Uncategorized Archive
Rate Hike’s Dirty Little Secrets
by John Sutton, Jan. 12, 2012.
The proposed electrical rate hike is bringing out a lot of Austin Energy’s (AE) dirty little secrets.
The utility has been bleeding red ink for five years, but the only solution offered was to raise rates. Why was cutting the budget to size not...
Read More Austin Energy’s Questionable Rate Increase: Dead on Arrival?
By Bill Oakey and Robin Rather, Jan. 12, 2012.
What on earth possessed Austin Energy to believe it could magically talk the Council into a huge rate increase that for the first time in decades puts a lopsided rate burden on poor and middle class residential customers, small...
Read More Clean Energy IS Affordable Energy
Mike Sloan and Robin Rather, Dec. 16, 2010.
City Council received its first presentation from Austin Energy’s new leader Larry Weis last Thursday on the utility’s “Affordability Goal” and an update on its Generation and Climate Protection Plan. DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION. VIDEO LINK.
Thursday’s briefing provided a chilling...
Read More Austin Energy: The $134 Million Question
by Robin Rather & Mike Sloan OCT 26, 2010.
$134 Million is a lot of Smackeroos. But it’s also more than just money. It’s a question that strikes to the heart of systemic issues strangling Austin Energy.
• It’s about transparency.
• It’s about affordability.
• It’s about talking that's green but spending that's...
Read More 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 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 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...
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