Austin’s Electric Rates: What’s the Real Deal?
Many in Austin are concerned about their electric costs now and where they are going in the future... when will they get a straight answer?
Austin Energy on Monday shared its initial “Affordability Report", which some consider a Council-specified prerequisite for moving ahead on the City’s new Generation and Climate Protection...
Read More Affordability Report: What Answer Does Austin Want?
by Mike Sloan OCT 18, 2010.
Did Austin City Council get $90,000 of value from the recent “Affordability Matrix Reports” produced by RW Beck?
If goal was to cast Austin Energy’s rates in the most favorable light… Beck did a good job.
If goal was to provide a balanced comparison...
Read More Affordability Goal Update: All Hat and No Cattle
By John Sutton and Robin Rather OCT 18, 2010.
Last Wednesday, Austin Energy "unveiled" its Affordability Goal report (Affordability Matrix Reports) at a crowded, standing room only conference room on Barton Springs Road. If you weren't able to go - we've got you covered with this debrief and outline...
Read More Austin -vs- San Antonio: Green Power SmackDown!
by Robin Rather & Mike Sloan OCT 8, 2010.
In our last post, we looked at the surprising downslide of Austin Energy relative to others in Texas in terms of both affordability and renewable energy. Here we compare AE against CPS Energy, the San Antonio municipal utility.
Green Power...
Read More Austin Energy: A Wake Up Call
by Robin Rather & Mike Sloan SEP 24, 2010.
Larry Weis, the new General Manager for Austin Energy, starts work on Monday.
What will he awake to find?
A) A utility that at the beginning of 2008 was widely recognized as the greenest, most innovative, and among the most affordable utilities...
Read More Texas Surpasses 10,000 MW of Wind Power & State Target for 2025
by Mike Sloan MAR 31, 2010.
Texas has now “officially” exceeded the 10,000 MW of installed wind capacity threshold (with 10,030 MW) based on information on ERCOT's Renewable Energy Credit (REC) Program website.
Texas has also exceeded the target for total installed renewable energy capacity of 10,000 MW by 2025 (with more...
Read More At what price greener electricity?
by Anthony J. Capraro NOV 20, 2009.
Austin is in the process of deciding which fuels it will use to generate electricity through 2020. A scenario proposed by Austin Energy (a.k.a. the Staff Recommendation) would make some green progress relative to the current generation fuel mix, but would still continue...
Read More Green Power: Best Deal for Austin
By Axel Gerdau for PowerSmack.org SEP 29, 2009.
The debate over Austin’s energy future is getting louder. Energy experts and consumer rights activists are taking a firm stance against criticism voiced by predicament advocates and state legislators against Austin Energy’s generation plan proposal. Their argument: The utility should...
Read More Coal: Not Cheap
by Mike Sloan SEP 26, 2009.
7 Reasons for Austin to Re-Think its Loyalty to the Fayette Coal Plant.
Coal has long been considered cheap energy: unhealthy yes, but with an intoxicatingly low price. That mindset should be abandoned. It is no longer true.
If you believe quitting coal is...
Read More Clean Energy is Painful in Austin ???
By Mike Sloan SEP 24, 2009.
In response to concerns expressed in the September 21, 2009 Austin American Statesman lead story : “Clean Energy may be Painful”:
Clean Energy: Austin’s Cheapest Sources in 2008
Contrary to conventional wisdom, Austin Energy’s lowest cost electric resources for 2008 were: ...
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