The Austin, Texas, city council has approved a blueprint generation plan through 2020 for its city-owned electric utility, Austin Energy. The plan, which is scheduled to take effect later this year, calls for a total of 200 MW of solar by 2020.
The Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection plan, developed over a two-year period with an extensive public process, lays out a strategy whereby 35% of the powered delivered by the utility to its customers by 2020 would come from solar, wind and biomass resources. Austin Energy is currently at about 10% renewables.
The 7-0 council approval of the plan delayed its effective date to give Austin Energy time to develop an affordability matrix for council approval. Such a matrix would help guide implementation of the plan, the utility says. It would track the competitiveness of Austin Energy electric rates among all customer classes against rates available in other large Texas cities. Austin Energy will use consultants and other resources, and expects to present an affordability matrix for council approval no later than the end of this year.
SOURCE: Austin Energy
