Approved Minutes — original pdf

Approved Minutes

ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, January 12, 2026 ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Monday, January 12, 2026 The Electric Utility Commission convened in a regular called meeting on Monday, January 12, 2026, at Austin Energy Headquarters, 4815 Mueller Blvd, Austin, TX 78723. Chair David Tuttle called the Electric Utility Commission meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Commissioner Dave Tuttle, Chair; Commissioner Lauren Bellomy; Commissioner Cesar Benavides: Commissioner Al Braden: Commissioner Chris Gillett; Commissioner Chris Kirksey; and Commissioner Cyrus Reed. Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Commissioner Raul Alvarez; Commissioner Jonathon Blackburn; Commissioner Joshua Rhodes; and Commissioner Kaiba White, Vice Chair. Commissioners Absent: None PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL • David Leuesque – eight questions regarding reliability • Jorge Viero – opposition of deposits for gas peakers • Jen Cregar – support of commission’s recommendation, item 12 • Matt Weldon – support of commission’s recommendation, item 12 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Electric Utility Commission Regular Called Meeting on November 10, 2025. The motion approving the minutes of the Electric Utility Commission meeting on November 10, 2025, were approved on Commissioner Bellomy’s motion, Commissioner Braden’s second on a 10-0 vote with Commissioner Alvarez o(cid:431) the dais. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Recommend approval authorizing a contract for customer satisfaction and benchmarking studies for residential and business utility customers for Austin Energy with J.D. Power, for an initial term of two years with up to three one-year extension options in an amount not to exceed $1,100,000. Funding: $320,000 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, January 12, 2026 The motion to recommend approval authorizing a contract for customer satisfaction and benchmarking studies for residential and business utility customers for Austin Energy with J.D. Power, was recommended on Commissioner Reed’s motion, Commissioner Bellomy’s second on a 10-1 vote with Vice Chair White voting against. 3. Recommend approval authorizing an amendment to the contracts for engineering services for the Austin Energy Sta(cid:431) Augmentation, Engineering, and Related Engineering Services for Electric Systems and Technical Services Rotation List with HDR Engineering Inc. and Allegis Group Holdings, Inc. to increase the amount by $15,000,000 for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $85,875,000. Funding: Funding is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Energy. The motion to recommend approval authorizing an amendment to the contracts for engineering services for the Austin Energy Sta(cid:431) Augmentation, Engineering, and Related Engineering Services for Electric Systems and Technical Services Rotation List with HDR Engineering Inc. and Allegis Group Holdings, Inc, was recommended on Commissioner Braden’s motion, Commissioner Kirsey’s second on an 11-0 vote. 4. Recommend approval authorizing a contract for construction services for the Austin Parks and Recreation Duct Bank Civil Work project for Austin Energy with HB Trenchless LLC, in the amount of $6,643,136 plus a $664,314 contingency for a total contract amount not to exceed $7,307,450. Funding: $7,307,450 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Energy. The motion to recommend approval authorizing a contract for construction services for the Austin Parks and Recreation Duct Bank Civil Work project for Austin Energy with HB Trenchless LLC, was recommended on Commissioner Kirksey’s motion, Commissioner Benavides’ second on a 10-0-1 vote with Vice Chair White abstaining. 5. Recommend approval authorizing an amendment to a contract for continued managed contact center communications and infrastructure solution for Austin Energy with Carahsoft Technology Corporation, to increase the amount by $10,000,000, and to extend the term by two years for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $21,750,000. Funding: $4,650,000 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining years of the contract is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. The motion to recommend approval authorizing an amendment to a contract for continued managed contact center communications and infrastructure solution for Austin Energy with Carahsoft Technology Corporation, was recommended on Commissioner Reed’s motion, Commissioner Kirksey’s second on a 10-0 vote with Commissioner Alvarez o(cid:431) the dais. 6. Recommend approval authorizing an amendment to a contract for continued substation maintenance for Austin Energy with Primoris T&D Services, LLC, to increase the amount by $10,000,000 for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $20,000,000. Funding: $10,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Energy. The motion to recommend approval authorizing an amendment to a contract for continued substation maintenance for Austin Energy with Primoris T&D Services, LLC, was recommended on Commissioner Reed’s motion, Commissioner Kirksey’s second on a 10- 0 vote with Commissioner Alvarez o(cid:431) the dais. ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, January 12, 2026 7. Recommend approval authorizing a contract for customer satisfaction market research for Austin Energy with Creative Consumer Research LLC, for an initial term of one year with up to four 12-month extension options in an amount not to exceed $1,500,000. Funding: $200,000 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. The motion to recommend approval authorizing a contract for customer satisfaction market research for Austin Energy with Creative Consumer Research LLC, was recommended on Commissioner Reed’s motion, Commissioner Bellomy’s second on a 10- 1 vote with Vice Chair White voting against. 8. Recommend approval authorizing an amendment to a contract for continued repair, servicing, and water treatment parts for the plant demineralizer system and as needed rental of a temporary mobile demineralizer unit for Austin Energy with MPW Industrial Services Group Inc. d/b/a MPW Industrial Water Services Inc. to increase the amount by $500,000 for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $1,150,720. Funding: $500,000 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. The motion to recommend approval authorizing an amendment to a contract for continued repair, servicing, and water treatment parts for the plant demineralizer system and as needed rental of a temporary mobile demineralizer unit for Austin Energy with MPW Industrial Services Group Inc. d/b/a MPW Industrial Water Services Inc., was recommended on Commissioner Kirksey’s motion, Commissioner Braden’s second on a 10-1 vote with Vice Chair White voting against. 9. Recommend approval authorizing a contract for storm water ponds maintenance and repairs for Austin Energy with BPI-Bauerle Partners Inc., for an initial term of one year with up to two one-year extension options in an amount not to exceed $970,000. Funding: $215,555 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. The motion to recommend approval authorizing a contract for storm water ponds maintenance and repairs for Austin Energy with BPI-Bauerle Partners Inc., was recommended on Commissioner Reed’s motion, Commissioner Kirksey’s second on a 10- 0 vote with Commissioner Alvarez o(cid:431) the dais. 10. Recommend approval authorizing a contract for advanced utility control systems professional services for Austin Energy with Freeit Data Solutions Inc. for an initial term of one year with up to three one-year extension options in an amount not to exceed $750,000. Funding: $100,000 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. The motion to recommend approval authorizing a contract for advanced utility control systems professional services for Austin Energy with Freeit Data Solutions Inc., was recommended on Commissioner Reed’s motion, Commissioner Kirksey’s second on a 10- 0 vote with Commissioner Alvarez o(cid:431) the dais. STAFF BRIEFINGS ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, January 12, 2026 11. Sta(cid:431) Briefing on the implementation of Austin Energy’s Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035 by Lisa Martin, Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating O(cid:431)icer. The sta(cid:431) briefing was presented by Lisa Martin, Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating O(cid:431)icer. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 12. Discussion and possible action regarding a recommendation urging the Austin City Council to follow the steps laid out in the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035 to fully examine clean energy alternatives prior to any investment in gas peakers. (Braden, White, Reed) The commission discussed gas peakers in the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035 along with the proposed recommendation. No action was taken. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • Survey results from J.D. Power and Creative Consumer Research • Recommendation regarding gas peaker investment in the Austin Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035 • Transmission • Austin Energy policy for large loads • Line extension policy discussion and potential recommendations • Streetlights conversion to LED and related study ADJOURNMENT Chair Tuttle adjourned the meeting at 8:26 p.m. without objection. The meeting minutes were approved at the February 9, 2026, meeting on Commissioner Bellomy’s motion, Commissioner Benevides’ second on an 8-0 vote with Commissioner Gillett, Commissioner Rhodes, and Vice Chair White absent.