SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION July 17, 2025 6:00 PM AUSTIN ENERGY HEADQUARTERS/SHUDDE FATH CONFERENCE ROOM 4815 MUELLER BLVD AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Electric Utility Commission maybe participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To register contact Nici Huff, at Nici.Huff@AustinEnergy.com or via phone at 512-972-8621. AGENDA Cesar Benavides Jonathon Blackburn Al Braden Chris Gillett Chris Kirksey Cyrus Reed Joshua Rhodes Members: Dave Tuttle, Chair Kaiba White, Vice Chair Raul Alvarez Lauren Bellomy CALL MEETING TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 5 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Electric Utility Commission Regular Meeting on June 9, 2025. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Recommend approval authorizing a contract for evaluation of facilities for Austin Energy with HDR Engineering, Inc., for an initial term of two years with up to three 1-year extension options in an amount not to exceed $850,000. Funding: $28,333 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy, and funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. 3. Recommend approval authorizing a contract for regulatory consulting services for Austin Energy with NewGen Strategies and Solutions, LLC. d/b/a NewGen Strategies and Solutions, for a term to be in effect until the scope of work is complete, in an amount not to exceed $300,000. Funding: $25,000 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy, funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. 4. Recommend approval of a resolution authorizing the negotiation and execution of all documents and instruments necessary or desirable to acquire approximately 0.0168 acres (730 square feet) of permanent electric transmission and distribution easement out of Outlot 55, Division “O”, City of Austin, Travis County, Texas, generally located at 1104 Lambie Street, Austin, Texas 78702, being a portion of Lot 19, Block 2, Elm Grove, a subdivision of record in Book 2, Page 241, Plat Records, Travis County, Texas, …
Posting Language ..Title Authorize a contract for evaluation of facilities for Austin Energy with HDR Engineering, Inc., for an initial term of two years with up to three 1-year extension options in an amount not to exceed $850,000. Funding: $28,333 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy, and funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. ..Body Lead Department Financial Services Department. Client Department(s) Austin Energy. Fiscal Note Funding in the amount of $28,333 is available in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. Purchasing Language: The Financial Services Department issued a Request for Proposals solicitation RFP 1100 DPL3000REBID for these services. The solicitation was issued on February 17, 2025, and closed on March 27, 2025. Of the four offers received, the recommended contractor submitted the best evaluated responsive offer. A complete solicitation package, including a log of offers received, is available for viewing on the City’s website. This information can currently be found at https://financeonline.austintexas.gov/afo/account_services/solicitation/solicitation_details.cfm?sid=142124 . MBE/WBE: This contract will be awarded in compliance with City Code Chapter 2-9B (Minority-Owned and Women- Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program). For the services required for this solicitation, there were no subcontracting opportunities; therefore, no subcontracting goals were established. For More Information: Direct questions regarding this Recommendation for Council Action to the Financial Services Department - Central Procurement at FSDCentralProcurementRCAs@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2500. Respondents to the solicitation and their Agents should direct all questions to the Authorized Contact Person identified in the solicitation. Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action: July 17, 2025 - To be reviewed by the Electric Utility Commission. Additional Backup Information: This contract will provide Austin Energy with a strategic plan for its facilities. The first phase of the plan will include a baseline condition assessment of owned and leased properties, including office spaces, dispatch locations, distribution centers, warehouses, payment centers, revenue measures and controls, metering operations, and service centers. The assessment will examine how current facility locations impact outage response times. The report from the first phase will provide foundational knowledge for the second phase, which will focus on findings analysis and strategic recommendations. Overall, the plan will support Austin Energy’s operational efficiency and long-term utility management over Item 2 the next ten years to meet the demands of Austin’s rapid growth and energy customers. The …
Posting Language ..Title Authorize a contract for regulatory consulting services for Austin Energy with NewGen Strategies and Solutions, LLC. d/b/a NewGen Strategies and Solutions, for a term to be in effect until the scope of work is complete, in an amount not to exceed $300,000. Funding: $25,000 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy, funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. ..Body Lead Department Financial Services Department. Client Department(s) Austin Energy. Fiscal Note Funding in the amount of $25,000 is available in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. Purchasing Language: Professional Service. MBE/WBE: This contract will be awarded in compliance with City Code Chapter 2-9B (Minority-Owned and Women- Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program). For the services required for this solicitation, there were no subcontracting opportunities; therefore, no subcontracting goals were established. For More Information: Direct questions regarding this Recommendation for Council Action to the Financial Services Department - Central Procurement at FSDCentralProcurementRCAs@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2500. Respondents to the solicitation and their Agents should direct all questions to the Authorized Contact Person identified in the solicitation. Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action: July 17, 2025 - To be reviewed by the Electric Utility Commission. Additional Backup Information: The contract will provide regulatory consulting services in the development of Austin Energy’s transmission cost of service (TCOS) rate filing with the Public Utility Commission of Texas. The TCOS is the cost of moving electricity from where it’s generated to where it’s used by customers and covers the cost of investing in and maintaining the transmission energy infrastructure within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. The TCOS rate filing helps Austin Energy maintain a strong financial rating, provides affordable and fair transmission pricing in Texas, and ensures the filing is consistent with standard industry practices and regulatory requirements. The contractor will provide expert advice and consultation to develop and process a filing for a change in transmission rates. The services include development of the cost-of-service analysis, drafting the rate filing, writing and defending witness testimony, reviewing relevant case history, and presenting to relevant groups, such as the Public Utility Commission, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Austin City Council, and the State of Texas. Item 3 Austin Energy’s last comprehensive TCOS case was filed in 2005. Since then, Austin Energy …
Posting Language ..Title Authorize negotiation and execution of all documents and instruments necessary or desirable to acquire approximately 0.0168 acres (730 square feet) of permanent electric transmission and distribution easement out of Outlot 55, Division “O”, City of Austin, Travis County, Texas, generally located at 1104 Lambie Street, Austin, Texas 78702, being a portion of Lot 19, Block 2, Elm Grove, a subdivision of record in Book 2, Page 241, Plat Records, Travis County, Texas, from Carmen Marie Nenadal, as Trustee of the Carmen Marie Nenadal Living Trust, for a total amount not to exceed $81,174, including closing costs. Funding: $81,174 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Energy. ..De Lead Department Financial Services Department. Fiscal Note Funding is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Energy. For More Information: Brandon Williamson, Financial Services Department, 512-974-5666; Michael Gates, Financial Services Department, 512-974-5639; Amy Everhart, Austin Energy, Director, Local Government Issues 512-322- 6087; David Tomczyszyn, Austin Energy, VP Electric Systems Engineering and Technical Services, 512-322- 6821; Tina Little, Austin Energy Director, Electric Systems and Shared Services, 512-322-6396. Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action: July 17, 2025 - To be reviewed by the Electric Utility Commission. Additional Backup Information: This proposed acquisition is required to relocate various structures along the existing Circuit 1015 to accommodate the Texas Department of Transportation’s expansion of Interstate Highway 35 (I-35) as part of its I-35 Capital Express program. The I-35 Capital Express Lady Bird Lake project runs along I-35 from Holly Street to State Highway 71/Ben White Blvd. An independent, third-party appraisal was procured to establish the fair market value of the proposed acquisition. The appraisal supports the purchase price of $79,753. The amount of the purchase price plus closing costs is not to exceed $81,174. The State of Texas will reimburse the City for the cost to acquire these property rights, pursuant to both the Standard Utility Agreement executed between the parties regarding the relocation of Circuit 1015 and the Settlement Agreement in Case No. C-1-PB-24-001200 in Travis County Probate Court No. 1, concerning the State’s condemnation of the City’s property at 1007 Lambie Street. Item 4
Posting Language ..Title Authorize negotiation and execution of a battery tolling agreement with Balcones Ridge Resiliency, LLC, a Jupiter Power subsidiary, for up to 100 megawatts of electricity from a utility-scale battery facility, in an estimated amount not to exceed $14,400,000 per year, for a term up to 20 years, for a total estimated amount not to exceed $288,000,000. Funding: $14,400,000 is available in the Fiscal Year 2026 Operating budget. Funding for the remaining years of the agreement is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. ..De Lead Department Austin Energy. Fiscal Note Funding in the amount of $14,400,000 is available in the Fiscal Year 2026 Operating budget. Funding for the remaining years of the agreement is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. For More Information: Amy Everhart, Director, Local Government Issues (512) 322-6087; Michael Enger, Vice-President, Market Operations & Resource Planning (512) 322-6183. Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action: July 17, 2025: To be reviewed by the Electric Utility Commission. Additional Backup Information: On February 3, 2025, Austin Energy issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a utility-scale battery tolling agreement for locally sited battery assets. The battery tolling agreement recommended in this action resulted from the solicitation and will provide Austin Energy with the opportunity to progress toward its local battery storage capacity goal. On December 12, 2024, Council approved the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035, which updated the strategic energy policy for Austin Energy. The updated plan includes a goal of achieving local battery storage capacity of 100 megawatts (MWs) or more to Austin Energy’s supply portfolio by 2027. The battery tolling agreement recommended in this action contributes to reaching the 2027 local battery storage capacity goal after the project begins commercial operation in late 2026 (for calendar year 2027) and will increase the utility’s local electricity storage capacity to help protect and mitigate wholesale load price risk. This utility-scale battery tolling agreement will provide for the utilization and dispatch of up to 100 MWs of local battery storage capacity from a project to be constructed in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Austin Energy Load Zone. The agreement will not require Austin Energy to invest any funds in the construction, operation, or maintenance of the project. The agreement will provide for a non-escalating fixed price per kilowatt month (kw-mo) of capacity. The structure of the agreement allows Austin Energy …
Posting Language ..Title Authorize an amendment to a contract for the Underground Electrical Civil Construction for Austin Energy with Mastec North America, Inc., to increase the amount by $48,000,000, for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $120,000,000. Funding: $48,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Energy. ..Body Lead Department Financial Services Department. Managing Department Austin Energy. Amount and Source of Funding Funding is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Energy. Purchasing Language: Contract Amendment. MBE/WBE: This contract was awarded in compliance with City Code 2-9A (Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program). Current participation to date is 20.88% MBE and 0. 64% WBE. Prior Council Action: November 18, 2021 - Council approved a contract with Mastec North America, Inc. for the Underground Electrical Civil Construction Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity project. For More Information: Direct questions regarding this Recommendation for Council Action to the Financial Services Department - Central Procurement at FSDCentralProcurementRCAs@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2500. Respondents to the solicitation and their Agents should direct all questions to the Authorized Contact Person identified in the solicitation. Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action: July 17, 2025 - To be reviewed by the Electrical Utility Commission. Additional Backup Information: This contract supplements Austin Energy’s (AE) labor force to provide ready access to contract labor and equipment for underground transmission and distribution services, all facets of electric distribution, transmission and substation underground services, routine electric service extensions, and providing support for emergency, storm, holiday, and electric outage restoration. These services are essential to help reduce outages and long-term disturbances in the electric systems that affect AE customers. This is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract which provides for an indefinite quantity of services for a fixed time, usually an initial term with extension options. They are commonly used when precise quantities of supplies or services, above a specified minimum, cannot be determined. IDIQ contracts help streamline the contract process and service delivery and allow the City the flexibility to add work as needs arise or change. As each project is defined, a specific work assignment will be assigned to the contractor who will complete the scope of work for the unit prices included in the contract. Work deadlines will be established for each work assignment. Item 6 Additional authorization is needed to continue staff augmented support services for the remaining contract term due to various factors, including the increase in the City’s …
Electric Utility Commission Annual Internal Review This report covers the time period of 7/1/2024 to 6/30/2025 The Board/Commission mission statement (per the City Code) is: (A) The commission shall review and analyze all policies and procedures of the electric utility, including the electric rate structure, fuel costs and charges, customer services, capital investments, new generation facilities, selection of types of fuel, budget, strategic planning, regulatory compliance, billing procedures, and the transfer of electric utility revenues from the utility fund to the general fund. (B) The commission shall advise the city council, the city manager, the electric utility, city departments, and city boards, commissions, and committees on policy matters relating to the electric utility. All advisory information given shall simultaneously be forwarded to the city manager. (C) The commission may review, study, and make recommendations to the Planning Commission on proposed electric utility projects for inclusion in the Capital Improvements Program. (D) The commission may request that the city council hire an outside consultant every five years to make a comprehensive review of the policies and procedures of the electric utility. The commission may initiate an external or internal review of the policies and procedures of the electric utility. If the commission initiates a review, it shall report its findings to the city council and the city manager. (E) The commission shall interpret the role of the electric utility to the public and the role of the public to the electric utility. The commission may hold a public hearing and briefing session every six months to explain new policies and to take citizens comments, suggestions, and complaints. (F) The commission may make recommendations to the city council before final council action on a policy or procedure of the electric utility. Item 7 EUC Annual Review and Work Plan 2024-2025 (G) The commission shall request from the city manager any information that it deems to pertain to the electric utility. (H) The commission shall, as a body, review customer complaint procedures, accept specific customer grievances and complaints, and make recommendations to the city council and city manager based on its findings. This duty does not supersede, replace, or substitute for the appeal procedures provided to customers in the City Utility Service Regulations. (I) The commission shall seek to promote close cooperation between the city council, other city boards, committees, and commissions, city departments and individuals, institutions and agencies concerned with the policies, …
