Minutes — original pdf

Approved Minutes

ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION SPECIAL CALLED MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 15, 2024 The Electric Utility Commission convened in a regular called meeting on Monday, July 15, 2024, at Austin Energy Headquarters, 4815 Mueller Blvd, Austin, TX 78723. Chair Dave Tuttle called the Electric Utility Commission meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. in Attendance: Dave Tuttle, Chair; Commissioner Cesar Benavides; Commissioners Commissioner Jonathon Blackburn; Commissioner Randy Chapman; Commissioner Mick Long Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Kaiba White, Vice Chair; Commissioner Ayo Akande; Commissioner Raul Alvarez; Commissioner Joshua Rhodes PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL • Lanetta Cooper- District Energy Cooling • Paul Robbins- District Energy Cooling • Bradley C. Jarrell- was not present when name was called, did not speak. • Ben Suddaby- was not present when name was called, did not speak. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Electric Utility Commission Regular Meeting on June 10, 2024. The motion approving the minutes of the Regular Electric Utility Commission meeting of June 10, 2024, were approved on Commissioner Chapman’s motion, Chair Tuttle’s second on an 8-0 vote with Vice Chair White off the dais, Commissioners Reed absent, and one vacancy. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ON RECOMMENDATIONS 2. Recommend authorizing negotiation and execution of a contract for cloud cross connect subscription services with Equinix Inc, for a term of one year in an amount not to exceed $175,000. The motion to approve a recommendation authorizing negotiation and execution of a contract for cloud cross connect subscription services was recommended on Commissioner Blackburn’s motion, Commissioner Chapman’s second on an 8-0 vote with Vice Chair White off the dais, Commissioner Reed absent, and one vacancy.  3. Recommend authorizing negotiation and execution of all documents and instruments necessary and desirable for the fee simple acquisition of an approximately 1.034 acre (45,046 square feet) tract of land located at 11202 Pearce Lane, Del Valle, Texas 78617 and being Lot 16, in Block L, of Timber Creek Section 2 according to the Plat recorded in Volume 55, Page 13, Plat Records of Travis County, Texas, said Lot 16 conveyed to Nazir Ahmad in that certain General Warranty Deed as recorded in document number 2022061446, Official Public Records of Travis County Texas from Mr. Nazir Ahmad, for an amount not to exceed $278,821 including estimated closing costs. The motion to approve a recommendation authorizing negotiation and execution of all documents and instruments necessary and desirable for the fee simple acquisition of an approximately 1.034-acre (45,046 square feet) tract of land located at 11202 Pearce Lane, Del Valle, Texas 78617 was recommended on Commissioner Blackburn’s motion, Commissioner Chapman’s second on an 8-0 vote with Vice Chair White off the dais, Commissioner Reed absent, and one vacancy. 4. Recommend authorizing negotiation and execution of a contract and other necessary and appropriate agreements with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC needed to evaluate and facilitate the potential sale of the District Energy and Cooling assets. A short discussion was held between the Commission and staff. No action was taken on this item. 5. Recommend approval issuance of capacity-based incentives to Eanes Independent School District, for installation of solar electric systems on their facilities located at 2 Walsh Tarlton Lane, 304 Camp Craft Road, 1300 Walsh Tarlton Lane, 1201 S Capital of Texas HWY NB, in an amount not to exceed $848,830. The motion to recommend approval issuance of capacity-based incentives to Eanes Independent School District was recommended on Commissioner Blackburn’s motion, Commissioner Chapman’s second on an 8-0 vote with Vice Chair White off the dais, Commissioner Reed absent, and one vacancy. 6. Review and Approve the Annual Internal Review of the Electric Utility Commission for July 2023 through June 2024. No action was taken on this item. STAFF BRIEFINGS 7. Staff briefing on the Weatherization Program by Holly Prosser, Energy Efficiency Services Manager, Austin Energy. The presentation was presented by Holly Prosser, Energy Efficiency Services Manager, Austin Energy. 8. Staff briefing on solar battery storage, microgrids, and load-shaping technology by Tim Harvey, Customer Renewable Solutions Manager. The presentation was presented by Tim Harvey, Customer Renewable Solutions Manager. 9. Staff briefing on recent Request for Proposals for renewable energy and storage technologies by Michael Enger, Vice President, Energy Market Operations & Resource Planning. The presentation was presented by Michael Enger, Vice President, Energy Market Operations & Resource Planning. 10. Staff briefing and process update on the Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan by Lisa Martin, Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating Officer and Michael Enger, Vice President, Energy Market Operations & Resource Planning. The presentation was presented by Lisa Martin, Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating Officer and Michael Enger, Vice President, Energy Market Operations & Resource Planning. 11. Staff Briefing on the FY 2024/25 Austin Energy Budget by John Davis, Finance Director. The presentation was presented by John Davis, Finance Director. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT • Lessons learned from CenterPoint Energy. - Chair Tuttle Chair Tuttle adjourned the meeting at 8:41 p.m. without objection. The meeting minutes were approved at the August 12, 2024 meeting on Commissioner Rhodes motion, Commissioner Long’s second on an 8-0 vote with Chair Tuttle and Vice Chair White absent and one vacancy.