVEMBER 13TH, BACK HERE, RMC, NOVEMBER 19TH, AND TO THE COUNCIL ON THE 21ST.

SO THAT'S WHERE YOU ARE GOING FORWARD.

AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

UM, PAUL, VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, I SAW YOU FIRST.

UM, SIMPLY THE VARIOUS PROGRAM PROPOSALS THAT YOU'VE MADE TO REACH THESE GOALS.

UM, I, I MEAN, MOST OF THE ONES THAT I'VE SEEN ARE, UM, ARE, UH, EFFECTIVE BUT OR HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE EFFECTIVE.

BUT WHEN WILL THEY BE IMPLEMENTED? FOR INSTANCE, UH, YOU ALL HAVE PROPOSED, UH, TO CHANGE THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, WATER CODE FOR NEW, UH, SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS.

GREAT.

WHEN WILL THIS HAPPEN? UH, AND THEN THERE ARE ALL THE OTHER, UM, PROPOSED PROGRAMS. IS THERE A SCHEDULE? UM, YES.

LET ME START WITH, YES.

UM, THE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION, UM, ACTIVITIES YOU MENTIONED, UM, SUCH AS LIMITING THE, UH, AREA OF IRRIGATION OR REQUIRING PRESSURE REDUCTION DEVICES ON NEW IRRIGATION SYSTEMS OR LAUNDRY TO LANDSCAPE.

AS I MENTIONED, UH, GOSH, I GUESS IT WAS IN THE SPRING.

THOSE ARE INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED LOCAL AMENDMENTS, THE UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE.

WE THOUGHT THAT WAS GONNA BE APPROVED BY, UH, COUNCIL THIS SUMMER.

YEAH, THE SUMMER.

UM, FOR VARIOUS REASONS BEYOND OUR ADDITIONS, UM, THAT HAS BEEN PUSHED OFF.

I THINK THEY'RE GONNA CONSIDER IT MAYBE JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, THE PLUMBING CODE IN ALL THE TECHNICAL PLUM CODES AND BROADER.

UM, THE QUESTION IS IMPLEMENTATION AND SCHEDULE.

WE WILL START TO IMPLEMENT THESE NOW THIS YEAR.

UM, BUT SOME THINGS DO TAKE QUITE A WHILE TO GET GOING.

THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY OR THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, WHEN YOU SEE THAT FINAL PLAN FOR EACH OF THOSE ACTIVITIES, THEY LIFT LIST, UH, MILESTONES FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND THEY LIST AT LEAST THE FISCAL YEAR ON WHEN THOSE ARE GONNA BE TAKING PLACE.

COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ.

HI.

YEAH, I WAS JUST WONDERING, UM, OF ALL THE, THE PROGRAMS PROPOSED IN, IN THE MAY PLAN AND THIS PLAN, ARE THERE, UH, REASONABLE WAYS TO TRACK EACH ONE'S INDIVIDUAL SUCCESS VERSUS THE OTHERS? 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING THAT FROM THE PLAN FIVE YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR OVER OVER OR CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR OUTWEIGHED THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAMS IN REDUCING WATER LOSS.

IS THERE A WAY TO TRACK LIKE THE, THE SUCCESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS GOING FORWARD? SOME PROGRAMS ARE EASIER TO TRACK THAN OTHERS.

LET ME START WITH THAT.

FOR INSTANCE, UH, OUR, OUR COMMERCIAL INCENTIVES, WHICH WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH OVER THIS LAST YEAR, SO THAT I THINK WE'VE HAD 20, UM, COMMERCIAL FACILITIES COME IN FOR INCENTIVES TO SAVE WATER.

SO THOSE ARE ONES TO EASY TO CHECK OFF, OKAY, YOU GOT FIVE THIS WEEK, SIX NEXT WEEK, AND SO FORTH.

YOU NEED CHECK THOSE OFF.

SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES WILL BE HARDER TO, TO SEE ON, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN AN ANNUAL BASIS.

WATER LOSS WILL BE A, A CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, OVER 20 ACTIVITIES THAT WE CAN BE WORKING ON, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE NOT GOING TO IMMEDIATELY MAKE A CHANGE IN WATER LOSS.

AND IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE WATER LOSS ON A, YOU KNOW, A MONTHLY, EVEN QUARTERLY, YOU KNOW, SO ONLY ON ANNUAL DO YOU SEE HOW THOSE MAY HAVE AFFECTED THE WATER LOSS LEVELS? SO SOME OF 'EM ARE EASY, SOME OF 'EM ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO, UH, SEE THE RESULTS.

SO IS THERE A PLAN IN PLACE TO SAMPLE, YOU KNOW, OR TRACK THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OVER TIME, WHETHER IT'S ON A MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY, ANNUAL, ANNUAL BASIS? WELL, YOU'LL CERTAINLY SEE IN THOSE QUARTERLY REPORTS, UM, IMPLEMENTATION METRICS, UM, THAT COULD BE MEASURED IN MONTHS OR

[01:00:01]

QUARTERS.

UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF 'EM, AS YOU MIGHT CALL 'EM, LEADING MEASURES, THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GONNA PRODUCE THE RESULTS.

IT'S NOT THE END NUMBER GPCD OR WATER LOSS, BUT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO TRACK IF YOU'RE DOING THESE THINGS THAT SHOULD LEAD TO THIS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WITHIN MY AREA, UM, THE NUMBER OF, OF INCENTIVES OR THE COMPLIANCE RATE FOR THE COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENTS, THESE ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE TRACKED.

SO WE'RE REALLY HOPING TO BE ABLE TO PACKAGE THOSE INTO THAT QUARTERLY REPORT SO THAT THEY CAN BE GENERATED RELATIVELY EASILY FOR STAFF.

UM, BUT THEY'RE USEFUL FOR THE PUBLIC AND COMMISSIONS.

I HAD ONE QUESTION, AND THAT IS, IMAGINE A TIME 35 YEARS FROM NOW, I'M LONG SINCE GONE, WE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO MORE OR LESS TREAD WATER WITH CLIMATE CHANGE.

GIVE ME AN IDEA OF WHAT TOTAL GALLONS PER CAPITA USAGE MIGHT LOOK LIKE THERE IN A, WHAT I'LL CALL A PERFECT WORLD SCENARIO SO THAT I CAN KIND OF SEE A GLIDE PATH TOWARDS WHERE WE'RE ULTIMATELY GOING.

PLEASE.

I WISH I COULD TELL YOU THAT THAT'S MORE IN THE REALM OF THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, UM, AND THAT THAT NUMBER DOES EXIST.

I JUST HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT NUMBER IN, IN 20 20 50 OR SO.

UM, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE CAN PROVIDE.

BUT I, I, I'M JUST NOT SURE WHAT THAT WOULD BE.

MR. CHAIR, I BELIEVE THE AVERAGE ADULT HUMAN CONSUMES ABOUT ONE GALLON A DAY, AND YOU CAN GO UP FROM THERE.

WELL, I MEAN THAT'S, YOU KNOW, INBOUND, BUT I MEAN, THERE'S ALL THE OTHER, WHICH I'M ASSUMING IS FACTORED INTO THIS.

SO IF WE SAY 114 GALLONS PER CAPITA IS THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR 10 YEARS FROM NOW, I GUESS I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT A TARGET NUMBER WOULD BE.

SO IF THAT NUMBER EXISTS, IF YOU'RE JUST ABLE TO HAVE NATASHA SEND IT OUT TO US, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

I JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ULTIMATELY WHERE WE'RE GOING TO DETERMINE THE, THE FEASIBILITY OF A GLIDE PATH.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION? I'M HAPPY.

THANK YOU MUCH.

I'M HAPPY ON YOUR PROGRESS.

AGENDA DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION REGARDING LOW EN LOW INCOME ENERGY PROGRAMS. UH, I BELIEVE THIS IS, UH, VICE CHAIR ROBBINS'S, UH, LEAD ON THIS ONE.

UH, MR. KLU.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.

MOVING ON IN OUR

[6. Discussion regarding the low-income energy programs, including air conditioning replacement.]

UH, YES.

UH, I HAVE A SHORT PRESENTATION ON THIS.

UH, LEMME REMIND YOU THAT HAS TO BE STANDING OUTSIDE.

COMMENT AT SEVEN 30.

IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.

COMMISSION BUSINESS IS MORE IMPORTANT.

IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA, IT'S ONCE IN 80,000 YEARS.

SO , UM, YOU'VE JUST TURNED A STRESSFUL EVENING INTO A PICNIC.

, UH, I COULD ALWAYS TAKE OVER AS CHAIR IF YOU REALLY FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT SEEING THE COMMENT.

I'M GONNA OUR VOTING ITEMS ARE OVER CARRY ON COMMISSIONERS.

UH, MY INTEREST, AND FRANKLY, I WAS PEAKED, UH, AT ONE OF OUR LAST MEETINGS WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT WE WERE, THAT AUSTIN ENERGY WAS GIVING FREE AIR CONDITIONERS, CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONERS TO SOME PEOPLE.

AND SO IF YOU'LL, UH, TURN THE SLIDE, MS. GOODWIN.

UH, HERE IS A PHOTO OF A BEAUTIFUL 4,700 SQUARE FOOT MANSION IN RIVER PLACE, APPRAISED AT $1.9 MILLION.

IT SITS ON ONE ACRE AND INCLUDES A POLE MEDIA ROOM, GOURMET KITCHEN, THREE GAR CAR GARAGE WITH EPOXY FINISH AND RECEIVES OUT OF CITY RATE BREAKS.

SLIDE.

AND HERE IS ANOTHER MANSION OF EQUAL SIZE ON THE WESTLAKE GREENBELT APPRAISED AT $1.7 MILLION.

IT, IT ALSO HAS A HUGE LOT AND INCLUDES A POOL.

AND WHEN I REVIEWED THIS PROPERTY IN 2017, THE OWNER ALSO OWNED, OR CO-OWNED 41 OTHER PROPERTIES IN THE AUSTIN AREA

[01:05:01]

SLIDE.

AND HERE IS AN 8,100 SQUARE FOOT MANSION ON LAKE AUSTIN WITH ITS OWN INDOOR MOVIE THEATER APPRAISED AT $10.8 MILLION.

WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON AT ONE TIME? THEY ALL RECEIVE UTILITY DISCOUNTS FROM AUSTIN'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM MEANT TO HELP THE POOR.

IN FACT, RESEARCH REVEALED HUNDREDS OF EXPENSIVE HOMES IDENTIFIED AS SUSPECT.

NOW, SOME OF YOU MIGHT THINK, UH, THE CITY WOULDN'T SQUANDER OUR HARD EARNED MONEY GIVING BILL ASSISTANCE TO THOSE WHO OBVIOUSLY DON'T NEED IT.

UH, BUT IN FACT, I DOCUMENTED THIS MISTAKE FOR YEARS.

IT WAS COVERED IN THE MEDIA.

I GAVE NUMEROUS PRESENTATIONS BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL AND AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF WITHERING CRITICISM, AUSTIN ENERGY PARTIALLY CHANGED.

ITS FLAWED AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT POLICY AND NOT AS MUCH MONEY IS BEING WASTED ON THINGS LIKE THIS.

BUT THE REASON I BRING THIS UP IS THAT AUSTIN HAS A REALLY BAD HABIT OF THROWING MONEY AT PROBLEMS. I SHARE THE GOALS OF THE MAJORITY OF THIS COMMISSION WHO WANT TO HELP LOW INCOME RATE PAYERS.

BUT WHEN I HEARD AUSTIN ENERGY WAS GIVING AWAY FREE CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONERS, I WONDERED IF WE WERE NOT THROWING MONEY AT PROBLEMS. AGAIN, IN THE PAST, LOW INCOME PROGRAMS SOMETIMES GAVE AWAY FREE WINDOW UNITS IN EXTREME SITUATIONS.

UH, THEN THOSE WOULD BE FOR THE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE.

CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONERS COST ABOUT 14 TIMES MORE AND THEY CAUSE AN INCREASE, NOT A DECREASE IN ELECTRIC BILLS.

NOW HERE'S WHAT MY BRIEF ANALYSIS OF, UH, THIS SITUATION, UH, W UH, WAS.

UH, AND THIS IS BASED MOSTLY ON DATA FROM AUSTIN ENERGY SLIDE.

AN AVERAGE OF SIX FREE CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONERS, WHICH CAN BE CONSIDERED A LUXURY ITEM, HAVE BEEN GIVEN AWAY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.

AND I MESS, I ESTIMATED THESE TO BE THREE TON UNITS SINCE AUSTIN ENERGY DID NOT PROVIDE THAT SIZE.

THE TOTAL EQUIPMENT COST, UH, OVER WINDOW UNITS IS ABOUT $38,000 A YEAR.

MULTIPLY THIS TIMES 10 YEARS, AND WE'RE AT ALMOST $400,000 IN EXCESS EQUIPMENT COST SLIDE.

AND, AND THIS SORT OF LAYS OUT THE CALCULATIONS TO GET TO ALMOST $400,000 A YEAR.

WELL, THAT'S DISTURBING ENOUGH.

UH, AND CENTRAL UNITS ALSO COST MORE TO OPERATE THAN WINDOW UNITS.

ULTIMATELY, RUNNING THESE UNITS WILL COST THE RATE PAYERS AN ESTIMATED $180,000 OVER THE FIRST 10 YEARS OF EQUIPMENT LIFE.

AND THIS IS AT REDUCED CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM RATES SLIDE.

AND ACCORDING TO WHAT WE WERE TOLD, UH, I EXPECT THESE EXCESS COSTS COULD BE HIGHER.

IT BECAUSE IT WAS ORIGINALLY STATED THAT THERE WERE OVER 13 FREE AIR CONDITIONERS GIVEN EACH YEAR.

AND IF IT REACHES THAT LEVEL, UH, IT WILL BE $832,000 IN, UH, EXCESS EQUIPMENT COST AND ALMOST $390,000 IN EXCESS POWER COST TO LOW INCOME RESIDENTS OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD SLIDE.

I ALSO ASK WHY OUR COMMISSIONERS WERE NEVER BRIEFED ON THIS POLICY.

I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THIS AUGUST BODY FOR 30 MONTHS.

I'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT MENTIONED UNTIL THE LAST MONTH.

AND I ALSO ATTENDED A LOT OF, UH, MEETINGS BEFORE I WAS COMMISSIONER AREN'T MEMBERS OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION STAKEHOLDERS.

IT WAS MENTIONED, UH, WHEN I, WHEN I ASKED THIS QUESTION, UH, THE STAFF MEMBER, DEFENDANT THAT I SAID, WELL, WHERE DID THIS IDEA COME FROM? AND HE SAID, STAKEHOLDERS.

AND WHEN I ASKED IN WRITING, WHO WERE THOSE STAKEHOLDERS, THEY COULD NOT TELL ME.

BUT WE ARE STAKEHOLDERS

[01:10:02]

AND I DON'T WISH TO EXAGGERATE OUR SELF-IMPORTANCE TOO MUCH.

BUT, UH, I WOULD LIKE THIS, UH, THINGS LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE TO BE BROUGHT TO US SLIDE.

NOW, I DO REALIZE THAT RECIPIENTS OF THE AIR CONDITIONERS ARE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE.

UH, BUT THERE ARE, THERE MUST BE SOME WAY TO HELP THEM WITHOUT GIVING AWAY LUXURY ITEMS, AND WE CAN SERVE THEM BETTER AND MORE ECONOMICALLY WITH WINDOW UNITS.

NOW, I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT BRINGING THIS RESOLUTION, BRINGING A RESOLUTION CONCERNING THIS FLAWED PROGRAM TO THE COMMISSION.

BUT I THOUGHT TO PRESENT THE PROBLEM TONIGHT FOR DISCUSSION, FOR QUESTIONS, FOR COMMENTS, UH, I HAVE, UH, TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH, UH, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS AND THEY SAID, WELL, IF IT'S NOT TOO MUCH MONEY, IS IT WORTH FUSSING OVER? YEAH.

AFTER ALL THE MANSIONS, ALL THE HIGH-END HOMES THAT HAVE RECEIVED POOR PEOPLE'S MONEY OVER THE YEARS, YEAH.

THIS KIND OF THING HAS GOT TO STOP.

AND WITH THAT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION? COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN? SO THANK YOU.

UM, AND, AND COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR RESEARCH AND YOUR PASSION ON THIS TOPIC.

UM, I'M, I'M THE PERSON WHO SAID, UH, SO IF IT'S ONLY MEDICAL MEDICALLY VULNERABLE CUSTOMERS, AND IT'S ONLY SIX TO 10 A YEAR CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING REPLACEMENT FOR A CRAPPY CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONER THAT LOOK, THAT, THAT COMES WITH IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THE CUSTOMER'S HOME IN ORDER TO MAKE IT SUITABLE FOR A NEW CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONER THAT LOWERS THEIR ENERGY COSTS AND IMPROVES THEIR HEALTH.

UM, I AM FOR ONE, WILLING TO PAY THAT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT IS FEASIBLE FOR A MEDICALLY VULNERABLE CUSTOMER WHO IS A HOMEOWNER TO BE TRAPPED IN HIS OR HER SINGLE ROOM WITH A SINGLE WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER.

YOU'RE NOT DOING THEM ANY FAVORS AND YOU'RE NOT HELPING THE REST OF THE FAMILY THAT VERY LIKELY IS IN THAT HOME.

UM, I SHARE YOUR IRE, PAUL, ABOUT THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS THAT WERE PROBABLY RECEIVING VARIOUS LOW INCOME RATES WHO DID NOT QUALIFY AS LOW INCOME.

I DON'T THINK THAT HAPPENS WITH THIS SPECIFIC PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY'RE ONLY DOING SIX TO 10 A YEAR, AND THEY HAVE TO, IN ALMOST EVERY CASE, UPGRADE THE QUALITY OF THE HOME BEFORE THEY DO IT.

SO IF THERE WERE ANY MANSIONS SLIPPING IN ON THE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE LOW INCOME LIST, I THINK THAT THAT AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF WOULD PROBABLY FIGURE THAT OUT BEFORE THEY'RE SPENDING A TON OF MONEY ON THE PROGRAM.

UM, I DON'T WANT TO, TO THO THOSE WERE THE LIMITS OF MY EXPERTISE ON THAT TOPIC.

I DID ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS OF, OF, UM, MS. PROSSER ABOUT THE, COME ON UP IF I'M SAYING ANYTHING WRONG, JUMP IN.

UM, I DID ASK IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE GONNA BE GIVING PEOPLE FREE EQUIPMENT, SHOULD WE BE GIVING THEM HEAT PUMPS? BECAUSE IF YOU'VE GOT A CRAPPY AIR CONDITIONER, YOU PROBABLY GOT A CRAPPY FURNACE TOO.

AND A HEAT PUMP IS GONNA SAVE US ENERGY AND CAPACITY FOR, YOU KNOW, REPLACE TWO BAD APPLIANCES WITH ONE GOOD APPLIANCE.

AND, UM, MS. PROSSER CAN TELL YOU WHY THEY THINK THAT'S PROBABLY EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE AND WOULD P**S OFF COMMISSIONER ROBBINS EVEN MORE THAN JUST DOING A CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONER.

BUT THAT IS, UM, SPEAKING AS, AS THE PERSON WHO WILL ALWAYS CO-SPONSOR ANYTHING FROM PAUL.

I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW, THIS IS WHERE I, I SHARE HIS CONCERN, BUT I GOT ENOUGH INFORMATION TO FEEL OKAY WITH THIS PROGRAM AND I WANTED YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHY.

SURE.

UM, I BELIEVE YOU ASKED ABOUT WINDOW HEAT PUMP UNITS.

STANDARD PROCEDURE IS IDENTIFY YOURSELF.

OH, I'M SORRY, .

MY NAME IS HOLLY PROSSER.

I'M THE MANAGER FOR RESIDENTIAL, UH, ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES.

UM, WE DID LOOK INTO WINDOW HEAT PUMPS.

UM, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT PROPERLY WOULD HEAT THE HOME.

UM, THE ONES THAT DO CURRENTLY

[01:15:01]

I THINK ARE VERY NEW AND NOT AVAILABLE YET FOR RETAIL.

BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR THOSE PRODUCTS IN THE FUTURE.

WHEN THEY BECOME LESS EXPENSIVE, THEY'RE APPROXIMATELY THREE TO $5,000 TO COOLER HEAT, ONE ROOM FOR A HEAT PUMP UNIT, UH, WINDOW HEAT PUMP UNIT, AND, AND A CENTRAL HEAT PUMP VERSUS A CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONER.

SO TO CONVERT A HOUSE THAT IS CURRENTLY HEATED BY GAS TO A HEAT PUMP REQUIRES PRETTY SIGNIFICANT UPGRADES TO THAT HOUSE.

SO WHEN WE DESIGNED THIS PROGRAM, WE WERE AWARE THAT WE DID NOT WANT A GIANT AIR CONDITIONING GIVEAWAY PROGRAM.

WE HAD A VERY SMALL POPULATION.

THIS WASN'T TOO LONG AFTER WINTER STORM URI.

A LOT OF MEDICALLY VULNERABLE CUSTOMERS WERE HIT PRETTY HARD.

SO WE CRAFTED SOMETHING THAT WAS, UM, LIMITED TO KIND OF THE LEAST EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE.

AND SINCE, UH, WE'RE GOING IN AND WEATHERIZING THOSE HOUSES AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S MAKES SENSE TO KIND OF DO THAT.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE ONLY DO THAT FOR HOMES THAT ARE IN NEED OF A NEW AIR CONDITIONER.

UH, THESE HOMES ARE, UH, DO HAVE TO MEET OUR WEATHERIZATION ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.

SO THINGS LIKE 2,500, UNDERNEATH 2,500 SQUARE FEET, THEY HAVE TO BE UNDER A HOME IMPROVEMENT VALUE CAP.

UM, AND THEY HAVE TO BE 10 YEARS OR OLDER.

UM, SO WITH THAT, IN ALL THE HOMES WE'VE GONE BACK AND LOOKED AT AND HAD DATA AVAILABLE IN CCNB, WE'VE SEEN A MINIMUM DE DECREASE IN THEIR ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION BETWEEN 1200 AND 6,000, UH, KILOWATT HOURS OVER SIX MONTHS.

AND THAT WASN'T YOUR QUESTION.

IT WAS ABOUT HEAT PUMPS.

UM, HEAT PUMPS ARE QUITE EXPENSIVE.

UM, I THINK IT'S, AGAIN, THAT'S A TECHNOLOGY IT'S WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON.

IT COULD BE A VALUABLE WAY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO IDEAS ON HOW TO BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.

COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ, I WAS LOOKING EARLIER THIS YEAR, MIDA MAKES A SIX, $700 WINDOW UNIT A CE PUMP.

NOT, I DON'T KNOW A LOT, BUT YEAH.

ANALYSIS HERE DOING.

WE LOOKED AT THAT ONE.

IT DOESN'T HEAT UNDER 40 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

SO MADEA IS COMING OUT WITH A HEAT PUMP WINDOW UNIT THAT IS A COLD CLIMATE UNIT THAT DOES A GOOD JOB.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY THOSE ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.

RIGHT NOW.

I HAD, I'M, I ASSUME THE COST WILL GO DOWN, BUT YES, THANK YOU.

IT'S NOT A PRIMARY.

WE COMBED THE INTERNET FOR ALL WINDOW HEAT PUMP UNITS WE COULD FIND.

BUT, AND IF, IF ANYONE FINDS ONE THAT MAKES MORE SENSE, WE'D HAPPILY REVIEW IT IN RESPONSE.

VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, UH, IN RESPONSE.

UM, IF, UH, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN IS WORRIED ABOUT, UH, LOW INCOME PEOPLE BEING TRAPPED IN ONE ROOM, WELL, WE COULD GIVE THEM TWO UNITS INSTEAD OF ONE.

IF MS. ER IS, UH, SAYING THAT BETWEEN 1200 AND 6,000 KILOWATT HOURS ARE SAVED OVER A SIX MONTH PERIOD, HOW MANY MORE KILOWATT HOURS WILL BE SAVED BY WINDOW UNITS? UH, REGARDING I AND I, I GUESS THERE IS A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE IN PHILOSOPHY HERE.

UH, OKAY.

WE ARE ALREADY GIVING THESE PEOPLE, IN MOST CASES, FREE WEATHERIZATION, UH, WHICH IS SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS ON AVERAGE.

AND THEN WE, IF YOU GIVE THEM WINDOW UNITS, YOU ARE GIVING THEM EVEN MORE.

AND IF YOU GIVE THEM CENTRAL UNITS, YOU'RE GIVING THEM EVEN MORE.

AND I'M SORT OF THINKING TO MYSELF THAT SOCIETY MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING MEDICALLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE FROM DYING.

AND MAYBE THAT REALLY IS OUR, IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DO AS A CULTURE.

THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GIVING SOMEBODY, UH, YOU KNOW, LUNCH AND A FIVE STAR MEAL.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THIS IS.

AND I'M SORRY, I HAVE BEEN POOR AND,

[01:20:01]

UH, BACK WHEN I WAS POOR, THERE WAS NO CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

AND SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I'M SPEAKING ABOUT HYPOTHETICALLY.

UM, UM, I GIVEN MY OWN LIFE EXPERIENCE, I JUST CANNOT JUSTIFY THIS.

UH, COMMISSIONER TI I SAW YOUR HAND THEN COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN AND THEN COMMISSIONER LUKI IN THAT ORDER.

BY THE WAY, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE AT HOME AND CAN LOOK OUT YOUR WESTERN WINDOW, , THIS IS YOUR MOMENT.

OKAY, .

I JUST WANTED TO, UH, YEAH, PUSH BACK A LITTLE BIT ON LIKE THE, UH, WINDOW, I'M SORRY, THE HEAT PUMP AVAILABILITY THING.

LIKE YOU, I HAVE ONE IN MY HOUSE, LIKE THERE YOU CAN GET SOMETHING THAT WORKS DOWN TO LIKE MINUS 13.

SORRY, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT HOME DEPOT HERE, MINUS 13 F 24,000 BTS $1,500 AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW FROM HOME DEPOT.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IS FEASIBLE.

AND IT'S LIKE, THE NICE THING ABOUT THESE MAY SPLITS IS LIKE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO STICK THEM IN A WINDOW.

LIKE NOT EVERYBODY HAS A WINDOW, BUT THEY KIND OF WORK, YOU KNOW, JUST AS WELL.

AND THE INSTALLATION IS LIKE QUITE EASY AND FAST COMPARED TO CENTRAL AIR.

SO YES, UH, MINI SPLITS ARE, UH, TECHNOLOGY WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT, THEY DO REQUIRE TYPICALLY MORE MAINTENANCE THAN A CENTRAL HVAC UNIT.

UH, WE DID ANALYSIS, IT CAN COST ABOUT $1,200 A YEAR TO MAINTAIN A MINI SPLIT ACCORDING TO SOME OF OUR RESEARCH.

BUT I THINK IT'S ALWAYS WORTH REVISITING, UM, THAT AS A PRODUCT, $1,200 A YEAR WOULD MEAN LIKE REPLACING THE WHOLE ENTIRE UNIT EVERY YEAR.

SO THAT DOESN'T QUITE PASS THE SMELL TEST.

FOR ME, I THINK THIS IS LIKE THE ONLY TYPE OF AIR CONDITIONING USED IN EUROPE.

SO I THINK IF THEY NEEDED, IF THEY NEEDED THEIR ENTIRE COST TO REPLACEMENT EVERY YEAR, IT'S LIKE, WOULD NOT BE FEASIBLE FROM A COST PERSPECTIVE.

SO IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE THAT WASN'T LOOKED THAT HARD ENOUGH.

MAYBE A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR THIS.

YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO, UH, MINI SPLITS.

AGAIN, SOME OF THE RESEARCH WE DID DID IMPLY A $1,200 YEARLY MAINTENANCE COST.

UM, THEY DO HAVE A LOWER LIFESPAN THAN CENTRAL HVAC.

UM, AND THERE IS A CONCERN FOR BIOLOGICAL GROWTH AND WHETHER THESE CUSTOMERS WOULD'VE THE SKILLSET OR THE MEANS TO MAINTAIN THAT TECHNOLOGY, BUT IT'S STILL ALWAYS WORTH RE-LOOKING AT.

SO, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND, I GUESS AMY, THE LINK TO THE, TO THE PRODUCT AND WE'LL TAKE A LOOK.

YEAH, YOU JUST HAVE TO SEARCH LIKE HOME DEPOT FOR MINI SPLIT.

THERE, THERE ARE LIKE DOZENS OF THEM THAT ARE ALL BASICALLY THE SAME, THE SAME THING.

UM, YEAH, I, I DON'T KNOW.

I'M NOT SURE THAT THIS ENTIRE ISSUE LIKE REALLY WARRANTS LIKE A TON OF DISCUSSION.

I I, YEAH, PAUL, I DEFINITELY FEEL YOU ON THE, LIKE, WE SHOULD NOT SPEND, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC MONEY, UM, REASONABLY AND IT SHOULD ALWAYS DO THINGS THAT MAKE SENSE.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, NOT LETTING PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD FOR SOMETHING LIKE HELPING PEOPLE THAT NEED TO STAY COOL IN THEIR HOME AND AUSTIN WHERE IT GETS REALLY HOT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DONE LIKE PERFECTLY TO ACHIEVE A REALLY GOOD RESULT.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S LIKE IF WE'RE SPENDING $15,000 ON, ON, UM, ON, ON CENTRAL AIR UNITS WHERE WE COULD BE SPENDING A 10TH OF THAT AND HIT 10, 10 TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE LIKE, THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S NOT, HAS NOT BEEN OPTIMIZED.

YES.

UM, THE ARGUMENTS JUST SOUND JUST DIDN'T SOUND VERY COMPELLING.

'CAUSE THESE ARE LIKE UBIQUITOUSLY USED UNITS ALL OVER THE WORLD.

IF THEY HAD HAD LIKE PROBLEMS WHERE THEY WERE TOO, 'CAUSE THE DIDN'T WORK AT ALL.

I I THINK THAT WOULD NOT BE TRUE.

SO I'M JUST LIKE NOT, NOT SUPER BUYING THAT.

I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT EACH, UH, HOME IS CAPPED AT $10,000 AND ON AVERAGE IT'S $6,800 PER UNIT THAT WE'RE SPENDING.

UH, YOU WERE ALL RIGHT.

COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ.

YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK, UH, IS THIS ON, UM, HAVE, LOOKING AT THE IDEA OF WINDOW UNITS, HAVE, HAVE YOU LOOKED AT OR HAS THE OFFICE LOOKED AT, UM, THE, UH, USING MULTIPLE WINDOW UNITS AND WHAT THE COMPARATIVE BENEFIT IS? IF YOU HAD, IF THE WINDOW UNITS COST THREE, $400 AND YOU INSTALLED THREE IN THE HOME, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S STILL ON THAT.

HOUSE, THE, THE ELECTRIC ELECTRICITY USE IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE PRETTY HIGH.

SO WHEN YOU HAVE MORE THAN THREE COMPRESSORS IN A

[01:25:01]

UM, WE REPLACED A HOME THAT HAD SEVEN WINDOW UNITS, AGAIN, TO BE ON THE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE REGISTRY.

THESE ARE CUSTOMERS WHERE THEIR MEDIC, UH, UH, MEDICAL LICENSE PROVIDER HAS CERTIFIED THAT THEY NEED A STABLE TEMPERATURE IN THEIR HOUSE.

UM, DUE TO THEIR CRITICAL ILLNESS.

THEY MAY BE ON LIFE SUPPORT, THEY MAY BE, UM, SICK WITH OTHER THINGS.

UM, AND SO THE PROBLEM WITH WINDOW UNITS AGAIN, IS THAT THEY MAY NOT, THEY WOULD LIKELY USE QUITE A BIT OF ENERGY AT THE, YOU KNOW, THE ADDITIONAL, ONCE YOU GET BEYOND THREE FOR A HOUSE, IT, IT COULD CONSUME QUITE A BIT OF ELECTRICITY WITH, WITH ALL THE COMPRESSORS BEING USED, THERE'RE 15 INER, I'M SORRY, THERE YOU CAN BUY, UH, WINDOW UNITS THAT ARE 15 SEER.

IT'S PRETTY EFFICIENT.

UM, COMMISSIONER LUKI? YES, PLEASE.

UM, IN A FEW DECADES AGO, I USED TO RUN AN AIR AMBULANCE COMPANY IN OUR OFFICE.

IT'S NOT FAR FROM WHERE I'M SITTING RIGHT NOW.

AND, UH, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO PUSH BACK ON THIS IDEA OF LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF COMFORT YOU CAN PROVIDE MEDICALLY NECESSARY HOUSEHOLDS.

I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, JUST PUTTING WINDOW UNITS IN THERE IS PUTTING A BANDAID ON THAT PROBLEM.

AND THE REALITY IS, IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN DURING THE SUMMER, YOU'RE GONNA FIND YOURSELF VERY HOT.

AND IF YOU'RE HAVING TO SEQUESTER YOURSELF INTO CERTAIN PARTS OF THE HOUSE THAT YOU'RE MAKING YOUR SITUATION NOT MUCH BETTER.

AND IN FACT, DELIVERING TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN GREAT NEED, SOMETHING THAT THEY DON'T NEED.

SO I THINK THIS CONVERSATION IS FORGETTING THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE REALITY OF THAT HOUSEHOLD.

PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THAT KIND OF CONDITION HAVE VERY LONG LIVES, LONG DAYS, THEY'RE VERY HARD ON THEM AND HARD ON ANYBODY WHO'S IN THERE WITH THEM.

SO PLEASE CONSIDER THAT, UH, THE HUMANITY THAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT HERE IS TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER IN A SITUATION THAT'S PRETTY BAD.

20 YEARS AGO, I WAS VERY POOR AND THERE WAS A DIFFERENT PROGRAM THAT I QUALIFIED FOR IN MY HOUSEHOLD, WHICH BROUGHT A CENTRAL UNIT, CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING UNIT TO MY HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER WHEN IT WAS A HUNDRED DEGREES.

AND I HAD TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN THOSE DAYS, AND, UH, I THINK MY LUCKY STARS AT THAT EXISTED AT THAT TIME AND SAVED OUR HOUSEHOLD FROM WHAT I WOULD SAY WAS IN TERMINABLE IT CONDITIONS.

SO IF YOU ASK ME, I WILL ALWAYS VOTE FOR PUTTING THOSE KINDS OF UNITS INTO PEOPLE'S HOUSES WHO NEED THEM.

COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN, AND THEN I HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER TI AFTER YOU.

I, I WAS GOING, THIS, THIS IS A DISCUSSION ITEM ONLY.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION.

IT'S BEEN PRETTY INTERESTING.

UM, I, I, MY VIEWS HAVE NOT CHANGED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING THIS PROGRAM, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE CUSTOMER NEEDS AND THE FACT THAT THE UNIVERSE OF CUSTOMERS WHO ARE APPLICABLE IS RELATIVELY SMALL.

300 TOTAL IS, IS THE CURRENT NUMBER FROM MS. PROSSER.

AND, AND THE COST, I THINK IS A REASONABLE COST IN ORDER TO PROTECT LIVES AS WELL AS TO SAVE SOME ENERGY AND IMPROVE THE, THE QUALITY OF PEOPLE'S LIVES.

MY PROPOSAL IS THAT, AND I'M NOT HEARING ANY SUPPORT FOR AGGRESSIVE CHANGES OF THIS PROGRAM OTHER THAN MY FRIEND COMMISSIONER ROBBINS.

I WOULD LIKE TO, TO ASK THAT STAFF, KEEP AN EYE ON THE POTENTIAL EQUIPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND WAYS TO MAKE THE PROGRAM BETTER THAT PROBABLY DON'T INCLUDE EXPANDING IT MUCH, BUT THAT YOU KEEP US POSTED AT, AT, YOU KNOW, EVERY SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR OR SO ON.

WHAT ARE WE SPENDING, ARE THERE WAYS TO IMPROVE IT IN TERMS OF BOTH COST AND IMPACT FOR THE PEOPLE WHOM WE SERVE? SO THAT WAS WHAT I WANTED TO OFFER.

COMMISSIONER ARIDI, YOU'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT.

ALL OF THAT IS VERY NOBLE.

I, I GUESS I WILL, I WOULD BE LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON PAUL'S SIDE ON, ON, ON, ON THIS ONE.

'CAUSE IT'S LIKE, AND JUST TO THE PERSON'S POINT PREVIOUSLY OF LIKE SENT, YOU KNOW, IT DOES MAKE SENSE TO HAVE CENTRAL AIR SO YOU DON'T LIMIT A PERSON TO ONE ROOM.

[01:30:01]

I THINK THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS IS NOT TO BE OVER SCRUPULOUS ON LIKE, ON SPENDING MONEY, LIKE NICKEL AND DIME THE PROGRAM FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS HERE AND THERE.

I, I THINK IT'S LIKE, IS THERE, IS THERE A, UM, IS THERE A MORE EFFICIENT WAY TO BE DOING THIS THAT CAN LIKE, TOUCH MORE LIVES, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S LIKE ONE, ONE PERSON WITH A GREAT SOLUTION IS NOT AS GOOD AS TWO PEOPLE WITH A GOOD SOLUTION BECAUSE TWO PEOPLE ARE MORE PEOPLE THAN ONE, ONE PERSON IS.

SO I THINK WE'RE IN THE REALM OF LIKE, IS THERE PEOPLE IN A TOUGH SITUATION? OBVIOUSLY THEY, THEY'RE, THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO LIKE DO THEIR OWN AIR AIR CONDITIONING, YOU KNOW, UPGRADES OR FIXES OR ADDITIONS.

AND SO THEY'RE GETTING SOME HELP, WHICH IS GREAT, ALL FOR THIS.

UM, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT WOULDN'T, I THINK, MAKE SENSE.

IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO GIVE A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE, LIKE A VERY EXPENSIVE SOLUTION WHERE IF WE COULD BE GIVING A LOT OF PEOPLE A, UM, A MUCH LESS, AND YES, PROBABLY LESS LIKE COMFORTABLE SOLUTION.

BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE LIKE THE MORE NOBLE STRATEGY, UM, IN, IN GENERAL FOR, FOR THIS, IF WE CAN HELP MORE PEOPLE, WE SHOULD.

THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO SAY.

COULD I ADD ONE THING? UM, SO WE DO HAVE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT AIR CONDITIONING PROGRAMS DEPENDING ON THE CUSTOMER.

WE WILL GIVE A WINDOW UNIT FOR ELDERLY CUSTOMERS IF THEY'RE IN NEED OF IT, AND THEY'RE NOT ON THE MVR.

UH, WE ALSO HAVE A REBATE AND LOAN PROGRAM THAT LEVERAGES OUR AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT FUND THAT CAME TO US, UH, 10, 15 YEARS AGO AS PART OF THE, UM, THE, OUR GRANT.

UH, AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, LOW INTEREST TO 0% LOANS TO CUSTOMERS WHO GO THROUGH OUR WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM AS WELL AS A REBATE.

UM, SO WE DO CONSTANTLY REALIZE THAT WE ONLY HAVE A SMALL POOL OF MONEY AND WE NEED TO MAXIMIZE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO HELP THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

AND I, YOU KNOW, I'M COMMITTED TO FIGURING OUT A WAY TO ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, MAKE THESE THINGS BETTER.

IT'S ALWAYS WORTH REVISITING THINGS AND NEVER, UM, GETTING SET IN OUR WAYS.

SO PERHAPS VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, PERHAPS SOMETHING THAT I DID NOT POINT OUT IN MY DISCUSSION OF, UH, THE INEFFICIENCY OF SOME OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S LOW INCOME PROGRAMS IS THAT THERE WAS A PROPOSAL NOT TOO LONG AGO TO NOT ONLY DO THIS FOR THE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE, BUT TO DO THIS FOR ALL POOR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, UH, AS A STANDARD.

AND I CANNOT, TO ME IT'S LIKE $6,900 VERSUS $500.

AND SO YOU'RE TAKING AWAY, UH, AID THAT COULD SERVE 14 TIMES AS MANY HOMES.

UM, UM, COMMISSIONER LUKI, I APPRECIATE YOUR POINTS.

UH, REALLY, UM, I HAVE JUST, IF OUR GOAL HERE IS TO SAVE ENERGY AND WE'RE DOING THINGS THAT USE MORE ENERGY, IT TAKES AWAY FROM SOME OF THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM.

AND MAYBE IF THERE ARE OTHER CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANT TO FUND CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING, IT, IT MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THEM TO DO IT.

I DON'T SEE THAT A DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS THE PLACE FOR THIS, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION.

THERE.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? THERE BEING NONE.

MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER

[7. Discussion of energy building code amendment requiring heat pump water heaters as a performance-code option on new Residential buildings.]

SEVEN, DISCUSSION OF ENERGY BUILDING CODE AMENDMENT REQUIRING HEAT PUMP WATER HEATERS.

WE'RE BACK OVER ONTO THAT SIDE OF THE ROOM AGAIN.

UH, I BELIEVE THIS WAS YOURS, MR. VICE-CHAIR AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, I WAS GRATEFUL THAT A MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSIONERS VOTED FOR A RESOLUTION TO, UM, ASK COUNSEL TO INSERT HEAT PUMP WATER HEATERS AND SOLAR INTO THE PERFORMANCE

[01:35:01]

PART OF THE BUILDING CODE.

INCIDENTALLY, UH, SINCE WE JUST GOT OFF THE SUBJECT OF LOW INCOME, UH, THIS HELPS LOW INCOME AS MUCH AS ANYBODY BECAUSE LOW INCOME PEOPLE ARE OFTEN STRANDED CAPTIVE CUSTOMERS OF ALL ELECTRIC APARTMENTS BUILT AS CHEAPLY AS POSSIBLE WITH RESISTANCE, WATER HEATING.

UH, AND THEY DON'T OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE MONEY TO INVEST IN A HEAT PUMP WATER HEATER.

AND IF THEY DID, IT WOULDN'T BE IN THEIR OWN PROPERTY, SO THEY WOULDN'T DO IT.

UH, SO I THOUGHT, WELL, LET'S GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM, PUT IT INTO THE CODE.

UH, STAFF IS RESISTANT TO THIS, UH, TO THE POINT THAT OUR RESOLUTION IS GONNA BE IGNORED.

AND I HAVE, I REMIND THE VICE CHAIR THAT MOST OF THE RESOLUTIONS THAT COME OUT OF THIS COMMISSION ARE IGNORED BY COUNCIL.

SO FOR WHAT THAT'S WORTH, WELL, THAT'S A CHEERY POINT.

, UH, ACTUALLY IF, IF THAT, UH, I DO NOT LIKE TO TAKE THAT KIND OF, UH, JAUNDICE ATTITUDE.

AND IF ONE OF YOUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS MYSELF HAS BEEN, THEY KEEP SAYING, WELL, THERE'S A LEGAL JUSTIFICATION FOR US OPPOSING THIS, AND I KEEP SAYING, SHOW ME THE LEGAL JUSTIFICATION.

AND THEY DO NOT DO, SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU? NOW AFTER LITERALLY MONTHS, AND I MEAN THAT LITERALLY, UH, AND ME CALLING UP ONE OF THE SUPERVISORS IN THE LEGAL OFFICE THIS MORNING AT 10 32, I RECEIVED SUPPOSED LEGAL JUSTIFICATION OF WHY THIS CANNOT BE PUT IN THE BUILDING CODE.

AND IT'S LIKE ALL OF US ARE DOING STUFF AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAVE TO DROP MY LIFE IN ORDER TO WADE INTO THIS BECAUSE THIS WAS GIVEN TO ME THIS MORNING.

AND WHEN I GET THROUGH IT ALL, IT'S MOSTLY EMPTY BECAUSE IT DOES NOT ANSWER THE KEY QUESTION.

IF THIS IS ILLEGAL, THEN HOW CAN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WHICH HAS 12% OF THE COUNTRY'S POPULATION BE IMPLEMENTING A CODE FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS, THAT STAFF IS SAYING IS ILLEGAL? AND ALTHOUGH I DO NOT MONITOR STAFF'S CONVERSATIONS, I WOULD GUESS, WELL, LET ME JUST ASK THIS RATHER THAN GUESS.

HAS STAFF CONTACTED THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION TO ASK HOW THEY CAN IMPLEMENT THIS ALLEGEDLY LAW-BREAKING ACTIVITY? I HAVE, AND THE TWO STAFF MEMBERS THERE ARE CLUELESS AS TO YOUR RESERVATIONS.

AND IF YOU SENSE MY FRUSTRATION, IT GOES BACK FURTHER THAN MAY.

IT GOES BACK TO THE YEAR 2021 WHEN THE LAST ENERGY CODE REVISIONS WERE PASSED.

AND CYRUS REED AND I WERE BEFORE THE COUNCIL, UH, VIRTUALLY BECAUSE IT WAS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND SAYING, THERE'S A PROBLEM HERE.

AND WE WERE PROMISED THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME KIND OF REVIEW PROCESS TO SEE IF THIS COULD BE INSERTED IN THE BUILDING CODE.

AND THAT PROCESS DID NOT OCCUR.

NOW THIS IS RUNNING UP BILLS FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE.

THIS IS RUNNING UP BILLS FOR ANYBODY WITH ALL ELECTRIC WATER HEATING, POOR OR RICH.

UH, AND I AM TO THE EXTENT OF MY VAST POWERS AS VICE CHAIR OF THIS COMMISSION, I AM TIRED OF THIS BEING IGNORED.

AND TO THE EXTENT OF MY ABILITIES, I'M JUST NOT GONNA LET IT BE IGNORED ANYMORE.

THERE'S ABOUT $14 MILLION

[01:40:01]

A YEAR THAT IS BEING WASTED BECAUSE IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, HEAT PUMP WATER HEATERS WERE NOT IMPLEMENTED IN THIS COMMUNITY.

UH, AND IT'S PROBABLY HIGHER IN THAT THAN THAT BECAUSE OF ALL THE PEAK POWER THAT ALL THE CUSTOMERS ARE HAVING TO BUY.

IT'S BEEN A STRESSFUL EVENING JUST GETTING HERE.

AND, UM, I HAVE, UH, I THINK I'VE KIND OF EXHAUSTED MY POINTS, UH, BUT I REALLY, UM, THINK THAT THIS COMMISSION, UH, DEMANDS A MINIMUM OF ATTENTION FOR, UH, ISSUES SUCH AS THIS.

WE DESERVE TIMELY INFORMATION AND I HOPE GOING FORWARD, UH, I DON'T HAVE TO GIVE ANOTHER SPEECH LIKE THIS.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN? I, I SH THANK YOU.

I SHARE COMMISSIONER ROBINS FRUSTRATION WITH THE, UM, I HAVE NOT HAD THE, THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING PART OF THE LONG EFFORT TO GET THIS INFORMATION, BUT I SHARE HIS FRUSTRATION WITH THE REALIZATION THAT WE ARE WASTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO INSTALL HEAT PUMP WATER HEATERS AND SAVE PEOPLE MORE MONEY AND SPARE MORE CARBON.

BUT, UM, SO I, AND, AND I APPRECIATE AUSTIN ENERGY'S LEGAL STAFF'S EFFORT TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE, BUT SOME THINGS ARE WORTH GETTING IN TROUBLE FOR AND I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU GUYS PUT MORE WORK INTO TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO SAY YES RATHER THAN TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO SAY NO ON THIS.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER.

APPEARING THAT WE HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENT HERE, WE'LL MOVE ON IN

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

OUR AGENDA.

UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE WISH TO ADD ONTO THE AGENDA? WHAT DID NATASHA, WHO'S SCHEDULED FOR A REGULAR PRESENTATION NEXT MONTH? TEXAS GAS SERVICE, TEXAS GAS SERVICE, TEXAS GAS SERVICE WILL BE HERE FOR ANOTHER, UH, CHITCHAT.

I SEE.

AND AUSTIN WATER.

AND I SEE COMMISSIONER FARMER JUST RAISED A HAND, SO FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING.

YEAH, THE, UM, EUC GOT A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE THAT'S GONNA BE VOTED ON BY COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER.

AND THAT SEEMS LIKE IT'S UNDER OUR PURVIEW AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, I'M INTERESTED IN PERSONALLY.

UM, SO I WAS JUST HOPING TO GET THAT, UH, PRESENTATION AS WELL.

COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN AND, UH, DAVIS ALSO SHIFT THEIR HEAD VIGOROUSLY.

UM, SO IF WE COULD MAKE A REQUEST TO HAVE SOMEBODY GIVE A PRESENTATION ON THAT NEXT MONTH.

IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE A SPONSOR IN A SECOND WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM.

THANKS.

AND JUST TO AS LIKE, TO FLUSH IT OUT, I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE KIND OF MATH AND ASSUMPTIONS THAT GO INTO THE PRICING OF THE VARIOUS PLANS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF WAITING AND THINGS, UM, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE UC, BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I'D BE INTERESTED IN ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL SLIDES THAT CAN BE ADDED.

THEIR FRANCHISE IS UP IN 2026.

YEAH, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO SEND OVER A POSTING LANGUAGE TO NATASHA, THEN SHE'LL MAKE SURE TO HAVE THAT ADDED TO THE AGENDA.

IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S GENUINE INTEREST IN THIS ROOM.

JUST USE THE SAME POSTING LANGUAGE THAT THE EUC GOT OR YOU COULD CHEAT AND COPY OFF OF THEIR HOMEWORK.

THAT'S FINE TOO.

, THANKS.

VICE CHAIR ROBBINS.

UM, I JUST WANT, I SUPPOSE, UH, MS. GOODWIN WILL PROBABLY BE MORE DIPLOMATIC THAN I WILL WHEN THEY CONTACT TEXAS GAS SERVICE, BUT COULD THEY SOMEHOW BE REMINDED THAT THE TERMS OF THEIR FRANCHISE ARE THAT THEY CONFER WITH, UH, THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION ON THEIR, UH, PROPOSED CONSERVATION PROGRAMS? THEY'VE SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL TO THE RAILROAD COMMISSION, BUT THEY HAVE NOT, UH, SHOWN IT TO US.

[01:45:06]

DID DID I EVER SAY THAT , I BELIEVE IT'S COME UP A TIME OR TWO.

UM, I TOO WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT INFORMATION AS WELL, SO I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO SECOND TO TRY TO GET THAT, UH, IF IT NEEDS TO BE A SEPARATE ITEM, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THEY'LL BE MORE THAN WILLING TO PUT IT INTO THEIR REGULAR QUARTERLY REPORT.

ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER? OKAY.

AT THIS POINT, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GET TOO HIGH GROUND TO BE ABLE TO LOOK ACROSS TOWARDS HILL COUNTRY, YOU CAN STILL SEE IT.

OTHERWISE, FROM WHERE WE ARE NOW, IT IS DIPPED BELOW THE BUILDINGS ACROSS THE STREET.

YOU GUYS HAVE A ROOM? YOU CAN GO TO THE TOP OF THE PARKING GARAGE.