Nov 19, 2024 Resource Management

[CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

[00:00:04]

UM, I'M PAUL ROBBINS, VICE CHAIR OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER.

UM, FIRST ON OUR AGENDA, UH, IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

ARE THERE ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP? NO.

OKAY.

UH, SECOND

[1. Approve the minutes of the Resource Management Commission Regular Meeting on October 15, 2024.]

UM, DO I, UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? UH, SO MOVED.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

OKAY.

UM, ALL IN FAVOR, UH, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND THE PEOPLE ATTENDING, UH, VIRTUALLY THEY'LL HAVE TO TURN THEIR CAMERAS ON TO.

OKAY, I SEE.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

UH, IS COMMISSIONER ERUS, UH, IN THE OFFICE? COMMISSIONER ERUS? YES.

UH, WE'RE, WE'VE MOVED APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING.

UH, HAVE WE LOST, UH, COMMISSIONER ERUS? UH, MS. GOODWIN? HE'S STILL ON.

HIS CAMERA IS JUST NOT ON.

WE HAVE ENOUGH.

I I'M STILL HERE.

I THINK I JUST MIGHT, I HAVE GREAT SIGNAL WHERE, WHERE I AM.

OKAY.

UM, HERE'S MY, SINCE YOU SHOWED YOURSELF, UH, DID YOU VOTE YES.

WOULD YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? YES, I VOTED YES.

OKAY.

I'M GONNA TAKE THAT AS A YES.

OH SEVEN OH WITH NO ABSTENTIONS AND, UH, NO NOS.

UM, NEXT, UH, WE

[Items 2 & 3]

ITEM THREE, RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION, REPEALING RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 24 5 2 5, WHICH ADOPTED THE PRIOR WATER CONSERVATION PLAN FOR MUNICIPAL AND WHOLESALE WATER USE, AND ADOPTING AN UPDATED WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, WHICH DESCRIBES AUSTIN WATER'S ONGOING WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, AND GOALS AS REQUIRED BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FUNDING.

THIS ITEM HAS NO FISCAL IMPACT.

SO I'M GOING TO ASK, UH, THERE ARE ARE TWO PRESENTATIONS.

UH, ONE IS A STAFF BRIEFING ON THE PROPOSED REVISIONS TO AUSTIN'S WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, UH, BY SHEA RALSTON, DIRECTOR AUSTIN WA OF AUSTIN WATER.

KEVIN KLUGE, WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION MANAGER, AUSTIN WATER.

UM, PLEASE, UH, COME FORWARD AND BRIEFLY IDENTIFY YOURSELF.

GOOD EVENING.

I'M SHAY RAWLS ROLSON.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN WATER.

UH, WE HAVE A BRIEFING FOR YOU TODAY THAT COVERS, UM, BOTH ITEM THREE THAT CHAIR ROBBINS READ INTO THE RECORD AS WELL AS ITEM TWO.

UM, IF YOU CARE TO COVER THAT ONE AS WELL, CHAIR, PARDON MY LAPSE, UH, ITEM TWO, READ INTO THE RECORD, RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION.

REPEALING ITEM 20 24 0 5 0 2 DASH 0 0 4, WHICH ADOPTED A REVISED DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN AND ADOPTING AND UPDATED DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES DROUGHT AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE STAGES DUE TO WATER SUPPLY SHORTAGES, SETS, TARGETS FOR WATER USE REDUCTIONS,

[00:05:01]

THIS ITEM HAS NO IMPACT.

I APOLOGIZE FOR MY LAPSE.

PLEASE PROCEED.

THANK YOU.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE A SLIDE DECK.

GREAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AS I SAID, MY NAME IS SHAY ROLSON.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN WATER.

I'M JOINED BY KEVIN KLUGE, OUR DIVISION MANAGER FOR WATER CONSERVATION.

AND WE'LL, UM, TODAY, THE, THE

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

UM, THIS COMMISSION VOTED TO RECOMMEND, UH, THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN IN MAY OF THIS YEAR.

AND THOSE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.

UM, WE ARE BRINGING THEM BACK TO YOU TODAY BECAUSE THEY ARE, UH, HAVE BEEN UPDATED ALONGSIDE THE UPDATES TO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, UM, WHICH IS ALSO GOING TO CITY COUNCIL ON THURSDAY.

SO I'M GONNA GIVE A BRIEF HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WATER FORWARD AND HOW THESE PLANS FIT INTO THAT.

AND THEN KEVIN WILL TALK IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT, UM, THE UPDATES TO THE TWO PLANS THAT YOU ARE, UM, UH, VOTING ON TONIGHT.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

DO I HAVE A CLICKER? I DO.

SO WATER FORWARD IS AUSTIN'S 100 YEAR, UH, WATER RESOURCES PLAN, AND IT WAS ORIGINALLY ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN 2018.

UM, AND THE IMPORTANT WORDS ON THIS SLIDE ARE THAT THIS PLAN NEEDS TO BE ADAPTABLE TO GROWTH, DROUGHT AND CLIMATE CHANGE FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BEING ADAPTABLE, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT PLANNING FOR UNCERTAINTY, AND THAT'S UNCERTAINTY AROUND HOW AND WHERE AUSTIN AND WHEN AUSTIN WILL GROW, UH, WHAT LEVEL OF SEVERITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE WE MAY FACE IN THIS REGION, AND THE DEPTH AND DURATION OF THE DROUGHTS THAT THIS REGION IS, IS PRONE TO.

AND, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DROUGHT, WE'RE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE COMBINED STORAGE OF LAKES, TRAVIS AND BUCHANAN.

SO AUSTIN GETS ALL OF OUR WATER FROM THE TEXAS, COLORADO RIVER, WHICH IS MANAGED BY THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY.

AND, UH, WE LOOK AT THE STORED WATER THAT ARE, THAT IS STORED IN LAKES, TRAVIS AND BUCHANAN.

THIS IS A GRAPH SHOWING STORAGE LEVELS OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, GOING BACK TO THE FORTIES WHEN THE DAMS, UH, WERE BUILT TO FORM THE HIGHLAND LAKES.

YOU CAN SEE THE DROUGHTS IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES THAT WERE OUR PREVIOUS DROUGHT OF RECORD THAT WE PLANNED AGAINST.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE A LONG PERIOD OF RELATIVELY STABLE CONDITIONS WHERE THE LAKES WOULD FILL, FALL AND FILL, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT A YEAR.

AND THEN A VERY DEEP, SEVERE DROUGHT FROM 2008 TO 2016, WHICH IS FUNDAMENTALLY, UM, WAS THE IMPETUS TO DEVELOPING OUR 100 YEAR WATER SUPPLY PLAN KNOWN AS WATER FORWARD.

SO, UH, VERY FOUNDATIONALLY TO WATER FORWARD IS WATER CONSERVATION, UH, AS WELL AS WATER REUSE.

SO WE GET, WE TAKE WATER FROM THE TEXAS, COLORADO RIVER.

WE TREAT IT AT WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.

WE DELIVER IT TO OUR CUSTOMERS.

WE COLLECT THE USED WATER BACK FROM THEM, DELIVER THAT TO OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, TREAT IT AGAIN, PUT IT BACK INTO THE COLORADO RIVER.

A PORTION OF THAT TREATED EFFLUENT IS RETURNED INTO OUR CENTRALIZED RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM AND DELIVERED TO CUSTOMERS WHO USE IT FOR NON-DRINKING WATER USES.

UH, AND SO THAT IS OUR RECLAIMED OUR REUSE STRATEGY HERE, OUR RECLAIMED WATER.

AND SO FUNDAMENTALLY, UH, WATER THAT WE CONSERVE THAT WE NEVER USE IN THE FIRST PLACE, OR THAT WE REUSE EVERY DROP OF WATER THAT, UM, THAT WE SAVE IN CONSERVATION REUSE IS A DROP OF WATER WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE OUT OF THE COLORADO RIVER.

SO THAT'S THE FOUNDATION OF OUR PLAN.

UH, AND THEN, UM, BECAUSE WE GET ALL OF OUR SUPPLY FROM THE COLORADO RIVER, WE DO NEED TO FIND WAYS TO STRETCH AND ADD TO OUR SUPPLIES.

UH, AND THEN WE ARE NOT THE ONLY COMMUNITY THAT DEPENDS ON THE TEXAS, COLORADO RIVER.

SO OUR RELATIONSHIPS, OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY AND THE OTHER, UM, USERS OF, OF THIS WATER, MUNICIPALITIES, AND OTHER USERS ARE, ARE REALLY IMPORTANT PARTS OF OUR STRATEGIES.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS SLIDE, BUT THIS IS JUST A, A, A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW TO SHOW YOU, UM, THE, WE LOOKED AT, UH, MANY, MANY DIFFERENT STRATEGIES AND DIFFERENT PORTFOLIO, DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND DIFFERENT PORTFOLIOS OF STRATEGIES.

UM, WHAT THIS GRAPH ON THE LEFT IS SHOWING YOU IS THAT WE SCORED, THAT'S THE X AXIS.

WE SCORED EACH, UM, UH, EACH PORTFOLIO,

[00:10:01]

SO ON A SCALE UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT.

AND THEN WE, UM, SCORED THE COST RELATIVE FROM LOWEST COST TO HIGHEST COST.

AND SO THAT LEADING EDGE OF BLUE DOTS ON THE RIGHT, THOSE ARE THE PORTFOLIOS THAT PERFORMED THE BEST FOR THE LEAST COST OR COST THE LEAST FOR THE BEST PERFORMANCE, UM, COMPARED TO ONE ANOTHER.

WE PICKED 10 OF THOSE TO DO A MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS.

AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT THERE IS THE 10 PORTFOLIOS THAT WE DID THE MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS ON.

AND, UM, THOSE TOP, UH, SIX LINES ARE CONSERVATION REUSE STRATEGIES.

EVERY ONE OF THESE PORTFOLIOS USES THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF CONSERVATION AND REUSE.

UM, SO THAT'S FUNDAMENTAL TO, UH, EVERY STRATEGY THAT WE LOOKED AT GOING, UH, GOING FORWARD.

AND THEN A COMBINATION OF SUPPLY STRATEGIES, UM, THAT ALLOW US TO, UH, STORE WATER WE ALREADY HAVE OR BRING IN NEW SOURCES OF SUPPLY.

UM, AND SO THE RECOMMENDED STRATEGY, UM, AGAIN, ON THE LEFT, THE FULL COMPLIMENT OF CONSERVATION AND REUSE STRATEGIES.

AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, UM, A LOT OF THE, THESE STRATEGIES FUNDAMENTALLY MOVE FORWARD, UM, THE SAME STRATEGIES THAT WE HAD IN OUR 2018 PLAN, BUT WITH THE MORE ROBUST ANALYSIS THAT I'VE DESCRIBED, UM, AND SOME TWEAKS TO THE VOLUMES THAT WE THINK WE WILL NEED OUT OF EACH OF THESE STRATEGIES.

UM, AND ON THE WATER SUPPLY SIDE, STORING WATER IN AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY AND OFF CHANNEL RESERVOIR, UM, UH, REUSING WATER IN INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE, AND THEN A NEW WATER STRATEGY OF BRINGING IN BRACKISH GROUNDWATER, WHICH IS, WHICH IS, UM, MUCH FURTHER OUT IN THE PLAN, BUT IS INCLUDED IN OUR RECOMMENDED PORTFOLIO.

SO THAT IS THE VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WATER FORWARD TO HELP, UM, SET THE CONTEXT FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WATER CONSERVATION AND DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLANS THAT YOU ALL ARE EVALUATING TONIGHT.

OH, SORRY, I HAVE ONE MORE SLIDE.

UH, THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SLIDE FROM THE PLAN FROM 2018 TO 2024.

SO I THINK I'VE, I'VE COVERED MOST OF THESE, UM, ELEMENTS ALREADY.

UH, WE DID DO AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP BECAUSE OF COURSE, THE BENEFITS AND BURDENS OF THESE STRATEGIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE HAD, UH, WE HAVE A VERY WELL PROTECTED WATER SUPPLY BECAUSE OF, UM, DECADES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE AROUND THE TEXAS, COLORADO RIVER.

AND SO WE ARE CONTINUING THAT ANALYSIS FOR HOW WE CAN, UM, UNDER THE PRESSURES OF DEVELOPMENT THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR RIVER BASIN, AND NOW HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO PROTECT OUR WATER SUPPLY FROM A QUALITY PERSPECTIVE.

UH, AND THEN, UM, THE EXPANDED USE OF WATER CONSERVATION.

UM, AND WE RECENTLY COMPLETED A WATER LOSS STUDY.

UM, AND SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART THAT KEVIN WILL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT.

OKAY, NOW IT'S KEVIN STERN.

ALL RIGHT.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

IF YOU RECALL LAST MONTH, I WAS HERE GIVING YOU A PREVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE BRINGING TO YOU TONIGHT BECAUSE WE WILL BE TAKING THESE TO COUNCIL ON THURSDAY.

SO THERE'S A QUICK TURNAROUND BETWEEN THIS MEETING AND THE, AND THE COUNCIL MEETING.

SO THE TWO PLANS, WATER CONSERVATION, DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, BOTH REQUIRED BY THE STATE NEEDING TO BE UPDATED EVERY FIVE YEARS.

THE CONSERVATION PLAN TALKS ABOUT OUR EFFORTS YEAR ROUND, DAY IN, DAY OUT, DROUGHT, NOT DROUGHT, WAYS TO SAVE WATER.

THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN REALLY FOCUSES ON WHEN WE ARE IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF DROUGHT AS THE RESERVOIRS GO DOWN.

AS YOU RECALL, BACK IN MAY, UH, AS DIRECTOR ROLSON MENTIONED, WE BROUGHT A PLAN TO YOU, UM, THAT, UH, INCORPORATED NEW UPDATES AND NEW METRICS TO WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND PROPOSED NEW ACTIVITIES THAT WE USE TO REALLY BUILD A BOTTOM UP ANALYSIS, ANALYSIS OF WHAT CAN BE SAVED OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

AND THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION AND THEN THE COUNCIL ALSO, SINCE THEN, THROUGHOUT THIS SUMMER, WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD AT THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE IN LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN SAVE MORE WATER, UM, DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, HOW WE CAN GO ABOUT THAT.

AND WE ARE NOW BRINGING THAT BACK TO YOU, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WAS APPROVED LAST MAY AND WHAT WE HAVE FOR YOU NOW IS UP ON THE SLIDE SLIDE HERE, UH, DRIP IRRIGATION.

IT WILL BE RESTRICTED.

AND I'LL HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE ABOUT THIS IN JUST A MOMENT.

BUT THIS NEW PLAN ALSO INCORPORATES INFORMATION ON THE GO PURPLE PROGRAM, WHICH IS APPROVED BY COUNCIL BACK IN

[00:15:01]

WE'VE INCLUDED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WATER LOSS, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, ACTIVITY THAT WE WILL BE WORKING ON OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

WE HAVE AN EXTERNAL REPORT THAT REALLY KIND OF PINPOINTED AREAS FOR US TO WORK ON FOR WATER LOSS.

THE PLAN DISCUSSED, UH, IN A COUPLE OF PAGES WHY WE DID NOT MEET THE GOALS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY, UM, INCLUDED IN THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, WHAT WERE THE FACTORS OF THAT.

AND THEN AS DIRECTOR MO ROLSON MENTIONED, WE INTEGRATED THE CONSERVATION PLAN AND WITH THE WATER FORWARD PLAN ADDED SOME PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES.

UH, BUT I DO ESPECIALLY WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT NEXT TO LAST BULLET ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THERE, IN WHICH WE WILL BE LEANING INTO QUARTERLY AND ANNUAL REPORTS.

THIS COMMISSION GETS A QUARTERLY WATER CONSERVATION REPORT.

UM, BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME FOR THE OTHER COMMISSIONS.

BUT WHAT WE RECOGNIZED IN TALKING WITH THE WATERFORD TASK FORCE OVER THE SUMMER IS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO GIVE REGULAR UPDATES NOT ONLY TO THIS COMMISSION, BUT TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONS OR WATERFORD TASK FORCE TO LET THEM KNOW HOW WE ARE DOING IN IMPLEMENTING THESE.

SO WE ARE REALLY GONNA LEAN INTO THE QUARTERLY REPORTS AND ANNUAL REPORTS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

AND THEN FINALLY, WE REVISE THE WATER USE GOALS, PARTICULARLY THE TOTAL PER PERSON WATER USE OR TOTAL GPCD.

JUST VERY BRIEFLY HERE ON THIS SLIDE, THE TOP GRAPH YOU SEE THERE, THAT IS FROM THE 2019 WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.

AND IT LISTS THE GPCV GOALS, THE GALLONS PER CAPITA, DAILY OR PER PERSON WATER USE GOALS.

IN THAT 2019 PLAN, THERE WAS A BASELINE OF 126 GALLONS PER PERSON PER DAY.

AND THERE IS A GOAL FOR 2024 OF 119 GALLONS PER PERSON PER DAY IN THE MIDDLE.

THERE, YOU SEE THE GOALS FROM OUR PLAN FROM MAY SEC THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL ON MAY 2ND, UH, BASELINE 1 27.

SO OVER A FIVE YEAR AVERAGE, WE UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT MAKE A LOT OF HEADWAY, BUT WE HAD, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN GET DOWN TO 1 23 IN FIVE YEARS BASED ON THE SAVINGS OF THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES WE IDENTIFIED.

AND THAT BOTTOM CHART SHOWS WHAT WE'RE BRINGING TO YOU TODAY IS IN THIS NEW PLAN.

AFTER LOOKING AT ALL OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WE CAN DO, WE BELIEVE WE CAN PUSH THAT TOTAL PER PERSON WATER USE GOAL DOWN TO 121 IN FIVE YEARS DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.

UM, THIS WAS FROM THE LAST PLAN.

WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE PREVIOUS DROUGHT PLAN AND THE ONE THAT YOU SAW IN MAY? A LOT OF THINGS CHANGED.

WE ADDED A NEW STAGE.

WE ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS AS WE GOT DEEPER INTO DROUGHT.

AND WE IDENTIFIED SOME NON-REGULATORY THINGS THAT WE AS A UTILITY AND CITY CAN DO TO SAVE WATER AND DROUGHT.

BUT THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DROUGHT PLAN THAT YOU SAW IN APRIL AND THE ONE THAT YOU SEE TONIGHT IS THAT WE ARE ADDING TO THE RESTRICTIONS IN TERMS OF IRRIGATION RESTRICTIONS.

DRIP IRRIGATION, CURRENTLY DRIP IRRIGATION HAS NO RESTRICTION.

YOU COULD WATER WHENEVER, HOWEVER, HOW MANY DAYS, HOWEVER LONG YOU WANT IN A DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM.

AND THAT WAS, THAT'S OUTSIDE OF OUR RESTRICTIONS.

SO WE FELT THAT IT WAS PRUDENT TO INCLUDE DRIP IRRIGATION INTO THE RESTRICTIONS.

WHILE DRIP IRRIGATION CAN BE A VERY EFFICIENT WAY TO DELIVER WATER RIGHT TO THE PLANTS, UM, IT, IF IT IS INSTALLED POORLY, IF IT IS MAINTAINED POORLY, IF IT IS RUN OPERATED POORLY, IT CAN USE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WATER, UH, EVEN ALMOST AS MUCH AS SPRAY IRRIGATION IN SOME AREAS.

SO WE FELT THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO HAVE A REASONABLE RESTRICTION ON DRIP IRRIGATION IN THE NON DROUGHT CONSERVATION STAGE AND DROUGHT STAGES ONE AND TWO, UH, THERE WILL BE TWO DAYS PER WEEK THAT DRIP IRRIGATION CAN RUN.

AND THEN IN DEEPER STAGES OF DROUGHT ONE DAY PER WEEK.

UM, WE HAD A GOOD NUMBER OF DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, LANDSCAPERS AND IRRIGATION STAKEHOLDERS, AND WE'VE INCLUDED EXEMPTIONS FOR THE WATERING OF TREES AND VEGETABLE GARDENS.

SO

[00:20:01]

AND THAT REALLY WRAPS UP OUR PRESENTATION.

AS WE MENTIONED, WE'LL BE TAKING ALL THREE OF THESE PLANS TO THE COUNCIL ON THURSDAY FOR APPROVAL, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL RCA FOR CHANGES IN CODE TO IMPLEMENT THAT TRIP IRRIGATION.

AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS, UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ARE COMMISSIONER LUKI? THANK YOU.

I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR PLAN FOR BRACKISH WATER IN THE FUTURE.

UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT IF TEXAS COULD USE ALL THE BRACKISH WATER WE HAD, WE'D HAVE PLENTY OF WATER.

AND UH, THE PROBLEM IS, IS THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY IT TAKES TO TAKE THE SALT OUT.

UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT.

WELL, THE, UM, AND THERESA, IF YOU WANNA HELP ME OUT WITH THIS, YOU CAN.

UM, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT IT IS A TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX.

UH, AND SO WE, WE WANT TO BALANCE THE NEED FOR THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPLY WITH THE COST, UH, NOT JUST THE CONSTRUCTION COST, BUT AS YOU MENTIONED, THE ONGOING AND ENERGY AND, AND OPERATIONS COST THAT COME WITH IT.

SO, UM, NOT, UH, WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO BRACKISH GROUNDWATER TO, TO SOLVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT IT AS A PIECE OF THE, OF THE PUZZLE.

DO YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT? THIS IS THERESA LU.

OH, I'LL LET YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

THANK YOU.

YEAH.

THERESA LUTS.

AUSTIN WATER.

UH, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION ALSO THAT THIS IS BRACKISH GROUNDWATER DESALINATION.

IT WOULD BE MORE IN THIS, UH, REGION, NOT, UM, SEAWATER DESALINATION, WHICH I THINK PROBABLY HAS, UM, A HIGHER AMOUNT OF, OF, UM, CONSTITUENTS THAT NEED TO BE REMOVED.

BUT THAT'S YET FOR US TO FIGURE OUT.

THERE'S A LONG LEAD TIME BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.

I THINK WE HAVE THAT STRATEGY COMING IN IN 2070.

SO IT'S A, IT'S A LONGER TERM, UM, STRATEGY.

RIGHT.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF GROUND TO PLOW BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.

AND, UH, IT IS, IT IS A STRATEGY THOUGH THAT OTHERS, UH, USE AND, UM, IS IN OUR, UM, IN THE STATE WATER PLAN AND IS BEING CONSIDERED BY OTHERS IN OTHER REGIONS.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, UH, FOR LONG TERM.

I, IS IT TRUE THAT EL PASO HAS BUILT ONE OF THESE PLANTS AND THAT ONE IS BEING CONSIDERED IN SAN ANTONIO AS WELL? UM, YES.

I, UH, EL PASO HAS BRACKISH GROUNDWATER DESAL AND SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM DOES AS WELL.

GREAT.

WELL, I GUESS Y'ALL SHOULD TALK TO THEM, SHOULDN'T WE? WE, WE ARE TALKING TO THEM.

YES.

YES, SIR.

UH, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ.

HEY THERE.

I THINK, UH, LAST TIME THERE WAS SOME MENTION OF THE PUBLIC AWARENESS BEING A CHALLENGE.

I THINK THE, UM, THE, SOME, THE DROUGHT RESTRICTIONS IN THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU DIDN'T SEE ON THE CHART, THE PUBLIC REALLY RESPOND TO IT.

COULD YOU REMIND ME, UH, ARE THERE NEW STRATEGIES WITH THIS THAT ARE GONNA SORT OF CHANGE THE WAY THE, THAT'S COMMUNICATED TO THE PUBLIC? OR IS THIS SORT OF SEPARATE FROM THE, THIS NEW UPDATE? WELL, CERTAINLY, AND I DIDN'T ADDRESS IT MUCH IN THESE SLIDES, BUT CERTAINLY PUBLIC OUTREACH AND, AND MARKETING ENGAGEMENT, WHAT HAVE YOU, WILL BE A BIG PART OF THAT.

UH, OUR PO PIO HAS REALLY BULKED UP OVER THE LAST YEAR BEING ABLE TO DO MORE WITH NOT ONLY TRADITIONAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, BUT TO HELP THE CONSERVATION DIVISION MM-HMM.

TO KINDA HELP US GET OUR SIGNS OUT, OUR NOTIFICATIONS OUT.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE HOPING TO ARE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT OVER THIS NEXT YEAR, I THINK IT'LL TAKE US ABOUT A YEAR TO WORK OUT THE DETAILS, IS THE USE OF MICROGRANTS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.

'CAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF SMALL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE CITY WHO MAY BE VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING OUT THE WORD ABOUT CONSERVATION.

UM, AND WITH JUST A, A SMALL GRANT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE $3,000 OR SO, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN UTILIZE THAT FUNDING AND OUR SUPPORT TO HELP GET THAT OUT.

SO IT'S REALLY GOING TO, UH, HELP US NOT ONLY HAVE A KIND OF A TOP DOWN THROUGH TRADITIONAL SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH, BUT A MORE OF A, A GROUND LEVEL, UH, OUTREACH.

ARE THOSE LIKE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS OR, UH, GARDEN GROUPS OR, UH, THEY, THEY WILL NEED TO BE A NONPROFIT, BUT IT COULD BE A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.

IT COULD, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT ARE INTERESTED, UH, IN HELP PROMOTING CONSERVATION MESSAGES.

SO WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW THAT WORKS OUT.

GOTCHA.

THANKS.

[00:25:01]

UH, UH, I KNOW THERE IS SOME MENTION RECENTLY OF A NEW WATER TREATMENT PLANT.

IS THAT RELATED TO THIS ALSO? THERE'S THAT, UH, UNRELATED TO THIS.

WELL, THE, UM, THE OFF CHANNEL RESERVOIR, UH, STRATEGY, WHICH IS THE USE OF LAKE WALTER LONG, WHICH IS DECKER LAKE, UM, WHERE WE WOULD, UM, MOVE WATER FROM THE COLORADO RIVER INTO DECKER LAKE.

WE WOULD BUILD A WATER PLANT AT THAT LOCATION TO THEN TREAT IT AND, AND, UM, AND, UH, ADD IT TO OUR WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AT THAT POINT.

AND THAT'S LIKE WAY DOWN THE LINE, OR IS THAT, UH, IT, IT IS THAT, UM, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YEAR THERE THAT THE LAKE WALTER E. LONG COMES INTO OUR PLAN? I THINK IT'S 2030, SO WE'LL BE STARTING ON THAT SOON.

20 30, 20 40 BET.

I THINK IT COMES INTO THE PLAN BETWEEN 2030 AND 2040.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES US 10 OR 15 YEARS TO, TO GET A PROJECT OF THAT MAGNITUDE BUILT.

SO, WE'LL, UM, WE'LL BE LAUNCHING THAT PRETTY QUICK.

DENISE IS OKAY WITH IT? YES.

THANK YOU.

UH, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE, THE GRANTS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.

LIKE FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, MY, MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS A, HAS A, A GARDEN TYPE OF PLACE, THE COMMUNITY GARDEN.

WOULD A GRANT BE USABLE BY THAT TO, UH, LIKE KIND OF CAPTURE RAINWATER OR SOMETHING? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE? YEAH, THAT, THAT COULD BE.

I MEAN, WE'D WANT TO, UM, WE'D ENCOURAGE IT TO BE KIND OF AN EDUCATIONAL THING.

UM, BUT CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN INCORPORATE RAINWATER CAPTURE AND EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT INTO SUCH TYPES OF ACTIVITIES.

THE KI THE CITY CURRENTLY HAS A MICRO-GRANT CALLED THE BRIGHT GREEN FUTURE GRANTS THAT'S BEING RUN THROUGH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION.

THEY WORK WITH SCHOOLS, SO SCHOOLS OFTEN WILL GET THESE SMALL MICRO GRANTS AND THEY'LL PUT TOGETHER A, SOME TYPE OF RAIN GARDEN OR PUT IN A, A RAINWATER CATCHMENT TANK, WHAT HAVE YOU.

SO YES.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ONE MORE, JUST ONE, JUST ONE.

, NOT THREE.

UM, YEAH, I WAS JUST WONDERING, YOU SAID THAT THERE'S EXCEPTION FOR TREES AND GARDENS.

WHAT WOULD DRIP IRRIGATION BE USED BESIDES FOR TREES AND GARDENS? WHAT ARE WHAT IS USED BEYOND TREES AND GARDENS? UM, IT'S OFTEN USED, UH, QUITE OFTEN USED IN FLOWER BEDS.

UM, ALTHOUGH THOSE AREN'T, THOSE AREN'T GARDENS THERE? NO.

OKAY.

NO.

SO THOSE WOULD BE RESTRICTIONS.

UM, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN UP ON THE SLIDE ON THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INSTANCES WHERE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS, YOU KNOW, RUN NOT IN BEDS, NOT IN FLOWER BEDS OR, UH, GARDENS.

THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE BEING RUN IN LONG STRIPS BACK AND FORTH IN A LARGE GRASSY AREA.

OH, REALLY? UM, AND THAT'S ONE AREA WE'RE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT, BECAUSE THAT CAN PUT OUT A LOT OF WATER, ALMOST EQUIVALENT TO WHAT YOU DO FOR SPRAY IRRIGATION.

THANK YOU.

UH, HAVE A QUESTION OR SO FROM COMMISSIONER ERUS? YES.

THANK YOU.

UM, I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S LIKE A KIND OF ORDER OF MAGNITUDE, YOU KNOW, NUMBER COMPARING THE, LIKE, IMPACT HERE ON RESTRICTIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL, UH, CUSTOMERS VERSUS COMMERCIAL.

IS THAT IN REGARDS TO THE DRIP IRRIGATION, THE IMPACT OF THE NEW DRIP RESTRICTIONS ON RESIDENTIAL VERSUS COMMERCIAL? ANY, UH, ANY, ALL OF THE RESTRICTIONS, JUST LOOKING FOR LIKE A, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A FIGURE OR A FEEL FOR LIKE, RELATIVE IMPACT ON SORT OF REGULAR AUSTIN RESIDENTS VERSUS COMMERCIAL ENTITIES? WELL, THE, THIS, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE DAY A WEEK QUADRANT CERTAINLY HAS A LARGE, HAS HAD A LARGE IMPACT FROM 20 12, 20 13 WHEN WE WERE IN THAT LAST DROUGHT.

AND THEY'RE IMPLEMENTED.

UM, SO THAT, THAT DEFINITELY HAS HAD AN IMPACT OVERALL BETWEEN, UH, COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL.

YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY FACE THE SAME RESTRICTION OF, OF ONE DAY A WEEK IN TERMS OF DRIP.

I SEE IT'S BEING MORE PROBABLY OF AN IMPACT THIS

[00:30:01]

UH, WHEREAS MOST HOMEOWNERS, THEY MIGHT HAVE A COUPLE ZONES OF SPRAY IRRIGATION AND A COUPLE ZONES OF DRIP, AND JUST FOR SIMPLICITY, THEY RUN IT ALL THE SAME DAY.

THEY DON'T SPLIT UP THEIR DIFFERENT ZONES.

UM, WHEREAS COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE, I DON'T KNOW, SAVVY IF THAT'S THE WORD, UM, AND MIGHT RUN THOSE ZONES DIFFERENTLY.

SO I THINK IN TERMS OF THE DRIP, THAT WOULD BE MORE OF AN IMPACT ON COMMERCIAL IRRIGATION.

I, I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING ACTUALLY IS LIKE, ARE ARE THERE ANY NON IRRIGATION WATER CONSERVATION RESTRICTIONS THAT LIKE IMPACT COMMERCIAL USERS OF WATER? I'M LOOKING FOR THE, LIKE IF, YEAH, I'LL JUST STOP WITH THAT QUESTION, ACTUALLY.

DOES THAT.

WELL, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, OF VERY EFFECTIVE ONES THAT WE HAVE.

UM, IN ADDITION TO THESE ONE DAY A WEEK WATER RESTRICTIONS, WE ALSO HAVE THREE, UM, CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS THAT SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.

WE HAVE ONE, UH, WE HAVE SPECIFICS FOR COOLING TOWERS.

UH, COOLING TOWERS MUST INCLUDE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PIECES OF EQUIPMENT TO MAKE THEM MORE EFFICIENT.

AND THEY HAVE TO ANNUALLY SEND IN AN INSPECTION.

SIMILARLY, FOR CAR WASHES OR VEHICLE WASHES, THOSE COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE THOSE HAVE TO SEND IN AN ANNUAL INSPECTION TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE RUNNING AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.

AND, AND FINALLY, EVEN COMMERCIAL IRRIGATORS WHO HAVE MORE THAN ONE ACRE OF LAND NEED TO, UH, EVERY TWO YEARS HAVE AN INSPECTION OF THEIR IRRIGATION SYSTEM.

SO THERE, THERE CERTAINLY IS A GOOD AMOUNT OF EMPHASIS ON COMMERCIAL USERS OUTSIDE OF THAT WATERING RESTRICTION.

DID THAT GET A LITTLE CLOSER TO WHAT YOU WERE ASKING? YES, THAT'S QUITE HELPFUL ACTUALLY.

THANK YOU.

I, I GUESS THE, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION I'M REALLY ASKING HERE IS LIKE, ARE WE EQUALLY TURNING THE, THE SCREWS ON, LIKE RESIDENTS VERSUS COMMERCIAL ENTITIES? DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IS FAIRLY PROPORTIONED BEING PERSON THAT IS LIKE CLOSE TO THE LIKE, STRATEGY AND DATA HERE? I I DO THINK THAT, THAT WE ARE TRYING TO BE COMPARABLE BETWEEN BOTH TYPES OF CUSTOMERS.

UM, THIS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND I THINK I'VE SPOKEN SEVERAL TIMES, YOU KNOW, WE'VE REALLY BEEN FOCUSING MORE RECENTLY ON, UM, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTS, NEW AND NEW SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTS TRYING TO TRANSPORT LANDSCAPES OF, OF THOSE NEW HOMES.

BUT WE'VE ALSO RECENTLY STARTED, UH, INSPECTING, UH, NEW IRRIGATION SYSTEMS FOR NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.

SO WHILE WE'VE KIND OF BEEN FOCUSING ON RESIDENTIAL OVER THOSE LAST TWO YEARS, WE KINDA GO BACK AND FORTH OVER TIME, UM, IN, IN TRYING TO FOCUS ON ALL THE CUSTOMERS.

SO EVERYONE, EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES TO THE SAVINGS.

UH, OKAY.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER DAVIS? UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

JUST A QUICK QUESTION.

UH, WAS THIS A, A APPROVED BY THE WATER AND COMMISSION LAST WEEK? IT WAS, IT WAS APPROVED LAST TUESDAY.

LAST WEDNESDAY.

LAST WEDNESDAY, CORRECT.

AND IT WAS ALSO APPROVED BY THE, UH, RECOMMENDED BY THE WATERFORD TASK FORCE THE PREVIOUS WEEK, C COMMISSIONERS.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER SA SARITA, UH, YOUR, UH, VIRTUAL HAND IS STILL UP.

DO YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I DO NOT.

I WILL PUT MY HAND DOWN NOW.

THANKS FOR THE NOTE, YOUR VIRTUAL HAND.

OKAY.

UM, WELL THEN, UM, I, I AM GOING TO TAKE THE RARE STEP OF NOT HAVING ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS, AND I'M GOING TO ASK IF THERE ARE MOTIONS FOR APPROVAL OF ITEMS TWO AND THREE, THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN AND THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, UM, TO APPROVE.

I'M SORRY, I JUST SAID MOTION TO APPROVE.

[00:35:01]

HEY THERE.

UH, UH, IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

I A SECOND.

COMMISSIONER GARY, UH, COMMISSIONER GARY, UH, SECONDS.

AND, UM, YOU CAN SECOND YOU, YOU CAN DO THE OTHER.

I CAN BE THE SECOND.

SECOND, YEAH.

UH, ALL IN FAVOR? UH, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

AND THOSE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERA.

UH, THERE'S FOUR IN ATTENDANCE RAISING THEIR HAND.

THERE'S COMMISSIONER FARMER, THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, COMMISSIONER SCAFF AND, UH, COMMISSIONER SARITA.

AND, UH, GARY, ARE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND? COULD YOU PLEASE BE ON CAMERA? YES.

I'M RAISING MY HAND.

I JUST PARKED AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE MY HAND.

MAYBE NOT UHUH.

I'M, HOLD ON THERE.

SHE'S OKAY.

DO YOU SEE MY HAND? THAT WAS GOOD.

I JUST PARKED, I JUST PARKED THAT.

THAT WAS, THAT WAS CLEVER.

OKAY.

WE HAVE, UM, EIGHT VOTES, FOUR, NO ABSTENTIONS, NO NEGATIVES.

IT PASSES.

UH, ON THE ITEM THREE, THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? COMMISSIONER LUKI, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE? I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

OKAY.

UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I, SECOND.

COMMISSIONER GARY, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ BEAT YOU TO IT, BUT VERY WELL.

OKAY, SO WE'VE GOT, UM, ALL IN FAVOR.

PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

WE HAVE FOUR IN ATTENDANCE.

COULD THE, UH, OKAY.

COMMISSIONER SCAFF IS ON CAMERA WITH, UH, RAISED HAND.

COMMISSIONER GARY WITH HER PROBABLY RAISED HAND.

UH, YES.

MY HAND, COMMISSIONER FARMER, CAN YOU DO PUPPETS? ? UH, I CAN.

AND COMMISSIONER, UH, SA SARUS.

OKAY.

WE'VE GOT, UH, 8 0 0.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.

WE ARE, UH,

[6. Staff briefing regarding a Heat Pump Study by Sara Norris, Director, Energy Efficiency Services, Austin Energy and Zach Baumer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Office of Sustainability.]

HELLO, COMMISSIONERS.

I'M ZACH BOMBER WITH THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.

AND WE HAVE, AND I'M SARAH NORRIS, DIRECTOR OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES.

WE'RE JUST GONNA GO BACK AND FORTH LIKE THAT ALL NIGHT.

, THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE PRESENTATION IS GONNA BE A, A PLAY.

UM, NO, ACTUALLY, UH, I'M GONNA KICK OFF THE PRESENTATION AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HEAT PUMPS AND TALK ABOUT, UH, A STUDY THAT, UM, THAT WE COMMISSIONED, UH, THAT WAS FUNDED IN THE BUDGET, UH, LAST YEAR'S BUDGET CYCLE.

AND THEN, UH, WE COLLABORATED WITH AUSTIN ENERGY ON THIS TOPIC.

AND THEN SARAH'S GONNA JUMP IN AND TALK ABOUT AUSTIN ENERGY'S WORK IN THIS AREA.

OKAY, SO AS I MENTIONED, I'M GONNA FIRST GO OVER HEAT PUMPS, THE TECHNOLOGY, THE BACKGROUND ON THIS TOPIC.

UM, THIS MAY BE A TOPIC THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT.

ALSO, EVERYBODY MAY LEARN SOMETHING NEW TONIGHT.

UM, THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS CONTRACTOR SURVEY AND STUDY THAT WE COMMISSIONED AND THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY.

AND THEN ESSENTIALLY PASS IT OVER TO, UH, TO SARAH WHO'S GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, THEIR APPROACH, UM, THEIR CURRENT INCENTIVES FOR, FOR HEAT PUMPS AND THIS TECHNOLOGY, AND A ROADMAP FOR WHERE THEY'RE GOING WITH THIS INTO THE FUTURE.

OKAY, SO WHERE DOES THIS ALL START? UH, SO WE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS, THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021.

UH, THAT, UH, THAT PLAN HAS A GOAL OF NET ZERO COMMUNITY-WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2040.

UH, THERE'S 17 GOALS.

THERE'S 75 STRATEGIES IN THAT PLAN.

THERE ARE FIVE SECTIONS.

ONE OF THE MAJOR SECTIONS IN THIS PLAN IS CALLED SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS.

AND UNDER THAT

[00:40:01]

UH, THE NET ZERO, UM, REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM EXISTING BUILDINGS BY 25%, AND THEN ALSO REDUCE NATURAL GAS USAGE BY 30%, UM, NATURAL GAS EMISSIONS IN BUILDINGS BY 2030.

UM, SO WITHIN THAT PLAN, UH, WITHIN THAT SECTION OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, UH, THERE ARE NUMEROUS GOALS AND STRATEGIES THESE RELATED TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY TECHNOLOGIES.

UM, AND SO THIS IS WHERE WE GET TO HEAT PUMPS.

UH, BUT FIRST, UH, THE EMISSIONS.

SO, UH, THE GOAL HERE IS NET ZERO COMMUNITY WIDE EMISSIONS BY 2040.

UH, SO MY OFFICE, UM, THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY CREATES THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY CARBON FOOTPRINT EVERY YEAR.

WE'VE DONE THIS FOR, I THINK WE HAVE 12 YEARS OF DATA NOW WHERE WE COLLECT DATA FROM ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT SOURCES, DO CALCULATIONS, AND COME UP WITH OUR COLLECTIVE CARBON FOOTPRINT FOOTPRINT FOR THE ENTIRE AUSTIN AREA.

UM, IN 2021, UH, WE NOW ACTUALLY I THINK HAVE THE 2022 CARBON FOOTPRINT.

UM, THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED.

WE'RE ALWAYS KIND OF LIKE A YEAR OR TWO BEHIND ON THIS DATA.

UH, BUT IN 2021, UH, THE TOTAL EMISSIONS OF ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF, UH, ENERGY USAGE AND BUILDINGS, TRANSPORTATION, UH, INDUSTRY WASTE, UH, ALL OF THE EMISSIONS ALTOGETHER WERE ABOUT 11 MILLION METRIC TONS FOR COLLECTIVELY ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S A SLIVER THERE, UH, FOR NATURAL GAS.

SO NINE PER, APPROXIMATELY 9% OF THE EMISSIONS, ABOUT A MILLION TONS PER YEAR COME FROM THE USAGE OF NATURAL GAS IN BUILDINGS.

SO THAT'S NOT NATURAL GAS FOR POWER PLANTS.

THAT'S NATURAL GAS FOR HEATING WATER SPACE CONDITIONING, COOKING.

UM, THE GAS THAT'S USED LIKE IN, UM, IN COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, UM, OUR ESTIMATE IS THAT ABOUT 50%, UM, OF THAT NATURAL GAS IS USED IN SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.

AND THEN ABOUT 50%, UM, OF THOSE EMISSIONS, UH, COME FROM GAS FURNACES.

SO IF YOU TAKE HALF AND THEN HALF, ABOUT 2.25%, UM, OF OUR LOCAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FOR THE, THE COMMUNITY, UM, COME FROM GAS THAT'S USED IN NATURAL GAS FURNACES, UH, TO HEAT TO HEAT HOMES.

SO THAT'S ABOUT 250,000 METRIC TONS PER YEAR.

THAT'S A SIZABLE NUMBER OF TONS PER YEAR.

UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S A SMALL PER PORTION WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO, TO THE TOTAL EMISSIONS.

SO THIS IS WHERE HEAT PUMPS COME IN.

UM, TRADITIONAL TRADITIONAL HEATING, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LONGEST TIME WAS DONE IS, WAS DONE WITH, UM, NATURAL GAS FURNACES.

UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS TO HEAT AND SPACE CONDITION BUILDINGS.

YOU CAN USE FUEL OIL, YOU CAN USE NATURAL GAS, YOU CAN USE ELECTRIC RESISTANCE.

UM, BUT THE NEWEST, NEWEST TECHNOLOGY ON THE SCENE IS HEAT PUMPS.

UH, SO HEAT PUMPS ARE, UH, HVC SYSTEMS THAT EFFICIENTLY MOVE HEAT IN AND OUTSIDE OF A HOME.

SO THEY ESSENTIALLY, AN AIR CONDITIONER TENDS TO MOVE HEAT ONE DIRECTION, SO IT MOVES HEAT FROM THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE, WHEREAS A HEAT PUMP CAN BE REVERSED.

AND SO IT'S ESSENTIALLY ADVANCED HVAC TECHNOLOGY THAT USES COMPRESSORS AND EXPANSION WITH GASES AND CAN ESSENTIALLY TAKE HEAT FROM THE OUTDOORS AND PUSH IT INSIDE TO THE HOUSE.

UM, SO IN THE WINTER, UH, SO YOU CAN HAVE ESSENTIALLY ONE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT DURING THE SUMMER, COOLS YOUR HOUSE AND THEN YOU SWITCH IT TO HEAT, AND THEN THE SAME PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WITHOUT USING NATURAL GAS RUNS BACKWARDS, BASICALLY IN REVERSE AND WARMS UP THE HOUSE.

UM, SO YOU CAN ESSENTIALLY JUST HAVE ONE SYSTEM INSTEAD OF HAVING MULTIPLE SYSTEMS IN YOUR HOUSE.

UM, THERE ARE TWO TYPES.

THE FIRST, THE MOST COMMON TYPE THAT YOU SEE ALL OVER THE PLACE ALL OVER AUSTIN HAVE BEEN, UM, ADVANCING A LOT IN THE LAST DECADE ARE DUCTLESS MINI SPLITS.

SO WHEN YOU SEE LIKE A GARAGE OR LIKE AN EXTRA AC UNIT THAT'S PUT SOMEWHERE, UM, IT'S LIKE THE THING YOU SEE THERE, IT'S JUST SMALL, IT'S THIN, UM, AND IT'S NOT FORCED AIR INSIDE.

THERE'S ESSENTIALLY JUST ONE BLOWER INSIDE THAT IS MAKING COOLING, UM, COOLING AND HEATING FOR A SMALLER SPACE.

UM, THERE ARE ALSO, UH, FULL DUCTED SYSTEMS THAT HAVE, UM, THAT CAN ESSENTIALLY JUST REPLACE A FULL, UH, FURNACE AND AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM IN A HOUSE.

UM, AND THE, THE MOST EFFICIENT TYPE OF THESE HEAT PUMPS ARE CALLED VARIABLE SPEED INVERTER BASED HEAT PUMPS.

SO THAT'S THE MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, UM, BENEFITS OF HEAT PUMPS.

SO

[00:45:01]

UM, IT CAN, THAT CAN CREATE CONSISTENT ALL SEASON HEATING AND COOLING.

SO YOU ESSENTIALLY DON'T GET AS HOT OF AIR COMING OUT OF A HEAT PUMP.

YOU GET A MORE CONSISTENT TEMPERATURE THAT THAT RUNS WHEN IT CREATES HEAT.

UM, ALONG WITH THE COOLING, THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVED INDOOR AIR QUALITY.

UM, IF YOU'RE NOT BURNING GAS IN YOUR HOUSE, GAS, UM, AND GAS EMISSIONS ARE OBVIOUSLY SUPPOSED TO BE VENTED AND EXHAUSTED OUT OF YOUR HOUSE FOR SAFETY REASONS.

UM, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE THINGS AT ALL IN YOUR HOUSE, YOU JUST AVOID THAT EMISSION SOURCE.

UM, THERE'S POTENTIALLY LOWER BILLS IF YOU'RE SWITCHING FROM ELECTRIC RESISTANCE, HEATING.

UM, ELECTRIC RESISTANCE HEATING DURING THE WINTER CAN CREATE VERY HIGH ELECTRIC BILLS.

UM, AND HEAT PUMPS ARE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AT DOING HEATING.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, AND THIS IS WHERE REALLY THE CARBON EMISSIONS FIT INTO THIS, IS THAT, UM, AS WE, UH, RAPIDLY ARE INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY ON OUR GRID, IF YOU'RE USING RENEWABLE ENERGY TO RUN A HEAT PUMP TO ESSENTIALLY HEAT YOUR HOME IN THE WINTER, UM, THAT CAN BE MUCH LESS CARBON INTENSIVE AND WE CAN REALLY REDUCE THOSE EMISSIONS, UM, OF NATURAL GAS USAGE FOR HEATING BUILDINGS.

BUT, UM, THEY'RE NOT A SILVER BULLET, RIGHT? EVERY TECHNOLOGY HAS PROS AND CONS, UM, IN OUR, SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE, IT'S NOT LIKE THIS IS JUST A ONE-TO-ONE SWITCH.

WE HAVE MANY, UM, NEW BUILDINGS, EXISTING BUILDINGS THAT HAVE, UM, THAT USE NATURAL GAS FOR HEATING.

AND THIS ISN'T JUST AN EASY OVERNIGHT SWITCH.

UM, SO SWITCHING OUT HEAT PUMPS, UM, THE COSTS ARE GONNA VARY.

A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S GONNA BE ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL COST TO UPGRADE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS IN A HOUSE.

UM, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS NEW TECHNOLOGY, THE HEAT PUMP, UH, EQUIPMENT RIGHT NOW CAN BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN JUST A REGULAR AIR CONDITIONER AND OR A FURNACE.

UM, SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE COST THERE.

UM, IF YOU HAVE A HOUSE THAT'S ALSO, UH, CURRENTLY HAS, SAY A LOW GAS BILL AND A GENERALLY LOW ELECTRICITY BILL, IF YOU ALL OF A SUDDEN SWITCH OFF OF GAS, YOU MAY HAVE HIGHER ELECTRIC BILLS IN THE WINTER, RIGHT? YOU MAY HAVE A LOWER GAS BILL, BUT, UH, THE PERCEPTION AND THE ACTUAL LIKE REALITY OF THE COST SAVINGS MAY BE SORT OF, UM, UH, WASHED OUT WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES.

UM, ALSO, UM, THERE'S BEEN KIND OF THE QUESTION ALL ALONG ABOUT THE LOCAL HVAC CONTRACTING, UM, AND CONTRACTORS, RIGHT? UM, AND THIS IS BECAUSE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PARTICULARLY THE RESIDENTIAL, SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTIFAMILY MARKET, WHEN WE'RE BUILDING NEW BUILDINGS, UM, WE CAN APPLY NEW ENERGY CODES, WE CAN BUILD THE BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT GAS TO BEGIN WITH, AND THERE'S A SIMPLE SORT OF, UH, PAYBACK THERE.

UM, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RETROFITTING BUILDINGS, THINGS GET A LOT MORE COMPLICATED.

UM, AND THEY GET PARTICULARLY MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE MANY TIMES PEOPLE ARE MAKING THESE DECISIONS ABOUT SWITCHING THEIR WHOLE HVAC SYSTEM, UM, DURING SORT OF TIMES OF DURESS, RIGHT? YOUR FURNACE GOES OUT IN THE WINTER, IT'S COLD, YOU NEED TO GET IT FIXED, YOU CALL AN HVAC CONTRACTOR, AND YOUR DECISION IS SORT OF IN, YOU'RE IN THIS DECISION PROCESS WITH THE CONTRACTOR RIGHT THEN.

UM, SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO, UH, REACH OUT TO CONTRACTORS AND DO THIS HVAC CONTRACTOR STUDY, ESSENTIALLY, TO, TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS, WHAT ARE THE COSTS, WHAT ARE THE REBATES? LIKE, WHAT IS THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE WHEN IT COMES TO HEAT PUMPS? SO WE CAN TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS AND TRY TO GET, UM, POTENTIALLY MORE RETROFITS, UM, IN EXISTING BUILDINGS TO, TO HEAT PUMPS.

UM, JUST REAL QUICKLY ON THE NEW BUILDINGS, AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ANALYSIS ABOUT THIS DONE NATIONWIDE.

THIS IS A STUDY FROM THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE THAT ACTUALLY LOOKED AT OUR SPECIFIC, UM, CLIMATE ZONE RELATED TO HEAT PUMPS.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THE CONVERSATION ABOUT HEATING IN THE WINTER, UM, WHERE YOU ARE IN THE COUNTRY MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE IN NEW YORK, IF YOU'RE IN CHICAGO, YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE VERY HIGH NEEDS FOR HEATING.

IT'S VERY COLD.

UM, BUT HERE WE DON'T HAVE, UM, HAVE AS MUCH OF A NEED FOR HEATING.

UM, SO THIS ANALYSIS WAS DONE.

UM, THERE'S A FULL REPORT ON THIS.

I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THE DETAILS, BUT THEY ESSENTIALLY DID THE MATH AND SAID, IF YOU PLAN UP FRONT FOR A NEW HOME TO BE ALL ELECTRIC AND USE HEAT PUMPS, YOU CAN SAVE MONEY UP FRONT.

YOU CAN SAVE MONEY OVER A 15 YEAR LIFETIME.

UM, AND YOU CAN

[00:50:01]

SO IT'S KIND OF A SLAM DUNK FOR, UH, FOR NEW BUILDINGS, UM, FOR RETROFITS.

THIS IS WHERE IT GETS COMPLICATED.

UM, SO WE JUST SORT OF GENERALLY PAINTED TWO DIFFERENT SCENARIOS HERE.

SO THE SCENARIO ON THE LEFT IS YOU LIVE IN A HOUSE, IT HAS A GAS FURNACE, IT HAS AN AC UNIT, AND, UH, THE SYSTEM BREAKS FOR SOME REASON AND YOU WANT TO TRANSITION TO A HEAT PUMP.

SO, UM, THE SORT OF GENERAL, GENERAL FINDINGS BASED ON ANALYSIS AND THE INTERVIEWS AND THE INFORMATION THAT WAS FROM THE STUDY ARE THAT, UH, FOR A SIMILAR EFFICIENCY UNIT, THERE'S COMPARABLE, UM, THERE'S COMPARABLE PRICE, LIKELY SOME PRICE DIFFERENCE, UM, FOR A SIMILAR EFFICIENCY UNIT OF, UM, THE HEAT PUMP VERSUS THE GAS AND AC SYSTEM.

UM, BUT IT'S LIKELY THAT, UH, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DO AN ELECTRIC PANEL UPGRADE.

YOU MIGHT SAVE, UM, SOME MONEY OVER THE YEARS, UM, OVER THE FULL YEAR BASED ON LIKE WHAT THE WINTER TEMPERATURES ARE.

UM, BUT YOU'RE DEFINITELY GONNA REDUCE EMISSIONS.

SO IF YOU'RE SWITCHING FROM GAS TO FULL ELECTRIC, I THINK THE SORT OF ANALYSIS AND SORT OF THE TAKE ON THIS NOW IS THAT IT MAY COST MORE MONEY, UM, BUT YOU'RE GONNA REDUCE EMISSIONS.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF UP TO CUSTOMERS WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA MAKE THAT CHOICE.

UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE IS ELECTRIC RESISTANCE.

SO THERE IS A LOT OF HOUSING IN THE CITY THAT HAS ELECTRIC RESISTANCE HEATING.

MUCH OF THAT IS MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, OLDER MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.

UM, THIS IS MUCH MORE OF A SLAM DOCK.

UM, ELECTRICAL UPGRADES ARE LESS LIKELY IN THIS SCENARIOS.

UH, THE HEAT PUMP IS MUCH MORE EFFICIENT IN THE WINTER THAN ELECTRIC RESISTING THAN ELECTRIC RESISTANCE.