[00:00:03]
[CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
LET'S CALL A MEETING TO ORDER.UM, SO BESIDES VICE CHAIR WHITE, IS SHE ON YET? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ, NOT YET.
UH, COMMISSIONER BELLAMY WILL NOT BE HERE.
COMMISSIONER BLACKBURN WILL NOT BE HERE.
COMMISSIONER BRADEN IS REMOTE.
COMMISSIONER GILLETTE IS HERE.
COMMISSIONER EY KIRKEY IS TRYING TO CALL IN, BUT NOT YET.
COMMISSIONER RE IS RIGHT HERE BESIDE ME.
SO WE HAVE ROLL CALLED AND WE HAVE OUR SIX FOR A QUORUM.
UM, SO FIRST LET ME SAY ONE THING BEFORE WE GET ROLLING.
UM, I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT THIS IS RUSTY MCMANUS LAST MEETING, AND WE'D LIKE TO THANK HIM FOR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY FOR 26 YEARS.
AND WE, WE WISH YOU BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR WHATEVER YOUR NEXT ENDEAVOR IS.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
WE HAVE SARAH, FIRST, SARAH, BLACKI JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, ON TOP OF THAT, PEOPLE SAY IS A MYTH.
ELECTRICITY IS A ESSENTIAL SERVICE.
AND BACK IN 2008, I WAS LIVING WITH A ROOMMATE IN HYDE PARK AND SHE WAS LEAVING.
SO I DECIDED TO PUT THE ELECTRICITY IN MY NAME AND PUT THE LEASE IN MY NAME.
ALSO, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SIMPLE.
I FILLED OUT THE APPLICATION, GAVE AUSTIN ENERGY, MY DRIVER'S LICENSE AND MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.
AND THEN SEVERAL DAYS WENT BY, MAYBE EVEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WENT BY AND MY ROOMMATE LEFT, AND THEN THE ELECTRICITY WAS TURNED OFF WITH ME IN THE APARTMENT.
SO I DECIDED TO GO BY SOME SORT OF SUBSTATION OR SOMETHING FOR AUSTIN ENERGY AND SEE WHY IT WAS TAKING SO LONG.
AND WHEN I WENT THERE, I WAS TOLD THEY WERE INVESTIGATING MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND I LOOKED BEHIND ME AND THERE WAS A LINE OF PEOPLE.
THERE WERE 12 TO 15 PEOPLE IN LINE.
AND I SAID, WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE? AND I WAS TOLD THOSE WERE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS AND THAT THEY, ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS SHOW THEIR LEASE AND THEIR MEXICAN ID AND THEY WOULD GET ELECTRIC SERVICE IN THREE DAYS.
SO IN ALL, IT TOOK ABOUT 20 DAYS FOR AUSTIN ENERGY TO SWITCH THE SERVICE TO MY NAME.
MEANWHILE, I LOST ALL THE FOOD IN MY REFRIGERATOR AND I LOST THE ROOMMATE THAT I VETTED.
I HAD VETTED, BEEN VETTING A ROOMMATE THAT WAS THE PERFECT FIT, BUT SHE COULD NOT COME AND LOOK AT THE APARTMENT WHEN THERE WAS NO ELECTRICITY.
AND, UM, FINALLY MY ELECTRICITY WAS TURNED ON.
BUT, UM, THEN I WAS PAYING DOUBLE RENT.
THIS WAS 2008, SO THAT'S DOUBLE RENT.
AND, UM, I COULDN'T OVERCOME THE IRREPARABLE HARM OF AUSTIN ENERGY, TAKING ABOUT 20 DAYS TO TURN ON MY ELECTRIC SERVICE.
AND I WAS EVICTED FROM THAT APARTMENT.
SO, UM, LEFT HOMELESS, SO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, THAT WAS THAT.
AND ALSO THAT HAPPENED TO ME WITH HEALTH SERVICES HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN BENEFITED BECAUSE WHEN YOU CALLED THE AMBULANCE AND YOU DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, THEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN BILLS YOU $992.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S NOT A MYTH THAT REALLY HAPPENED TO ME.
AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY.
MEMBERS, MY NAME IS SCOTT JOHNSON.
COULD YOU PUT THIS SLIDE UP PLEASE? I WANNA TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE UTILITY BILL FUNDS.
ONE IS ONE THAT HAS BEEN THERE SINCE THE EARLY EIGHTIES.
THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE, UH, PROGRAM PLUS ONE.
[00:05:01]
THAT ONE IS DOING BETTER, AS YOU CAN SEE THAN THE OTHERS.BUT HISTORICALLY HAS DONE BETTER.
THE OTHER TWO HAVE BEEN CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.
THEY'VE BEEN REPURPOSED AND RENAMED THE FIRST ONE.
PARKS AND LIBRARIES FUND USED TO BE THE TREE PLANNING PROGRAM.
TREES ARE STILL, SOME FUNDING IS PROVIDED FOR TREES, BUT ON THE PARK SIDE, THIS MONEY GOES TO A SCHOLARSHIP TO HELP FAMILIES WHO CAN'T NORMALLY AFFORD A SUMMER CAMP OR A SPORTS LEAGUE.
THEY GET 50% OF THAT COVERED, SOMETIMES MORE ON THE LIBRARY SIDE, IT'S DIGITAL MATERIALS AND HISTORICALLY IT'S, IT'S BEEN LOWER WHEN IT WAS A TREE FUND.
IT'S NOT AS HIGH AS I'D LIKE IT TO BE.
AND THE AMOUNT OF CONTRIBUTORS OR DONORS ARE THERE IN THE CENTER.
AND THAT'S BEEN SLIPPING ON ALL OF THE FUNDS, INCLUDING THE HOMELESS STUDENT ASSISTANCE FUND THAT I ASKED COUNCIL TO CHANGE THE NAME FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ENERGY ASSISTANCE FUND, AND THEY DID IN EARLY 2023.
THAT ONE'S BEEN DOING MUCH BETTER.
IT'S OFF A LITTLE BIT THIS YEAR FROM LAST YEAR, AND I WANTED TO BRING YOUR AWARENESS TO THESE FUNDS THAT HELP THE COMMUNITY AND ONES THAT YOU CAN DONATE TO ONE TIME PER YEAR WOULD BE BETTER.
JUST 10, 20, 50, A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
AND IT'S EASIER FOR US IN ENERGY TO HANDLE ONE PAYMENT PER YEAR RATHER THAN MULTIPLE.
YOU CAN DONATE EVERY MONTH FOR THE AMOUNT THAT YOU CAN AFFORD.
AND, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THESE ALIVE AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THE AMOUNT OF DONORS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
I'M, I'M WORKING WITH STAFF RIGHT NOW TO GET NEWSLETTER ARTICLES IN AUSTIN UTILITIES NOW, AND ONE SHOULD BE COMING OUT IN NOVEMBER NEXT YEAR.
THERE'S A NEW PROGRAM THAT CARE CARRIE MIGHT TOUCH ON, SO I WON'T GO INTO ANY DETAIL ON IT.
AND BY SIMPLY BEING HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT, HOPEFULLY PEOPLE ARE WATCHING ON A TXN AND YOU CAN GET INVOLVED.
THE HOMELESS STUDENT ASSISTANCE FUND IS ONE THAT THE FUNDING GOES TO.
THE U ISDS THAT ARE IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY SERVICE AREA, THERE'S SEVEN OF THEM.
AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IS THE LARGEST OF THOSE.
THEY GET ABOUT 60% OF IT, BUT OTHER ONES GET SOME, THE ROUND ROCK ONE GETS $2,500 A YEAR.
AND THOSE PEOPLE THAT GET THE MONEY WORK, UH, WITH FAMILIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS AND ALSO THOSE THAT ARE EXPER THAT KIDS WHO ARE IN FOSTER CARE.
AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE HOMELESS ISSUE.
WE NEED TO PARTICULARLY WORK ON IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS, BECAUSE NORMALLY WHEN THAT PERSON GROWS UP, THEIR CHANCE OF THEM BEING HOMELESS IS MUCH GREATER.
SO I CARE ABOUT ADULT HOMELESSNESS, BUT THE FOCUS OF THE CITY HAS BEEN ON THAT AND HAS NOT BEEN ON STUDENT OR YOUTH HOMELESSNESS.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON IT? I THE, WE APPROVE THE MINUTES.
WILL WE HAVE A MOTION? DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, CESAR.
[Items 2 - 8]
AND ACTION ITEMS. WE HAVE TWO THROUGH NINE.I WANNA PULL NINE SO WE CAN DISCUSS THE 2026 SCHEDULE.
ANY OTHERS WANT TO PULL ANY OF THE ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION? NO.
SO HOW ABOUT A MOTION FOR TWO THROUGH EIGHT? SO MOVED A SECOND.
SO TWO THROUGH EIGHT ARE APPROVED.
[9. Discussion and approval of the 2026 Electric Utility Commission Meeting Schedule.]
GO TO NUMBER NINE.THAT IS OUR MEETING SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
IT'S IN THE PACKET GENERALLY, WHAT IS IT SECOND TO SECOND MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH, EXCEPT FOR THE ONE THAT IS FLAGGED RIGHT NOW IS, UM, JULY 20TH, 2026 INSTEAD OF JULY 13TH.
AND THE NOTION THERE IS TO ALIGN BETTER WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
NIKKI, ANY OTHER DETAILS ON THAT? NO, WE MOVED IT TO THE THIRD WEEK OF JULY IN ORDER FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO PRESENT
[00:10:01]
THE BUDGET TO COUNCIL AND THEN HAVE THE EUC MEETING FOLLOWING THAT.AND THEN WE WILL NOT HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING.
AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS ON OCTOBER 12TH, WHICH IS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY.
SO WE MAY WANNA MOVE THAT JUST AS WE DID THIS YEAR TO PERHAPS A WEEK LATER ON OCTOBER 19TH.
ANYONE HAVE A CONCERN WITH THAT? I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
SO GABBY, YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION AND DO, UH, YEAH, I'LL MOVE.
WE, UH, CANCELED THE OCTOBER 12TH AND MOVE THAT MEETING TO OCTOBER 19TH.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CALENDAR? DUE ABOVE THE JULY 20TH DATE SINCE THE WORLD CUP FINAL IS JULY 19TH, SO THAT MEANS IT WILL BE AFTER THE WORLD CUP, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, CYRUS, BUT GOOD POINT, CYRUS.
OKAY, SO ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS SCHEDULE THAT'S REVISED WITH OCTOBER 19TH, AND WE'VE GOT JULY 20TH ALREADY SET.
[10. Staff Briefing on Austin Energy’s Customer Assistance Program by Kerry Overton, Deputy General Manager and Chief Customer Officer.]
SO NEXT WE HAVE STAFF BRIEFINGS.NUMBER 10 IS CARRIE OVERTON WITH, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M CARRIE OVERTON, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER AND CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER HERE AT AUSTIN ENERGY.
UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND JUST ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, IT'S A, A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU THIS EVENING TO COVER, UH, THE SUCCESS THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS AND THE EXPANDING OF THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE, UH, DISCOUNT PROGRAM.
I'LL REFER TO IT AS THE CAP DISCOUNT OR CAP PROGRAM.
UH, THIS WAS A GREAT JOURNEY FOR OUR TEAM IN DECEMBER OF 20, UH, AS PART OF THE DECEMBER, 2022 COUNCIL RESOLUTION, WE EXPANDED ENROLLMENT FOR ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS LIVING BELOW 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE.
AND WE EXPANDED IT INTO OUR CAP DISCOUNT PROGRAM.
AT THAT TIME, OUR CURRENT CAP ENROLLMENT WAS AT 35,000 HOUSEHOLDS.
THE GOAL WAS REACHED OR IDENTIFIED THROUGH A COMPUTATION OF LOOKING AT, UM, TEXAS STATE HHS FILES AND THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH FILES, WHERE WE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST 93,000 CUSTOMERS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE ELIGIBLE IN OUR SERVICE TERRITORY.
THE RESOLUTION REQUIRED US TO SEEK EXPANDING TO 90% OF THAT, WHICH GOT US TO THE GOAL OF THE 90, UM, SORRY, 83,700 HOUSEHOLDS ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM.
THAT WAS, THAT PROGRAM WAS DIVIDED INTO THREE YEAR MILESTONES, UM, OVER EACH YEAR, AS YOU CAN SEE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THAT OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
YOU CAN THEN ACTUALLY SEE THE NUMBERS THAT WE WERE, UH, SUCCESSFUL MOVING FROM THE 32,000, UM, AND, UH, THE ASSOCIATE INCREASES OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
AND THEN AS OF NOW, CURRENTLY WE'RE ONLY ABOUT 500 HOUSEHOLDS AWAY FROM THAT NUMBER.
SO WE'VE ALL, BUT THROUGH THE PROGRAM THAT WE'VE CREATED, MADE SURE THAT THOSE ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERS ARE RECEIVING THESE DISCOUNTS.
AND THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT AND, UH, TO, TO REACH THAT SUCCESS, UH, IN THAT GOAL.
UH, FOR CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE ALL UTILITY SERVICES, THEY CAN RECEIVE AS MUCH AS $1,400, UH, IN BENEFITS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND THAT WOULD EQUATE TO, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE CORRESPONDING, UM, SERVICE DEPARTMENTS, THE UTILITIES, ELECTRIC WATER, WASTEWATER AND DRAINAGE.
THERE ARE OTHER CUSTOMERS THAT ONLY HAVE ONE OF THOSE SERVICES OR MAYBE A COMBINATION OF A FEW.
AND THEN THE SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT IN ITS TOTALITY IS ABOUT $38 MILLION A YEAR.
[00:15:01]
PART OF OUR BUDGET THAT SERVES THOSE HOUSEHOLDS.AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE TEAM HAS BEEN VERY PROUD ABOUT.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, BENEFITS GOING INTO THIS COMMUNITY, UH, IN TERMS OF US REACHING THAT GOAL.
THE, THE BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM IS NOT JUST IN DOLLARS THAT ARE RECEIVED.
WE USE A MODEL, UM, THAT'S COMING FROM THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS CALLED THE WRAPAROUND SERVICE.
AND SO WHAT WE PROVIDE IS A HOLISTIC REVIEW OF HELPING WORKING IN PARTNERSHIPS, WORKING IN STRATEGIC, UH, POSITIONING AND OUTREACH, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE SERVICES THAT WE COULD DO HERE IN HOUSE, BUT WE DO EXPAND THOSE SERVICES TO REACH CUSTOMERS BY BRINGING IN OTHER PARTNERS TO BRING, TO BRING MORE RESOURCES TO BEAR TO HELP THESE CUSTOMERS.
THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES REALLY THIS, IF I COULD REALLY KIND OF DRAW THAT IN A CYCLICAL, UH, VIEW ILLUSTRATION, IT'S REALLY ABOUT THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
IT'S ABOUT THE TYPE OF PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDE.
UH, THE DISCOUNT IS PART OF THAT, BUT WE ALSO PROVIDE PLUS ONE, UH, DOLLARS, WHICH IS FOR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE FACING A HARDSHIP AT A SINGLE POINT IN TIME.
THEY'RE ABLE TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO AVOID DISCONNECTIVE SERVICES.
WE PROVIDE ARREARAGE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS TO HELP CUSTOMERS, UM, WHO NEED ADDITIONAL AND EXTENDED PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS.
UM, THROUGH OUR, UM, UH, DEPARTMENT, WE ALSO, UM, UM, ADD THIS PROGRAM TO WHAT WE PROVIDE IN WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS. AND I KNOW THAT MAYBE OUR LAST, UH, ONE OR TWO BACK, UH, PRESENTATIONS, WE HAD THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM HERE AS WELL, UH, TALKING ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
THIS IS REALLY ABOUT THE CUSTOMERS AND THE WAY WE DO CASE MANAGEMENT.
WE ACTUALLY DO, UM, HOME VISITS, SITE VISITS TO THESE, UH, CUSTOMERS.
UM, AND WE ALSO PROVIDE A LOT OF EDUCATION ON HOW TO ENROLL INTO OUR PROGRAMS, OTHER PROGRAMS THAT THEY CAN LOOK AT.
AND WE ALSO ACT AS A REFERRAL SERVICES.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE WHOLE BASIS OF THE SUPPORT THAT GOES FROM THOSE CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCING DISPLACEMENT.
THOSE THAT ARE, UH, WE HAVE BASIC NEEDS REFERRALS, UM, AND EVEN, UH, SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
THAT PROGRAM IS PART OF THAT, UM, UH, WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
WE HAVE A DESIGNATED TEAM THAT PROVIDES THESE KINDS OF SERVICES, UM, WITH, WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, IN THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO STILL KEEP THAT TEAM.
IT'S A, IT'S A MODERATE, PRETTY SMALL, BUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE LAST THREE YEARS IS, UM, AUTOMATE AND USE, UM, MODERNIZATION IMPROVEMENTS INTO OUR PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S THE MAIN WAY IN WHICH WE'VE EXPANDED IT.
AND PART OF THAT MODERNIZATION IS LOOKING AT REAL TIME APPLICATION PROTOCOL INTERFACES.
BUT BASICALLY WHAT THAT COMES TO IS WE FOUND, UM, SEVERAL WAYS TO MAKE THE APPLICATION PROCESS LESS CUMBERSOME, MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO APPLY, UM, AND ALSO GET THE RESPONSES BACK, UM, FASTER.
WE CREATED A PORTAL, UM, THAT'S PART OF THAT, UM, EASE OF DOING BUSINESS WITH US.
AND THEN WE WORKED WITH ALL OF OUR DATA ANALYTICS TEAM AND OUR PARTNERS TO TAKE DATA AND ANALYZE IT FROM GEO-BASED, UH, POVERTY DATA SHARING WITH OTHER, UM, ENTITIES.
WE, UH, WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT DATA, AND THAT'S HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO BETTER MATCH AND FIND THOSE HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE.
UM, AND THEN WE DID, UM, UM, AS WAS MENTIONED EVEN BY, UH, ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, UM, SCOTT HAD MENTIONED, WE'VE DONE TARGETED, UM, OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UM, AND THE STRENGTH OF THIS IS REALLY THAT STAFF THAT PROVIDES THESE SERVICES, UM, JUST, UM, THEY HAVE A, A, A SIMPLE LINE QUEUE THAT WHEN PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF THE CUST THE CAP PROGRAM, THEY CAN CALL DIRECTLY, UH, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY TALKING IN THE HIGH BULK, UH, VOLUME CALL CENTER.
THEY'RE TALKING DIRECTLY TO THE EXPERTS THAT CAN HELP THEM, AND THEY MAY HAVE INDIVIDUAL, UM, SITUATIONS THAT NEED MORE ATTENTION.
AGAIN, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IS EXTENSIVE.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING AS WE'VE NOW EXPANDED THIS PROGRAM, WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME MAKING SURE THAT OUR QUALITY CONTROL, UH, AND INTEGRITY IN THE PROGRAM, UH, IS REALLY UP TO PAR.
AND SO WE HAVE A TEAM DOING, UM, ANALYSIS OF EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED INTO THE PORTFOLIO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, MEET, RE REACHING THRESHOLDS OF COMFORT THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IDENTIFIED, UH, FOR THE PROGRAM.
[00:20:02]
SO REALLY IN SUMMARY, UM, THIS WAS A LOT OF WORK, UM, FOR, UH, THE TEAM.UM, A LOT OF, UH, WORK FROM OUR IT STAFF, OUR BUDGET ANALYSTS, THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THESE PARTNERSHIPS HAVE BEEN VERY VITAL, UH, AND IMPORTANT.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF EDUCATION AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, EACH GROUP UNDERSTANDS HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS.
WE MODIFIED IT BASED ON, UH, FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, THE COMMUNITY OF FAITH, UH, AND THE OTHER NONPROFITS.
UH, AND WE ARE BETTER ALIGNED, UM, OUR PROGRAM TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE CONTINUE TO WATCH WHAT HAS, UM, HAPPENED ON THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE THAT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT OUR PARTNER UTILITIES, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE AUSTIN AREA TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES.
SO EVEN WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP OUR EFFORTS, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AS WE GO.
UM, OFTENTIMES WHAT WE HAVE FOUND THOUGH IS THAT WHEN WE'RE AT OUR COMM, UM, OUR PEER GROUP CONFERENCES, UM, WE ACTUALLY ARE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF SOME OF OUR PEERS AND THEY'RE WANTING TO MODEL, UM, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT AGAIN, UH, WHILE WE CELEBRATE THAT, WE STILL HAVE LEFT, UH, REMAIN OPEN-MINDED, UH, TO OTHER OP OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY COME FORWARD.
BUT, UM, WE BELIEVE THAT WE'VE, WE WE'RE RIGHT AT THAT SORT OF SATURATION POINT.
I DON'T THINK YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WE'LL STILL GROW MODERATELY, BUT YOU, I DON'T THINK YOU'LL SEE THOSE TENS OF THOUSANDS, EXCUSE ME, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ENROLLEES YOU, IT'LL BE, UH, YOU KNOW, A FEW HERE AND, UM, OTHERS THAT'LL BEING APPLIED.
BUT WE THINK THAT WE HAVE THOSE AT LEAST UNDER THE 200% OF THE FPL.
UH, THAT'S MY PRESENTATION FOR YOU TODAY, AND I'M HERE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
SO WHAT PERCENTAGE ARE CAP CUSTOMERS OF THE OVERALL RESIDENTIAL POPULATION? UH, IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY, UM, A GOOD WAY TO THINK OF IT IS, UM, FOR EVERY SIX CUSTOMER, ONE IN SIX IS ARE RECEIVING DISCOUNTS.
UH, CYRUS, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP FIRST? YEAH.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK.
UM, ON THAT INITIAL SLIDE, UH, SHOWING THE GOALS AND THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, VERY NEAR TO MEETING THE GOAL, UM, THIRD SLIDE.
CAN YOU GIVE US, CAN, CAN YOU GIVE US THE OKAY, YEAH.
THE BAR CHART? YEAH, THE BAR CHART, YEAH.
SO, UM, CAN YOU JUST TELL US THE, THE NUMBERS IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, HOW, HOW MUCH MONEY DOES THIS INVOLVE? LIKE WHAT'S THE COST OF SERVING, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE BACK AT 32,000 VERSUS SERVING 82,000 PEOPLE, WHAT APPROXIMATELY, HOW MUCH IS THAT OF IN, IN BUDGETED TERMS? YEAH, THE, THE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THAT IS, UM, IN, IN 2022, WE WERE ENDING THAT YEAR VERY CLOSE TO JUST UNDER ABOUT $20 MILLION A YEAR IN TOTAL BENEFITS.
UM, AND I'LL, AND I'LL SPEAK TO OPERATING COSTS DIFFERENTLY, UH, IN BENEFITS.
AND NOW, UM, OUR, WE ENDED THE END OF THE YEAR, AND CURRENTLY YOU'RE SPENDING ABOUT THE 38 MILLION THAT I'M SPEAKING OF NOW.
SO THAT DELTA WOULD BE, UM, IT ALMOST DOUBLED, UM, 18 TO 20, $21 MILLION DIFFERENTIAL, BUT WE'VE HELPED 50,000 ADDITIONAL FOLKS.
THAT'S, THAT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD DEAL.
ISN'T IT PROPORTIONAL, AL COMMISSIONER BRADEN, AND, UH, CONGRATULATE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE.
I REMEMBER WHEN THIS THING FIRST STARTED ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, IT LOOKED LIKE A BIG HILL TO CLIMB.
AND, AND YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE REALLY CLIMBED IT AND DONE A, A GOOD JOB.
I THINK BESIDES THE RAW NUMBERS, WHAT IMPRESSES ME MOST IS THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES WHERE YOU CAN REALLY MEET PEOPLE AND HELP THEM WITH, WITH OTHER THINGS, BECAUSE IN THEIR SHOES, IT'S A TOUGH WORLD TO NAVIGATE.
AND, AND HAVING VISIBILITY AND, AND SUPPORT TO REACH THOSE OTHER SERVICES IS A, IS A REAL PLUS ON THIS PROGRAM.
SO KUDOS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
AND THANK YOU ALSO, UM, CYRUS EARLIER FOR YOUR COMPLIMENTS AS WELL.
I THINK RA DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? RAUL, DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP ALSO? YES.
AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE STAFF ON THE, ON THE MILES HITTING
[00:25:01]
THE MILESTONES.I MEAN, IT'S, UH, PRETTY AMAZING, UH, ESPECIALLY IN THESE TIMES WHERE EVERYTHING'S, UH, MORE EXPENSIVE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPACTFUL FOR MANY FAMILIES AND, UH, JUST APPRECIATE THE DILIGENCE IN WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU AND YOUR TEAM, RIGHT.
UH, EVERYBODY AT AE THAT'S INVOLVED, UH, UH, HAVE GOT IT TO THIS, HAVE GOT US TO THIS POINT.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT, AND WE DEFINITELY WILL MAKE SURE THAT THIS, THESE WORDS OF KINDNESS, UH, GET TO THE STAFF.
KIBA, YOU HAD A QUESTION OR COMMENT? YEAH.
UM, WELL FIRST, YEAH, GREAT JOB.
UM, I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS A FOLLOW UP TO, UM, CYRUS'S QUESTION, IT SEEMS THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE COST INCREASE WAS NOT PROPORTIONAL WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, WHY THAT IS? UH, WELL, A LOT OF IT, IT JUST, IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY OF THOSE CUSTOMERS HAVE ALL OF THE SERVICES IN TERMS OF THE DISCOUNT VERSUS THOSE IN RATIO.
AS WE'VE GREW THE PROGRAM, HOW MANY OF THEM MAY ONLY HAVE, UH, WATER BUT NOT ELECTRIC? IT DEPENDED ON WHERE THEY ARE.
AND SO I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THE DATA WITH ME RIGHT NOW TO MAKE THAT BREAKDOWN, BUT IT'S NOT, UM, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE DISCOUNT TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE CUSTOMERS THAT WE'VE ADDED ON.
SO THAT COST DIDN'T, THAT DOESN'T ALL COME FROM AUSTIN ENERGY THEN, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, THE, THE, THE SLIDE, UM, THE, THE SLIDE THAT WE HAD, THE PROPORTIONATE SERVICES, UM, WHICH WAS I THINK SLIDE FOUR, YOU COULD SEE IT'S, UM, AUSTIN WATER AND WATER IS DIVIDED INTO TWO SEGMENTS, UH, WATER AND WASTEWATER.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE SPECIFICALLY THE PORTION THAT COMES FROM THOSE VARIOUS, UH, DEPARTMENTS.
AND ALSO IN DRAINAGE, UH, THE DOLLARS OF THE CURRENT, UH, DISCOUNTS THAT'S PROVIDED, UH, IN THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
SO THIS MAYBE TELLS ME THAT MORE OF THE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN ADDED ARE PROBABLY MAYBE FURTHER FROM THE CENTRAL AUSTIN CORE.
UH, SAY THAT LAST PART AGAIN, THAT MAYBE THE, THE, THE RATIO OF FOLKS THAT ARE BEING IN, IN TERMS OF WHO'S BEING ADDED TO THE PROGRAM RECENTLY.
MAYBE THERE'S MORE OF THOSE FROM KIND OF OUTSIDE OF THE CENTRAL CORE, 'CAUSE THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE YEAH.
WATER OR SOME OF THESE, IS THAT, YEAH, I HOPE IF I'M READING, READING YOU CORRECTLY, I DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER FOR THAT.
UM, I, I JUST DON'T HAVE THE PROPORTIONATE RATIO.
I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU COULD SEE THAT, UM, FOR AN EXAMPLE, THE DRAINAGE CHARGE ITSELF AND THE FEE IS VERY, VERY MUCH SMALLER.
AND SO THEREFORE, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE GIVEN A LARGE PROPORTIONATE SHARE OF THEIR DISCOUNT INTO THE PROGRAM, IT IS JUST THE, THE FUND ITSELF, THE FEE IS, IS SMALLER, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, ELECTRIC, UM, IT'S 31, UM, DOLLARS, UM, JUST FOR THAT SERVICE ALONG THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING AND BENEFITS.
AND SO I THINK WITHOUT KNOWING THE, THE ACTUAL RATIO OF HOW MANY HAD ALL SERVICES VERSUS THOSE THAT HAD PROPORTIONATE SERVICES, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO DO THAT CALCULATION HERE.
UM, I HOPE I GOT CLOSE KIVA TO WHAT YOU WERE, THE POINT YOU WERE MAKING.
AND NOW I'M CURIOUS, THE, THE TOTAL NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE SHOWING US ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THOSE TOTALS, AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMERS, OR SOME OF THEM ONLY SAY AUSTIN WATER OR SOMETHING? YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S A COMBINATION.
SO WHERE YOU SEE ELECTRIC, THAT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE ELECTRIC SERVICES THAT RECEIVE THE DISCOUNT.
AND WHERE YOU SEE WATER, THAT WOULD BE ALL OF THOSE CUSTOMERS.
BUT SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE WATER SERVICES, BUT WE'RE NOT THEIR ELECTRIC PROVIDER.
SO THE BACK ON THE B CHART, THOSE ARE NOT NUMBERS FOR AUSTIN ENERGY, THOSE ARE FOR CITY OF AUSTIN, CORRECT.
SO WE LEARNED YEARS AGO THAT AUSTIN ENERGY, YOUR BILLING DEPARTMENT HANDLED NOT ONLY ELECTRIC AND WATER, BUT YOU ALSO HANDLE WASTEWATER AND DRAINAGE YEAH.
THIS IS ABOUT THE FUNDING IN TERMS OF THE DISCOUNTS THAT'S PROVIDED FOR EACH OF THOSE UTILITY SEGMENTS MM-HMM
BUT AS A CONSOLIDATED SERVICES, THE CUSTOMER CARE IS A CUSTOMER FACING UNIT, HANDLES ALL OF THE BILLING, THE PAYMENTS, THE CALL CENTERS FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
AND THE BENEFIT TO THE CITIZENS AND TO OUR CUSTOMERS IS THAT IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE, SAY WITH YOUR WATER BILL OR YOUR ELECTRIC BILL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CALL FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO CHASE DOWN ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR BILL.
YOU CAN MAKE ONE CALL TO THE UTILITY CONTACT CENTER THAT THAT AGENT IS TRAINED TO HANDLE ALL OF YOUR BILLING QUESTIONS.
[00:30:01]
ARE ELEMENTS, IF IT REQUIRES, LET'S SAY A WORK ORDER IN THE FIELD, LIKE AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM REDESIGN AND AN ENER AND AN ENERGY AUDIT THAT IS ACTUALLY PERFORMED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT WHO PROVIDES THAT SERVICE.SO ALMOST 90 90, 90 2% OF THOSE TRANSACTIONS ARE HANDLED THROUGH A UNIFIED, UH, CALL CENTER AND BACK OFFICE BILLING AND REMITTANCE PROCESSING.
AND THAT ALSO MAKES IT EASIER FOR YOU TO APPLY THE CAP PROGRAM FOR ALL THAT'S ENTITIES? THAT'S CORRECT.
IT'S ALL BUILT INTO THE WAY, UH, THE, THE SYSTEM HANDLES BILLING AND PAYMENTS.
BUT DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION OR IS YOUR HAND JUST STUCK UP? NO, I KNOW, UH, UH, THIS WILL BE MY LAST ONE IS A REQUEST.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE ACTUAL NUMBERS FOR AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMERS GETTING A DISCOUNT.
UM, DO YOU THINK, I'M GUESSING YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ON OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD.
DO YOU THINK YOU COULD FOLLOW UP WITH US WITH YEAH, BASICALLY THIS, THIS CHART FOR AUSTIN ENERGY, IT'S, UH, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW AT THE TOTAL OF THE TIME, WE, WE, FOR 2024, IT WAS $20 MILLION.
IT'S ABOUT ON TRACK ABOUT THE SAME FOUR FULL YEAR OF FY 25 GOING INTO THE NEW YEAR.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS, NOT THE DOLLARS.
UM, I, LET ME JUST GET THAT NUMBER TO YOU.
I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD GET THESE, THESE NUMBERS OVER TIME.
YOU KNOW, SINCE THE SOLUTION WITH, SO AGAIN, THE WHOLE EUC COMPLIMENTS YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR THE PROGRESS THAT YOU'VE MADE ON THIS.
UM, TO CLOSE UP, COULD YOU TALK TO THE LADY WHO WAS YES, I WILL.
PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE, AND I HOPE WE DON'T HAVE THAT STILL, THAT TYPE OF THING GOING ON RIGHT NOW WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY I'LL, I WILL, UH, HAVE THAT VISIT.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOUR QUESTIONS AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH SUCCESS HAS TAKEN AND THE PARTNERSHIP WE'VE HAD WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND, UM, OUR PARTNERS OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND EVA, IF I, IF I DIDN'T QUITE GET IT, I DID HEAR THAT YOU WANT TO GET SPECIFICALLY THE NUMBER, NOT THE DOLLARS, BUT THE NUMBER OF UTILITY AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMERS, AND I'LL DIVIDE THAT UP INTO SEGMENTS FOR YOU AND GET IT TO YOU YEAH.
BY YEAR, LIKE YOU DID FOR THE FULL PROGRAM.
[11. Staff Briefing regarding an update and review of the Austin Energy Solar Portfolio by Tim Harvey, Director, Customer Renewable Solutions, Austin Energy.]
11, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE UPDATE AND REVIEW OF AUSTIN ENERGY SOLAR PORTFOLIO BY TIM HARVEY.I'M THE, UH, DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER RENEWABLE SOLUTIONS.
AND, UH, IT'S AN HONOR, UM, FOR ME TO PRESENT, UM, THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE THROUGH OUR SOLAR PROGRAMS OVER THE LAST 28 YEARS OR SO.
SO WE'LL GO WAY BACK TO THE WAY BACK, UM, FIRST SLIDE.
SO AS WE, UH, STARTED OFF WITH, UH, PROGRAMS AT AUSTIN ENERGY FOR SOLAR, UM, WE FIRST WANTED TO CITE ONTO THE, UH, INDUSTRY TO BASICALLY HELP TO GROW AN INDUSTRY HERE IN AUSTIN, UM, AND, AND KEEP IT ALIGNED WITH BEST PRACTICES ALONG THE WAY.
UM, WE'RE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON CUSTOMER-FACING PROGRAMS. UM, SO OUR, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HELPING TO UTILIZE OUR CUSTOMER CUSTOMER'S INTEREST AND INVESTMENTS TO HELP US TO, UM, CREATE MEANINGFUL ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, PROGRESS.
AND, UM, THAT INCLUDES HAVING A SUSTAINABLE POWER GENERATION RESOURCE HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO WE STARTED OFF, UM, WITH TWO OF THE VERY FIRST COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAMS IN THE NATION.
UM, THAT IS SOLAR PIONEERS AND SOLAR EXPLORERS.
UH, SOLAR PIONEERS WERE, UM, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THAT HOSTED UTILITY OWNED SOLAR ON THEIR ROOFTOPS.
UM, AND THROUGH THAT, WE, UM, STARTED TO DEVELOP OUR INTERCONNECTION STANDARDS, UM, AS IT PERTAINED TO SOLAR AND THEN SOLAR EXPLORERS, UM, WERE U UTILITY SCALE AT THE TIME, UM, PROJECTS THAT, UH, OUR CUSTOMERS HELPED TO FUND.
UM, SO ONE OF THOSE IS DECKER 300.
UM, AND IT WAS AT, ITS, AT THE TIME IT WAS CONSTRUCTED, WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST, IF NOT THE BIGGEST COMMUNITY SOLAR ARRAYS IN THE NATION.
UM, THAT, THAT SYSTEM IS STILL THERE TODAY.
[00:35:01]
UM, AND IT NEEDS SOME REPAIR, BUT IT'S, IT'S STILL OPERATIONAL.UM, SO MOVING FORWARD TO 2001, WE ENTERED INTO SOME OF THE FIRST, UH, RENEWABLE ENERGY CONTRACTS FOR WIND.
UM, AND WE DEVELOPED A PROGRAM AROUND THAT, AND THAT WAS THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM, WHICH IS ALSO STILL, UM, HAPPENING TODAY.
I'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AND IN 2002, WE STARTED TO DEVELOP A CURRICULUM FOR, UM, SCHOOLS.
SO THE SOLAR FOR SCHOOLS CURRICULUM GOT ITS KICKSTART IN 2002 AND, UM, ADVANCED, AND WE STILL ARE WORKING ON THAT.
SO, UM, IN 2004, WE BEGAN SOLAR INCENTIVES FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.
THEY WERE CAPACITY BASED, ITS INCENTIVES AT FIRST.
UM, UH, IT STARTED OFF AT $5 A WATT, UM, WHICH IS VERY HIGH BY TODAY'S STANDARDS.
UM, BUT AT THE TIME THE INSTALLED COSTS WERE UPWARDS OF $8 A WATT.
SO, UM, IT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY FROM THERE.
AND I'LL ALSO GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THAT IN FUTURE SLIDES.
UM, THE FIRST MUNICIPAL PROJECT STARTED IN 2006.
UH, WE DID ABOUT 30, UM, LIBRARIES AND COMMUNITY CENTERS AROUND TOWN.
WE ALSO DID, UM, I THINK 45, UH, SCHOOL PROJECTS.
SO THEY WERE ALL DEMONSTRATION SIZE THREE KW SYSTEMS. UM, IN 2009, WE STARTED THE PERFORMANCE BASED INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR COMMERCIAL.
SO THAT WAS THE IDEA THAT WE, UH, WOULD PAY THOSE INCENTIVES OUT OVER TIME.
AND BASED ON THE PRODUCTION OF THE SYSTEM, UM, THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE MORE BUDGET CERTAINTY, UM, AS WE'RE DEALING WITH LARGER COMMERCIAL PROJECTS AND ALLOWS OUR BUDGET DOLLARS TO GO A BIT FURTHER.
UM, IN 2012, WE INTRODUCED THE VALUE OF SOLAR RATE.
SO WE MOVED AWAY FROM NET METERING AND THE, UM, 20 KW CAP THAT WAS ALONG WITH THAT.
UH, AND WE MOVED, UM, TO THE VALUE OF SOLAR, WHICH IS A BUY ALL, SELL ALL RATE.
UM, IN 2016, WE TOOK ANOTHER STAB AT THE SOLAR EDUCATION AND, UM, PRODUCED SOME MORE MATERIAL FOR THAT, UM, AND INTEGRATED THAT INTO THE LOCAL SCHOOLS, INTO THE TECHS PROGRAM.
UM, LET'S SEE, IN 20 16, 20 17, WE STARTED CONSTRUCTION ON A NEW SET OF CO COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS.
ONE AT THE PALMER EVENT CENTER AND ANOTHER AT LA LOMA.
UM, AND IN 2018, WE EXPANDED VALUE OF SOLAR TO COMMERCIAL.
UH, WE FINISHED THE LA LOMA COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECT, AND WE INTRODUCED, UM, THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM AS IT IS TODAY.
UM, IN, IN 2021, WE, UH, DID SOME FOCUS GROUPS AND WE FOUND OUT THAT, UM, THE COMMERCIAL INCENTIVES AS A PERFORMANCE BASED INCENTIVES WERE WORKING, BUT FOR NOT, NOT FOR ALL CUSTOMERS.
UM, SOME CUSTOMERS NEEDED A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A BOOST AT THE, AT THE, UM, INITIAL PART OF THE PROJECT, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, FINANCING THAT CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
AND SO THOSE, THOSE SECTORS ARE NONPROFITS AND SMALL COMMERCIALS.
SO WE INTRODUCED, WE REINTRODUCED A CAPACITY BASED INCENTIVE FOR THOSE, UM, THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, UM, IN THE LAST TWO YEARS THAT'S REALLY STARTED TO BEAR FRUIT.
UH, SO YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE INCEPTION NUMBERS.
WE ALSO DID ANOTHER COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECT OUT AT AUSTIN, BE STROM AIRPORT IN 2024.
WE, UH, LAUNCHED THE SHARED SOLAR PROGRAM.
WE STARTED TO PILOT BACK IN 2020.
UM, IT WAS, IT TOOK US QUITE A WHILE TO GET THAT, UM, FULLY INTEGRATED INTO THE BILLING SYSTEM, BUT THAT HAPPENED IN 2024.
UH, WE NOW SEE SHARED SOLAR PROJECT COMING THROUGH, UM, PRETTY REGULARLY.
AND SO THAT, THAT PROGRAM'S ALSO WORKING WELL, UM, IN 2025.
SO IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE INTRODUCED THE COMMERCIAL STANDARD OFFER, AND IT IS EN ENJOYING REALLY GOOD SUCCESS.
IT'S, IT'S SURPRISING TO ME, UM, HOW GOOD THAT'S GOING.
AND, UH, SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
UM, IN 2026, WE WILL BE ADDING SOLAR TO THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM.
[00:40:01]
EXPANDING THAT A LITTLE BIT, MAKING THAT PORTFOLIO A LITTLE BIT MORE ROBUST.UM, AND SO OVERALL, TODAY, UH, IN THE, ON THE DISTRIBUTION GRID, WE HAVE 189 MEGAWATTS OF SOLAR.
UH, WE'VE INVESTED OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN INCENTIVES INTO THIS INDUSTRY.
AND, AND OUR PRO OUR CUSTOMERS, UH, WE HAVE, WE WENT FROM FOUR CONTRACTORS IN 2004 TO 72, UH, SOLAR CONTRACTORS, UH, TODAY.
AND WE'VE REBATED OVER 14,000 SYSTEMS AND HAVE ABOUT, UH, 16,500 SYSTEMS ONLINE TODAY.
SO WE'RE ALSO SEEING SOME NON INCENTIVIZED SYSTEMS GO ON.
SO I THINK I UNDERSTAND THE REASON FOR THE SECOND METER TO ENABLE VALUE OF SOLAR MM-HMM
BUT I HEAR THESE COMPLAINTS SOMETIMES BY PEOPLE ABOUT THE SECOND METER.
CAN YOU DO VALUE OF SOLAR WITHOUT THE SECOND METER? NO, YOU CAN'T.
AND, AND IT ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SECOND METER HAS MORE VALUE THAN JUST THE VALUE OF SOLAR FACILITATING THE VALUE OF SOLAR.
IT GIVES US, UM, MORE VISIBILITY INTO WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING OUT THERE AND IN AREAS, UM, AND UTILITIES THAT DON'T HAVE THAT SECOND METER, THEY ARE, ARE UNABLE TO TELL HOW MUCH PRODUCTION IS HAPPENING BECAUSE IT GETS CONSUMED ON SITE BEFORE IT HITS THAT METER.
SO IT, IT REALLY IS A, A, A GOOD SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR US.
AND WE WORK WITH UTILITIES, UM, OR SORRY, WITH, UM, WITH COLLEGES AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DOING RESEARCH QUITE A BIT AND THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN OUR DATA BECAUSE IT'S ROBUST.
IS THERE SOME TRIGGER, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ALERTS THAT YOU CAN SET UP, UM, THAT SAY MAYBE YOU'RE ON A TRAJECTORY FOR, UH, EXCEEDING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CONSUMPTION OR BILL, IS THERE AN ALERT THAT CAN BE PROGRAMMED THAT SAYS, HEY, YOUR SOLAR IS OUT? YES, WE CURRENTLY DO THAT.
UM, SO THE AUSTIN ENERGY SOLAR APP FACILITATES THAT.
IT'LL GIVE YOU AN ALERT THROUGH TEXT MESSAGE, AND OUR CALL CENTER ALSO REACHES OUT TO CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE ZERO ENERGY READS, UM, FOR THEIR, ON THEIR SOLAR METER.
SO YOU DO READS EVERY DAY FOR BOTH METERS? UH, WELL, THE METERS ARE CAPTURING READS EVERY 15 MINUTES.
BUT THOSE READS GET REPORTED INTO THE BILLING SYSTEM EVERY 30 DAYS OR SO ON THE BILLING CYCLE.
SO WE'D REALLY ONLY GET IF IT WAS OUT AFTER 30 DAYS, OR WHAT'S THE TRIGGER POINT? HOW MANY 15 MINUTE INCREMENTS WHERE OBVIOUSLY IF IT'S DARK, IT'S NOT GONNA READ, BUT AT OTHER TIMES WHEN YOU'D EXPECT PV PRODUCTION.
YEAH, SO THERE'S TWO TRIGGERS.
UM, ONE OF THEM, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU HAVE THE SOLAR OR THE, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY APP THAT'S, UM, TRIGGERED OFF A DIFFERENT DATA SET.
SO THAT'S ACTUALLY FROM MDMS. UH, SO, SO THAT WOULD HAPPEN I THINK ON THE DAILY.
UM, AND THE, UH, WHEN WE CALL CUSTOMERS TO LET THEM KNOW, THEY'VE HAD A ZERO READ ON THEIR, UM, GENERATION METER THAT'S DONE ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
AND SO WHEN YOU SAID THE AUSTIN ENERGY SOLAR APP IS THERE JUST ONE AUSTIN ENERGY APP AND YEAH, THE AUSTIN ENERGY APP, IT'S NOT AN ACTUAL APP.
IT'S A WEBPAGE THAT'S FORMATTED FOR YOUR PHONE OR WHATEVER.
SO AS WE'VE, UH, AS WE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON OUR WORK, WE, WE LIKE TO LOOK AT THESE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO, UM, LOOK AT THE STANDARDS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT NEW TECHNOLOGY WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, SAFETY MINDED, OF COURSE, AND WE WANT THESE THINGS TO WORK.
SO, UM, WHEN WE HAVE NEW TECH, WE PUT IT THROUGH REVIEW.
UM, AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CAPABILITIES OF THE NEW TECH.
WHAT CAN IT DO TO FURTHER THE INDUSTRY, TO FURTHER, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMER, UM, UM, BENEFITS AND AUSTIN ENERGY'S ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THE, AND THEN INTERCONNECTION PROCESSES.
WE, UH, OUR INTERCONNECTION, WE DO INSPECTIONS ON ALL OF THE SYSTEMS. WE TRAIN OUR CONTRACTORS, SO WE HOLD MONTHLY CONTRACTOR MEETINGS AND, UH, WE PROVIDE INCENTIVES TO ENCOURAGE ADOPTION, UM, AND SUSTAINABILITY, OF COURSE, UM, IS, IS ALWAYS IN OUR MINDS.
AND WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON END OF LIFE, UM, PROCESSES FOR SOLAR AND, AND COLLABORATION WITH A RR NEXT SLIDE.
SO FOR CODE STANDARDS, EMERGING TECH AND TRAINING,
[00:45:01]
UM, FOR EMERGING TECH, WE ARE WORKING ON MICROGRIDS AND RESILIENCE HUBS.UM, WE'VE RECENTLY WORKED WITH CAMP MABRY.
WE'RE WORKING WITH CAMP, UH, CAP METRO.
UM, WE'VE ENABLED, YOU KNOW, OUR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS TO DEPLOY MICROGRID TECHNOLOGIES.
UM, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT EXPORT LIMITING AS A WAY TO, UM, PRO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE EQUITY TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
UM, WE ARE WORKING TO FACILITATE VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS WHERE WE'RE CONTROLLING THE BATTERIES THAT OUR CUSTOMERS, UM, INSTALL ALONG WITH OTHER DEVICES SUCH AS A ELECTRIC VEHICLES, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THERMOSTATS AND WATER HEATER TIMERS.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO, UM, EXPAND OUR ABILITY TO HAVE THESE VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS.
WE, WE PLAN TO LAUNCH OUR FIRST PILOT, UM, THE, IN FY 26.
UM, SO THAT WILL BE A CUSTOMER FACING PILOT THAT WILL, UM, ENGAGE, UM, CUSTOMER OWNED BATTERIES, UM, FOR LOCAL CODES AND STANDARDS.
UH, AGAIN, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO DEVELOP THE BEST PRACTICES FOR SAFETY, OF COURSE.
UM, AND, UM, WE PASS THAT INFORMATION THROUGH TO OUR CONTRACTORS THROUGH TRAINING AND AT INSPECTIONS.
UM, AND WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESSES FOR THOSE INSPECTIONS, SO, UM, MAKE THEM AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE, EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATING WITH CUSTOMERS.
AND AGAIN, UM, WE DO 100% INSPECTIONS TO ENSURE SAFETY.
DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE METRICS ON HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR INSPECTIONS? BECAUSE MY SYSTEM, THAT WAS THE LONGEST POLL.
IT WAS BY FAR NOW, THAT WAS MANY YEARS AGO.
AT THAT, I THINK WHEN YOU PUT YOUR SYSTEM IN, WE HAD ONE, MAYBE TWO INSPECTORS.
UH, WE'RE ABOUT TO RAMP UP TO FOUR.
AND WE'VE GOT ANOTHER PERSON, UM, THAT'S ON THE EE UM, EES TEAM THAT CAN SHIFT OVER AS NEEDED.
SO WE CAN HAVE AS MANY AS FIVE COMING UP HERE VERY SOON.
UM, AND WE MAY EVEN ADD ONE MORE IF WE CAN TO DEAL WITH THIS END OF THE YEAR RUSH.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT RESIDENTIAL IS GONNA BE RUSHING TO GET THAT FEDERAL TAX CREDIT.
CUSTOMERS ARE GONNA BE A BIT TENSE ABOUT THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO FACILITATE THOSE INSPECTIONS AS BEST AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
UM, NOW WHERE OUR, OUR INSPECTIONS RUN AROUND TWO WEEKS, UM, AND WE, WE TRY TO KEEP IT UNDER THREE, UM, NO MATTER WHAT.
SO, AND WE'VE BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL AT DOING THAT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, AND, AND THIS, I I PUT THIS SLIDE ON HERE BECAUSE THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE OUT THERE IN THE FIELD WHEN WE'RE INSPECTING.
AND THERE WAS, UH, A RESEARCH PAPER DONE ON THIS.
UM, THEY IDENTIFIED THAT, UM, UNPLANNED OR UNBUDGETED CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, UM, HAPPENS SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY IF YOU DON'T CATCH THESE THINGS IN THE FRONT END, AND YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, BUT CUSTOMER IS A, IS VERY, OR SORRY, UH, SOLAR IS VERY MUCH A WORD OF MOUTH, UM, INDUSTRY.
SO THE NEIGHBORS GET IT AND THEN YOU START GETTING IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE, WE SEE THESE POP UP IN NEIGHBORHOODS AT A TIME.
AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND SAFELY IS PARAMOUNT TO THIS INDUSTRY.
AND SO WE, WE BELIEVE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING A GREAT SERVICE BY DOING 100% INSPECTIONS.
SO TALKING ABOUT THAT, THERE WAS SOME SUGGESTION ABOUT PROPOSING SELF INSPECTIONS.
AND SO I THINK YOU'RE VERY STRONG ON THE IDEA OF A HUNDRED PERCENT.
CAN YOU GIVE SOME MORE COLOR BEHIND THAT? UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S A SAFETY ITEM, BUT DID YOU ENGAGE WITH OTHERS LIKE RMC ABOUT THAT TOPIC? YEAH, OUR RMC, WE, WE EXPLORED THAT A BIT WITH RMC.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT THE, THE PREMISE IS JUST THAT WE COULD STREAMLINE PROCESSES A BIT MORE, BUT TWO WEEKS ISN'T THAT MUCH.
UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE SEEING WHAT WE SEE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, UM, WE, I THINK, I THINK IT'S LIKE, UH, 25% OF INSPECTIONS FAIL FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, AND THAT'S A LOT.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE REASONS ARE SAFETY ISSUES.
UM, AND SO LIFE SAFETY IS, IS SUPER IMPORTANT FOR NOT ONLY OUR, OUR LINE WORKERS, BUT UM, OTHER CONTRACTORS THAT ARE GONNA BE WORKING ON THESE SYSTEMS IN THE FUTURE.
AND OF COURSE, THE HOME, THE, THE CUSTOMER.
SO YEAH, WE, WE ARE GOING TO STAND BEHIND 100% INSPECTIONS NOW, WHERE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, FOR CERTAIN CORRECTIONS THAT DON'T NECE NECESSITATE A SITE
[00:50:01]
VISIT, WE WILL ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN VIRTUALLY.LIKE YOU CAN SEND IN PICTURES OF A CORRECTION, LIKE IF YOU JUST NEEDED TO PUT NEW PLAQUES ON OR, OR STICKERS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, IF IT'S, IF IT'S, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED THAN WE WILL DO A SECOND INSPECTION ONSITE IF NEEDED.
I THINK THERE'S SOME HANDS ON ONLINE.
HEY, UH, WE'VE GOT SOME HANDS UP.
EVA, DO YOU WANNA GO FIRST? I THINK I WAS ACTUALLY LAST TO RAISE MY HAND.
SO I THINK AL AND SARAH GO FIRST.
SO WHO'S FIRST? AL, TIM, UH, COULD YOU GO BACK A SLIDE? I WAS GONNA BRING THIS UP LATER, BUT SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INSPECTIONS, LET'S, UH, GO BACK ONE, ONE SLIDE.
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS AN ISSUE.
I HAD SOLAR PUT ON MY ROOF AT THE END OF AUGUST, AND I'M STILL WAITING FOR INSPECTION.
AND THE REASON APPEARS TO BE THAT THE, ONE OF THE THREE INSPECTORS IS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT CON WITH THAT METER COLLAR THAT WE'VE SEEN SHOWN AS A VIABLE THING.
AND THE, THE METER COLLAR DESIGNED INTO MY ROOF, UH, IS UL INSPECTED IT, IT'S ALL TESTED OUT AND, UH, WE'RE UNABLE TO GET AN INSPECTION.
AND SO THE INSPECTOR ACTUALLY CALLED FOR THE VENDOR OR MY CONTRACTOR TO DEMONSTRATE THIS AT ANOTHER SITE.
APPARENTLY THERE'S A WHOLE HANDFUL OF THESE INVOLVED WHERE THERE'S, SO I'VE GOT 13 SOLAR PANELS AND A LITTLE BATTERY, BUT MM-HMM
ONCE YOU PUT THE BATTERY IN, THIS BECOMES, UH, A STUMBLING BLOCK.
AND, UH, SO THE CONTRACTOR DEMONSTRATED THAT IT WORKED.
AND, UH, THE AE CREW WENT BACK TO THE OFFICE AND WE HAVEN'T HEARD YET.
SO I, YOU KNOW, EIGHT WEEKS OUT, I DON'T HAVE AN INSPECTION OR A SCHEDULE FOR ONE.
SO IS IT, MY, MY
SO YOU ACTUALLY DO MAINTAIN, UH, REALLY TIGHT INSPECTION SCHEDULES? IS IT, IS IT AN ENDPHASE? YEAH.
SO THAT HASN'T WENT FULLY, WENT THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY HERE AT AUSTIN ENERGY, AND I THINK YOURS IS ACTUALLY A PILOT FOR THAT.
UM, SO WE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT TODAY THERE, UM, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU AND I'LL GET YOU MORE DETAILS ON THAT, BUT WE'LL GET YOU YEAH.
UH, INTERCONNECTED SOON, BUT, OKAY.
WELL, YEAH, IT'S JUST BECAUSE THAT, THAT PARTICULAR PRODUCT IS, UM, NEW TO US AND IT HASN'T ACHIEVED FULL APPROVAL OF EVERYONE AT AUSTIN ENERGY YET.
HOW, HOW IS THAT NORMALLY GONNA HAPPEN? BECAUSE I MEAN, THINGS LIKE THIS MUST COME DOWN THE ROAD AT YOU ALL THE TIME.
SO THERE, THERE MUST BE SOME CONSTANT PROCESS OF ABSORBING OR PROVING MM-HMM
BLESSING AND PUTTING IN A NOTEBOOK THIS IS OKAY TO USE.
HOW, HOW DOES THAT REALLY WORK? AND IS IT IN YOUR DEPARTMENT OR IS IT OFF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION CHART? MY DEPARTMENT IS PART OF IT.
UM, BUT UM, ALSO DISTRIBUTION IS PART OF IT AND METERING, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT, UM, ARE, ARE RUNNING THE PILOT.
SO LIKE WHILE MY, MY INSPECTORS ARE INVOLVED IN THE EVALUATION, UM, AND PROVIDE INPUT ALL ALONG THE WAY, UM, WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY DRIVING THAT PILOT FOR AUSTIN ENERGY THAT'S IN THE DISTRIBUTION GROUP, BUT, UM, I I WAS JUST MADE AWARE OF THIS DELAY TODAY ACTUALLY, SO, UM, WE'LL WORK ON THAT AND WE'LL GET BACK WITH YOU SHORTLY AND THE OTHER, AND THE OTHER THREE OR FOUR CUSTOMERS THAT ARE IN YOUR SITUATION.
WELL, I MEAN, ONE OF MY GOALS IN DOING THIS WAS TO FIND OUT AT THE NITTY GRITTY LEVEL WHAT HAPPENS.
AND, AND THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE, SO I, I'M JUST URGING THAT I MORE INTERNAL COMMUNICATION OR COORDINATION HAPPENS, SO WHEN NEW THINGS COME UP, THEY CAN BE READILY ABSORBED.
SO FROM DEDUCTION, I ASSUME THAT CYRUS WAS NEXT.
UM, YEAH, IT DOESN'T, MINE IS A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION.
UM, TIM, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING FOR NEXT YEAR ON A PILOT FOR BATTERIES.
IS THAT SOMETHING, I ASSUME YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ALL MAPPED OUT YET.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL PRESENT TO US AT SOME POINT IN THE NEAR FUTURE, OR WHEN WOULD WE GET A, A SENSE OF WHAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT PILOT? YEAH, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE DETAILS OF THAT,
[00:55:01]
UM, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT IT WILL HAPPEN IN THE SPRING AND YOU WILL CERTAINLY BE GETTING A PRE PRESENTATION ON THAT SOON.UM, WELL, I JUST WANT TO MAKE, FIRST I HAVE A DIFFERENT QUESTION, BUT I I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
IN RESPONSE TO L'S SITUATION, ARE YOU SAYING THAT EVERY TIME A COMPANY CREATES A PRODUCT THAT EVEN IF IT DOES THE SAME THING, THAT A DIFFERENT COMPANY HAS A PRODUCT FOR THAT, THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH A PILOT WITH AUSTIN ENERGY? OR WAS THIS A TOTALLY NEW TYPE OF METER CALL DOING SOMETHING NEW? YEAH.
WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO METER COLLARS, WE NEED TO LOOK AT 'EM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ALL THE SAME.
OUR DEVICES ARE PLUGGING INTO THEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THE, IT IT'S, IT'S NOT A, A TYPICAL PIECE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY.
UM, AND SO AS SUCH, WE, WE NEED TO SEE THEM IN THE FIELD.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT GOING TO, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CAUSE ANY ISSUE BEFORE THEN ALLOWING THEM TO GO FULL SCALE.
UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS PARTNERING WITH, LIKE PECAN STREET ON? IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT WITH PECAN STREET? THIS SEEMS PARTNERING WITH THEM SEEMS LIKE, YEAH, IT SEEMS LIKE THE KIND OF THING THAT PECAN STREET DOES, THEY TEST EQUIPMENT LIKE THIS? ARE Y'ALL WORKING WITH THEM AT ALL? NO, THEY'RE NOT INVOLVED IN THE, THE REVIEW OF NEW METER COLORS.
WELL, MAYBE THINGS COULD BE EXPEDITED A LITTLE BY PARTNERING WITH THEM.
I KNOW THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, PARTNERED WITH THE CITY AND WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AND THINGS IN THE PAST.
AND, UH, LAST I KNEW THIS SEEMED TO BE EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING THAT THEY WERE DOING IS TESTING NEW EQUIPMENT.
SO, UM, YEAH, IT'D BE GREAT FOR THERE TO BE, I THINK MAYBE MORE OF A, UM, YEAH.
EXPEDITED PROCESS IT SOUNDS LIKE, BECAUSE I DO THINK AL IS RIGHT.
THERE'S GONNA BE MORE NEW THINGS COMING ALONG, NOT FEWER.
SO, UM, YEAH, BUT MY QUESTION, UH, MY OTHER QUESTION WAS ABOUT, UH, YOU MENTIONED THE RESIDENTIAL PERMITTING SCHEDULE, UM, BUT I'M, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE, THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF THINGS.
I'VE, I'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A MUCH LONGER TIMEFRAME AND IT'S QUITE EXPENSIVE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE SLIDES ON THAT, BUT IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO IT IF NOT.
YEAH, COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS ARE QUITE A BIT MORE COMPLICATED.
UM, AND, AND THEY DO TEND TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
SOMETIMES THEY TAKE MULTIPLE INSPECTIONS.
UM, BUT WE DO STILL TRY TO GET OUT THERE AS, AS SOON AS WE CAN.
IT'S JUST THAT, AS YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS TAKE HALF A DAY FOR US TO GO OUT THERE AND INSPECT.
SO WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, FIT THAT INTO OUR SCHEDULES AND, AND SINCE IT'S A LONGER INSPECTION, IT CAN, IT CAN BE DELAYED A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT USUALLY NOT PAST THREE WEEKS.
AND, AND WHAT ABOUT THE PERMITTING, I'M HEARING FROM COMPANIES THAT THEY'RE BUDGETING IN A MONTH TO GET THROUGH PERMITTING.
IS THAT WHAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER NORMAL? UH, WELL, WHEN YOU SAY GET THROUGH PERMITTING, UM, THAT'S IN ALL THE NEEDED PERMITS, I'M SORRY.
TO GET ALL THE NEEDED PERMITS TO DO AN INSTALLATION TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION.
SO, SO WITH COMMERCIAL, THEY'RE ALSO DOING, UM, LIKE A BUILDING, UM, REVIEW, UH, FOR THE STRUCTURE, WHICH I THINK TAKES A LITTLE EXTRA TIME.
UM, BUT I STILL DON'T THINK THAT THOSE PERMITS ARE, ARE TAKING A MONTH TO GET.
I, I THINK IF, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN IT'S PROBABLY A, A CONTRACTOR THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HASN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM OR DONE THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.
THIS WAS FROM, I'M NOT GONNA NAME ANY NAMES, BUT, UM, ONE OF THEM WAS A CONTRACTOR WHO HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME IN AUSTIN, HAS DONE A LOT OF INSTALLATIONS HERE.
AND I GUESS HOW IT WAS DESCRIBED TO ME IS THAT LIKE, PART OF THE DIFFICULTY IS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO ONE STEP AND THEN YOU HAVE TO WAIT AND THEN DO ANOTHER STEP.
AND IT'S, IT SOUNDED VERY CUMBERSOME.
[01:00:01]
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS YOU JUST SAID SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW IS A HUNDRED PERCENT TRUE ALL THE TIME AND THAT'S THE, THE COMMERCIAL INSTALLATIONS ARE MORE COMPLICATED.UM, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LARGE COMMERCIAL INSTALLATIONS AND THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY BE THE SIZE OF A RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION.
YOU KNOW, 20 KW COULD, I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE WITH BIG HOMES PUT THAT ON THEIR HOME.
UM, BUT YET THE SAME COSTLY AND TIME, YOU KNOW, CONSUMING PROCESS APPLIES TO THOSE INSTALLATIONS.
SO, UH, TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE SOME, I DON'T KNOW, UM, MORE NUANCE MIGHT BE NEEDED IN THAT PROCESS SO THAT THE, AT LEAST THE SMALLER COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS ARE NOT CAUGHT UP IN, YOU KNOW, A, A MONTH DELAY, JUST GETTING THE PERMITS TO START AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, JUST, WELL, MAYBE SOME, SOME PIECES MAYBE AREN'T NEEDED FOR THE SMALLER INSTALLATIONS.
OR MAYBE THEY CAN BE DONE IN TANDEM INSTEAD OF ONE AFTER THE OTHER.
YEAH, I, I'M JUST, I, I, I HOPE WE'RE, UM, TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THINGS.
'CAUSE WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU IT TAKES 30 DAYS, LIKE ARE THEY ARE, ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT A SMALL COMMERCIAL SYSTEM OR ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT A LARGE COMMERCIAL SYSTEM? I THINK WHAT MAYBE WE COULD DO IS GO BACK AND, AND LOOK AT THE DATA.
THIS IS, THIS IS FOR A SMALL COMMERCIAL SYSTEM.
THAT'S KIND OF SURPRISING TO ME.
UM, BUT LET, LET ME HAVE A CHANCE TO GO BACK.
WE'LL START, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOKING AT COMMERCIAL TARGET IN ON COMMERCIAL, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE TIMELINES FOR PERMITTING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SEE IF WE CAN, UM, IDENTIFY ANY AREAS WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE AND STREAMLINE.
COMMISSIONER RHODES HAS A QUESTION.
UH, JUST A, HE SAID 25% OF INSPECTIONS FAIL IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IS THERE, DO YOU HAVE A FEEL FOR WHAT IT IS, IS THERE A COMMON THING, LIKE SOMETHING SOMETHING DUMB THAT YOU COULD FLAP A FINE ON SOME OF THESE COMPANIES FOR IF THEY DIDN'T PUT THE SIGNAGE UP? LIKE THAT'S JUST A, YOU JUST, THAT'S JUST STUPID.
LIKE, EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW THAT THAT SHOULDN'T BE LIKE A THING.
IS THERE, ARE THERE THINGS THAT LIKE, COULD BE, THERE COULD BE SOME STICKS PUT INTO THE SYSTEM SO THAT LIKE PEOPLE JUST GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE 25% THINGS FAIL
I MEAN, IS THAT NOT POSSIBLE IN OUR, IN OUR PROCESS OR SYSTEM OR LIKE WHAT, I MEAN, WE, WE'VE BEEN AT IT, WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRAIN THEM, WE BRING, WE BRING UP, UM, FREQUENTLY, UM, MIST OR OUR UN UNSATISFIED, UN UN QUALIFYING PROJECTS YEAH.
AND TALK ABOUT IT ON A MONTHLY BASIS WITH OUR CONTRACTORS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I, WE CAN'T LEVY FEES THAT GO BEYOND OUR COST OF SERVICES, RIGHT.
WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T DO PUNITIVE FEES.
UM, I, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, THEY DISMISS THINGS.
UM, AND, AND MY INSPECTORS CATCH 'EM.
SO I, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE WE CAN DO, UM, TO GET 'EM THERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE THING IS, IS IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT HAPPENS AND, AND WE NEED TO BE THERE TO, TO PROVIDE THAT INSPECTION.
I, I MEAN, I, I AGREE WITH THAT.
I'M JUST LIKE, YEAH, WISHING THEY COULD GET THE, THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE A HIGH NUMBER OF FAILURE RATE.
WAS MY REAL QUESTION BEFORE THAT WAS LIKE ON THE, ON THE VPP, IS THAT, ARE YOU GOING, ARE YOU GONNA BE DOING THAT IN THE ERCOT A DR PROGRAM? LIKE, LIKE WHAT IS THAT? WHAT'S THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE? IT'S GOING TO, SO, UM, THE ANSWER'S NO.
UM, AND, AND MAINLY BECAUSE WE'RE VERTICALLY INTEGRATED, AUSTIN ENERGY CAN ACTUALLY LEVERAGE MORE VALUE STREAMS THEN A-D-R-A-D-E-R OFFERS MM-HMM
SO WE DON'T NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE A DER PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN THIS, THE CURRENT FUNCTIONALITY OF THE, UM, PLATFORM THAT WE'RE USING AS A DERM SYSTEM, UM, I WOULD SAY, UM, IT COULD, IT, IT, IT DOESN'T DO EVERYTHING.
UM, IT DOES DAY AHEAD MARKET, UM, AND FOUR CP VALUE CHASING, BUT IT DOES NOT, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, CHARGE THE BATTERY FROM THE GRID, WHICH, YOU KNOW, COULD ALLOW FOR MORE, FOR BETTER ARBITRAGE.
UM, YEAH, IT, IT ONLY DOES DAY AHEAD.
IT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, 15 MINUTE RESPONSE OR, OR FASTER.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY A LIMITING FUNCTIONALITY TOO.
[01:05:01]
I THINK THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THEY'RE WORKING ACROSS MULTIPLE OEMS. AND SO YOU'RE LIKE YOUR, YOUR LEAST FUNCTIONAL, IT'S LIKE A WEAKEST LINK IN THE CHAIN.SO, YEAH, I WAS GOING TO BRING THAT, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY COMPANIES THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT A DER PROGRAM ARE LIKE ESSENTIALLY VERTICALLY INTEGRATED FROM LIKE, OWNING THE EQUIPMENT, THE COMMUNICATIONS CHANNEL, LIKE THE, THE, THE SYSTEM, LIKE EVERYTHING.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE WHO'S TRIED TO DO THIS WITH A BUNCH OF THIRD PARTIES AND OTHER, OTHER TYPES OF API INTEGRATION, THIS, THAT OVER, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL STYLE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WIFI AND INTERNET HAS FAILED
UM, SO I MEAN, JUST, I GUESS, I MEAN, I'M JUST, I WOULD JUST SAY LIKE BE, BE VERY PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE COMMUNICATIONS.
'CAUSE I, I FEEL LIKE THAT, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S BEEN THE WEAKEST LINK IN A BUNCH OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE TRIED TO DO THIS.
AND, AND THIS IS GONNA BE A PILOT FOR US.
SO WE'RE GETTING OUR FEET WET WITH IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE HAVE CERTAIN INTENTIONS TO DISCOVER, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE, UM, THE, THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND COMMUNICATIONS, YOU KNOW, UM, THE VALUES OF COURSE ARE, ARE BIG FOR US.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GONNA BE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR US AND A STEPPING STONE TO THE NEXT STEP.
I MEAN, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF LIKE A, I MEAN LIKE, I DUNNO IF YOU'RE TALKING TO BANDERA ELECTRIC OR WHATEVER, BUT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, CO-OP, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING THIS STUFF.
THEY'RE IN THE A DER PROGRAM, BUT LIKE, UM, THEY MIGHT HAVE SOME IDEAS ON STUFF.
THEY'RE, I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT A, WELL, I GUESS THEY'RE IN THE, THEY'RE NOES, BUT THEY'RE NOT A MUNI, BUT, YOU KNOW, DISTRIBUTION TOOL, RIGHT? YEAH.
QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE METER COLLARS.
ARE THOSE ONLY 30 AMP OR CAN YOU GET 30 OR 50 AMP AND CAN YOU DO NOT ONLY 200 AMP SERVICE, BUT MAYBE EVEN THE BIGGER SERVICE, THREE 50 OR 400 AMP? I THINK THEY'RE LIMITED, BUT I COULDN'T HONESTLY SAY I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THOSE LIMITS ARE.
UM, I KNOW THEY DO 30 AMP, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THEY DO 50 AMPS, BUT MAYBE THEY DO.
I CAN FIND OUT THOUGH, AND GET BACK TO YOU.
UH, TIM, 1, 1, 1 QUESTION BACK ON THE METER COLLAR.
UH, YOU HAD MENTIONED DOING TESTING AND, UH, I MEAN THE, THE THING IS UL TESTED AND, AND TESTED BY ALL THE VARIOUS ELECTRIC, IT MEETS THE VARIOUS ELECTRIC SPECS.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BEYOND THAT? I, IT, I THINK IT'S MORE OF A PHYSICAL TEST.
UM, IT'S, AS I RECALL THAT, UM, METER COLOR IS HEAVY.
UM, AND, AND OUR, OUR METERING STAFF HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DURABILITY, UM, OUT THERE IN THE FIELD AND HOW WELL OUR, OUR METERS ARE GONNA PLUG INTO IT AND STAY PLUGGED IN AND, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, WORK FUNCTIONALLY CORRECT.
SO WHILE WE DO UNDERSTAND IT'S BEEN UL TESTED, UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT UNTYPICAL FOR A UTILITY TO, YOU KNOW, ALSO TEST THESE THINGS BEFORE ALLOWING FOR MASS ADOPTION IN THEIR TERRITORY.
COMMISSIONER BRADEN, LISA MARTIN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER.
JUST WANTED TO ADD, IT'S, IT'S MY TEAM THAT DOES SOME OF THIS EXTENSIVE TESTING.
PART OF IT IS THAT NOW THE METER IS THE ME THE, YOU KNOW, IS GOING TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, STUCK THROUGH THIS, UH, METER COLLAR.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE METER QUALITY IS AN IMPACTED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM THAT THE DATA STILL IS, IS, YOU KNOW, CALCULATED APPROPRIATELY, MAKING SURE THAT THE, UM, BUILT-IN DISCONNECTS AND ALL THAT STUFF ARE WORKING APPROPRIATELY.
SO IT, IT'S ALL OF, IT'S A NUMBER OF THINGS TO MAKE SURE, 'CAUSE WE'RE PUTTING SOMETHING ESSENTIALLY BETWEEN THE ELECTRIC SERVICE AND THE, THE REVENUE METER OR THE CALCULATED METERS.
THIS IS THE, YOU HAVE OTHER METER COLLARS IN, IN USE RIGHT NOW FROM OTHER VENDORS.
THERE, THERE IS A LIST OF, OF APPROVED METER COLLARS THAT ARE ON, THAT ARE ON THE, ON THE WEBSITE AND IN THE DESIGN CRITERIA MANUAL? YES, SIR.
THEY'VE ALL GONE THROUGH EXTENSIVE TESTING.
IS THERE, IS THERE, IT SOUNDED FROM MY END, AND I HAVEN'T TALKED TO ANYONE IN AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT JUST TALKING TO THE CONTRACTOR, IT SOUNDED LIKE THIS WAS KIND OF AD HOC.
IS THERE MORE OF A PROCEDURE AND PROCESS YES.
GOING ON? THAT, THAT I'M AWARE OF? YES, THERE'S, AND STANDARDIZE THESE, THERE IS A PROCESS THAT, THAT THE, THE TEAM GOES THROUGH TO TEST THE METER COLLAR BEFORE THEY ULTIMATELY ADD IT TO THE LIST OF APPROVED METER COLLARS.
AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU JUST INSTALLED A, A, A BRAND THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN TESTED.
[01:10:01]
OKAY, THANK YOU.I CAN'T TELL IF THIS IS A NEW HAND OR THE SAME ONE UP.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND ON PURPOSE? SORRY.
SO, UM, OVER THE YEARS WE'VE SUPPORTED THE LOCAL SOLAR INDUSTRY, UM, AT INVESTING, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, UM, OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS INTO THE INDUSTRY.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT, UM, THE NET SALES FOR REBATED PROJECTS IS, UH, I CAN'T SEE THAT $482 MILLION AND, AND THEN ANOTHER PROBABLY 20% OF PROJECTS ARE NOT REBATED, SO THERE'S THAT AS WELL.
AND, UM, PLUS THAT A HUNDRED MILLION.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT OVER HALF A BILLION DOLLARS INTO THE SOLAR INDUSTRY OR IN THE SOLAR INDUSTRY HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO THAT'S, UM, VERY SIGNIFICANT.
UM, WE, UM, VALUE THAT INVESTMENT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS INDUSTRY THROUGH THE CHANGES.
UM, AND I'LL, I'LL GET TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE REALLY THROUGH, UM, CONSTANTLY WORKING TO REDUCE INSTALL COST AND SHORTENED TIMELINES AND WORKING WITH THE INDUSTRY AND THEN THE NATURAL, YOU KNOW, ADOPTION CURVE AND PRICES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT.
WE'VE SEEN THE INSTALL COSTS GO DOWN PRECIPITOUSLY IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME.
UM, SO IT SAYS SIX 50 THERE, BUT I KNOW IT WAS MORE LIKE 8 25, UH, BACK WHEN I STARTED IN 2004.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, NOWADAYS WE'RE RIGHT AROUND $3 AND 30 CENTS A WATT, SO THAT'S RIGHT ALONG, UH, PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
SO WE, WE DO HAVE, UM, SOME AMOUNT OF RECYCLING INFORMATION THAT WE, UM, PASS THROUGH TO CUSTOMERS.
WE'RE NOW PUTTING THIS STICKER ON, UM, ALL OF THE INVERTERS AND OR BATTERIES THAT CUSTOMERS HAVE, SO THAT THEY CAN GET THIS INFORMATION QUICKLY WHEN, WHEN THEY NEED IT.
UM, THAT CODE LEADS YOU TO A WEBPAGE THAT'S HOSTED BY AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY THAT GIVES, UM, CUSTOMERS UP TO DATE INFORMATION ON HOW THEY CAN RECYCLE THEIR PANELS.
SO CURRENTLY, UM, A RR WILL TAKE THE FIRST TWO PANELS FOR FREE.
UM, OR ACTUALLY THEY'LL TAKE THE FIRST HUNDRED POUNDS FOR FREE AFTER THAT, IT'S 30 CENTS PER POUND, AND THEY ONLY TAKE RESIDENTIAL PANELS FROM RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, SO THE CONTRACTORS CAN'T TAKE THEM ON CUSTOMER'S BEHALF.
UM, I'VE, I'VE SPOKEN WITH A LOT OF CONTRACTORS.
SOME OF THEM HAVE A GLUT OF PANELS IN THEIR PARENTS' BACKYARD AND STUFF, UM,
AND SO I, I, WE NEED TO WORK ON SOLUTIONS FOR, UM, HELPING TO RECYCLE THESE PANELS.
UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH A RR, AND, UH, A RR IS LEADING AN EFFORT THAT, UM, HAS BEEN PUSHED DOWN FROM COUNCIL TO IDENTIFY, UM, WHAT, WHAT WE CAN DO TO ENSURE THAT THESE PANELS ARE GETTING RECYCLED IN THE BACK END.
SO I'M SURE THERE'LL BE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
BUT, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE HELPING WITH.
SO, UM, WE ALSO HAVE SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDE TO OUR CUSTOMERS, UM, WHEN, WELL, WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS FOR CUSTOMERS TO PARTICIPATE SO THEY CAN GET INCENTIVES AND INSTALL THEIR OWN SYSTEMS. WE HAVE RENEWABLE ENERGY SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM, SO IF A CUSTOMER DOESN'T HAVE A SUNNY ROOF OR MAYBE THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A ROOF AND THEY LIVE IN AN APARTMENT, UM, THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN OUR SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAMS THROUGH GRAIN CHOICE AND COMMUNITY SOLAR.
AND, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO ENABLING COMMUNITY HOSTING FOR COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAMS, UH, THROUGH THE STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE, SOME STATS ON OUR COST FOR WHAT, HOW THEY'VE WENT DOWN.
UM, YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE ADOPTION FROM RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.
UM, AND, AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WE'VE HAD QUITE A BIT OF COMMERCIAL, UM, ADOPTION HERE RECENTLY.
AND, UM, OUR, OUR RESIDENTIAL IS STILL PRETTY STRONG, THOUGH
[01:15:01]
IT DID WANE SOME THIS YEAR, UM, WHICH WAS TYPICAL ACROSS THE NATION.FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS AND, AND REALLY ANY CUSTOMER, IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE OUR CUSTOMER.
THEY CAN GO TO OUR WEBPAGE AND GET, UM, SOME GREAT INFORMATION ON AND EDUCATION ON, UH, PURCHASING SOLAR AND WHAT CUSTOMERS NEED TO KNOW FROM ANYWHERE FROM, UM, SOLAR ACCESS TO HOW TO COMPARE BIDS, WHAT ARE SOME KEY CON UH, QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CONTRACTORS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE AS THEY WANT TO GO.
UH, WE HAVE SOLUTIONS FOR MULTIFAMILY CUSTOMERS.
SO ONE, ONE THING I I MENTIONED EARLIER IS THE SHARED SOLAR PROGRAM.
SO THAT, UM, IS OUR ABILITY TO ALLOW FOR A SINGLE POINT OF INTERCONNECTION FOR THE MULTIFAMILY SOLAR PROJECT.
AND THEN WE, UM, TAKE THAT GENERATION METER, UM, DISAGGREGATE THE, UM, GENERATION AND ALLOCATE IT TO TENANT ACCOUNTS, UM, IN THE BILLING SYSTEM.
SO THAT WAS A FUNCTIONALITY THAT WE BUILT OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS, UM, AND IT IS IN PLACE TODAY AND SERVING OUR CUSTOMERS.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, A STANDARD OFFER IS ANOTHER WAY THAT, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS CAN HOST SOLAR AND THAT THEN FEEDS INTO THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.
IT, IT TOOK A LOT TO DEVELOP IT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT, YEAH, I'M JUST WONDERING HOW, YEAH, I THINK WE HAD, UM, LIKE FIVE OR SIX PROJECTS GO THROUGH LAST YEAR.
UM, OKAY, SO FOR, FOR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, WE HAVE TWO OFFERINGS.
WE HAVE THE PERFORMANCE BASED INCENTIVE, WHICH IS PAID OUT OVER FIVE YEARS BASED ON THE PRODUCTION OF THE SYSTEM DURING THAT TIME.
AND THEN WE HAVE A CAPACITY BASED INCENTIVE, WHICH IS AN UPFRONT INCENTIVE TO HELP FRONT WITH THE UPFRONT CAPITAL COSTS.
UM, AND THOSE ARE AVAILABLE TO, UH, NONPROFITS AND SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE INSTALLING LESS THAN 75 KW.
NEXT SLIDE, CARRIE, BUT YOU HAD A QUESTION.
UM, OUR GREEN CHOICE SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE TO BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
UM, THE TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER WILL PAY $7 AND 50 CENTS A MONTH EXTRA, AND WE ALLOCATE, UM, WIND ENERGY, UH, FROM WEST TEXAS TO THEIR CONSUMPTION, UM, THROUGH REX.
IT IS A GREEN E CERTIFIED PROGRAM.
UM, AND, UM, WE, WE ENSURE THAT, THAT THAT PORTFOLIO MAINTAINS THE STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR LEAD, WHICH REQUIRES US TO HAVE CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ADDITIONALITY TO THE PORTFOLIO OVER TIME.
SO, OUR COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM, UM, IS CURRENTLY, UM, SOURCED BY THREE PROJECTS IN THE PORTFOLIO.
UM, THAT'S OUT AT A BIA LOMA AND, UH, THE PALMER EVENT CENTER.
THIS IS A, A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS A CUSTOMER TO PARTICIPATE AND THEN IT FIX, IT FIXES THE COST FOR, UM, THEM, IT REPLACES THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT FEE ON THE BILL WITH A COMMUNITY SOLAR ADJUSTMENT FEE THAT DOESN'T CHANGE OVER TIME.
SO, UM, WHILE CUS ALL THE CUSTOMERS WERE PAYING A PREMIUM DAY ONE, UM, THEY DO SOMETIMES HEDGE, DEPENDING ON HOW THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT IS VARYING.
AND IT, AND IT'S ALSO CORRELATING WITH OUR FIXED COST PORTFOLIO.
SO AS WE INTRODUCE NEW, UM, PROJECTS THROUGH THE STANDARD OFFER, THOSE WILL BE VARIABLE COSTS AND THEY'LL TRACK WITH AUSTIN ENERGY'S AVOIDED COSTS.
SO WE'RE NEITHER GOING TO BE PAYING A PREMIUM FOR THOSE PROJECTS, NOR ARE WE GONNA BE, UM, PAYING A DI GETTING THEM AT A DISCOUNT.
UM, SO THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM WILL HAVE TO ADJUST ITS OFFERING TO BE ABLE TO REFLECT THAT NEW PORTFOLIO.
SO THE STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM,
[01:20:02]
UM, ALLOWS, UH, COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS TO HOST COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS.SO THROUGH THAT PROGRAM, A THIRD PARTY OWNS THE SYSTEM.
THEY PAY BASICALLY A, A ROOF LEASE TO THE HOST CUSTOMER.
UM, SO THEY GET A, UH, A BENEFIT STARTING DAY ONE WITH NO UPFRONT INVESTMENT.
AND THEN, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY PURCHASES THAT ENERGY FROM THE THIRD PARTY OWNER.
AND THEN WE WRAP THAT INTO THE FUTURE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.
SO AUSTIN ENERGY PROVIDES OUTREACH, UM, TO OUR COLLEGE STUDENTS AND, AND HIGH SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY, UM, STUDENTS, PEOPLE VISITING AUSTIN FROM DIFFERENT DELEGATIONS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES.
UM, SO IF, IF YOU HAVE A GROUP THAT WANTS TO TOUR THE L LOMA COMMUNITY SOLAR PRO, UM, PROJECT, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN, UM, REACH OUT TO MY TEAM AND WE'LL SET THAT UP FOR YOU.
WE'RE HAPPY TO SPREAD EDUCATION.
WE THINK THAT THAT'S THE SEED THAT THAT STARTS MOST SOLAR.
UM, AND SO WE'RE IN SCHOOLS, WE'RE, UM, DEVELOPING CURRICULUM.
WE'RE AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, ALWAYS TRYING TO GET OUT THE GOOD WORK.
SO, UH, THIS JUST KIND OF SHOWS, UM, SOME OF OUR, OUR, UH, UTILITY SCALE PORTFOLIO.
AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, COMBINED WITH THE CUSTOMER OWNED SOLAR, WE HAVE OVER A GIGAWATT OF SOLAR IN OUR PORTFOLIO.
AND, UH, ONE POINT JUST ABOUT 1.8 GIGAWATTS OF WIND.
UM, AND WE ARE 72% CARBON FREE, UM, ON AVERAGE.
SO AS I MENTIONED IN IN 2012, WE, UM, VEERED AWAY FROM NET METERING AND WE ADOPTED A NEW RATE CALLED THE VALUE OF SOLAR RATE.
THE VALUE OF SOLAR IS SOMEWHAT UNIQUE.
UM, IT IS A BUY ALL, SELL ALL PROGRAM.
SO OUR CUSTOMERS PAY FOR ALL OF THEIR CONSUMPTION REGARDLESS OF THE SOURCE, WHETHER THAT'S THE GRID OR THEIR, UH, SOLAR ARRAY.
AND WE BUY ALL OF THEIR PRODUCTION, UM, AT THE VALUE OF SOLAR ARRAY, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT'S CONSUMED ON SITE OR PUSH BACK TO THE GRID.
UM, SO THIS, THE, THE VALUE OF SOLAR RATE IS ADJUSTED ONCE EVERY THREE YEARS.
WHEN IT'S ADJUSTED, IT'S BASED ON A FIVE YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE.
WE'RE ASSESSING THE AVOIDED COST TO THE UTILITY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
UM, AND, AND SO YOU CAN, UM, SEE THAT IN THE NUMBERS.
IT IS SOMEWHAT VOLATILE, UM, THE VALUE OF SOLAR AND IT DEPENDS ON WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S SCARCITY REALLY IN THE MARKET OR NOT.
UM, AND, AND ALONG WITH MANY OTHER FACTORS, BUT THAT'S THE, THE MAIN DRIVER.
AND, UM, SO WE'RE ALWAYS TRACKING TO THOSE AVOIDED COSTS, UM, PASSING THOSE BENEFITS ONTO OUR CUSTOMERS AS WELL AS A SOCIETAL BENEFIT, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE SOLAR PRODUCTION, FOR AVOIDING THE CARBON.
UM, SO THAT'S AN EXTRA 2.30 CENTS ON TOP OF THE VALUE OF SOLAR RATE.
SO TIM, THIS WAS A VERY INNOVATIVE PROGRAM MORE THAN A DECADE AGO.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF UPDATE TO IT THAT YOU'D WANT TO DO IN ADJUSTING THE WAY THE METHODOLOGY OR THE ALGORITHM FOR THE RATE? OR HOW'S IT GOING? HAS IT JUST BEEN SET IT
UM, I I DON'T THINK THEY'RE QUITE THERE YET.
LIKE, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU COULD INFLUENCE BATTERY OPERATIONS IF THERE WAS A TIME VALUE OF SOLAR, LIKE A TIME-BASED VALUE OF SOLAR, WE LOOKED AT THAT.
UM, THE, THE PROBLEM WAS, IS THAT THERE JUST WASN'T ENOUGH DELTA, UM, AND, AND THE VALUES TO JUSTIFY THE EFFORT IT WOULD TAKE IN THE BILLING SYSTEM TO ENABLE THAT AT THE TIME.
SO I THINK LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY REVISIT THAT AT SOME POINT.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE IS A CAPACITY VALUE TO SOLAR ON THE DISTRIBUTION GRID THAT MAYBE WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED, UM, OTHER, OTHER PLACES THAT HAVE LOOKED AT THAT BASICALLY KIND OF COME UP WITH A NON-VALUE.
LIKE THEY'RE NOT GONNA SAY THAT IT'S A COST OR A VALUE OR, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA LOOK INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH.
WE HAVE MORE AND METERING OR BETTER, YOU KNOW, VISIBILITY THROUGH OUR METERING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT ANALYSIS.
SO WE'LL SEE WHAT COMES UP THERE.
[01:25:01]
YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WE NEED SOME KIND OF COMPLIMENTARY RATE OR PROGRAM THAT HELPS TO INFLUENCE THE ADOPTION AND UTILIZATION OF CUSTOMER OWNED BATTERIES.SO THE VALUE OF SOLAR JUST DOESN'T REALLY DO THAT.
SO HERE'S, HERE ARE THE VALUES THAT ARE WITHIN THE VALUE OF SOLAR.
UM, BASICALLY FOR EVERY KILOWATT HOUR OF SOLAR ENERGY THAT'S PRODUCED IN OUR DISTRI ON OUR DISTRIBUTION GRID, THAT'S A KILOWATT HOUR OF ENERGY THAT WE'RE NOT BUYING OFF THE ERCOT MARKET.
SO WE CORRELATE THE TIME, THE TIME OF PRODUCTION WITH THE VALUE ON THE MARKET ON AN ANNUAL, UM, YOU KNOW, HOURLY BASIS.
AND THAT THAT THEN DETERMINES THAT, UM, ENERGY VALUE.
UM, LIKEWISE ANCILLARY SERVICE COSTS ARE REDUCED BY LOCAL SOLAR AS WELL AS TRANSMISSION SAVINGS.
SO LIKE TO THE EXTENT THAT SOLAR IS PRODUCING DURING, UM, ANY OF THE FOUR CP EVENTS, THAT IS REDUCING OUR, UM, TRANSMISSION COSTS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
SO, UM, AND THEN WE HAVE SOCIETAL BENEFITS THAT, UM, REFLECT THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF, UM, RENEWABLE ENERGY TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
I CAN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT PRICE SEPARATION.
UH, I, I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE, UM, ACCOUNTED FOR THAT IN AVOIDED COSTS AT THIS POINT.
'CAUSE IT REALLY DEPENDS ON OTHER GENERATION SOURCES THAT ARE ON THE GRID AT THE SAME TIME.
I'M SURE THAT VALUE WOULD CHANGE, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE FIGURED OUT A WAY TO QUANTIFY THAT KABA DIFFERENTIAL.
UM, WOULD THAT, AND LET ME JUST CHIME IN REALLY QUICK.
THE, THE LOAD ZONE PRICE SEPARATION WOULD BE FACTORED INTO THE ERCOT ENERGY SAVINGS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY JUST THE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN WHEN OUR PRICE, OUR MARKET PRICE IS VERY HIGH.
SO IT KIND OF GETS TO LOCAL, A LOCAL SCARCITY, YOU KNOW, AS TIM WAS MENTIONING, THAT AVOIDED COST IS GOING TO BE HIGHER IF THERE IS MORE SCARCITY.
AND SO THE LOAD ZONE PRICE SEPARATION IS JUST A FUNCTION OF OUR LOAD ZONE PRICE BEING HIGH WHEN THE REST OF THE MARKET ISN'T HIGH OR ISN'T AS HIGH.
AND SO IT WOULD STILL COME TO OUR, IT WOULD STILL BE ERCOT SAVINGS IN TERMS OF WHAT THE COST IS TO SERVE OUR LOAD ZONE.
GARY, BUT YOU HAD A QUESTION? YEAH, MY QUESTION WAS, UM, BACK ON THE RECYCLING EFFORT, UM, I JUST WAS WONDERING IF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HAS BEEN LOOPED INTO THOSE MEETINGS.
UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES.
UM, ARR HAS BEEN HOLDING THE MEETINGS, BUT I DO BELIEVE I'VE SEEN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES THERE.
SINCE IF IT'S GOING TO BE SOME SOMETHING FEE-BASED, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WOULD BE COLLECTING THE FEE AND NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
OR WE'RE DISCUSSING THAT, I SHOULD SAY.
ACTUALLY, UM, MY OTHER, I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT GREEN CHOICE.
DO YOU PREFER THAT NOW OR AT THE END? I, NO, IT'S FINE.
UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING, UH, WHEN THE LAST TIME AUSTIN ENERGY PROCURED ANY NEW WIND RESOURCES THAT COULD BE ALLOCATED TO GREEN CHOICE WAS, I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA.
MAYBE STUART CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
I SHOULD HAVE INTRODUCED MYSELF BEFORE.
I'M STUART RILEY, INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER, AND I, UH, I, IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, IF I HAD TO GUESS, I WOULD SAY SIX OR SEVEN SINCE WE'VE ADDED NEW WIND INTO THE PORTFOLIO.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, A WIND RFP OUT RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT IS THERE MAY BE SOME WIND PROJECTS.
IT, IT MIGHT BE A BIT OF A BUYER'S MARKET RIGHT NOW WITH SOME WIND PROJECTS LOOKING TO COME ONLINE BEFORE THE FEDERAL TAX CREDITS EXPIRE AT THE END OF 2027 FOR A COMMERCIAL.
AND, UM, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOME OFF-TAKERS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING TO, UM, SEE IF THERE ARE ANY VIABLE OFFERS OUT THERE.
SO WE DO HAVE A WIND, UH, RFP OUT ON THE STREET RIGHT NOW.
UM, I'M, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT Y'ALL HAVE AN RFP OUT AND I HOPE THAT THAT WORKS OUT.
UM, BUT I THINK YOU SAID SIX OR SEVEN YEARS SINCE THE LAST ONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS GREEN E CERTIFICATION, NOT WITHSTANDING, I DON'T KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
[01:30:01]
SIGNING UP FOR THAT PROGRAM.AND BY PEOPLE I MEAN LIKE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS IN PARTICULAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD I, I THINK THEY'RE PROBABLY ASSUMING THAT THEY'RE, UM, THEY'RE SIGNING UP HAS A, UH, SOMEWHAT MORE IMMEDIATE AND THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, MAKING OR PURCHASING ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
BUT, UM, THAT'S KIND OF A LONG, LONG GAP BETWEEN WHEN PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE JOINED THE PROGRAM AND IT, IT COULD EVEN POSSIBLY HAVE ANY, ANY IMPACT.
SO, UM, I KNOW I'VE, I'VE EXPRESSED THIS BEFORE, UM, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE VISITED THE, THE TOPIC OF, OF THE STRUCTURE OF GRAIN CHOICE AND WHETHER IT'S ACTUALLY STILL AN APPROPRIATE PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS IN PARTICULAR.
I REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME LARGE COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS THAT, THAT NEED TO MAYBE CHECK SOME BOXES FROM A, AN A CORPORATE GOAL STANDPOINT.
BUT I, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE Y'ALL HAVE OTHER GOOD PROGRAMS LIKE COMMUNITY SOLAR GOING THAT LIKE, I THINK DO PROBABLY MORE OF WHAT THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER ASSUMES THAT THEY'RE DOING THROUGH BRAIN CHOICE.
AND LISA MARTIN JUST PULLED UP, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE OUR LAST WIND PPA PROJECT WENT COD COMMERCIAL OPERATION, UH, DATE IN 2021.
ANYWAY, IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD DISCUSS AT A FU FUTURE MEETING? I REALIZE WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME TONIGHT TO DIG INTO IT, BUT, ALL RIGHT.
SO OUR PROGRESS TO OUR LOCAL GOALS TO DATE, UM, WE ARE AT 189 MEGAWATTS OF, UM, LOCAL SOLAR ON THE DISTRIBUTION GRID.
UH, WE HAVE A GOAL OF TWO 205 MEGAWATTS BY 2027.
UM, SO I DO NOT SEE THAT BEING AT JEOPARDY.
I I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY HIT THAT GOAL BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR, BUT WE'LL SEE HOW THE TAX CREDITS ARE AFFECTING EVERYTHING.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE STANDARD OFFER COMING IN, UM, I, IT DOES FEEL LIKE WE'RE GOING TO GET SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A OVERARCHING GOAL OF 405 MEGAWATTS OUT TO 2035.
AND SO THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE, AND I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF DEMONSTRATE HERE HOW THE PROGRAM TOOK OFF.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN 2029, AND YOU CAN REALLY SEE LIKE, ONCE THE VALUE OF SOLAR KICKS IN, LIKE THESE SYSTEMS REALLY START TO COME ONLINE.
UM, AND, UM, WE'VE GOT PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, UH, PENETRATION ACROSS OUR TERRITORY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST WANT TO KEEP OUR MOMENTUM AND OUR PROGRESS STEADY.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I'LL TAKE ANY MORE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
DID YOU GO BACK? COULD YOU GO BACK AND REPLAY THAT WAS, YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE THE TEXT ON THE LEFT EASILY IS GREEN.
YEAH, THE GREEN IS RESIDENTIAL AND YELLOW IS COMMERCIAL.
AND THE, THE SIZES OF THE DOTS REPRESENT THE SIZE OF THE SYSTEMS, ROUGHLY.
OTHER QUESTIONS? HELLO? YEAH, AL, PLEASE.
UH, THANKS FOR A GREAT OVERVIEW OF EVERYTHING.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S 20 PLUS YEARS OF, OF REAL INNOVATION, AND IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE IT ALL IN ONE PLACE.
UH, I, I THINK THE SOLAR PALOOZA, AS IT GOT DESCRIBED, SEEMED TO COME FROM A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS WE HAD A FEW MONTHS AGO THAT WEREN'T REALLY ADDRESSED BY THIS.
SO THIS IS A GREAT OVERVIEW OF ALL YOU'VE DONE AND OR CONTINUE TO DO.
BUT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS ASKING WAS ABOUT WHAT'S THE IMPACT GONNA BE WITH THE LOSS OF TAX CREDITS ACROSS ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS? AND DO WE KNOW, ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO SWEETEN THE POT AND MAKE THEM CONTINUE TO BE VIABLE? AND THAT'S PROBABLY A, A PROG, THAT'S PROBABLY A PRESENTATION ALL IN ITSELF.
WELL, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO, UM, JUST TO KIND OF LAY IT OUT THAT THE RESIDENTIAL FEDERAL TAX CREDIT BECOMES UNAVAILABLE STARTING JANUARY 1ST OF, OF 2026.
UM, AND THEN THE COMMERCIAL TAX CREDITS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH DECEMBER
[01:35:01]
OF 2027.UM, SO THEY'LL BE GONE IN 2028.
AND, UM, FOR SOME COMMERCIAL PROJECTS WHERE THEY'RE ELIGIBLE AND HAVE MET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SAFE HARBORING, WHICH HAVE TO BE MET BY JULY 4TH, 2026, THEN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS AFTER THAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO ANTICIPATE IS FOR THIS TO IMPACT THE RESIDENTIAL MARKET FIRST.
UM, WE'RE EXPLORING, UM, THIRD PARTY OWNED OPTIONS WHERE IT COULD BE A COMMERCIALLY OWNED, UH, SOLAR ARRAY ON A RESIDENTIAL ROOFTOP.
AND THEN THAT COMMERCIAL COMPANY CAN LEVERAGE THE TAX CREDITS, UM, POTENTIALLY ACCELERATED DEPRECIATION AND THEN, UM, PASS THOSE BENEFITS THROUGH TO THE CUSTOMER, UM, THROUGH DIFFERENT MECHANISMS. SO WE'RE CURRENTLY EXPLORING THOSE MECHANISMS. ONE, UM, IS, UM, THE STANDARD OFFER FOR RESIDENTIAL.
UM, IT HAS SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES TO IT, UM, AND, AND JUST BECAUSE THE, THE MARGINS ARE VERY THIN ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, UM MM-HMM
BUT AS YOU GET INTO ECONOMIES OF SCALE, IT STARTS TO WORK BETTER AND OBVIOUSLY IS WORKING WELL FOR COMMERCIAL.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S RESIDENTIAL LEASING, UM, WHICH IS ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE EXPLORING.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME, UM, CONSUMER PITFALLS THAT NEED TO BE AVOIDED.
UM, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PROTECTIONS IN PLACE.
AND, UM, AND, BUT I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL THERE FOR, FOR LEASING ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE THAT COULD STILL, UM, ENABLE ACCESS TO THE FEDERAL TAX CREDITS.
COULD, ALONG THAT LINE, CAN YOU BREAK OUT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THESE VARIOUS THINGS TO THE TOTAL OF ONE EIGHTY, A HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE MEGAWATTS? UH, I'M SUSPECTING COMMERCIAL IS THE BIG ONE, BUT I, I WONDER IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE US A BREAKOUT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
YEAH, NO, I THINK I CAN, I CAN GET YOU PRETTY CLOSE, JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
'CAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT FREQUENTLY.
UHHUH, UM, I THINK WE'RE SOMEWHERE AROUND, UM, 55 TO 60% RESIDENTIAL, UM, WHICH MAY SURPRISE YOU, BUT THE RESIDENTIAL MARKET, UM, IT, IT KIND OF TOOK OFF BEFORE THE COMMERCIAL MARKET DID.
UM, AND, AND AS I ALLUDED TO IN, IN 2021, WE MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE COMMERCIAL AND SENDING PROGRAM, AND THAT'S REALLY STARTING TO DRIVE COMMERCIAL ADOPTION NOW.
SO OVER THE LAST, UH, FOUR YEARS OR SO, UM, WE HAVE SEEN MORE COMMERCIAL ADOPTION THAN RESIDENTIAL, BUT, UM, AND, AND THE FRONT END OF THE PROGRAM, IT WAS PRIME, PRIMARILY RESIDENTIAL.
SO FOR COMMERCIAL, DOES THAT ALSO IMPROVE THEIR, OR LOWER THEIR DEMAND CHARGES OR JUST ENERGY CHARGES? IT CAN CO COINCIDENTALLY LOWER THEIR DEMAND CHARGES.
AND IF THEY HAVE A BATTERY, THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD REALLY TARGET THEM.
BUT IF THEY'RE HITTING THEIR PEAK AT NIGHT, THEN SOLAR DOESN'T HELP THAT.
SO IT LOOKED LIKE YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE TREND NOW IS PLATEAUED FOR RESIDENTIAL SOLAR COST AT ABOUT THREE AND A HALF DOLLARS PER WATT.
IS THAT DC OR AC? THAT'S DC AND IT'S, YEAH, IT'S BEEN HOVERING THERE FOR A, SINCE 2018, I'D SAY.
SO I THOUGHT THAT OTHER AREAS, MAYBE EUROPE HAS A LOT LOWER COST.
WHAT'S THE BRIDGE? WHY, WHY DO WE HAVE A HIGHER COST IN OUR REGION FOR THAT? THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS FOR COST VARIABILITY ACROSS COUNTRIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE IS TARIFFS AND, AND TAXES, UM, CUSTOMER ACQUISITION, IT DEPENDS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT DEPENDS ON, UM, WHAT THEIR ENERGY PRICE IS, IS 'CAUSE SOME, SOME PLACES HAVE TO WORK HARDER FOR ADOPTION BECAUSE THE VALUE PROPOSITION ISN'T AS GREAT.
UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, REGULATORY, UM, SOME PLACES ARE VERY LAXED AND DON'T HAVE A LOT OF OVERSIGHT.
OTHER PLACES HAVE MORE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST SEVERAL FACTORS GO INTO IT.
KABA, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? OH, AL DID YOU WANNA FINISH UP FIRST OR WHAT? I HAD A COUPLE, BUT GO AHEAD WITH KABA FIRST IF YOU'D LIKE.
UH, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY EMPHASIZED HOW MUCH OF A LAND RUSH THERE COULD BE IN THIS LAST FEW MONTHS, SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER INSPECTOR COMING ON BOARD.
AND I, I HOPE THAT THAT WHOLE INSPECTION PROCESS CAN GET MORE STREAMLINED
[01:40:01]
AND MORE ROBUST.SO IT COULD BE LOOKED AT IN MATTER OF DAYS INSTEAD OF OF WEEKS.
UH, BUT ESPECIALLY JUST TO HELP PEOPLE OUT AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND I, I COULD, YOU COULD PROBABLY SEE THIS COMING.
SO THAT'S, YEAH, WE'RE RAMPING UP, WE'RE HOPING TO MEET THAT DEMAND, BUT WE ARE LIMITED AS TO, YOU KNOW, HOW QUICKLY WE CAN BRING PEOPLE ON AND, AND BE FLEXIBLE, BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE IT AND ARE TRYING TO ADJUST.
I, I'VE BEEN A FOREVER FAN OF LOMA.
I WAS THERE WHEN THEY CUT THE RIBBON AND, UH, SIGNED UP FOR IT RIGHT AWAY.
UH, BUT WHEN I WENT ON ONE OF YOUR TOURS RECENTLY, I HAVE TO SAY IT LOOKED PRETTY SHABBY.
THE THE SIGNS HAVE DISINTEGRATED AND THE PANELS WERE ALL DUSTY.
I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING AS A, AS A PLACE TO TAKE STUDENTS AND ALL, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET SOME FRESH SIGNAGE OUT THERE? AND IT'S INTERESTING YOU SAY THAT BECAUSE WE'VE JUST PUT UP FRESH SIGNING SIGNAGE OUT THERE.
WE'LL HAVE TO GO DO TOUR ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
I'LL GO, YEAH, THE GRASS GROWS AND IT GETS CUT, YOU KNOW, AND THEY CLEAN PANELS PERIODICALLY, BUT THEY DO GET DIRTY, YOU KNOW, AND YEAH, SO YEAH, WE, WE TRY TO KEEP IT, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE NEW OWNER OF THAT ARRAY SO THAT THE OWNERSHIP CHANGED HANDS AND WE, WE ARE A POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT WITH THAT.
UM, BUT THE NEW OWNER, UM, IS A BIT MORE RESPONSIVE, UM, WHEN WE ASK THEM TO COME OUT TO CUT THE GRASS OR WHATEVER, IF WE KNOW WE'RE HAVING, UM, UH, AN EVENT THERE.
UM, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM.
YES, I AM BOTH EXCITED THAT, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE COMPANIES HAVE MADE IT WORK AND, AND HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT MEGAWATTS COMING ON.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT NEWS.
UM, BUT I DO CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM FOLKS FROM OTHER COMPANIES THAT THEY CAN'T MAKE THE ECONOMICS WORK, UM, EVEN EVEN FOR THE COMMERCIAL PROGRAM.
AND SO I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WORKING THROUGH HOW TO MAKE THE RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM WORK AND, AND THAT'S GREAT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY, IF WE COULD, COULD CIRCLE BACK TO THE COMMERCIAL PROGRAM AND SEE WHERE, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS THERE ARE SOME CONFIGURATION, SOME CHANGES THAT COULD BE MADE TO, TO REDUCE COST.
I MEAN, MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THE RATE AS WELL, BUT I, I AM JUST THINKING, LIKE, I KNOW THERE'S DISCUSSION OF THE RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE BEHIND THE METER, AND, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY WOULDN'T ACCRUE VALUE OF SOLAR CREDITS, YOU KNOW, DOING THAT ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, UM, COULD POTENTIALLY ELIMINATE THAT, MAYBE THAT METER FEE.
AND ALSO, UH, PROPERTY TAX COST.
YOU KNOW, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF LIKE, HOW, HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS PROGRAM WORK NOT JUST FOR A COUPLE COMPANIES THAT I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE MAKING IT WORK AND OTHERS AREN'T, BUT I'M, I KEEP HEARING THIS FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE, UM, AT DIFFERENT COMPANIES.
AND SO I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, WONDERING IF Y'ALL HAVE A GAME PLAN FOR REFINEMENT.
UH, WELL, THANKS FOR THAT INPUT.
AND, AND I DO THINK IT'S TIME FOR US TO HAVE ANOTHER STAKEHOLDER MEETING JUST TO GET SOME FEEDBACK, UM, LIKE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN RECEIVING FROM CONTRACTORS TO, YOU KNOW, HELP TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR BARRIERS ARE AND SEE IF WE CAN'T MITIGATE ANY OF THAT.
UM, SO I, I, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND, AND IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING, UM, JUST A LITTLE DATA AROUND IT WHERE NOW WE HAVE, UH, 8.25 MEGAWATTS OF PROJECTS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD TO CONSTRUCTION.
WE HAVE ANOTHER 15 MEGAWATTS IN THE QUEUE BEHIND THEM.
SO LIKE, THIS IS GETTING A LOT OF, OF TRACTION, UM, MORE THAN I ANTICIPATED.
UM, AND, BUT IT, BUT AS KIBA POINTED OUT, UM, THE LION'S SHARE OF THIS WORK IS GOING TO TWO COMPANIES, UM, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE COMPANIES GET ENGAGED WITH THIS.
AND, AND, UM, I, I, I AGREE WE NEED TO, UM, GO OUT AND SOLICIT SOME INFORMATION FROM THOSE OTHER COMPANIES TO SEE WHAT THEIR HURDLES ARE.
I MEAN, I DO THINK IT'S, IT'S GREAT, OBVIOUSLY, LIKE E EVEN IF IT'S JUST THOSE TWO COMPANIES RIGHT NOW, LIKE THEY'RE DOING, DOING A LOT AND, AND IT'S, IT'S SIGNIFICANT.
AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR, I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU'RE OPEN TO, TO REVISITING.
COMMISSIONER RHODES HAS A QUESTION.
I KNOW THEY'RE NOT LEGAL IN THIS STATE, BUT HAVE YOU SEEN ANYONE TRYING TO DO ANY KIND
[01:45:01]
OF BALCONY SOLAR TYPE STUFF? I KNOW UTAH HAS RECENTLY ALLOWING IT, AND I, I HAVE TROUBLE BELIEVING TEXAS IS GONNA BE OUT LIBERTARIAN BY UTAH FOR VERY LONG.SO HOW WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE ON OUR SYSTEM IF PEOPLE TRIED TO DO THAT? UM, WE DON'T SEE IT TODAY.
UM, THAT YOU KNOW OF MAYBE WELL, THAT, THAT WE KNOW OF.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THERE ARE MANY CONSIDERATIONS THAT, UM, NEED TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, VERY SERIOUSLY LOOKED AT BEFORE WE ALLOW BACK BALCONY SOLAR, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR BACKFEEDING ENERGY AND TO A OUTLET, UM, NOT A BACK FEED BREAKER, NOT A LINE SIDE TAP, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S CERTAIN ELECTRICAL PROTECTIONS THAT AREN'T THERE.
UM, AND IN IT, IT, IT, I I JUST AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEM, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF A, OF A CUSTOMER ATTACHING A A 50 POUND OBJECT ONTO THEIR BALCONY.
I MEAN, YOU SEE IT ALL OVER IN GERMANY AND PAKISTAN, IT EXPLODED AFTER IT HIT TO YEAH, I, YEAH, I'D, I'D LOVE TO GET SOME DATA ON, ON THAT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SAFETY AROUND THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE'S AN INTEREST FOR THIS.
UM, BUT I, I WOULD, UM, WANT TO PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY.
ARE THERE IN THE US NEC STANDARDS FOR THAT, I MEAN, THERE MAY BE SOME ODD, ODD THINGS WITH IN EUROPE WHERE THEY BRING THREE FACE TO THE HOUSE THAT MAKES IT EASIER OR SOME, AND SOME KIND OF THINGS.
BUT IS THERE A NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE EFFORT TO PURSUE THE DESIGN? AND NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
UM, AND, AND EVEN HEARING THAT UTAH'S DOING IT IS KIND OF NEWS TO ME.
UTAH'S, THEY'RE ALLOWING, BUT IT HAS TO BE UL CERTIFIED, WHATEVER THAT WILL ENTAIL.
BUT THEY JUST PASSED THAT LIKE LAST YEAR, I THINK.
[12. Staff briefing on Green Infrastructure by Michelle Marx, Transportation Officer – Transportation and Public Works. ]
A STAFF BRIEFING ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.I AM WITH AUSTIN, UH, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
UM, MY TRANSPORTATION COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE, UM, ENJOYED BEING, LISTENING IN ON CONVERSATIONS WE'RE NOT NORMALLY PRIVY TO.
UM, IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT, UH, TRANSPORTATION GETS TO COME TO EUC.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE EVER HAVE, BUT
I'M HERE, UM, TODAY BECAUSE, UM, WE IN TRANSPORTATION ARE STARTING, UH, THE, UH, THE, A PROCESS TO EMBARK ON SOME WORK IN OUR RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, AND, AND BEGINNING SOME CONVERSATIONS TO TALK ABOUT, UM, HOW WE THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE NEEDS, UM, THAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR RIGHT OF WAY, HOW WE THOUGHTFULLY AND STRATEGICALLY ALLOCATE LIMITED SPACE TO THOSE NEEDS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, AND IN SO MUCH AS, UM, THESE IMPENDING CONVERSATIONS WILL START TO, UM, KIND OF, UH, REQUIRE SOME INTERDEPARTMENTAL KIND OF CROSS-DISCIPLINARY WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE UTILITY, UH, UH, DEPARTMENTS, WE WANTED TO KINDA PROVIDE YOU A BRIEFING, UM, A PREVIEW, IF YOU WILL, TO, TO SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING.
UM, AND WHAT, WHAT I'M GONNA BE SHARING WITH YOU TODAY, UM, MIGHT SEEM LIKE THE CULMINATION OF AN EFFORT.
IT REALLY IS THE BEGINNING OF AN EFFORT.
UM, IF YOU'LL PLEASE PROGRESS TO THE FIRST SLIDE.
UM, SO WHAT I'M GOING TO KIND OF BE BRIEFING YOU ON TODAY IS SOME WORK THAT THE, UM, TARP, THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL TARP HAS, UM, PULLED TOGETHER IN RESPONSE TO A COUNCIL RESOLUTION PASSED IN 2024.
UM, THAT RESOLUTION ASKED STAFF TO, TO DO SOME INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORK TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS CURRENTLY IN AUSTIN THAT ARE, UM, LIMITING OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR RIGHTS OF WAY, UM, AND TO DEVELOP SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW, UM, KIND OF CROSS-DEPARTMENTALLY WE MIGHT PROPOSE,
[01:50:01]
UM, THINKING ABOUT THOSE BARRIERS AND PROPOSING SOLUTIONS TO THEM.AND THESE BARRIERS INCLUDE, UM, REQUIREMENTS IN OUR VARIOUS ADMINISTRATIVE CRITERIA, MANUALS IN CITY CODE, UM, ALSO IN KIND OF JUST OUR DEPARTMENT PROCESSES, UM, AND THE WAY WE, UM, JUST PROGRAMMATICALLY ORGANIZE OURSELVES.
UM, JUST TO STEP BACK FOR A MINUTE, UM, YOU KNOW, I WILL, UM, JUST BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT WHY, UM, SOME OF THE WAREHOUSES WITHIN THIS COUNCIL RESOLUTION, WHY, UM, DID THEY DIRECT US TO DO THIS WORK? AND, UM, IT REALLY IS, UM, IN RECOGNITION OF, OF STREET TREES AS BEING, UM, CRITICAL URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, THAT WE NEED TO START DOING A BETTER JOB OF INTEGRATING INTO OUR RIGHTS OF WAY.
AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, LARGELY IN RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE CLIMATE CHANGES, UM, AND MICRO CLIMATE CHANGES WE'RE SEEING IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, MULTIPLE DAYS OF A HUNDRED PLUS HEAT.
UM, AND RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT STREET TREES PLAY IN, NOT JUST, UH, IMPROVING URBAN HEAT ISLAND, BUT ALSO ADDRESSING KIND OF LONGER TERM CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE OBJECTIVES WE HAVE AS A CITY.
THOSE INCLUDE ABSORBING STORM WATER, ABSORBING, UM, AIR POLLUTANTS, UM, BUT ALSO CREATING A, UM, SAFER AND MORE COMFORTABLE, UM, PUBLIC REALM THAT ENCOURAGES ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY HARD TO, UM, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO RIDE THEIR BICYCLE OR TAKE THE BUS IF THEY'RE WALKING ON A CONCRETE SLAB WITH ZERO SHADE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO A 45 MILE PER HOUR VEHICULAR.
UM, SO WHAT CAN WE DO AS A COMMUNITY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, I'LL SAY IT, JUST FIT ONE MORE THING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, UM, ONE THAT ACCOMPLISHES, UM, MANY OF OUR KIND OF CITY'S STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
UM, THE TAR, UH, THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY REVIEW PANEL.
THIS IS A GROUP SET UP, UM, BY COUNCIL A COUPLE YEARS AGO TO HELP OVERSEE AND ADVISE ON ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, CRITERIA RULES.
AND SO THERE'S KIND OF A LOGICAL NEXUS IN COUNCIL IDENTIFYING, UM, THE TARP AS KIND OF THE KEY STAKEHOLDER GROUP, UM, TO HELP TO START TO DELVE INTO THIS TOPIC.
UM, THE TARP, UM, ITSELF IS A SOMEWHAT LARGE GROUP, SO THEY DID KIND OF SELF-IDENTIFY, UM, A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE WORKING GROUP AMONGST THEIR MEMBERS.
UM, AND THIS WORKING GROUP, AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE, THE RIGHT OF THE SLIDE HERE, DID INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES FROM, UM, ACROSS MOST ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY RIGHT OF WAY DECISIONS, UM, INCLUDING, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN WATER, UM, PARKS PLANNING, UH, WATERSHED, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, IT ALSO INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY FOLKS WHO, UM, HAVE EXPERIENCE, UH, SUBMITTING SITE PLANS, TRYING TO GET, UM, STREET TREES AND STREET TREE IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH OUR DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESSES.
UM, FOLKS WITH FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE, UM, AND EXPERIENCE WITH THE BARRIERS THAT WE HAVE IN AUSTIN, UM, TO, TO GETTING STREET TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, AND THEN WE DID ALSO KIND OF ENGAGE WITH, UM, A COUPLE OF LOCAL CONSULTANTS WHO ARE HERE WITH ME, UM, THIS EVENING TO HELP ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, THE INTENT OF THIS WORKING GROUP WAS TO, UM, PULL TOGETHER KIND OF RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION BY CITY LEADERSHIP.
SO THEY DID DEVELOP, UM, A KIND OF MULTI-PAGE, UH, DOCUMENT WITH, UH, VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS AND TECHNICAL ANALYSIS.
UM, BUT THESE, THESE WERE DEVELOPED WITH THE INTENT OF, OF, UH, SHARING WITH CITY LEADERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING DECISION MAKERS AND DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP, UM, FOR THEIR REVIEW AND, AND VETTING.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
SO DURING THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL JUST VERY BRIEFLY WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT THE, THE TARPS 12 RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ARE, UM, THAT STAFF ARE CURRENTLY IN DISCUSSION.
UM, IN REGARDS TO NEXT PAGE, PLEASE, UM, REALLY QUICKLY, THE PROCESS THAT THE, THE TARP WENT THROUGH TO DEVELOP THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, THEY DID SOME THOROUGH ANALYSIS LOOKING, UM, AT WHAT THE, WHAT AS I MENTIONED, THOSE BARRIERS TO, UM, STREET TREES IN OUR RIGHT OF WAY CURRENTLY ARE.
UM, AND THEY DID MAKE, UM, A KIND OF CONSCIOUS DECISION TO FOCUS ON STREET TREES SPECIFICALLY.
I KNOW GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CAN BE A SOMEWHAT BROAD TERM, UM, BUT, UH, GIVEN KIND OF THE, THE COST BENEFIT OF STREET TREES WHEN IT COMES TO ACHIEVING SOME OF OUR CITY'S,
[01:55:01]
UM, CLIMATE AND RESILIENCY AND TRANSPORTATION OBJECTIVES, UM, THE TARP REALLY FELT THAT THAT'S WHERE KIND OF THE BANG FOR THE BUCK IS.UM, AS COMPARED WITH, UM, KIND OF LOW LEVEL LINE LANDSCAPING, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THE SAME KIND OF, UM, HEAT ISLAND MITIGATION.
UM, THE SAME KIND OF, UM, KIND OF CLIMATE MICROCLIMATE IMPACT STORMWATER ABSORPTION, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THAT YOU WOULD WITH STREET TREES.
UM, AND FRANKLY, THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, A CHALLENGE IN OUR CITY FOR SO LONG THAT, UM, REALLY ADDRESSING THAT LOW LYING FRUIT, UM, LOW HANGING FRUIT IS, WOULD BE QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT HERE.
UM, SO THEY DID LOOK AT THE BARRIERS TO THE PROVISION OF STREET TREES, WHETHER THEY BE REGULATORY IN NATURE OR THEY BE KIND OF, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH OUR PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS OR KIND OF OUR PROGRAMMATIC, UM, APPROACHES, THE WAY WE KIND OF FUND AND IDENTIFY OUR PROGRAMS OR ORGANIZE OURSELVES AS A CITY.
UM, THEY THEN, UM, TOOK A STEP BACK, UM, AND WITH OUR CONSULTANTS' ASSISTANTS, UM, DID SOME PEER CITY ANALYSIS, UM, LOOKING AT COMPARABLE CITIES TO OURS, THINKING ABOUT, OKAY, WE'RE NOT, UM, CERTAINLY NOT THE FIRST CITY TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO PROVIDE STREET TREES, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE AND STUFF THAT NEEDS TO GO IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM OUR PEER CITIES? UM, AND THEN, UH, WITH THOSE ELEMENTS IN HAND, DEVELOPED THEIR 12 RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, FOR CITY STAFF CONSIDERATION.
UM, YOU'LL SEE IN A MOMENT WHEN I KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH THOSE, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FALL INTO KIND OF THE REGULATORY CATEGORY, UM, THE PROCESS CATEGORY, THE MAINTENANCE CATEGORY, AND THEN ALSO THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE, UH, KIND OF TWEAK WITH OUR CAPITAL PLANNING AND PROJECTS.
UM, THEY ALSO GAVE SOME THOUGHT TO, YOU KNOW, WHILE NOT WANTING TO DEVELOP OR IMPOSE WORK PLANS ON STAFF, THEY DID WANNA GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO, UM, LOGICALLY WHAT SORT OF, KIND OF WATERFALL MAKES SENSE HERE, UM, AS STAFF ARE CONSIDERING HOW TO INTEGRATE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO THEIR WORK PLANS.
UM, THE, THE TOPS RECOMMENDATIONS REALLY ARE, UM, TO FOCUS EFFORTS FIRST ON ADDRESSING THOSE REGULATORY FOUNDATIONS, UM, BEFORE PROCEEDING TO WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP IS TO STARTING TO THINK ABOUT, OKAY, WITH REGULATORY, UM, BARRIERS ADDRESSED.
NOW IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO KIND OF CONSIDER PERMITTING AND PROCESS RELATED BARRIERS WITH THOSE ELEMENTS, UM, IN PLACE.
THEN IT, A SUBSEQUENT KIND OF LOGICAL STEP WOULD BE THEN TO START TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THOSE SYSTEMS IN PLACE, HOW DO WE KIND OF CHANGE OUR APPROACHES TO CAPITAL PLANNING AND CAPITAL PROJECTS? UM, SO THUS THIS KIND OF WATERFALL LIKE, UH, RECOMMENDATION NEXT SLIDE.
SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL REALLY BRIEFLY WALK YOU THROUGH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS AFTER AFTERWARD.
YOU'LL SEE THAT SOME OF THESE, UM, TARP RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, MAY PERTAIN KIND OF MORE OR LESS TO YOUR KIND OF REALM OF EXPERTISE AND PURVIEW.
UM, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU KIND OF THE OVERALL GIST OF, OF THE ELEMENTS THAT, UM, THE TARP WOULD LIKE, UH, THE CITY TO CONSIDER.
AND THEN I'LL TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS, HOW WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH, UM, VARIOUS STAKEHOLDER DEPARTMENTS NOW TO, TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT STEPS MIGHT BE TO IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THESE AND REFLECTING THESE.
UM, SO THIS FIRST KIND OF TRANCHE OF RECOMMENDATIONS REALLY DOES, UM, UH, PERTAIN TO THE CITY'S VARIOUS ADMINISTRATIVE CRITERIA MANUALS AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, DOING A GOOD JOB OF ALIGNING OUR VARIOUS ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, UM, SUCH THAT THEY'RE NOT CONFLICTING WITH THE, WITH EACH OTHER, THAT THEY'RE KIND OF TALKING TO EACH OTHER, UM, AND CREATING A, A KIND OF A COMPREHENSIVE ALIGNMENT WHEREBY WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF, UM, INCORPORATE STRATEGICALLY ALL THE ELEMENTS, UM, THAT NEED TO FIT WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY AND, AND THINKING ABOUT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS MANUALS.
UM, SO NUMBER ONE HERE IS TO START THAT WORK WITH THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL.
UM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT REALLY IS KIND OF TRANSPORTATION, UM, AND THE PURVIEW OF THE, THE TRANSPORTATION KIND OF DIRECTOR TO THINK ABOUT HOW THE RIGHT OF WAY IS STRATEGICALLY ALLOCATED, UM, AND, AND HOW ALL OF THESE SYSTEMS KIND OF COLLABORATE TOGETHER COHESIVELY.
UM, SO WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT KIND OF STREET LEVEL REQUIREMENTS FOR SIDEWALK CORRIDORS, ELEMENTS WITHIN THE SIDEWALK CORRIDOR, INCLUDING STREET TREES USING THE TCM TO THINK ABOUT HOW DOES THIS WORK COHESIVELY WITH REQUIREMENTS BELOW GRADE, ABOVE GRADE AND AT STREET LEVEL, UM, TO CREATE KIND OF A SYSTEM THAT IS NOT IN CONFLICT HERE.
[02:00:01]
SO CLARIFYING THAT STREET TREES, UM, ARE AND WILL BE REQUIRED AS PART OF THOSE SIDEWALK CORRIDOR FRONTAGE IMPROVEMENTS.UM, AND AGAIN, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, ALL OF, OF THE, THE VARIOUS REQUIREMENTS, UM, ARE, ARE WORKING TOGETHER COHESIVELY AND USING KIND OF 2D AND 3D GRAPHICS TO SHOW HOW TREE PITS AND SOIL VOLUMES NEED, NEED TO KIND OF, UH, WORK ALONGSIDE WITH KIND OF OUR UNDERGROUND UTILITIES TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THESE THINGS ARE TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
NUMBER TWO IS, UM, UPDATING OUR STANDARDS MANUAL RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT'S CERTAINLY A BARRIER IN THAT WE REALLY DON'T HAVE VERY, UM, CLEAR OR COMPREHENSIVE OR, OR, UM, SOMETIMES WE LACK ENTIRELY, UM, UH, STANDARD DESIGNS AND DETAILS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR HOW TO PROVIDE TREES IN THE SIDEWALK.
SO, UM, IT REALLY IS, UM, AN UPHILL BATTLE FOR ANYBODY TRYING TO PLANT A TREE AS PART OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE CITY WANTS YOU TO DO.
SO PROVIDING THOSE STANDARD PLANS, UM, PROVIDING MORE DETAIL ABOUT, ABOUT THE TYPES OF IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT, SOIL CELLS, FOR EXAMPLE, ROOT AREAS, THE TYPES OF ELEMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED ALONG WITH THOSE PLANTERS, UM, TO TRY AND LAY OUT THOSE BREADCRUMBS FOR APPLICANTS.
NEXT SLIDE, NUMBER THREE HERE.
AND THE INTENT OF IS THAT ALL OF THESE CRITERIA, MANUAL RECOMMENDATIONS, ARE CONSIDERED IN TANDEM, UM, AGAIN, BECAUSE THEY NEED TO TALK TO EACH OTHER.
UM, NUMBER THREE IS TAKING A LOOK AT THE UTILITY CRITERIA MANUAL, UM, TO, TO FIGURE OUT ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, WORK WITH THE TCM AND THE UCM TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT, UM, BE MORE STRATEGIC AND, UM, EFFICIENT WITH THE WAY WE ALLOCATE LIMITED RIGHT OF WAY AMONGST ALL OF THESE USES.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IF WE ARE UPDATING OUR PLANTING STANDARDS TO REQUIRE MORE ROBUST SOIL VOLUMES AND ROOT, ROOT BARRIERS THAT KIND OF PRECLUDE TREES FROM, YOU KNOW, SEARCHING FOR NUTRIENTS UNDERGROUND AND, AND, UM, POTENTIALLY IMPACTING UNDERGROUND UTILITIES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SOIL VOLUME AND WATER, DOES THAT PROVIDE, FOR EXAMPLE, AUSTIN WATER, THE COMFORT THEY MIGHT NEED TO REDUCE THEIR CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS, YOU KNOW, FROM NINE FEET DOWN TO FIVE FEET? THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE.
THERE ARE GONNA BE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE AS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM CAN SIT AROUND THE TABLE, LOOK FOR THOSE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR EFFICIENCIES, UM, AND TALK THROUGH KIND OF THE PROS, THE CONS, UH, THE POTENTIAL, UM, KIND OF, UM, COMPROMISES OR PILOT OPPORTUNITIES TOGETHER AS AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING TEAM.
UM, NUMBER FOUR HERE, UM, IS TO WORK WITH OUR CITY ARBORISTS TO UPDATE OUR APPROVED STREET TREE LIST, UM, IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL, TO BE MORE KIND OF CONTEXT SPECIFIC.
UM, THIS, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY NOT JUST TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE, UM, ENSURE THAT WE'RE PLANNING IT.
IT REALLY IS ABOUT PUTTING THE RIGHT TREE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND BEING THINKING MORE ABOUT KIND OF MICRO CONTEXT, UM, WITH THAT MENU.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE HAVE LIMITED RIGHT OF WAY OR LIMITED SOIL VOLUMES, LET'S NOT PUT, YOU KNOW, A, A BIG HUNGRY TREE IN THAT LOCATION.
IF WE ARE CONSTRAINED BY UTILITIES UNDERGROUND OR ABOVE GROUND, LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE PUTTING A COMPATIBLE TREE IN THAT LOCATION.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THOSE OVERHEAD, THAT OVERHEAD INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE RIGHT KIND OF TREE THAT NEEDS TO GO, UM, UNDERNEATH THOSE OVERHEAD LINES.
UM, AND THEN NUMBER FIVE IS A BIT OF A PLACEHOLDER HERE.
YOU KNOW, THE EMPHASIS ON, UM, THIS REGULATORY CATEGORY IS REALLY TO KIND OF LOOK FOR THOSE INTERDEPARTMENTAL KIND OF WIN-WINS WITHIN CRITERIA MANUALS.
UM, BUT THE TARP DID WANT TO, UM, KIND OF PUT A BOOKMARK HERE THAT, UM, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND KIND OF PRECEDENTS IN OTHER, UM, CITIES, PEER CITIES, UM, WHERE STREET TREES ARE VERY CLEARLY REQUIRED AS PART OF FRONTAGE IMPROVEMENTS IN SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS AS PART OF CITY CODE.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK THIS IS AGAIN, UM, SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED IN THE LONG TERM.
REALLY, THE IMMEDIATE FOCUS IS, UM, IDENTIFYING KIND OF THAT LOW HANGING FRUIT, UM, AND ADDRESSING KIND OF THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIERS THAT WE'RE COMING UP ON WITH APPLICANTS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
SO THE NEXT KIND OF GROUPING OF RECOMMENDATIONS HERE, UM, ARE IN REGARD TO PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, NUMBER SIX IS, UM, KIND OF GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT WHEN WE DO HAVE, UM,
[02:05:01]
SITE PLANS COME IN THE DOOR, UM, GETTING KIND OF, UM, IN FRONT OF, OF IDENTIFYING FOR THE APPLICANT, WHAT THOSE RIGHT OF WAY IMPROVEMENTS ARE THAT WE ARE GOING TO REQUEST OF THE APPLICANT.WHAT WE WANNA DO IS IDENTIFY KIND OF A, A MORE KIND OF TEAM BASED APPROACH WHEREBY, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL THE REVIEWING DEPARTMENTS ARE SITTING AROUND EVALUATING THOSE RIGHT OF WAY IMPROVEMENTS COLLECTIVELY RATHER THAN LINEARLY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, NINE TIMES OUTTA 10, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE NON-STANDARD CONDITIONS AND SOME TRADE-OFFS AND DECISION MAKING IS GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN, UM, IN REGARD TO THOSE REQUESTED RIGHT OF WAY IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S HAPPENING, UM, AS A DIALOGUE AMONGST REVIEWERS, UM, ALBEIT WITH KIND OF A CLEAR DECISION MAKING AND ESCALATION PROCESS FOR DETERMINING THOSE RIGHT OF WAY IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND THEN NUMBER SEVEN REALLY IS JUST COMMUNICATING THESE UPDATED, UM, REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESSES, UM, NOT JUST TO OUR APPLICANTS, BUT INTERNALLY TO OUR STAFF AS WELL.
UM, THIS NEXT GROUP, UM, IS REALLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAINTAIN STREET TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY? UM, AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS WE HEAR TO, TO THE KIND OF PROVISION OF STREET TREES IS THE CITY'S CURRENT REQUIREMENT FOR PRIVATE LICENSE AGREEMENTS WHEN STREET TREES ARE, UM, INCLUDED IN A SITE PLAN.
UM, AND THIS IS A PROCESS THAT'S BEEN, UM, THAT WAS INSTITUTED A FEW YEARS BACK, UM, JUST IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THE CITY DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE RESOURCES OR THE CAPACITY TO MAINTAIN STREET TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT REALLY IS KIND OF, UM, A DOCUMENTATION OF OF ALLOCATING THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND KIND OF O AND M OWNERSHIP TO THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER.
HOWEVER, IT'S, UM, A HUGE PROCESS BARRIER, UM, FOR FOLKS WHO REALLY WANNA PROVIDE THOSE STREET TREES, UM, IN THAT IT'S ALMOST LIKE A SECOND SITE PLAN REVIEW, UM, AND EXTREMELY CUMBERSOME PROCESS.
AND FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR ANECDOTAL TALE OF MOST PEOPLE JUST DON'T PUT STREET TREES IN THEIR PLANS AT ALL BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA GO THROUGH THAT.
SO WE WANNA ELIMINATE THAT LICENSE AGREEMENT REQUIREMENT.
UM, AND THEN NUMBER NINE HERE IS, IS TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS FOR HOW WE MAINTAIN THOSE TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, AND THERE ARE REALLY A WHOLE SPECTRUM OF OPTIONS HERE.
UM, SOME CITIES, UM, JUST IDENTIFY THAT PRIVATE, THAT PRIVATE RESPONSIBILITY, UM, UNIVERSALLY ONCE IN CODE, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THE INDIVIDUALIZED LICENSE AGREEMENT PROCESS EVERY TIME.
UM, SOME CITIES HAVE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS WITH FRIENDS OF GROUPS, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, AND SOME CITIES, UM, ACTUALLY LEAD AND, AND DELIVER THOSE MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS THEMSELVES.
AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S SOME KIND OF COST BENEFIT AND SOME ANALYSIS THAT HAS TO BE DONE HERE, UM, BUT WE KNOW IT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ADVANCE OF ELIMINATING THE LICENSE AGREEMENT PROCESS.
UM, SO SOME WORK TO EXPLORE HERE, CERTAINLY.
UM, BUT THE LAST THING WE WANNA DO IS START TO ENCOURAGE STREET TREES WITHOUT HAVING A VERY KIND OF CLEAR AND ACTIONABLE MAINTENANCE, UM, PROGRAM KIND OF IN PLACE BEFORE THAT HAPPENS.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, NUMBER 10 HERE IS TO, UM, GET AHEAD OF THOSE KIND OF, UH, O AND M UM, SCHEDULING NEEDS BY DOING A COMPREHENSIVE STREET TREAT INVENTORY AND START TO, UM, KIND OF INVENTORY AND TRACK, UM, CONDITION AND MAINTENANCE NEEDS SO WE CAN START TO ESTABLISH THAT ANNUAL MAINTENANCE CYCLE, UM, AND GET ON TOP OF THAT.
UM, WE, WE DON'T WANT THAT TO BE JUST KIND OF COMPLAINT DRIVEN.
UM, WE, WE NEED TO BE, UM, KIND OF PROACTIVE HERE.
AND REALLY THAT INVENTORY, UM, IS CRITICAL FOR SETTING THAT UP.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE LAST COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS HERE ARE IN REGARD TO, AGAIN, WITH THOSE SYSTEMS IN PLACE THEN, HOW, UM, CAN THE CITY START TO THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT, UM, DEPLOYING OUR OWN CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, SUCH THAT THEY START TO INCLUDE STREET TREES IF WE'RE DIGGING UP CORRIDORS.
UM, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT STREET TREES ARE PART OF THE BASELINE SCOPE AND BUDGET OF, OF THAT EFFORT? AND HOW DO WE GET KIND OF SMART ABOUT, UM, OVERLAYING, UM, OUR CIPS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE KIND OF PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS INTELLIGENTLY AND EFFICIENTLY.
I SHOULD HAVE QUEUED YOU TO MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO DEVELOPING THAT KIND OF INVESTMENT PLAN, UM, AND IDENTIFYING HOW WE KIND OF LEVERAGE RESOURCES, UM, WHERE WE NEED TO, TO START TO JUST REGULARLY INCLUDE THAT WITH OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO THOSE ARE THE 12 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE TARP.
[02:10:01]
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.UM, WHERE WE ARE NOW IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, UH, DAYLIGHTING THIS WITH, UM, OUR VARIOUS CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
WE DID BRIEF COUNCIL MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UM, ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, LAST MONTH.
UM, WE ARE WORKING NOW, UM, WITH DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP TO DEVELOP A MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT, UM, WE'RE HOPING TO PUBLISH AFTER, UM, THIS, UM, KIND OF JUNKET OF COMMISSION BRIEFINGS, UM, TO, UM, CLARIFY AND IDENTIFY, UM, HOW INTERDEPARTMENTALLY WE SEE SOME OF THESE TARP RECOMMENDATIONS KIND OF FOLDING INTO OUR WORK PLANS MOVING FORWARD.
I MENTIONED THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A PROCESS, UM, NOT THE END.
UM, SO WE'VE STARTED TO THINK AND PARTNER, UM, WITH OUR, OUR PEER DEPARTMENTS OF, OKAY, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR, FOR US, OUR WORK MOVING FORWARD? HOW MIGHT WE ORGANIZE OURSELVES TO START TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE, FOR EXAMPLE, CRITERIA, MANUAL UPDATES OR PROGRAMMATIC UPDATES.
UM, SO WE'VE NOT DEVELOPED THAT WORK PLAN YET, UM, BUT WE, UM, ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, SHARING THAT MEMO ONCE IT COMES OUT AND, UM, AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, PARTNERING, UH, WITH FOLKS IN THIS ROOM AND OTHERS TO, TO START TO THINK ABOUT, UM, SOME OF OUR OPTIONS HERE, UM, FOR IMPLEMENTING THIS WORK.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU TODAY.
UM, I AM HERE WITH, UM, MY CONSULTANT TEAM IS HERE.
UM, MY, UH, A COUPLE OF MY COLLEAGUES AND, UM, LUCKY TO HAVE, UH, DIRECTOR MENDOZA WITH HIS HERE TODAY AS WELL TO HELP ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO DO YOU HAVE TO PUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN TO WATER EACH TREE? DO YOU HAVE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS AT EACH TREE? UM, YES.
IRRIGATION IS TYPICALLY PROVIDED WITH, UM, EACH OF THOSE TREES.
SO YOU HAVE TO DIG UP SIDEWALKS.
SO THE REASON I ASK THAT IS IT SEEMS LIKE IF YOU'RE DOING THAT, YOU COULD PUT IN THE ELECTRICAL LINE FOR LOW RATE EV CHARGING ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING.
SO IN SOME CITIES WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH AS A NEW YORK OR OTHER PLACES THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO PARK IN THE STREET.
AND PARKING ON THE STREET IF YOU HAVE NO INFRASTRUCTURE, MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO OWN AN EV MM-HMM
BUT THERE ARE COMPANIES THAT ARE, HAVE BEEN PUTTING OUT FOR YEARS SOLUTIONS WHERE YOU PLUG IN TO AN OUTLET THAT SAY IS AT EVERY PARKING SPOT AND IT HAS A WIRELESS METER MM-HMM
AND THAT'S THE WAY THE UTILITY GETS REIMBURSED.
AND IT'S YOUR OWN, IT'S A BRING YOUR OWN CORD THAT HAS A WIRELESS METER THAT'S CERTIFIED OR MAYBE EVEN OWNED AND YOU BUY IT FROM THE UTILITY OR RENT IT OR WHATEVER.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU'RE, YOU'VE ALREADY HAD ENGAGEMENT WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AND OTHERS ABOUT THESE SOMETIMES LEVEL ONE OR LOW LEVEL LEVEL TWO CHARGING MECHANISM.
THE LEVEL ONE MIGHT BE JUST WHERE YOU HAVE THE PLUGIN OUTLET, ANIMA FIVE 15.
I KNOW THAT'S TOTALLY NERDY OF THAT, BUT IT'S JUST YOUR STANDARD OUTLET THAT YOU PLUG INTO.
LISA, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME LIKE YOU'VE ALREADY COVERED THIS.
NO, BUT WHILE THEY'RE TEARING UP SIDEWALKS TO PUT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IN, COULD THEY JUST PUT SOME CONDUIT AND LINE IN TO SUPPORT STREET LEVEL PARKING IN THE AREAS THAT MAY HAVE VALUE IN THAT? NOT EVERY PLACE CERTAINLY WOULD NEED THAT.
I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT.
UM, SO CURBSIDE CHARGING, WE, WE AT TRANSPORTATION ARE, UM, MOVING FORWARD WITH A CURB, UM, CURB STUDY RIGHT NOW, UM, LOOKING AT CURB SPACE DEMAND ACROSS THE CITY, BE THAT LOADING, PARKING, TRANSIT LANES, BIKE LANES, UM, I CERTAINLY THINK, YOU KNOW, CURBSIDE CHARGING WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE CURB SPACE DEMANDS.
AND, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE MAKING SOME STRATEGIC, UM, POLICY DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE ALLOCATE CURB SPACE, BECAUSE IT IS, UM, A RESOURCE WITH A LOT OF DEMAND AND LIMITED, UM, UM, SUPPLY.
UM, SO I CAN TAKE THAT, UM, SUGGESTION BACK TO, UH, THE PROGRAM MANAGER LEADING THAT WORK, UM, TO CONSIDER, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING, UH, CURBSIDE CHARGING AS PART OF THAT.
I KNOW IN AUSTIN, UM, WE DO A LOT OF PRIVATE CHARGING, UM, MORE SO THAN IN OTHER PLACES I'VE BEEN.
UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THAT, THAT BALANCE THERE OF, OF HOW MUCH WE, UH, FROM A POLICY PLACE WANNA ADD THAT TO KIND OF OUR CURB DEMAND VERSUS CONTINUE TO RELY ON KIND OF PRIVATE SITES FOR THAT.
WELL, IT MAY BE THAT YOU JUST PUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN MM-HMM
AND THEN PEOPLE BRING THEIR OWN COURTS.
THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN EXPLORE AS PART OF KIND OF THE TECHNICAL GROUP WHEN WE DIVE INTO THIS WORK.
I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH AE AND
[02:15:01]
AS THE INDUSTRY MOVES TO NORTH AMERICA CHARGING STANDARD, THERE WAS TALK ABOUT HAVING AN OUTLET THAT WOULD ACTUALLY ENABLE THAT BETTER IN THE J 3,400 SAE STANDARD.UM, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, WELL, I GUESS IT WAS LIKE ABOUT, UM, STREET TREES, BUT DO Y'ALL ALSO HANDLE LIKE THE BIKE PASS AND THE HIKING BIKE TRAILS AND LIKE THE LOWER WALNUT CREEK TRAIL AND LIKE ALL THOSE OTHERS? LIKE IS THAT ALSO YOUR DEPARTMENT THAT YOU'RE YES.
UM, AND WE'RE, UM, ACTIVELY, AGAIN, THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THAT CAPITAL PROJECT, UM, CONSIDERATION.
UM, HOW TO WHAT EXTENT CAN WE START TO MAKE STREET TREES KIND OF BASELINE SCOPE ELEMENTS, UM, OF THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
UM, LARGE, THOSE ARE OFF STREETS, CERTAINLY.
UM, BUT A LOT OF THAT'S GONNA BE KIND OF CONTINGENT ON, OKAY, DO WE HAVE THE MAINTENANCE KIND OF PROGRAMMATIC MAINTENANCE STRUCTURES AND SYSTEMS IN PLACE FOR THAT? UM, WE ALSO NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT, UM, KIND OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, AS YOU KNOW, THE BROADER YOUR SCOPE GETS, THE FEWER NUMBER OF MILES YOU'RE ABLE TO DELIVER.
SO THIS IS ALSO KIND OF A DELICATE BALANCE.
UM, BUT OUR PROGRAM LEADERSHIP, UM, DEFINITELY SEES KIND OF SHADED BIKE PATHS AS, AS PART OF OUR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR HOSTING US TONIGHT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT.
IF Y'ALL RECALL LAST SUMMER, NOT SO MUCH THIS PAST SUMMER, BUT LAST SUMMER, I THINK WE HAD A PROLONGED STRETCH OF OVER 100 DEGREE DAYS HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND, UH, WE'RE ALSO MOVING FORWARD WITH A, UH, TRANSFORMATIONAL, UM, INVESTMENT IN OUR TRANSIT, UH, PROJECT CONNECT.
AND SO THE IMPETUS FOR ALL THIS CAME AROUND DISCUSSIONS AT LEADERSHIP THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PUTTING ALL THIS MONEY INTO PROJECT CONNECT.
WE'VE GOT, UH, 20 18, 20 20 BONDS TO FILL OUR SIDEWALK GAPS SO THAT FOLKS CAN ACCESS, UH, THESE TRANSIT INVESTMENTS.
BUT MY GOSH, IF IT'S A HUNDRED DEGREES OUTSIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND YOU'RE WILL AND YOUR BABIES DOWN THE SIDEWALK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LITTLE, BECOMES A LITTLE, UH, UNBEARABLE EVEN FOR US NATIVE TEXANS.
SO WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF WE COULD AFFECT SOMETHING TO PROVIDE SOME RELIEF TO OUR COMMUNITY? AND STREET TREES OBVIOUSLY PROVIDE A SHADE IMPACT.
I KNOW WHEN I USED TO GO JOGGING A LOT MORE THAN I DO NOW, UM, I WOULD RUN ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET THAT HAD THE SHADE, RIGHT?
BUT ANYWAY, THAT, THAT WAS THE GENERATION OF ALL THIS WORK.
AND IT'S NOT EASY WORK BECAUSE TREASON THE RIGHT OF WAY AFFECTS MULTIPLE, UH, ASSET OWNERS TO INCLUDE OUR OWN A ENERGY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S GOTTA BE A VERY DELIBERATE PROCESS.
WE'RE WANTING TO INTRODUCE ANOTHER ASSET ON EQUAL FOOTING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, IN LIMITED SPACE, BUT NOT DO IT IN A MANNER THAT MIGHT COMPROMISE THE, THE OTHER CRITICAL SERVICE, EITHER WATER OR POWER OR, OR DRAINAGE OR EVEN MY OWN TRAFFIC SIGNAL, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S BELOW THE PAVEMENT.
SO JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH THE TEAM TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND KIND OF THE GENESIS OF THE WORK AND, AND WHERE OUR LEADERSHIP WAS, WAS THINKING.
OTHER QUESTIONS? ANYONE ONLINE? OKAY.
WELL, I GUESS WE HAVE NO MORE QUESTIONS.
[13. Discussion and possible action regarding a recommendation allowing Austin Energy to retain their logo. (Kirksey, Tuttle)]
13.UH, COMMISSIONER KIRKSEY HAD TO CATCH A PLANE, AND SO HE HAD DROPPED OFF DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING A RECOMMENDATION, ALLOWING AUSTIN ENERGY TO USE THEIR OWN LOGO THAT THEY'VE HAD FOR YEARS.
SO IT WAS INTERESTING HOW YOU ALREADY STUCK
I THOUGHT THAT WAS, THAT WAS HILARIOUS.
SO, UH, DON'T LET THE OLD, UH, SIGNAGE GET, UH, HIT IN THE REAR AS IT GOES OUT THE DOOR.
IT'S BASICALLY TRYING TO, TO GIVE YOU ALL FREEDOM TO REDUCE COSTS BECAUSE EVERYTHING'S GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE.
I MEAN, A LOT OF US HAVE LIVED HERE SO LONG THAT AUSTIN USED TO BE CHEAP.
UH, AUSTIN'S NOT AN EXPENSIVE PLACE.
I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU THAT.
THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF INFLATIONARY PRESSURES.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S SENSITIVITY IN THE COMMUNITY FOR ANYTHING THAT CAN INCREASE
[02:20:01]
COST THAT HAS LIMITED VALUE.AND WE'VE HAD SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE DESIGN, JOSH, OF THE LOGO.
YEAH, I, I MEAN, YEAH, I, I DON'T, I DON'T NECESSARILY LOVE THE LOGO.
I DON'T LIKE LOOKING LIKE A MID-TIER INSURANCE AGENCY.
SO AL DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON ANY OF THIS? I THINK IT LOOKS LIKE A WATER SLIDE.
SO, UH, I AND IT, BUT IT DOESN'T RELATE TO ANYTHING I KNOW ABOUT AUSTIN, SO I'M, I'M NOT MOVED BY IT.
I'M, I'M REALLY SUPPORTING BEING ABLE TO HAVE AUSTIN ENERGY KEEP USING THEIR EXISTING LOGO, WHICH IS WIDELY KNOWN AND, AND RESPECTED NATIONALLY AND, AND THROUGH THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND THE UTILITY INDUSTRY.
OTHER COMMENTS? YEAH, THERE'S A, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT INTANGIBLE VALUE TO USING THE OLD LOGO.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN BUILT UP OVER MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT STICK AROUND AS WELL.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'D BE ONE THING IF IT WERE, IF IT, IF IT WERE, IF IT LOOKED LIKE THE OLD CITY LOGO THAT THEY'RE REPLACING, BUT IT LIKE, DOESN'T, DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE SHIELD
LIKE, SO IT, IT IS NOT LIKE IT WAS LIKE SYNCED BEFORE.
SO NIKKI, SHOULD I JUST READ THE WHOLE THING OR? SURE.
THE RECOMMENDATION THE EUC RECOMMENDS TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT AUSTIN ENERGY BE ALLOWED TO RETAIN THEIR CURRENT LOGO RATIONALE.
CURRENT AUSTIN ENERGY LOGO HAS BEEN IN USE FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS AND INCORPORATES DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT HAD BEEN IN USE IN THE VARIOUS CITY OF AUSTIN ELECTRIC UTILITY DEPARTMENT LOGOS FOR DECADES PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT CURRENT LOGO.
AUSTIN ENERGY HAS ATTAINED WELL-DESERVED NATIONAL NAME RECOGNITION AND ITS LOGO IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED THROUGHOUT THE ELECTRIC UTILITY INDUSTRY.
ADDITIONALLY, THE LOGO IS PROUDLY WORN BY CURRENT AND FORMER AE EMPLOYEES.
THIRDLY, TRANSITIONING TO THE PROPOSED NEW LOGO EVEN OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME WILL BE A COSTLY EFFORT GIVEN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL CHALLENGES FACING AE THE CITY AS A WHOLE, RETAINING THE CURRENT LOGO SEEMS LIKE TO BE MORE PRUDENT USE OF STEWARDSHIP OF AE RATE PAYERS MONEY OR CUSTOMERS MONEY.
SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL MOVE.
UH, AL YOU WANT A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS? OKAY.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION, WE HAVE A SECOND.
I VOTE FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION.
IT MAY NOT BE A HIGH IMPACT ONE BECAUSE OF THE POWERS THAT BE, BUT WE JUST WANNA HAVE OUR VOICE SORT OF KNOWN ON THIS.
I'M NOT SURE IT'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT I'LL VOTE FOR IT.
SO WE HAVE TWO THREE PLUS 4 7 1 ABSTENTION AND WE'LL MARK CHRIS' OFF THE, OKAY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
OKAY.LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT THING.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, I HAVE SOME THAT I'VE HEARD THAT WE, I MEAN, UM, I THINK WE'D JUST LIKE TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE RFP FOR THE BATTERIES, YOU KNOW, THE LATEST ON THAT WHEN IT'S THE RIGHT TIMING, UH, WIND AND SOLAR UPDATES.
AND MAYBE PERIODICALLY IT CONGESTION COST UPDATE, BECAUSE THAT WAS A BIG CONVERSATION IN THE PAST, BUT, YOU KNOW, HOW IS PRICE SEPARATION DOING THESE DAYS? ARE WE SEEING LESS TRANSMISSION CONGESTION AND ERCOT, SORT OF THE ERCOT? HOW DOES ERCOT AFFECT AE AND HOW THAT MIGHT AFFECT CUSTOMER'S BILLS IN THE FUTURE OR CAPEX INVESTMENT? WHAT OTHERS DO YOU ALL HAVE? SORRY.
UM, YEAH, IS IT OKAY IF I GO, SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A, I GUESS IT'S MORE OF A PRESENTATION.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW HOW AUSTIN ENERGY,
[02:25:02]
UM, IS INTERACTING WITH THIS HUGE BOOM IN NEW LARGE LOADS.LIKE WHAT'S OUR, WHAT'S OUR PROCESS? IF THERE'S A LARGE LOAD THAT WANTED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE A DATA CENTER, AI, A NEW ONE.
I KNOW WE HAVE DATA FOUNDRY, BUT A NEW ONE WANTED TO BE LOCATED IN AUSTIN.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE PROCESS THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH? WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT DOES AUSTIN ENERGY DO TO PROTECT, YOU KNOW, UH, CONSUMERS AND RATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT? AND MAYBE THAT'S TOO WIDE AN ASK, BUT JUST SOME SORT OF BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, CPS ENERGY OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN ATTRACTING A LOT OF DATA CENTERS AND I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTED? UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY DEVELOPMENT THAT COULD BE GOOD, BUT ALSO HOW DO WE PROTECT, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT PAYERS, UM, JUST FROM THE BIG WATER AND ENERGY DEMAND AND ANY INCREASE IN TRANSMISSION COSTS OR DISTRIBUTION COSTS.
SO SOMETHING ABOUT BIG DATA CENTERS AND, AND HOW WE DEAL WITH IT.
'CAUSE THERE'S LIKE, THERE'S PROB I THINK THERE'S LIKE DOZENS OF PARALLEL STUDIES RIGHT NOW ABOUT LIKE, THE IMPACT OF DATA CENTERS ON ELECTRICITY RATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, I'VE BEEN ASKED TO BE A PART OF MULTIPLE OF THEM, SO, I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S A BUNCH OF THEM OUT THERE.
DON'T, YOU DON'T, WE DON'T NEED A PRESENTATION AND ALL THAT.
I JUST MEAN IN AUSTIN ENERGY, WHAT, WHAT'S THE PROCEDURE? HOW DO, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT? YEAH.
SO I TOOK THAT AS HOW AUSTIN ENERGY IS ENGAGING IN NEW LARGE LOAD SORT OF INTERCONNECTION QUEUES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, OR INTERCONNECTION AT THE LO LOCAL LEVEL.
YEAH, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.
I THINK, UH, DAVE, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO IMPACTS.
ONE IS IF THEY MOVE AND SET UP WITHIN OUR LOAD ZONE, THEY'RE USING POWER THAT WE NEED TO IMPORT.
BUT IF, IF THEY SET THEMSELVES UP IN PFLUGERVILLE, THEY'RE STILL IMPACTING OUR TRANSMISSION, OUR OWN TRANSMISSION RESOURCES IN, IN A BIG WAY WITHOUT UTILIZING OUR POWER.
SO THAT'S A SECOND LEVEL IMPACT, BUT IT COULD BE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
I MEAN, IT'S SORT OF AN OPEN INVITATION TO AUSTIN ENERGY LEADERSHIP TO THINK ABOUT HOW THEY, HOW THEY WOULD WANT TO PRESENT IT TO US.
BUT I, AL'S POINT IS A GOOD ONE, RIGHT? LIKE HOW, HOW ARE WE IMPACTED BY IT AND HOW, HOW ARE WE ENGAGING IN IT? YEAH.
I'M THINKING OF SAMSUNG AND TESLA.
THEY, THEY DON'T BUY ANY JUICE FROM AUSTIN, BUT IT'S A BIG IMPACT.
THE, THE NEW SAMSUNG DOESN'T THE NEW PLANT.
ANY OTHER ADDITIONS? OKAY WITH THAT, I SAY THIS ADJOURN.