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[CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
WE DO HAVE QUORUM. FIRST ITEM IS ALWAYS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR COMMUNICATION TODAY? DON'T THINK SO. SO THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO. OKAY.[1. Approve the minutes of the Regular Called Resource Management Commission Meeting on July 21, 2026.]
THANK YOU. WE'LL MOVE INTO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.YOU'LL HAVE A COPY OF THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY MEETING IN YOUR PACKET.
DOES CAN I GET A MOTION ON THOSE MINUTES. SO MOVE.
HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE TO ADOPT THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY MEETING.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. COMMISSIONER SECONDS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION AROUND THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY 21ST MEETING.
HEARING NONE, CALL THE QUESTION. ALL IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY 21ST MEETING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S SEVEN ZERO. THE MINUTES ARE ADOPTED.
[2. Staff Briefing on the clean energy portfolio implementation of Austin Energy’s Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035 by Lisa Martin, Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating Officer, Austin Energy.]
OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S RESOURCE GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN.WE'VE GOT MISS LISA MARTIN. PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY.
AND BRING UP THE PRESENTATION FOR ITEM TWO. ALL RIGHT.
I'M LISA MARTIN, AUSTIN ENERGY'S CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER.
AND IN SOME CASES, THE LATEST WE HAVE IS THE VALIDATED DATA FROM YEAR END FISCAL YEAR 25.
SO I'LL SPECIFY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WE GO THROUGH.
AS A REMINDER, WHEN I SAY AS A PERCENTAGE OF LOAD, IT MEANS THAT THESE NUMBERS SHOW THE PERCENTAGE OF ENERGY CONSUMED BY AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMERS. THAT IS OFFSET BY OUR CARBON FREE GENERATION SOURCES.
SO LOOKING AT THE FAR RIGHT BAR, YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE FISCAL YEAR TO DATE, WE'RE AT 67%.
SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO SEE THE UPTICK FROM THE LAST TWO YEARS WHERE WE'VE REMAINED STEADY, THOUGH AS A LEVEL SET, Q1 AND Q2 TEND TO HAVE HIGHER RENEWABLE PERCENTAGES OVERALL.
AND AS WE CONTINUE IMPLEMENTATION OF MANY ASPECTS OF THE 2035 PLAN WITH MORE LOCAL SOLAR IMPORT CAPACITY INCREASES, WIND AND SOLAR ADDITIONS, AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS, WE LOOK TO SEE AN UPTICK IN THIS METRIC, KNOWING THAT THE CHALLENGES LIKE LOAD GROWTH, CONGESTION, AND CURTAILMENT CONTINUE TO WORK AGAINST OUR PROGRESS.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. NOW I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A SERIES OF SLIDES RELATED TO OTHER GEN PLAN GOALS.
HERE WE SEE THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRESS. WHAT YOU SEE IS 866MW OF ENERGY SAVINGS AS OF FY 25, WITH 109MW REMAINING TO REACH OUR 2027 GOAL. SO SINCE INCEPTION, AND ONCE WE'VE REACHED OUR GOAL, WE'LL HAVE NEARLY ONE GIGAWATT OF ENERGY SAVINGS FROM OUR INDUSTRY LEADING PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SHIFTING TO DEMAND RESPONSE.
YOU'LL RECALL WE HAD A RECORD YEAR IN FISCAL YEAR 25.
WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE 55MW OF CONFIRMED REDUCTION DURING OUR SUMMER NEEDS.
OUR 2027 GOAL IS 78MW, AND THE 2035 GOAL IS 270MW.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE HAVE TO ACHIEVE TO GET TO THOSE GOALS.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. OUR LOCAL SOLAR TEAM TRACKS INSTALLATIONS AS THEY GO AND OUR PRELIMINARY NUMBERS AS OF Q2 OF FY 26 WERE 199MW INSTALLED. THAT MEANS WE'RE JUST SIX MEGAWATTS AWAY FROM THE 2027 GOAL,
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AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SURPASSING THAT ON THE WAY TO THE 405 MEGAWATT GOAL, WHICH IS IN YEAR 2035.NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. FINALLY, OUR LOCAL BATTERY STORAGE GOAL.
WE HAVE JUST OVER 16MW INSTALLED AND OPERATING AS OF Q2 FY 26.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 140MW IN DEVELOPMENT AND SLATED TO COME ONLINE BY 2027, WHICH WILL SURPASS OUR GOAL OF 120MW. OUR TEAMS ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH CONTRACTORS TO BRING THE APPROVED PROJECTS TO COMMERCIAL OPERATION, AND NOT SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE IS THE ADDITIONAL 200 MEGAWATT BATTERY APPROVED BY COUNCIL LAST MONTH.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. WRAPPING UP THIS SECTION, HERE'S THE SUMMARY.
OUR BATTERY DEMAND RESPONSE PILOT AS OF JUNE 2026.
THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS HERE ON THE TABLE.
WE HAVE 121 ENROLLED CUSTOMERS WITH 212 TOTAL ENROLLED BATTERY UNITS.
AND WE'RE SEEING 1.6MW OF AGGREGATE DISCHARGE CAPACITY AS OF THE END OF JUNE.
AS A BIT OF AN UPDATE, THE TEAM PULLED THE NUMBERS, THE LATEST NUMBERS WHICH SHOW 277 TOTAL ENROLLED BATTERY UNITS AND A DISCHARGE CAPACITY OF JUST OVER TWO MEGAWATTS. SO THIS IS CHANGING, YOU KNOW, DAY OVER DAY.
SO BASE INSTALLED THEIR FIRST SYSTEMS IN AUSTIN IN LATE JUNE.
AND THEY DID A MORE FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT IN JULY.
AS OF TODAY, THERE ARE 20 UNITS INSTALLED. THESE UNITS HAVEN'T YET HIT COMMERCIAL OPERATION, BUT THAT'S FORTHCOMING. AND ON THE AUSTIN ENERGY SIDE, WE'RE BEGINNING TO INTEGRATE THE RESOURCES INTO OUR PORTFOLIO.
BASE EXPECTS TO REACH FULL SYSTEM CAPACITY OF 40MW BY MID TO LATE 2027.
THE GOOD NEWS IS WE WON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEN TO BENEFIT FROM THESE RESOURCES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND WE SPOKE ABOUT THE LOCAL SOLAR PROGRESS SEVERAL SLIDES AGO.
BUT THIS SLIDE DELVES INTO THE STANDARD SOLAR STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY.
AND SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS AS OF Q2 FY 26, THERE WAS 5.5MW OF COMMUNITY SOLAR CAPACITY INSTALLED WITH THE TOP PORTION, THAT LITTLE GREEN PORTION COMING FROM STANDARD OFFER.
OKAY. THANK YOU FOR FOR BRINGING THAT TO US. I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE SOME GOOD DISCUSSION.
I WILL START WITH COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU, MISS DAVIS. MISS MARTIN A COUPLE QUESTIONS, PLEASE.
THE FIRST ONE IS CLARIFICATION. AUSTIN'S FISCAL YEAR STARTS OCTOBER 1ST, CORRECT.
SO THE DATA THAT YOU PRESENTED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS ONLY RUNS THROUGH MARCH 31ST, CORRECT? DON'T WE HAVE ANYTHING THROUGH THE END OF JUNE Q3? SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THAT THIS IS COMING FROM THE SEMIANNUAL UPDATE THAT IS USUALLY PRESENTED IN JULY TO THE UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
AND THAT INFORMATION, IT'S NOT LIKE WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION IN ENOUGH TIME.
OKAY. YOU I, I DON'T SEE THE DISTRICT COOLING SYSTEM IN THIS LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE CUSTOMER ORIENTED. AND I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT THAT.
SORRY TO STEAL YOUR THUNDER, PAUL. IT'S 28MW OF ELECTRIC PEAK AC DEMAND OFFSET.
AND IT MATCHES THE THE WHOLE CULTURE OF INNOVATION THING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE STATUS OF THE DISTRICT COOLING SYSTEM IS, PLEASE? WE DO HAVE A THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE GOAL. IT HAS 30MW OF THE 40 MEGAWATT GOAL.
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AND IF MEMORY SERVES, THE GOAL IS, IS A 2030 GOAL.SO WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE CURRENT DISTRICT COOLING SYSTEM PLEASE? OH, I'M SORRY. I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE GOAL. WELL, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE THE THE THE THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE INCLUDED IN THIS PRESENTATION FOR FUTURE UPDATES. BUT AT THE MOMENT I'M SPECIFICALLY ASKING ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE DISTRICT COOLING SYSTEM.
IT IS OPERATING FULLY WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS AS WE KNOW OF.
AND YOU KNOW, ALL IS WELL IN OPERATIONS. WILL WE EVER SEE THE REPORT THAT WAS DUE LAST OCTOBER THAT IS NOT YET FINALIZED? WILL WE EVER HEAR AUSTIN ENERGY'S PLANS FOR WHAT TO DO WITH THE DISTRICT? ONCE THE THIRD PARTY ASSESSMENT REPORT IS FINALIZED, WE WILL DETERMINE WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE.
YES. AND WHAT IS THAT TIME FRAME, PLEASE? I ANTICIPATE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, AS YOU KNOW, AND AS I'VE MENTIONED TO Y'ALL BEFORE, WE HAD A NUMBER OF OTHER PRIORITIES TO FOCUS ON.
AND SO WE KIND OF PUT THE THIRD PARTY ASSESSMENT REPORT ON HOLD.
THANK YOU. GIVEN MOVING ON TO A DIFFERENT TOPIC, GIVEN THE CURRENT RATES OF LOAD GROWTH AND INCREASED HEAT HERE IN AUSTIN AND IN ERCOT OVERALL WOULDN'T IT BE WISE TO END THE DELAYS IN GETTING SUPPLY CHAIN DETAILS LIKE TURBINES AND TRANSFORMERS? WOULDN'T IT BE WISE FOR AUSTIN ENERGY TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE OUR INVESTMENTS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND DEMAND RESPONSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN PONTIFICATE ON THE STRATEGY IN THAT CASE MOVING FORWARD.
AND YES, AS YOU NOTE, THERE'S A VERY DYNAMIC ENERGY LANDSCAPE AND A LOT OF CHALLENGES FACING A NUMBER OF, OF, YOU KNOW, ASPECTS OF OUR WORK. AND SO WE DO HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE HOW WE, YOU KNOW, CAREFULLY, BUT YOU KNOW, WORK TOWARDS, TOWARDS REACHING THOSE GOALS.
AND I GUESS WHAT I AM SUGGESTING OR REQUESTING IS GIVEN THE DIFFICULTIES OF ACHIEVING SUPPLY SIDE RESOURCE GOALS AND THE QUICKLY ESCALATING COSTS OF ALL OF THOSE.
I AM WONDERING IF IT ISN'T TIME FOR AUSTIN TO DO A SIGNIFICANT REASSESSMENT OF THE COST EFFECTIVENESS AND MAGNITUDE OF OUR DEMAND SIDE GOALS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND DEMAND RESPONSE.
WE'VE ALREADY SEEN YOU GOOSING BATTERIES, BUT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND DEMAND RESPONSE CAN DO A LOT TO REDUCE THE CONGESTION COSTS THAT THAT WE ARE PAYING TODAY AND TO REDUCE OUR REQUIREMENTS ON THE VERY EXPENSIVE SUPPLY SIDE. SO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM FROM YOUR TEAM AND MR. GENESEE AND OTHERS, SOME ATTENTION TO THAT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CONTINUING TO CHASE THE SUPPLY SIDE ALONE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR. MAY I JUST RESPOND? ONE. YES, PLEASE. I JUST WANTED TO SAY, JUST A REMINDER THAT THE RESOURCE GENERATION CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN IS BUILT ON FOUR PILLARS, AND THE BEGINNING OF IT IS TO PRIORITIZE CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS.
AND SO THE THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT ARE THAT.
SO WE ARE LOOKING TO WORK ON ALL SIDES OF THE EQUATION THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO INFLUENCE AS A, AS A VERTICALLY INTEGRATED UTILITY THAT WORKS IN SUPPLY AND DEMAND AND IN THE WIRE SIDE OF THINGS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE AND LET YOU KNOW TO REAFFIRM THAT A HUGE PRIORITY FOR US AND A FOCUS AND THE GOALS THAT ARE ESTABLISHED IN THE 2035 PLAN ARE BASED OFF OF A REFRESHED ASSESSMENT BY A THIRD PARTY LOOKING AT THE FEASIBILITY AND WHERE THOSE GOALS SHOULD BE SET.
THANK YOU. WHAT TIME WHEN HOW MANY YEARS AGO WAS THAT REASSESSMENT CONDUCTED? IT WAS CONDUCTED AT THE TIME OF THE JUST BEFORE THE ADOPTION OF THE 2035 PLAN, WHICH WAS IN DECEMBER OF 24.
OKAY. SO WE HAVE SEEN PROBABLY A 30% INCREASE IN SUPPLY SIDE PRICES SINCE THEN, WHICH SAYS TO ME THAT THE ASSESSMENT AND GOALS THAT WERE THE BALANCE OF RESOURCES THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT BASED ON MID TO LATE 2024.
NUMBERS ARE ALREADY SEVERELY OUT OF DATE, AND THE AFFORDABILITY AND COST PRESSURES THAT WE FACE, BOTH AS A UTILITY AND AS AS CUSTOMERS AND RATEPAYERS REQUIRE AN EMPHATIC REASSESSMENT AND REEVALUATION OF COST EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE RESOURCES. YOUR POINT IS NOTED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
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CHAIR. VICE CHAIR. ROBBINS. COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN IS MUCH TOO KIND.TO BEGIN WITH, I WANT TO RELATE SOMETHING. IT'S IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.
AUSTIN ENERGY HAD A DOWNTOWN TOWN TRANSMISSION CONSTRAINT PROBLEM AND THE PLANNING ENERGY CONSERVATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT PREDECESSOR OF WHAT RS IS NOW CAME UP WITH A KIND OF ADVANCED PLAN. IT SAID WITH CONSERVATION, WE CAN SOLVE THIS.
AND I STILL HAVE A COPY OF THIS BURIED IN A FILE CABINET.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE FILE CABINETS ANYMORE? I STILL HAVE HAVE THIS AND THEY FIGURED OUT ANOTHER WAY TO ADDRESS THE TRANSMISSION CONSTRAINT PROBLEM, BUT THE IDEA OF SOMETHING TO ADVANCE CONSERVATION ON PAR WITH THAT IS OVERDUE.
AND. MY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE AUSTIN ENERGY HASN'T BEEN TERRIBLY TRANSPARENT, BUT MY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING IS WE MAY NOT GET A GAS GENERATOR EVEN IF WE ORDER IT AT PREMIUM PRICES FOR 5 TO 7 YEARS.
THAT'S A LONG TIME TO DEAL WITH OUR SITUATION.
I PERSONALLY THINK A HAMSTER ON A TREADMILL MIGHT BE MORE COMPETITIVE THAN THAT GENERATOR, BUT WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT WHEN WE DO THE NUMBERS.
WELL, IT WASN'T THAT FUNNY. IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY.
AND SO THIS IS ALL A LONG WINDED WAY OF SAYING THAT COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. WE NEED TO DO AN ASSESSMENT OF ADVANCED CONSERVATION THAT COULD COMPETE AT LESS COST THAN THE NEW GAS PLANT.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF FEW OTHER THINGS TO ADD, ALTHOUGH COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN WAS CORRECT THAT THE DISTRICT SCHILLING SYSTEM IS LONG OVERDUE.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE OVERLY EMPHATIC ABOUT THIS, BUT I WENT BACK AND LISTENED TO THE VIDEO RECORDING OF LISA MARTIN ON MAY 20TH, 2025 THIS MORNING.
AND ALTHOUGH I COULD QUOTE YOU AND I COULD HAVE EVEN BROUGHT THE CLIPPING THE UPSHOT, THE, THE DISTILLATION OF IT IS THAT QUOTE, THEIR DELIVERABLE IS A REPORT THAT WE WOULD EXPECT NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 1ST, THAT WOULD BE OCTOBER 1ST, 2025. SO WE'RE ALMOST A YEAR FROM THAT AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE IT.
THIS COULDN'T BE THAT DIFFICULT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY, WHY WE DON'T HAVE THIS REGARDING OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO DEAL WITH A, I'LL CALL IT A FINANCIAL CRISIS, A FINANCIAL DIS THE FINANCIAL DISTRESS OF BUYING THIS NEW GAS PLANT.
THERE'S TIME OF USE RATES. I DID AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST RECENTLY.
I'D BE GLAD TO SHARE IT WITH THE COMMISSION, BUT ACCORDING TO OPEN RECORDS, THERE ARE SEVEN TIME OF USE CUSTOMERS FOR THE RESIDENTIAL EXPERIMENTAL RATE. THAT'S DOWN FROM EIGHT THE YEAR BEFORE.
AND YOU'RE ONE OF THEM? I'M ONE OF THEM. HOW ELSE CAN I AFFORD TO LIVE HERE? SO SO THERE'S THIS IS A LOST. THIS IS A STRATEGY THAT HAS BEEN TOTALLY UNDEVELOPED. AND I ASKED IN MY INFORMATION REQUEST, WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF TIME OF USE RATES? AND I WOULD THE ANSWER WAS SHORT AND ALMOST CURT.
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THERE IS NONE. WE HAVE NO PLANS. AND TWO OTHER THINGS WHICH WILL PROBABLY GET SOME INTEREST, BUT MAYBE NOT COMPLETE BUY IN FROM SOME MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.THERE ARE TWO NATURAL GAS RESOURCES THAT COULD BE TAPPED.
ONE IS THE. THERE ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND EMERGENCY GENERATORS IN THE SERVICE TERRITORY. I COULD GET YOU ALMOST AN EXACT NUMBER, BUT LET'S.
IT'S SEVERAL THOUSAND, AND EACH ONE OF THESE REPRESENTS A MINIMUM OF 20KW.
AND IF WE WERE, I REALIZED THAT THEY ARE GREENHOUSE EMITTING AND THEY ARE EVEN AT FULL LOAD, THEY ARE NOT QUITE AS EFFICIENT AS A PEAK GENERATOR.
BUT IF A CONCERN IS THE FINANCIAL COST OF NOT HAVING REACTIVE POWER FROM THE DECKER UNIT THAT WAS RETIRED IT WOULD SEEM THAT THAT MIGHT BE ONE PLACE TO AT LEAST LOOK AT.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS, AND I HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT THE ACRONYM STANDS FOR, BUT RATS.
I'M SURE THAT MISS MARTIN AND MR. GENESEE KNOW WHAT RATS IS.
IT WAS A REMEDIAL ACTION SCHEME. THANK YOU. THAT USED COMMERCIAL EMERGENCY GENERATORS. AND THIS WAS DISCUSSED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, BUT NOTHING'S EVER COME OF IT.
SO I'M JUST THROWING THIS ALL OUT THERE TO BASICALLY SAY THAT IF WE ARE IN DIRE FINANCIAL STRESS DUE TO THE NEED FOR THIS NEW GAS PLANT, WE NEED TO BE LOOKING IN A LOT OF PLACES.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OTHER. YES. COMMISSIONER COOK.
GO AHEAD. THANKS. MADAM CHAIR, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE PROGRESS TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
SLIDE. I THINK IT'S SLIDE FIVE. CAN YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MARKET POTENTIAL CHALLENGES THAT Y'ALL ARE FACING AND WHAT YOU MEAN BY SHIFTING TO GREENHOUSE GAS AVOIDANCE MEASURES? JUST EXPLAINING THIS SLIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW IT'S LOOKING. YEAH.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GOING TO TURN THAT QUESTION OVER TO RICHARD GENESEE.
THIS IS HIS HIS WHEELHOUSE. THANKS, RICHARD. GOOD EVENING.
COMMISSIONERS. RICHARD GENESEE, VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS.
SO SOME OF THE AS THE SLIDE INDICATES, SOME OF THE MEANS BY WHICH TO ACHIEVE THIS LAST PART, HARDEST PART OF THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY GOALS ARE IN THE COMMERCIAL SPACE, COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY SPACE, WHICH HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING AREAS FOR US IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
ALSO, AS I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT IT IS SO INCREASINGLY HARD IS BECAUSE ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, QUOTE UNQUOTE, LOW HANGING FRUIT HAS ALREADY BEEN ACHIEVED.
RIGHT? AND WE'RE VERY PROGRESSIVE ADOPTER OF CODE.
SO I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY AND THEN I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, THE ABSENCE OF THE LOW HANGING FRUIT ARE THE KEY CHALLENGES. AND SO WHEN YOU SAY SHIFTING TO GREENHOUSE GAS AVOIDANCE MEASURES THAT ADDITIONALLY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT WITH THAT? DOES THAT MEAN, YOU KNOW, JUST USING LESS GAS APPLIANCES? NO. YEAH. AND ELECTRIFICATION YOU KNOW, BENEFICIAL ELECTRIFICATION THINGS LIKE COOKING, YOU KNOW ELECTRIFIED COOKING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND ALSO THAT'S A REFERENCE TO THE SHIFT YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE DRIVERS FOR US TO SHIFT OUR METRIC FROM JUST MEGAWATT REDUCTION TO A GREENHOUSE GAS METRIC, WHICH OUR THIRD PARTY EVALUATOR, BRIGHTLINE, IS ASSISTING US WITH.
THAT'S ONE OF THE CHARGES THAT THEY HAVE IN THIS IN THIS EFFORT AS WELL.
THANKS. THANKS, Y'ALL. I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE BASE PROGRAM A LITTLE BIT.
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I KNOW IT'S SUPER EARLY DAYS ON THAT. IS THERE, I GUESS LIKE A POINT AT WHICH YOU GUYS WILL BE EXPECTING? IS THERE A PLAN TO BE GIVING US A SORT OF LIKE QUARTERLY OR ANNUAL REPORTING ON THE PROGRESS OF THAT? LIKE ONCE IT'S IMPLEMENTED OR LIKE, HOW DOES THAT HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BE TRACKING IT? WHEN IS IT GETTING ONLINE? I KNOW IT'S SUPER EARLY, SO I'M ASKING SOME QUESTIONS THAT ARE SORT OF LIKE FORWARD LOOKING, BUT SO LET ME JUST MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION COMMISSIONER FIRST.I MEAN, AMONGST THAT YOU'RE ASKING WHEN WILL THEY BE ONLINE? LIKE, WHEN ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO START DISPATCHING USING THE BASE PROGRAM? AND LIKE, WHAT IS THE, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT THEY'RE YOU KNOW, LIKE THEIR PLANS AND THEIR GOALS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND LIKE REACHING THAT, BUT LIKE, HOW ARE Y'ALL GOING TO BE USING THAT? AND WHAT SORT OF REPORTING WILL THERE BE IN TERMS OF LIKE EFFICACY AND HOW YOU'RE DISPATCHING IT? YEAH. OKAY. SO FIRST, JUST A REMINDER. SO WE'VE CONTRACTED WITH BASE FOR 40MW AND THEY'RE INSTALLING IT OVER TIME.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT THEY'LL BE INSTALLED BY MID TO LATE 2027.
AS RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE RESOURCES COMMERCIALLY OPERATIONAL.
THE EFFORT HAS BEEN FOCUSING ON MAKING SURE THAT THE INSTALLATION PROCESS IS SMOOTH AND THAT THEY ARE WORKING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE AUSTIN CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN ENERGY PERMITTING PROCESS. SO IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A SLOW ROLL, YOU KNOW, INTRODUCTION AND WHATNOT.
ONCE THOSE UNITS, SO THE 20 UNITS THAT ARE INSTALLED TODAY, ONCE THEY BECOME COMMERCIALLY OPERATIONAL, AND I CAN'T QUITE GIVE YOU A DATE ON THAT, BUT IT IS FORTHCOMING IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE.
I WOULD, I THINK IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO THEN THOSE RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR OUR ENERGY MARKET OPERATIONS TO DISPATCH JUST LIKE THEY WOULD WITH ANY OTHER RESOURCE IN THE, AS PART OF OUR PORTFOLIO.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, GET USED TO FIGURING OUT THE VARIOUS WAYS TO USE THESE RESOURCES.
AND AS THE, ESSENTIALLY THE, THE VIRTUAL, YOU KNOW, COLLECTIVE AGGREGATE WILL GROW OVER TIME.
AND AND I IMAGINE THE OPERATIONS WILL BECOME MORE SOPHISTICATED IN TIME WITH EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF HOW WE WILL BE PROVIDING UPDATES. SO THE GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF THE SEMIANNUAL UPDATES ON THE RESOURCE GENERATION PLAN PROGRESS IS TO TALK ABOUT WHERE WE STAND WITH STATUS TO OUR GOALS. AND THEN JUST TO TALK ABOUT KEY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS.
SO IF THAT RISES TO, I MEAN, I'LL NOTE THAT THAT'S OF INTEREST.
AND WHEN YOU SAY LIKE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE, IT'S LIKE THEIR RESIDENTIAL BATTERY, RIGHT? IT'S JUST LIKE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE MEANS LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO, SORRY, COMMERCIALLY OPERATIONAL, COMMERCIALLY OPERATIONAL. YEAH. SO COMMERCIAL OPERATION DATE MEANS WHEN SOMETHING'S INSTALLED, CONNECTED TO THE GRID AND THEN READY TO DISPATCH.
OKAY, COOL. YEAH. GREAT. THANKS. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN.
THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON THE EXCHANGE BETWEEN COMMISSIONER COOK AND MR. GENESEE, PLEASE. TWO QUESTIONS. ONE OF THEM IS YOU MENTIONED IN THIS THAT WE ARE SHIFTING TO GREENHOUSE GAS AVOIDANCE MEASURES. DOES THIS MEAN THAT THERE IS NO LONGER A PRIORITY TO SAVE PEAK MEGAWATTS, WINTER OR SUMMER? NO, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT EXCLUSIVELY, IT MEANS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH A TRANSITION WHERE WE'LL BE DOING BOTH YOU KNOW, MEGAWATT REDUCTION AND GREENHOUSE GAS AVOIDANCE.
BUT EVENTUALLY WE WOULD GET 100% TO A, A METRIC ACROSS ALL THE PORTFOLIO THAT IS GREENHOUSE GAS FOCUSED. DOES THIS MEAN THAT YOU NO LONGER TRACK OR PRIORITIZE? NO IT DOESN'T. OR JUST IS THIS AN ACCOUNTING OR, OR A PRIORITIZATION ISSUE? IT'S A, IT'S I DON'T THINK IT'S A PRIORITIZATION.
THE OTHER HALF OF THE PORTFOLIO WAS BENEFICIAL ELECTRIFICATION.
AND YOU CAN'T HAVE THE TWO WORKING TOGETHER SIMULTANEOUSLY.
YOU NEED A COMMON METRIC FOR BOTH. AND THAT WOULD BE GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION.
GREAT. VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU. ON THE TOPIC OF LOW HANGING FRUIT, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THERE IS A GIGANTIC LOW HANGING FRUIT REMAINING, AND THAT IS ELECTRIC RESISTANCE HEATING AND THE REPLACEMENT OF OLD AIR CONDITIONERS AND RESISTANCE HEATING WITH HEAT PUMPS.
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THE WINTER AND SUMMER PEAK REDUCTION CAPABILITY FROM HEAT PUMP REPLACEMENT OF BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY.WINTER RESISTANCE HEATING AND OLD INEFFECTIVE HVAC SYSTEMS. AND IT SUGGESTS THAT THE SAVINGS ARE MASSIVE, LIKE A 4.4 POINT PLUS BENEFIT COST RATIO.
AND IT'S AUSTIN IS IS GOT WAY TOO MANY RESISTANCE HEATERS AND WAY TOO MANY OLD HVAC SYSTEMS. AND WE COULD BE MAKING A HUGE DENT IN BOTH OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, IN OUR FUEL COSTS, IN OUR CONGESTION COSTS, AND IN OUR RELIABILITY AND IN AFFORDABILITY FOR OUR CITIZENS BY TARGETING HEAT PUMPS AND MAXIMIZING REPLACEMENT BEFORE STUFF BREAKS. AND IT HAS TO BE DONE ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS.
SO I WILL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT REPORT WITH YOU THE MINUTE IT COMES OUT.
AND TO SUPPORT WORK BY YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT MAXIMIZING HEAT PUMP AND LOW INCOME PRIORITIZATION EFFORT. WE WOULD WELCOME THE COLLABORATION. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN.
ACTUALLY I, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THAT, AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT AUSTIN ENERGY'S THOUGHTS OR PLANS AROUND THAT SPECIFICALLY, AND ALSO THE ELECTRIC RESISTANCE HEATING AND THE OLD AC'S.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S LIKE A VENN DIAGRAM WITH A LOT OF OVERLAP BETWEEN THE MULTIFAMILY THAT MR. GENESEE MENTIONED BEING HARD TO GET AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF, OF HVAC.
ABSOLUTELY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE, I SUPPOSE.
AND IT REMINDS ME OF THE CHALLENGE WITH THE YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE SOLAR WHERE THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY ARE NOT THE ONES PAYING THE ELECTRIC, THE SPLIT INCENTIVE CHALLENGE, SPLIT INCENTIVE.
YEAH. WE'RE HAPPY TO. IF THAT'S AN INTEREST FOR THE COMMISSION, WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK WITH THE PROPER STAFF TO SUPPORT DELVING INTO THAT OR PRESENTING THAT FURTHER.
THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE. THERE'S A LOT OF EFFORT THERE.
THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF DETAIL. SO WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK WITH THAT.
THANK YOU. THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP. DID YOU HAVE A YES? GO AHEAD. AGAIN COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN IS MUCH TOO KIND.
I I. AGREE WITH MR. GENESEE. IF WE WERE LOOKING AT.
I KIND OF AGREE WITH YOU IF WE WERE LOOKING AT A NORMAL SITUATION.
BUT WE ARE NOW COMPETING WITH A HAMSTER ON A TREADMILL AND THAT CHANGES THE ECONOMICS.
THINGS THAT MIGHT NOT SEEM ECONOMIC BEFORE WILL BECOME ECONOMIC BECAUSE THE COST PREMIUM ON THIS NEW GENERATOR IS SO HIGH. SOME OF YOU HAVE READ MY EDITORIAL, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T, AND THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE LISTENING IN THE HOME AUDIENCE THIS GAS GENERATOR IS GOING TO BE ALMOST THREE TIMES WHAT IT WOULD NORMALLY BE. AND THIS IS DRIVEN BY THE HUGE DEMAND FROM DATA CENTERS FOR THE SAME EQUIPMENT. THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH MANUFACTURING TO GO AROUND.
AND THE MANUFACTURERS ARE CHARGING SCALPERS PRICES.
SO. AND IN FACT, I'VE STARTED CALLING THE NEW THE NEW GAS UNIT HAMSTER ONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU HAVE FAYETTE UNIT ONE, FAYETTE UNIT TWO.
WELL, THIS IS HAMSTER. SO I'M THINKING THAT WE DO NEED TO CONSIDER RECONSIDER WHAT LOW HANGING FRUIT REALLY MEANS NOW.
I HAVE A 16 SEER AIR CONDITIONER, BUT THERE ARE UNITS THAT DOUBLE THAT EFFICIENCY.
[00:35:02]
MAYBE THIS WILL PENCIL OUT THEN REGARDING.I AGREE 100% WITH COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN ABOUT DEALING WITH RESISTANCE HEATING. AND THIS COMMISSION, I BELIEVE, PASSED A BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENT FOR HEAT PUMP WATER HEATERS A COUPLE TIMES. THIS WAS SHOT DOWN BY CITY LEGAL.
BUT HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL. AND THIS IS A WAY TO ACHIEVE MORE SAVINGS EITHER THROUGH BUILDING CODE OR ADVANCED REBATES.
AND FINALLY, I THINK FINALLY I REALLY WOULD LIKE A DEFINITIVE TIME OF DELIVERY FOR THE DISTRICT HEATING AND COOLING FINANCIAL EVALUATION WE WERE PROMISED THIS ABOUT.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN READY ABOUT TEN AND A HALF MONTHS FROM NOW, AND IT IS AMORPHOUS AS TO WHEN, IF EVER, WE'RE GOING TO SEE IT. I REALLY WOULD LIKE SOME KIND OF DEFINITIVE COMMITMENT THAT'S BEEN ASKED THREE TIMES IN THIS MEETING.
I THINK THE POINT'S BEEN MADE, AND WE'RE NOT GETTING THAT ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE MOVE ON, CONTINUE TO ASK, BUT WE'VE ASKED THREE TIMES IN THIS MEETING.
I'VE ONLY ASKED TWICE. WAS THAT WAS THAT YOUR COMMENT? DID YOU HAVE MORE? OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BRIEFING FROM MISS MARTIN? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND SHARING THAT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MORE OF MORE OF THIS AS AS WE GO FORWARD.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS. OKAY.
[3. Discussion and recommendation regarding support and staff participation for the Solar + Storage Working Group.]
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. SO ITEM NUMBER THREE WILL BE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION REGARDING SUPPORT AND STAFF PARTICIPATION FOR THE SOLAR AND STORAGE WORKING GROUP.JUST BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION, LAST MEETING, WE DID PASS A AUTHORIZED CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO IMPROVE THE PERMITTING INSTALLATION AND THE PROCESS FOR GETTING LOCAL LOCAL SOLAR AND BATTERY INSTALLED.
THERE ARE SOME FOLKS FROM THE LOCAL SOLAR CONTRACTOR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS MEMBERS FROM AUC AND MC, I BELIEVE THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS.
SO I WILL TURN THIS TO VICE CHAIR ROBBINS TO TALK ABOUT.
I TRULY HOPE THIS WILL BE SHORT. AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE PASSED A RESOLUTION COMMISSIONING A SOLAR AND BATTERY WORKING GROUP TO. IN FURTHERANCE OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S GOALS TO INSTALL MORE OF IT.
AND FOR SOME REASON PART OF THIS WAS LEFT OUT OF OUR RESOLUTION.
AND SO I'M COMING BACK WITH THE SECOND PART OF IT, AND THAT IS THAT THIS WORKING GROUP WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE IF AUSTIN CITY STAFF IN RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS AUSTIN ENERGY OR BUILDING INSPECTION PARTICIPATED. AND SO THIS RESOLUTION MERELY ASKS THAT WE ASK CITY COUNCIL TO SEE THAT THESE RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS ARE IN ATTENDANCE IN THIS WORKING GROUP, SO IT WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE IT.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION A SECOND. THERE'S BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND.
SO WE'LL OPEN DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM. I, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BRINGING THIS.
AS YOU MENTIONED, THIS WAS PART OF A BIGGER RECOMMENDATION THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON GOT SEPARATED.
BUT SINCE THESE, THE WORKING GROUP WAS AUTHORIZED AT BOTH THIS COMMISSION AND THE UC HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONVENING OF THE WORKING GROUP YET AND HAVE THAT WORKING GROUP EITHER JUST SORT OF A
[00:40:04]
YOU KNOW, AN, AN, A FIRST MEETING TO SET OBJECTIVES AND INVITE STAFF AND THAT SORT OF THING.HAS THAT HAPPENED? THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE NOT YET, I DON'T THINK, FROM THE RNC PROPOSED WHO'S GOING TO BE ON THAT GROUP, WHICH IS ONE OF. AND I DON'T THINK THE EOC HAS IDENTIFIED ALL OF THEIR MEMBERS EITHER.
SO THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW EMAILS FLOATING AROUND SAYING, GEE, WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING AND WHEN SHOULD WE DO IT? BUT IT WOULD HELP. I WAS GOING TO ASK, AS A POINT OF INFORMATION, CAN WE GET A SHOW OF HANDS OF A MAXIMUM OF FIVE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION WHO WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE? YEAH. OKAY. SO YEAH, SHOW COMMISSIONER LUCKY COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ.
COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN, VICE CHAIR. ROBBINS.
MAYBE. MAYBE. OKAY. OKAY, SO WE HAVE THAT. THAT'S GREAT.
AND SO I GUESS MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD JUST BE, IS IT PREMATURE TO ASK THAT CITY STAFF RESOURCES BE COMMITTED PRIOR TO HAVING THAT ESTABLISHED? I DON'T THINK IT IS. IF WE HAVE TO IF WE HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE SITTING AROUND ON THIS, ON THIS WORKING GROUP, AND WE ARE UNABLE TO GET ANSWERS FROM MEMBERS OF CITY STAFF ON WHAT ARE SOME ON HOW THEY ARE DEALING WITH THE SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT THE THE SOLAR CONTRACTORS HAVE ALREADY RAISED, AND SOME OF THE OBSTACLES THAT WE ALREADY KNOW TO EXIST.
AND IF THERE IS NO SENSE OF INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE STAFF LEVEL OR REQUIREMENT TO REPORT BACK TO US OR TO SHARE INFORMATION, THEN THERE IS NO REASON TO EXPECT THAT THE WORKING GROUP WILL BE SUCCESSFUL AND EFFECTIVE.
THEREFORE, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND ASKING CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS SUPPORT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WHEN WE START GETTING TOGETHER IN A ROOM WITH OUR COUNTERPARTS FROM THE AUC, THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM FROM THE CITY WHO CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE ISSUES WE ARE DISCUSSING.
YEAH, THAT THAT MAKES SENSE. I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THAT.
I'M JUST I JUST WAS ASKING BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET PEOPLE TO AGREE TO SIT ON A, ON A WORKING GROUP AND TO, TO EVEN GET A MEETING SCHEDULED.
THIS IS A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS. AND SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE ASKING FOR RESOURCES THAT WE DO HAVE IT YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF A A CHARTER FOR WHAT WE WANT TO HAPPEN, WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN.
AND WE WANT TO INVITE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS TO HELP MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
OTHER COMMENTS ON THE RECOMMENDATION. IS THERE? COMMISSIONER FARMER. IS THERE A. WE'VE HAD SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COME AND SPEAK TO US FROM.
THE INDUSTRY IS THEIR INTENTION. IS THEIR MIC NOT ON? SORRY, MY BACK'S HURTING. ALL RIGHT.
IS THEIR INTENTION TO HAVE PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE AUC AND C ON THE WORKING GROUP TO WORK THROUGH THIS? MR. LEVESQUE AND MR. PIPKIN HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY AND SOME OF THEIR COLLEAGUES FROM THE INDUSTRY WILL BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH US ON THIS.
ENTHUSIASTIC, IN FACT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I LOVE IT.
OKAY. I THINK WE'RE READY TO VOTE. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR. FIVE. SIX. SEVEN. THE RECOMMENDATION IS ADOPTED SEVEN ZERO.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
[4. Discussion and recommendation regarding energy acquisitions, expanded analysis, and online reporting of Austin Energy fuel, energy mix, and capacity.]
DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION REGARDING ENERGY ACQUISITIONS, EXPANDED ANALYSIS AND ONLINE REPORTING OF AUSTIN ENERGY FUEL ENERGY MIX AND CAPACITY.CAN WE BRING UP THE RECOMMENDATION? IT'S GOT I THINK IT'S GOT DRAFT ON IT.
YES. THANK YOU. WHO WOULD LIKE TO KICK THIS OFF? COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN, PLEASE? THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES, THIS WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT A BUNCH OF THE THINGS THAT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WANTS TO DO TO INCREASE BOTH SUPPLY AND DEMAND SIDE RESOURCES, AND SOME OF THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO REVIEW AND OTHERS THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO REVIEW,
[00:45:03]
HAVE SHOCKINGLY LITTLE INFORMATION IN THEM TO EXPLAIN THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OR THE SPECIFIC NEED FOR.WE'LL SET ASIDE NEED COST EFFECTIVENESS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL RESOURCE THAT IS IN THE PROPOSED CONTRACT OR ACQUISITION PLAN, AND BOTH IN ITSELF AND HOW IT COMPARES TO OTHER RESOURCES.
AND GIVEN THIS LACK OF INFORMATION WHICH YOU'LL RECALL FROM OUR, THE PRESENTATION THAT WE SAW ON BASE POWER AND SOME OF THE OTHER STUFF IT SEEMS THAT WE NEED TO GET SIGNIFICANTLY MORE INFORMATION THAT WE AS, AS THE R, M, C AND WE AS CITIZENS AND CUSTOMERS OF THIS UTILITY COULD BENEFIT FROM GETTING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT COSTS AND BENEFITS AND AVOIDED COSTS, AS WAS ILLUSTRATED BY OUR DISCUSSION JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO.
ON RESOURCE OPTIONS AND THE RESOURCES THAT THE AUSTIN ENERGY IS ALREADY USING AND ACCESSING.
SO THAT THAT WILL GIVE US BOTH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT.
AND BY THE WAY, THE AUC, WHICH EXISTS IN THE SAME INFORMATION VACUUM THAT WE DO, AND, AND OUR FELLOW CITIZENS AND RATEPAYERS WHO ARE ALSO SITTING IN THE DARK ABOUT A LOT OF THIS AND WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT IT.
SO THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO GET A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ON RESOURCES, PERFORMANCE AND ECONOMIC DETAILS ON ALL OF THE OWNED AND CONTRACTED RESOURCES, SUPPLY AND DEMAND SIDE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY ALREADY HAS THAT CAN GIVE US A BETTER ON US AND OUR OTHER FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER CONCERNED CITIZENS ABOUT HOW THE HOW ALL OF THESE RESOURCE COGS INTERACT AND MAKE AUSTIN ENERGY AS A WHOLE MORE EFFECTIVE AND COST SAVING AND AFFORDABLE AND DIVERSE AND RELIABLE. AND SO THIS LISTS A NUMBER OF THE COST SAVINGS, THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS, AS WELL AS ASKING FOR THE COSTS. THOSE SAVINGS INCLUDE REDUCED PURCHASES, REDUCED CONGESTION FEES, REDUCE ANCILLARY SERVICE PURCHASE COSTS.
IT COULD INCLUDE TRANSMISSION COST ALLOCATION.
AND WE ARE ASKING FOR THIS FOR ALL RESOURCES, NOT JUST DEMAND SIDE OR RENEWABLE OR BATTERY STORAGE, BUT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT THE KIND OF COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HOW IS THIS COST EFFECTIVE COMPARED TO FOSSIL OR NUCLEAR. WE NEED THIS KIND OF INFORMATION, AND I ASSUME THAT AUSTIN ENERGY ALREADY HAS IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO DO THIS ANALYSIS.
SO THIS LISTS THE STATISTICS THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR IN THIS KIND OF.
EXCUSE ME. COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN, JUST CAN WE PLEASE GET THE ITEM FOR BACK UP ON THE SCREEN? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THERE'S A LIST OF STATISTICS WHICH WHICH RUN, IF YOU'LL SCROLL DOWN, PLEASE, THE A THROUGH J LIST SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE WOULD LIKE.
AND WE ARE ALSO ASKING IN THE LAST FURTHER RESULTS.
SO THIS WOULD BE AN ANNUAL REPORT, AND IT IS ON STUFF THAT IS IN THE PAST.
SO IT WOULD NOT KEEP UP WITH, FOR INSTANCE, THE CONTINUING EXPLOSION IN THE COST OF GAS TURBINES AND, AND, AND NATURAL GAS METHANE COSTS AS A FUNCTION OF THE IRAN WAR AND THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ.
SO IT IS IT IS REAR VIEW MIRROR STUFF. IT IS NOT FORWARD LOOKING WHICH IS RELEVANT TO ONE OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S MANY OBJECTIONS TO DOING THIS IS THAT IT WOULD REVEAL PROPRIETARY INFORMATION.
AGAIN, THIS IS OLD NEWS. BY THE TIME IT IS PUBLIC, IT COULD BE VERY OLD NEWS, BUT IT IS STILL BETTER TO HAVE OLD NEWS THAN NO NEWS AT ALL IN TERMS OF MOST OF THESE DATA. WE HAVE ALSO THROWN INTO THIS A REQUEST THAT AUSTIN ENERGY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ERCOT WEBSITE OR AT GRID STATUS, I O OR ANY OTHER STUFF ONLINE FOR OTHER RTOS AND ISOS AND UTILITIES.
[00:50:07]
WAITING FOR ONCE A YEAR WHEN THE ANNUAL REPORT COMES OUT.I THINK THAT THERE IS NO HARM, AND THERE IS MUCH TO BE GAINED BY SHOWING THEIR ADVANCES IN TERMS OF WHAT WE ARE CONSUMING ON A PERCENTAGE BASIS FOR GENERATION, AND HOW MUCH CAPACITY WE HAVE ONLINE AND BY WHICH FUEL SOURCE OR RESOURCE, BECAUSE YOU COULD CERTAINLY INCLUDE BATTERIES AND DEMAND RESPONSE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY ON THE CAPACITY SIDE, IF NOT THE ENERGY SIDE AS WELL. THIS WOULD BE A 15 MINUTE WIDGET.
SO THAT IS THIS PROPOSAL HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AS THE VICE CHAIR ROBBINS I, I CO-WROTE THIS WITH COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN AND I FIRST. LET ME ADD THAT THERE'S A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT I WANT TO ADD AND MISS GOODWIN, DON'T WORRY, I TYPED IT OUT AND I CAN HAND IT TO YOU. SO THE THIS WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO ADAPT.
BUT BUT I'VE ALREADY GOT ADVANCED AGREEMENT TO ADD THIS.
I'M GOING TO READ IT INTO THE RECORD AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION ASKED THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO DIRECT AUSTIN ENERGY TO RESUME PUBLISHING ANNUAL COST EFFECTIVENESS REPORTS OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY, DEMAND MANAGEMENT AND GREEN BUILDING PROGRAMS THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC AND POST CURRENT AND PRIOR EDITIONS ON THE AUSTIN ENERGY WEBSITE FOR EASY PUBLIC ACCESS.
AND IF YOU. I SENT YOU A TWO PRESENTATIONS, COULD YOU PLEASE QUEUE UP THE ONE FOR ITEM FOUR? BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO SHOW PEOPLE VERY QUICKLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
NO. THIS THIS IS A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION THAT I EMAILED YOU THIS MORNING.
THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. AND THIS IF YOU COULD JUST RAISE IT.
THIS IS THE COVER OF ONE OF THE ANNUAL REPORTS THAT USED TO BE COMMONPLACE.
COULD YOU. THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. THAT'S GREAT.
THIS IS THE CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS DIVISION'S ANNUAL REPORT.
USED TO BE PRINTED, AND IT USED TO BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.
AND THE SECOND SLIDE. OKAY. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THIS WILL BE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE SO YOU CAN SEE THIS CLOSE UP. BUT BASICALLY THIS IS ALL THE PROGRAMS ON THE LEFT AXIS AND THEN IT. FOR EACH OF THEM, IT TALKS ABOUT THE HARD COSTS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, AND SEVERAL COST EFFICIENCY METRICS, THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE BEING THE TOTAL RESOURCE COST TEST.
AND THIS WAS DONE EVERY YEAR AND I DO NOT KNOW WHY IT HAS NOT BEEN DONE OR AT LEAST PUBLISHED FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THIS AGAIN. SO THAT'S THE INTENT OF THIS THIS FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. I'M GOING TO HAND IT TO MISS GOODWIN.
THE, THE OTHER THING IS THAT WITH THE ADVENT OF NEW, BATTERIES. THIS HAS PIQUED MY INTEREST AND I HAVE ASKED HARD QUESTIONS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ANSWERED.
WHICH MAKES ME ASK THE QUESTIONS EVEN HARDER.
SOME PEOPLE THINK SINCE I'M ASKING HARD AND HARDER QUESTIONS, I MUST NOT LIKE BATTERIES.
[00:55:07]
I WANT TO FIND WAYS TO GET MORE OF THEM. SO THAT IS ONE OF MY KEY MOTIVATIONS FOR WORKING ON THIS.RESOLUTION. THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR ROBINSON THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN FOR THAT. I ALSO WANT TO, TO POINT OUT TO THE COMMISSION THAT THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO CITY STAFF AND AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF, AND THEY RESPONDED WITH SOME OBJECTIONS, WHICH ARE ALSO PART OF THE PACKET.
I WILL VERY QUICKLY SUMMARIZE COMPETITIVE MATTERS, AS COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN ALLUDED TO OUTSIDE THE PURVIEW OF THE RMC, INCLUDING FOSSIL FUEL AND NUCLEAR RESOURCES ALREADY AVAILABLE PUBLICLY ONLINE VIA THE PUC, ERCOT T C, E, Q AND US ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION.
AND THE E C GETS SEVERAL REPORTS ON A MONTHLY BASIS, BLAH, BLAH.
THEY ALSO WERE INVITED TO COME AND SPEAK WITH US OR JUST ANSWER QUESTIONS AND THEY DECLINED.
SO I, I'D LIKE TO, TO SHARE THAT I WAS PARTICULARLY OFFENDED BY THE SUGGESTION THAT THIS IS ALREADY PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ONLINE. IF WE GO TO SIX DIFFERENT ONLINE SOURCES, ALL OF WHICH CONTAIN A TINY FRACTION OF WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR IN A BROAD, COMPARABLE, CLEAN, COMMONLY COMMON METHODOLOGY MANNER, WHICH WOULD DO AUSTIN ENERGY ONLY GOOD. RATHER THAN FORCING US TO USE SCATTERED INFORMATION THAT IS INCONSISTENT AND AND FRUSTRATING.
SO THE THE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF AUSTIN ENERGY WANTED TO DO ITSELF A FAVOR, THEY WOULD BE LEAPING TO GIVE US THIS INFORMATION ON TERMS THAT THEY THEMSELVES COULD MANAGE AND CONTROL, RATHER THAN MAKING US DIG AROUND IN THE DIRT FOR IT IN ALL OF THESE WEIRD PLACES.
THANK YOU. I COULDN'T COME UP WITH ANYTHING AS GOOD AS HANDSOME.
SORRY. COMMISSIONER FARMER AND THEN COMMISSIONER COOK.
I THINK I GUESS I'M AS WE'RE IN AN EMPTY ROOM, I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A STRATEGY TO RE HASHING THIS CONVERSATION PRIOR TO STAFF BRIEFINGS WHEN STAFF IS IN THE ROOM WITH US.
THEY WOULDN'T HAVE ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS. THAT SHIP HAS SAILED.
I MEAN, I GUESS FAIR AND IT'S ALL ON THE RECORD, BUT IT'S LIKE WHAT? I GUESS MY QUESTION IS LIKE, WHAT ARE WHAT'S THE WHAT ARE WE DOING? HOW DO WE MAKE PROGRESS ON THIS? LIKE, WELL, WE HAVE, WE'VE GOT THIS RESOLUTION.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE THINK OF OTHER STRATEGY OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, BEYOND OR LIKE AFTER WE PASS THIS RESOLUTION, WHICH I THINK WE'RE GOING TO PASS IF OTHER STRATEGIES ARE NEEDED, I WOULD JUST AS SOON NOT DISCUSS THEM HERE ON, ON CAMERA AT THIS TIME. SURE. OKAY. I THINK WE SHOULD DEAL WITH THE BUSINESS IN FRONT OF US, WHICH IS PASSING THIS RESOLUTION. AND THEN IF CITY COUNCIL CHOOSES TO VOTE ON THE SIDE OF NO TRANSPARENCY OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S BUSINESS AND COST EFFECTIVENESS AT A TIME WHEN AFFORDABILITY IS ONE OF THEIR GREATEST STATED CONCERNS, I THINK IF THE CITY COUNCIL DISAPPOINTS US IN THIS REGARD, WE CAN LOOK AT WORK ON OTHER STRATEGIES.
IS THAT KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE SORT OF LIKE LIVE WIDGET? YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. I THINK IT'D BE REALLY COOL.
I MEAN, LOOK, I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF WHAT I'M THINKING FOR LIKE THE BASE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE YEAH.
YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS LIKE A LIVE THING AND THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, BUT IT IS USEFUL INFORMATION AND, AND IT IS GOOD FOR EVERY CITIZEN AND EVERY STUDENT IN THIS CITY TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THIS KIND OF INFORMATION.
LIKE COME UP WITH A WIDGET LIKE THIS. LIKE IT'S NOT PROBABLY CLAUDE COULD DO THIS IN 30S.
[01:00:04]
YEAH, I COULDN'T DO IT, BUT LIKE. YEAH, EXACTLY.AND I, I THINK I WHOLLY SUPPORT THIS THIS RESOLUTION OR THIS RESOLUTION.
I THINK ONE OTHER THING TO NOTE TOO IS THAT WHEN THERE ARE ATTACKS ON THE UTILITY RIGHT NOW IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT INCREASED TRANSPARENCY BUILDS TRUST AND SUPPORT WITH THE PUBLIC.
SAY IT VERY CLEARLY. HEY, TO THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE NUMBERS.
YOU CAN TRUST US. YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW WE ARE SPENDING YOUR RATEPAYER DOLLARS.
EXACTLY. TO, TO DELIVER RELIABILITY AND CLEAN ENERGY TO YOU.
EXACTLY. AND IT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT, I THINK WHEN THERE'S INCREASED PRESSURE TO, TO PRIVATIZE PUBLIC ENTITIES TO SAY LIKE THAT WE SUPPORT THE PUBLIC ENTITY WHEN IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, NOT SUPPORTING US FOR SO LONG. I THINK I'LL END IT THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I CAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WELL PUT.
OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS. YES, COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ, GO AHEAD PLEASE.
OKAY. THINKING OUT LOUD KIND OF ABOUT STRENGTHENING OUR ASK.
AND I THINK THAT THE FISCAL YEAR 19 KIND OF THAT THE REPORT THAT YOU ALL FOUND ANSWERS THE FIRST HALF OF THE QUESTION, BUT ARE THERE OTHER DOES CPS HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR, OR ARE THERE OTHER UTILITIES IN TEXAS OR AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT DO THIS THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, SHOW TO SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE ON CITY COUNCIL THAT'S NOT UTILITY EXPERT THAT THIS IS SORT OF STANDARD OR COMMON COMMONLY PRESENTED INFORMATION.
I HAVE NOT RESEARCHED THAT. COMMISSIONER SWARTZ COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN.
DO YOU HAVE A THERE THERE IS SOME SKIMPIER INFORMATION THAT IS ACCUMULATED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF INVESTOR, THE TEXAS. THE INVESTOR OWNED UTILITIES HAVE A GROUP OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY DATA COLLECTION THAT COMES OUT AND IT'S. IT'S USUALLY PRETTY AGED BY THE TIME IT COMES OUT, AND IT HAS SOME OF THIS INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY, BUT NOT ALL OF IT.
AND CPS ALSO ISSUES AN ENERGY EFFICIENCY REPORT.
AND REPORTING ELSEWHERE BY MUNIS AND COPS IS FAIRLY SPOTTY ON THIS TOPIC.
SO BUT, BUT AGAIN, WE ARE ASKING FOR, WE ARE INTERESTED IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY HERE BECAUSE AUSTIN ENERGY SAYS THAT CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS ARE THEIR HIGHEST PRIORITY. BUT THIS ENTIRE RESOLUTION ADDRESSES EVERY RESOURCE AND IS TRYING TO GET INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND THEM ON RELATIVELY COMPARABLE TERMS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR. WHEN YOU DEAL WITH THE QUESTION OF.
ARE WE COMPROMISING COMPETITIVE INFORMATION? I'M HOPING HOPING THAT THIS WILL HELP KICK START THE CONVERSATION OF REAL WORLD.
OF HOW, OF HOW THIS THEORY TRANSLATES INTO REAL WORLD SITUATIONS.
THIS COMMISSION WOULDN'T KNOW THAT UNDER OPEN RECORDS.
I ASKED TO SEE THE CONTRACTS. EXCUSE ME? I ASKED TO SEE THE BIDDING SOLICITATIONS THAT WERE SENT TO BATTERY COMPANIES, AND AUSTIN ENERGY IS REFUSING TO PROVIDE THEM, SAYING THAT IT'S IS COMPETITIVE.
I MEAN, IF THE CONTRACT HAS ALREADY BEEN SIGNED, THEN WHY CAN'T THE PUBLIC SEE WHAT THE BID SOLICITATION WAS? WHY CAN'T WE SEE THE SCORING SHEETS? I MEAN, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THE PUBLIC DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW.
THAT REALLY IS PROPRIETARY. THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS LIKE COMPETITIVE.
[01:05:01]
IF A COMPANY LIKE A BATTERY COMPANY HAS PROPRIETARY INFORMATION THAT THEY DON'T WANT THEIR COMPETITORS TO KNOW, THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. BUT COMMON SENSE DICTATES THAT A GREAT DEAL OF WHAT AUSTIN ENERGY WILL NOT SHOW. THE PUBLIC SHOULD JUST ROUTINELY BE SHARED.AND I'M HOPING THAT THIS AND HOPEFULLY OTHER RESOLUTIONS WILL PROMPT THIS QUESTION.
AND THE, THE OTHER FACTOR, IF I MAY, MADAM CHAIR, IN, IN, IN, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN THAT THESE COULD BE COMPETITIVE MATTERS, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT IF I AM AN OUTSIDE SUPPLIER BIDDING TO PROVIDE BATTERIES OR TO SELL A GAS TURBINE OR TRANSMISSION TO AUSTIN ENERGY, I HAVE MATHEMATICAL MODELERS AND INSANE AMOUNTS OF DATA.
GO ON. WHAT IS GOING ON INSIDE ERCOT? I ALREADY KNOW AS MUCH OR MORE THAN AUSTIN ENERGY DOES ABOUT WHAT THEIR OPPORTUNITY COSTS AND REAL COSTS ARE. SO THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT COULD BE LABELED AS A COMPETITIVE MATTER THAT THE COMPETITORS DON'T ALREADY KNOW, WHETHER IT'S BASED ON THEIR OWN COST PROFILE AS COMPETITORS FOR THE ACQUISITION.
IN OTHER WORDS, OTHER PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET A BATTERY OR TURBINE, OR AS COMPETITIVE PROVIDERS WHO ARE OFFERING, THEY ALREADY HAVE SUPREME EXCELLENT MATH MODELS AND KNOW EVERYTHING.
IN SOME CASES WITH MORE DETAIL THAN AUSTIN ENERGY MAY.
SO I AM NOT WORRIED THAT THE AMOUNT OF. OF RELATIVELY BASIC AND MILD INFORMATION WE ARE ASKING HERE IS GOING TO REVEAL TRADE SECRETS OR EXPOSE AUSTIN ENERGY'S SECRET COST PROFILE BECAUSE IT WON'T.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THIS TO COMPROMISE UNLESS AUSTIN ENERGY IS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS I THINK THEY ARE AT DOING THE MATH ON SUPPLY AND DEMAND, WHICH IS POSSIBLE, BUT I HOPE NOT FOR ALL OF OUR SAKES.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE RED HERRING COMES FROM? COMMISSIONER.
YES, BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT TOPIC. OKAY, LET'S GET A VOTE.
ALL RIGHT. SO AS A POINT OF ORDER, THERE WAS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OFFERED.
SO LET'S TAKE UP THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT FIRST.
IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE I MOVE? SECOND. OKAY. FOR THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, WILL YOU PLEASE READ THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT ONE MORE TIME? I ALREADY GAVE IT TO. OH, YOU GAVE IT. OKAY. CAN MISS GOODWIN READ IT INTO THE RECORD? SORRY. I CAN COME GET IT IF YOU'D RATHER.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION ASKS THE ALL CITY COUNCIL TO DIRECT AUSTIN ENERGY TO RESUME PUBLISHING ANNUAL COST EFFECTIVENESS REPORTS OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY, DEMAND MANAGEMENT AND GREEN BUILDING PROGRAMS THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC AND POST CURRENT AND PRIOR ADDITIONS ON THE AUSTIN ENERGY WEBSITE FOR EASY PUBLIC ACCESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT, AS READ BY MISS GOODWIN AND OFFERED BY VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR.
FIVE. SIX. SEVEN. THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY.
OKAY, NOW WE'LL TAKE UP THE MAIN MOTION. WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, I BELIEVE, FOR THAT. SO ALL IN FAVOR OF THE RECOMMENDATION ON CONTRACT REPORTING AND RESOURCE COST REPORTING, AS AMENDED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. SEVEN IN FAVOR.
THIS ALSO PASSES ANONYMOUSLY UNANIMOUSLY. OKAY.
THANK YOU. ANONYMOUS. ANONYMOUS. NOT ANONYMOUS.
[5. Discussion and recommendation on control of the Resource Management Commission agenda.]
[01:10:02]
OKAY. OUR OUR LAST ITEM IS ITEM FIVE. DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION ON CONTROL OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AGENDA.I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A PRESENTATION FOR THIS.
YES. YES. COULD CAN WE PLEASE BRING UP THE PRESENTATION FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE? SHOULD BE AFTER THAT. DID YOU USE AI OR WONDERFUL ART FOR THESE? PAUL. I'M HURT.
I'M GOING TO START THIS WITH A SHORT, TRUE STORY.
I WAS ORIGINALLY APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ANN KITCHEN, AND ONE DAY AN AUSTIN ENERGY EXECUTIVE CALLED UP HER AIDE AND SAID, I'D LIKE YOU TO REMOVE PAUL ROBBINS FROM THE COMMISSION.
AND HE SAID, WHY? WELL, HE'S A NICE GUY, BUT HE'S A TROUBLEMAKER.
TO WHICH THE AIDE REPLIED, THAT'S HIS JOB. SO WITH THIS IN MIND I'D LIKE TO. TELL YOU ABOUT HOW OUR COMMISSION IS BEING KEPT OUT OF DECISIONS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL. WE ARE NOT BEING ALLOWED TO GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL THAT ARE. WE ARE ENTITLED TO GIVE IN OUR BYLAWS.
AND WITH THAT, WOULD YOU FLIP THE FIRST SLIDE? THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION IS DIRECTED BY ITS BYLAWS, WHICH ARE DIRECTED BY THE AUSTIN CITY CODE, WHICH IS DIRECTED AND APPROVED BY THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE LANGUAGE IN OUR BYLAWS THAT DIRECTS US TO ADVISE THE CITY COUNCIL ON CONTRACTS RELATED TO RENEWABLE AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, WHICH INCLUDES BATTERY STORAGE.
SLIDE. OUR COMMISSION HAS A LONG HISTORY OF DOING THIS.
THE UTILITY DID NOT EVEN BOTHER TO INFORM US AFTER WE FOUND OUT.
THE RIGHT AND ABILITY TO DO THIS IS IN OUR BYLAWS.
DESPITE THIS, AUSTIN ENERGY REFUSED. AND SINCE THEN, TWO OTHER CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SENT TO CITY COUNCIL WITHOUT OUR REVIEW SLIDE. THIS IS THE BYLAW REGARDING PLACEMENT ON OUR AGENDA.
IT'S PRETTY CLEAR. THERE IS NOTHING IN IT ABOUT AUSTIN ENERGY HAVING ANY CHOICE IN THE MATTER.
NOW, OUR MC DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MANDATE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY MAKE A PRESENTATION, BUT THE UTILITY HAS NO POWER TO PREVENT OUR COMMISSION'S DISCUSSION OR VOTE SLIDE.
NOW, THIS IS THE COVER. YEAH. HERE WE GO. THIS IS THE COVER OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S PROCUREMENT MANUAL PUBLISHED BY THE FINANCIAL SERVICES PURCHASING OFFICE.
WHEN I ASKED AUSTIN ENERGY FOR AN ANSWER AS TO THE AUTHORITY IT WAS USING TO OVERRIDE THE CITY CODE, I WAS SENT A COPY AND TOLD THE EXPLANATION WAS IN THIS DOCUMENT.
I RESPONDED THAT, WELL, THIS WAS A 152 PAGE DOCUMENT AND ASKED, WELL, COULDN'T YOU GIVE ME A RULE NUMBER OR PAGE NUMBER? AND I ASKED THIS SEVERAL TIMES, BUT I WAS NEVER GIVEN AN ANSWER.
MEANWHILE, I SPOKE WITH AN EXECUTIVE AT THE PURCHASING OFFICE AND ASKED THE SAME QUESTION WHAT RULE OR PAGE NUMBER PREVENTED THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION'S REVIEW? AND HE TOLD ME TWICE THAT HE KNEW OF NO SUCH RULE.
[01:15:03]
SLIDE. AT SOME POINT, I COMPLAINED TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, WHO MANAGES CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.THE PERSON I COMPLAINED TO SENT A LETTER TO AUSTIN ENERGY, TELLING THEM POLITELY BUT ASSERTIVELY, THAT THE COMMISSION HAS CONTROL OF ITS OWN AGENDA.
QUOTE. I'M NOT SURE WHO REFUSED THIS REQUEST, BUT AS A GENERAL, GENTLE REMINDER, UNDER BYLAWS, THE COMMISSION MAY PLACE DISCUSSION OR ACTION ITEMS ON ITS AGENDA AS LONG AS THE REQUEST MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS SLIDE. AND IT BEARS REPEATING THAT OUR BYLAWS ARE GOVERNED BY COUNCIL, AS SUMMARIZED IN THE CITY CHARTER ITSELF. THE CHARTER CAN BE OVERRULED BY STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS A COURT, BUT A CITY DEPARTMENT CANNOT UNILATERALLY OVERRIDE IT.
SLIDE. NOW, PEOPLE HEARING THIS AT OUR COMMISSION OR IN IN THE STUDIO AUDIENCE THEY MAY WONDER WHAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS ISSUE IS.
I MEAN, AFTER ALL, IF OUR COMMISSION HAS REVIEWED THESE CONTRACTS, WOULD IT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE? AND KNOWING THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, MY GUESS IS THAT MOST OR ALL OF US WOULD HAVE SUPPORTED THE RENEWABLE ENERGY CONTRACTS. BUT SOME OF US, I FOR ONE, WOULD HAVE ASKED SOME HARD QUESTIONS ABOUT BATTERY CONTRACTS AND THEIR ECONOMICS.
AND THE UTILITY SEEMS AVERSE TO CHALLENGES LIKE THIS SLIDE.
AND THIS GOES TO MOTIVE. WHY WOULD AUSTIN ENERGY BE SO THREATENED BY A VOLUNTEER ADVISORY BOARD? THE ANSWER IS THAT WE. THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION HAS A HISTORY OF CHALLENGING THE UTILITY AND WE OCCASIONALLY WIN.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE. THE MAP IS FROM OUR COMMISSION'S RESOLUTION EARLIER THIS YEAR, SHOWING HOW AUSTIN ENERGY'S MOST MORE REGRESSIVE RATES HURT POORER COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND THE 2027 ELECTRIC RATE STRUCTURE IS MORE PROGRESSIVE BECAUSE OF AUSTIN, BECAUSE OF OUR RESOLUTION EARLIER THIS YEAR. THIS WAS NOT THE UTILITY'S ORIGINALLY INTENDED OUTCOME.
WE PASSED RESOLUTIONS CHALLENGING THE UTILITY'S DISTRICT, CHILLING MANAGEMENT.
WE'VE ASKED FOR THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM TO BE RESTRUCTURED.
ALL OF THIS IS ANNOYING, IF NOT OUTRIGHTLY FRUSTRATING TO SOME OF THE UTILITY EXECUTIVES SLIDE, BUT THEIR FRUSTRATION IS NOT OUR PROBLEM. WE HAVE A HISTORY LITERALLY GOING BACK TO 1978 OF CHALLENGING CONVENTION. IT IS OUR JOB TO TELL TRUTH TO POWER, WHICH IN THIS CASE IS THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE ARE NOT A SOVEREIGN BOARD THE ONLY REAL POWER THAT WE HAVE, BESIDES OUR STUDIED OPINION ON ISSUES, IS CONTROLLING OUR AGENDA, AND WE SHOULD NOT BACK DOWN FROM SETTING OUR AGENDA AS WRITTEN IN THE CITY CODE.
I MIGHT ADD THAT I HAVEN'T DONE THIS, BUT I HAVE LITERALLY THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET A COURT ORDER TO FORCE THE UTILITY TO COMPLY WITH THE CITY CODE. THAT'S HOW OUTRAGEOUS THIS SITUATION IS.
I DON'T THINK WHAT I'VE DESCRIBED HAS EVER HAPPENED IN AUSTIN'S HISTORY, BUT I'M JUST SAYING IT'S PRETTY OUTRAGEOUS WHAT'S HAPPENING TO US, AND IT'S REALLY KIND OF PETTY. I HAVE NO PREPARED RESOLUTION.
THIS IS ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER STRATEGICALLY, BUT I WANTED TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR. LET'S OPEN IT UP FOR COMMENTS.
DISCUSSION. YES. COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN, THANK YOU.
I AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHY THIS MATTERS, LET ME REMIND YOU THAT ITEM THREE ON TODAY'S AGENDA WITH RESPECT TO STAFF SUPPORT, CITY STAFF SUPPORT FOR THE SOLAR AND STORAGE WORKING GROUP WAS SOMETHING THAT WE
[01:20:01]
INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION THAT WE SENT TO MISS GOODWIN FOR POSTING FOR LAST MONTH'S AGENDA, AND AUSTIN ENERGY TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO REMOVE THAT PARTICULAR PROVISION FROM OUR FINAL RESOLUTION.DESPITE CHALLENGING QUESTION FROM MR. ROBBINS AND OTHERS AND, AND THE FACT THAT WE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN KEEPING A NUMBER AS, AS COMMISSIONER ROBINS LAID OUT, SO MANY OF THE RENEWABLE ENERGY CONTRACT PROPOSALS AND OTHER INFORMATION FROM US AND NOT PROVIDING MUCH USEFUL INFORMATION, EVEN ON THE STUFF THAT THEY SENT TO THE EOC, IS PART OF WHAT PROMPTED THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU JUST APPROVED, WHICH IS ASKING FOR ALL OF THE DETAILED COST INFORMATION RETROSPECTIVELY SO THAT WE ALL, BOTH COMMISSIONS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW ALL OF THESE RESOURCES INTERPLAY AND AFFECT EACH OTHER ON COST.
SO THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES TO THE FACT THAT AUSTIN ENERGY HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDING THE INFORMATION AND THE REVIEW THAT THIS COMMISSION IS CHARGED BY CITY BYLAWS WITH EXECUTING.
AND TO GIVE MY COUNTERPART ON ON COMMISSIONER ROBBINS HISTORY LESSON ABOUT THE COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONER COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHENS OFFICE. ONE OF MY BOSSES IN IN HISTORY WAS ONCE TOLD I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU HAVE HER WORKING FOR YOU. SHE'S SUCH A PIT BULL.
AND MY BOSS SMILED AND SAID, YES, BUT SHE'S MY PIT BULL.
I AM YOUR PIT BULL. PEOPLE, LET'S DO THIS. I LOVE THAT.
ONE THING I WILL ADD JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY FOR THE BENEFIT OF COMMISSIONERS.
ANYONE WHO MIGHT WATCH THIS RECORDING IN THE FUTURE IS I DID ASK AUSTIN ENERGY IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE CONTRACT RCA'S FOR SOME OF THESE ITEMS, BATTERY STORAGE, WIND, SOLAR THAT HAVE NOT BEEN COMING TO US AS OF LATE AS A COURTESY OR ADVANCE THE PRESENTATION OF THEM TO THE EOC BY A MONTH OR SO, BECAUSE WE TYPICALLY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN HAPPENING IS THE RCA WILL GO TO THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION ON MONDAY. THE AUC WILL APPROVE IT AND THEN COUNCIL WILL APPROVE IT ON THURSDAY.
AND THEN WE MEET THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY. SO THERE IS NOT TIME FOR US TO CONSIDER THEM OR YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE CAN PUT ANYTHING ON OUR ON OUR AGENDA THAT WE WANT AS LONG AS TWO CO-SPONSORS AGREE TO IT.
BUT THOSE THINGS ARE OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE MOOT BY THAT, BY THAT POINT.
SO I ASKED IF THAT COULD BE IF THOSE COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO US AS A COURTESY OR IF THERE WERE OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COMMISSION IS ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY WEIGH IN ON, ON THINGS THAT ARE UNDER OUR, OUR SCOPE OF, OF WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AS AN ADVISORY BODY.
AND, AND I WAS TOLD NO. AND THE, I GUESS THE CONSOLATION WAS TO BE THAT THE ARM WILL RECEIVE REGULAR UPDATES THROUGH A SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON THE RESOURCE GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN.
SO. THAT'S THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ AND THEN COMMISSIONER LUKE. MAY I. COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ, PLEASE.
I WANT COMMISSIONER GOODWIN MAY HAVE BEEN SENT THE RESOLUTION, BUT SHE WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HAVING IT. THIS PARTIALLY DISMANTLED. I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD.
FORGIVE ME. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ. THAT IS TRUE.
I'M TRYING TO FIND MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT AGAIN. SO AM I CORRECT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SIX MONTH UPDATE PROCESS IS LIKE A CATEGORICALLY NEW REDUCED INFORMATION SHARING PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE SUGGESTING.
SO AFTER TODAY, THE UTILITY WILL ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS IN FEBRUARY OR WE DON'T REALLY KNOW RIGHT
[01:25:05]
NOW. I WOULD PASS THAT QUESTION ON TO SOMEONE FROM STAFF IF THERE WERE ANYONE HERE.FAIR ENOUGH. OKAY. YEAH. AND I GUESS THE OTHER.
SO THIS ISN'T REALLY A QUESTION, BUT JUST THINKING OUT LOUD.
WE NEVER WE NEVER DID, YOU KNOW, THE BASE POWER STUFF.
SO THAT THAT COULDN'T FALL MORE INTO OUR PURVIEW.
RIGHT. LOCAL DISTRIBUTED LOCAL STORAGE. WE NEVER GOT A PRESENTATION ON THAT.
I THINK THERE WAS THE PRESENTATION IN MAY HAD LIKE ONE SENTENCE ON IT.
SO THESE THINGS AREN'T JUST IT'S NOT JUST THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING IT BEFORE COUNCIL TAKES ACTION.
WE'RE NOT, I GUESS, AS OUR MC GETTING THE INFORMATION AT ALL, OR HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE STAFF THAT PUT THE PROGRAM TOGETHER OR IS IN CHARGE OF IT. SO JUST AN EXAMPLE. COMMISSIONER LUKE, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT SOMETHING BEING REMOVED FROM OUR AGENDA. IS THAT A COMMON THING TO HAPPEN? I'VE NEVER I'M I'M ON A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONS THAT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT.
YEAH. I THINK IT'S I GUESS TO CLARIFY IT, IT'S NOT THAT THAT WAS REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA. IT WAS THAT THE FORM OF THE RECOMMENDATION WAS CHANGED.
SO THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION THAT HAD A CERTAIN FORM THAT A LOT OF COMMISSIONERS ARE USING NOW.
IT'S LIKE RECOMMENDATION, RATIONALE, WHATNOT.
AND IT INCLUDED BOTH THE FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP, AS WELL AS THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO ASK THE APPROPRIATE STAFF TO PARTICIPATE ON THE WORKING GROUP.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS WE WERE TOLD, OH, IT'S JUST FORMING A WORKING GROUP.
YOU DON'T NEED A RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT. YOU JUST PUT A LINE ON YOUR AGENDA.
AND SO THAT WHOLE RECOMMENDATION DISAPPEARED.
SO THE PART ABOUT HAVING A STAFF ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE AND CONTRIBUTE WAS LOST.
AND WE HAD TO BRING THAT BACK THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
DO WE KNOW WHOSE FINGERPRINTS ARE ON THAT LOSS? YES, WE'VE GOT IT. WE DO. WE'VE WE'VE GOT THE RECOMMENDATION NOW, SO WE'VE PASSED IT.
BUT THE UNDERLYING ISSUE IS NOT ABOUT FINGERPRINTS.
EXACTLY. YEAH. I'M FAIRLY OFFENDED OVER HERE ON, ON THIS NOTION THAT THEY GET TO CALL THE SHOTS WHEN WE'RE THE ONES WHO ARE ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE OVERSEEING WHAT THE WHAT IT IS THEY'RE DOING.
AND IF YOU REALLY WANT TO HIDE SOMETHING, THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO DO IT.
I WANT TO BACK AWAY FROM SOME OF THIS ACCUSATORY STUFF.
WHAT I DO KNOW IS THERE'S A BUNCH OF STUFF THAT WE SHOULD BE SEEING THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING, AND THAT IS WHAT MATTERS TO ME. I AM NOT PREPARED TO MAKE ANY ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THEIR MOTIVES OR OR THEIR INTENTIONS, BUT I WAS PUT ON THIS COMMISSION AND TOLD, THIS IS THE JOB THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, AND I BELIEVE IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY. UNTIL THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO APPOINTED ME TELLS ME OTHERWISE.
THAT PERTAINS TO OUR CHARGE. IT IS MY JOB TO LOOK AT IT USING MY EXPERT JUDGMENT AND MY ROLE, ESSENTIALLY, BOTH ON BEHALF OF OF EXPERTISE AND ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC WHOM WE REPRESENT, TO TAKE A GOOD, HARD LOOK AT THIS AND TO ASK QUESTIONS, TO TRY TO MAKE IT BETTER AND AS GOOD AS POSSIBLE FOR AUSTIN ENERGY AND THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN. SO IF AUSTIN ENERGY, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THROUGH WHATEVER MECHANISMS, IS GETTING IN THE WAY OF THAT, WE NEED IT FIXED. COMMISSIONER COOK AND THEN COMMISSIONER FARMER.
[01:30:05]
SO YEAH, I THINK ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, LIKE IT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.AND I'D LOVE TO HEAR MAYBE I DON'T KNOW IF HERE OR LATER IS THE, THE PLACE, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO, TO BE RAISING THESE KIND OF CONCERNS, GIVEN THAT EVERYONE, LIKE EVERYONE IS UPSET ABOUT ELECTRICITY USAGE, WATER USAGE DATA CENTER TAKEOVER OF TEXAS.
AND, AND THE OTHER PART OF THE RATIONALE THAT I WAS PROVIDED WAS THAT CONTRACTS ARE TO GO TO THE, THE PRIMARY COMMISSION AND THE PRIMARY COMMISSION FOR PURCHASE POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS THINGS LIKE THAT. EVEN BATTERY CONTRACTS IS THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION.
SO THEY'RE GOING TO, TO ONE COMMISSION PRESUMABLY IN THE NAME OF EFFICIENCY.
BUT I WILL HAVE THAT KIND OF SHARED AROUND. SO, SO YOU CAN SEE.
COMMISSIONER FARMER GO AHEAD. I THINK WHAT'S MY READ ON THIS? AND THIS IS MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, TO PUT IT INTO THE RECORD IS THAT THERE'S TWO COMMISSIONS WITH SIGNIFICANT OVERLAP IN PURVIEW.
WE ARE THE COMMISSIONER OF THE COMMISSION OF TROUBLE MAKERS.
THE AUC, IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR RECORD, THEY HAVE BROUGHT FORTH NO RESOLUTIONS OF MERIT, AND THEY HAVE RUBBER STAMPED EVERYTHING THAT AUSTIN ENERGY HAS BROUGHT TO THEM. SO. OH, SNAP. I THINK IT'S VALID TO SAY THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE RECORD LIKE THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING, WE'RE HERE PUSHING BUTTONS, BEING TROUBLEMAKERS.
SO WHY WOULD AUSTIN ENERGY DEAL WITH US WHEN THEY CAN JUST KIND OF LIKE, QUIETLY STRANGLE US? AND I WILL SAY, I'M, I'M NOT READY TO SAY THAT ON THE RECORD, BUT BUT I WILL SAY THAT THE EEOC DEFINITELY HAS, THEY HAVE PURVIEW OVER LIKE ALMOST ALL THINGS ELECTRIC.
THEY HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF, OF THINGS TO CONSIDER.
THEY HAVE EMINENT DOMAIN. THEY HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES 15 AUTHORIZATIONS ON THEIR AGENDA.
THERE IS NO WAY THEY CAN DIVE AS DEEP INTO SOME OF THE SPECIFICS AROUND RENEWABLES STORAGE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THE THINGS THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON, ON OUR COMMISSION YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE PASSIONATE, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE, JUST LIKE WE ARE, THEY'RE DOING IT, YOU KNOW, FOR FREE.
AND WHO ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE IN EVERYTHING, BUT IT'S JUST A MATTER OF YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE, THE BANDWIDTH TO, TO REALLY DIG IN TO THOSE THINGS.
I WAS LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE, THESE CONTRACTS THAT WENT BEFORE THEM EARLIER.
YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS ONE IN AUGUST FOR WIND POWER, $200 MILLION UP TO AUTHORIZED UP TO $200 MILLION WAS LESS THAN THREE MINUTES OF DISCUSSION. THERE WAS A, ANOTHER SOLAR ONE FROM APRIL, WHICH WAS DISCUSSED FOR ABOUT SIX MINUTES. YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT I THINK UNREASONABLE TO SAY THAT YOU KNOW, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, DIG INTO THESE THINGS AND, AND GIVE THE, THE COUNCIL AND THE RESIDENTS THAT WE'RE HERE TO REPRESENT YOU KNOW, OUR BEST, OUR BEST EFFORT.
YES. VICE CHAIR. ROBBINS. AUSTIN ENERGY SENT A LETTER TO CHAIR DAVIS, WHICH SHE SHARED WITH ME.
AND WE SHOULD SHARE THIS WITH EVERYBODY. BUT IT BASICALLY SAID GAVE CHAIR DAVIS WAS FAIRLY ACCURATE IN TRYING TO CONVEY THE EXCUSES THAT WERE GIVEN AS TO WHY THEY COULD NOT BRING THIS TO BOTH COMMISSIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER.
HOWEVER, AS I POINTED OUT IN MY PRESENTATION BETWEEN 2008 AND 2025, THEY MANAGED TO DO IT.
SO ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE. I MEAN IT.
IT'S LIKE I'M GOING TO RESTRAIN MYSELF. I THOUGHT IT WAS AN OUTRAGEOUS EXCUSE AND ONE THAT I NEVER SWEAR OR SCREAM AT COMMISSION MEETINGS, BUT IT WAS HARD WHEN I READ IT TO RESTRAIN MYSELF.
[01:35:05]
I MANAGED TO REPLY IN A MORE SUBDUED MANNER. I'M NOT SURE HOW WE'RE GOING TO FEEL THIS YET, BUT THIS CONDITION CANNOT STAND. THEY ARE QUITE LITERALLY BREAKING THE LAW.I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. IT'S CERTAINLY A CIVIL ONE.
AND THEY SEEM WELL THE APPEARANCE IS THAT THEY DON'T CARE.
GO AHEAD. ARE WE ABLE TO ADJUST OUR CALENDAR MOVING FORWARD? WE HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, RIGHT. COULD WE NOT JUST MOVE OUR MEETINGS TO BE THE WEEK BEFORE THE MEETING? WELL, WE HAVE, WE HAVE OUR MEETING SCHEDULE FOR THE, FOR THE YEAR THAT WE APPROVE THOSE.
I THINK IN NOVEMBER, OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER EVERY YEAR.
SO AND I THINK THERE IS, YOU KNOW, AND WE VOTE ON THAT, WE APPROVE WHAT OUR MEETING SCHEDULE IS.
IF WE HAVE TO. COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ. I COULD PROBABLY GO BACK AND WATCH THE VIDEO, BUT IS THAT THE LATEST, THE LATEST, GREATEST EXCUSE OR REASON THAT THAT THE TIMING DOESN'T WORK OUT TO SHARE WITH US BEFORE? I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY IT WAS THAT GETTING CONTRACTS TO CITY COUNCIL IS A LONG INVOLVED WORKFLOW PROCESS AND ADVANCING IT BY ENOUGH TIME FOR US TO CONSIDER IT WOULD NOT FIT INTO THE WORKFLOW IS, IS WHAT I WAS TOLD.
OKAY. AND THAT'S BEEN THE CASE FOR EVERY CONTRACT.
YEAH, I DON'T QUOTE ME ON ALL OF THESE THAT WERE IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL WHERE IT'S THE SAME WEEK AS THE COUNCIL MEETING WAS THAT, DID YOU HAVE A FOLLOW UP? NO. OKAY. YES. COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN. SO LOOKING FORWARD, WE I DON'T RECALL WHETHER WE ACTUALLY DRAFTED A RESOLUTION AND THEN PUT A PIN, SET IT ASIDE, BUT OTHER THAN RAISING A STINK IN THIS PARTICULAR FORUM AND I EXPECT THAT WE WILL ALL BE, I HOPE, TAKING THIS TO OUR INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO DO WE, WHAT DO WE THINK IS GOING TO COME FROM THIS DISCUSSION AND, OR DO WE HAVE A NEXT STEP PLANNED? OR DO WE EXPECT SOMEBODY AT CITY COUNCIL TO SAY, OH, PEOPLE GET OVER YOURSELVES AND GIVE THEM THE DAMN CONTRACTS? I MEAN, ARE WE ARE WE JUST WANTING TO MAKE OURSELVES FEEL BETTER OR IS SOMETHING USEFUL GOING TO HAPPEN HERE? WELL, I MEAN, AS A BODY, WE CAN OBVIOUSLY WE CAN PASS A RECOMMENDATION AND SEND THAT ALONG.
THE, I BELIEVE IS THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, WHICH OVERSEES THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO WE SHOULD GET ON THEIR AGENDA IF NECESSARY.
THAT IS AN OPTION. ALL RIGHT. GOOD TO KNOW. THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR.
I, I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE CITY CLERK, AND I HAVE ASKED FOR FURTHER ACTION.
I CANNOT COMMENT ON WHAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE WILL DO.
AND SO I, I. I, I USUALLY HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. I DON'T HAVE THEM TONIGHT.
YOU'RE A MERE MORTAL IN THIS AREA NOW. LIKE THE REST OF US.
YES. COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ. I'M WONDERING IF IT'S WORTH IT TO PUT IT ON OUR AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH.
KNOWING HOW THESE THINGS GO WITH THE. I THINK I DON'T KNOW IF THE DEADLINE IS NEXT MONDAY OR SOMETHING, BUT IN CASE WE WANT TO. IS THAT IS THAT HOW IT'S KIND OF WORKING LATELY IN CASE WE WANT TO TURN IT INTO AN ACTION? WE WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO IF WE DO IT THIS WEEK.
YEAH, I WILL COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN AND I WILL CO-SPONSOR.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER PART OF IT? HE GETS A SPONSOR AND WE WILL BE HAPPY TO BACK YOU ON THAT.
WELL DOES THAT MEAN I HAVE TO WRITE IT? YEAH.
TWO, TWO MEMBERS HAVE TO REMEMBER THIS WILL BE THREE.
[01:40:02]
IF WE'RE DONE WITH THIS DISCUSSION OF ITEM FIVE, THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ONLY.THE ONLY THING THAT I HAVE LEFT IS JUST TO SAY AGAIN, I DO NOT BLAME MISS GOODWIN AT ALL FOR THE MANGLING OF THE ITEM THREE THAT WE PASSED EARLIER TONIGHT. ABSOLUTELY. THIS THAT HAPPENED AT A HIGHER LEVEL.
JUST JUST WANTED TO GET THAT ON THE RECORD. THANK YOU.
YES. OKAY. WE MOVE ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
SO THE FIRST ONE BROUGHT UP IS THE CONTROL OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AGENDA WITH CO-SPONSORS SCHWARTZ AND SILVERSTEIN AND ROBBINS. I, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A STANDING AGENDA ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE FOR A REPORT FROM AUSTIN ENERGY ON DISTRICT ENERGY HEATING, THE DISTRICT ENERGY COOLING REPORT, AND AUSTIN ENERGY'S PLANS FOR DEALING WITH THE DISTRICT ENERGY COOLING SYSTEM.AND I DON'T CARE WHETHER THEY HAVE A REPORT, I THINK THEY NEED TO BE REQUIRED TO STAND UP AND TELL US WHETHER THE REPORT EXISTS AND WHETHER THEY HAVE DEVELOPED ANY PLANS, AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT AS A STANDING AGENDA ITEM, PLEASE. WE CAN PUT THAT ON OUR AGENDA. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN UNTIL IT'S ACTUALLY RESOLVED. I THINK IT SHOULD BE ON THERE EVERY DAMN MONTH. OKAY, I'M SWEARING ON YOUR BEHALF, PAUL.
ONE THING THAT I AM INTERESTED IN WHEN MR. GENESEE WAS HERE, HE DID OFFER TO TALK ABOUT THE, MAYBE THE ELECTRIC RESISTANCE HEATING, THE OLD AIR CONDITIONERS BEING REPLACED BY HEAT PUMPS THAT COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN BROUGHT UP AND THE MULTIFAMILY SPLIT INCENTIVE, ALL THAT I'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORD THAT.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU ON IT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE MR. GENESEE TO COME TALK ABOUT THAT. AND I ASSUME YOU'LL CO-SPONSOR THAT WITH ME, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN.
YES, MA'AM. VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, WHAT DO YOU HAVE ON YOURS? WELL, I'M SEEING IT. THREE OF US HAVE SAID MORE OR LESS THE SAME THING IN DIFFERENT WORDS.
COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN HAS HAS PASSIONATELY AND ELEGANTLY LAID OUT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AIR CONDITIONERS AND HEAT PUMPS AND DOING AWAY WITH RESISTANCE HEATING. COMMISSIONER FARMER HAS, AT LEAST TO ME, EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN SEEING A, A STUDY THAT WOULD COMPARE THE COST OF NEW POWER TO ADVANCED ACCELERATED ALTERNATIVE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY. AND I HAVE SAID SIMILAR THINGS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE COMING AT IT PRETTY MUCH FROM THE SAME PHILOSOPHY. I'M WONDERING HOW WE CAN MERGE THEM.
DO YOU WANT TO. SO I WAS GOING TO, BUT I EVEN HAVE A DRAFT RESOLUTION THAT I'VE SHARED WITH PAUL AND A COUPLE MONTHS AGO SO I CAN PUT THAT FORTH AND WE CAN WORKSHOP THAT AS, AS A WAY TO ROLL THESE OTHER THINGS INTO IT OR EDIT IT.
I THINK WE SHOULD PUT IT UNDER DISCUSSION. YEAH.
CAN YOU WORK ON WORDING AND GET THAT TO ME AND MISS GOODWIN? YEAH, IT'S THE, THE CURRENT TITLE IS A MOUTHFUL, BUT IT'S A RESOLUTION REQUESTING INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF CARBON FREE RESOURCES.
AND I CAN RESURRECT THIS OLD 1994 REPORT AND HOLD IT UP FOR THE AUDIENCE TO SEE.
I MEAN, FOR ITS TIME, IT WAS REALLY INNOVATIVE.
AND I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE IN A KIND OF SIMILAR SITUATION.
[01:45:09]
AUSTIN. WATER. OKAY. YES. ONE MORE THING. COULD WE PUT THE BASE POWER PROGRAM? A PRESENTATION FROM THE UTILITY ON EITHER NEXT MONTH OR THE FOLLOWING.THERE'S NO IT'S NOT TIMELY, BUT THERE'S NO BADGE.
OKAY. YES. SO BASE POWER, JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM LIKE STAFF BRIEFING.
RIGHT. YEAH. SO STAFF BRIEFING REQUEST ON THE BASE POWER PROGRAM.
ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONER. LUKE, AS I'M SITTING HERE LOOKING AT THIS LIST OF MEASURES WITH RMQ CONSIDERATION AND THOSE WITHOUT AND HOW FAR BACK THEY GO.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S AN ANALYSIS THAT'S EVER BEEN DONE ON THESE OLD PROJECTS AS TO HOW EFFECTIVE THEY WERE, IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY IF THEY DID WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.
DID YOU KNOW IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF REVIEW THAT'S EVER ON THE WIN CONTRACT FROM 2017.
DID THAT ACTUALLY WORK? I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ASKING A GOOD QUESTION OR NOT.
IT JUST STRIKES ME IT IS A GOOD BUT INCOMPLETE QUESTION.
BECAUSE THE COMPLETE QUESTION WOULD BE NOT JUST WERE THESE PARTICULAR CONTRACTS ANY GOOD, BUT LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE SPREAD OF AUSTIN ENERGY RESOURCE ACQUISITIONS, INCLUDING ALL OF THE FOSSIL CONTRACTS AND THE RENEWABLES CONTRACTS AND ASSETS.
BUT WE CAN'T LEAVE. WE CAN'T JUST SAY, WAS THIS A GOOD WIND CONTRACT? THAT'S NOT FAIR, CONSIDERING HOW MUCH MORE WE HAVE SPENT ON GAS ACQUISITIONS AND KEEPING COAL PLANTS OPEN AND ALL OF THAT, THEY ALL HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT AND THROUGH THE SAME CRITICAL LENS THROUGH THE SAME CONSISTENT BENCHMARKS AND METHODOLOGIES. AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THE ITEM FOUR WAS ABOUT, IS TO GIVE US TOOLS AND INFORMATION TO ALLOW THOSE KINDS OF COMPARISONS IN A BETTER FASHION.
WHO WOULD BE MAKING THAT DETERMINATION? IS THAT A A STAFF THING OR IS DOES THAT EVEN EXIST? IT'S SINCE WE DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF BEING CONSULTED OR ADVISED ON AUSTIN ENERGY'S RESOURCE ACQUISITION PROGRAM AND GENERATION PLAN DEVELOPMENT, WE ARE UNABLE TO TELL WHETHER HOW, HOW EFFECTIVE THOSE COMPARISONS AND ANALYZES ARE. THE AUC GETS THOSE. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW HOW ACTIVELY ENGAGED THEY ARE IN THAT REVIEW, BUT THEY THEY DIG INTO IT PRETTY DEEPLY. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. I'M SENSING A LULL IN THE ENERGY. SO WITHOUT OBJECTION I'M GOING TO ADJOURN
THIS MEETING OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AT 7:53 P.M.. THANKS, EVERYBODY. GET HOME SAFE. THANK YOU. THANKS.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.