#austinenergy

[funkyscribe]

Well, that’s just great. And how would you like me to boil this water when you won’t turn my fucking power back on? #texassucks #austinenergy #ercot #fuckwits https://www.instagram.com/p/CLawXW3l86B/?igshid=ze92pht6xq93

[sethgranville]

Austin Energy (A City of Austin Service) Austin, Texas 2009 International Paystar 8x8 / Bronto Skylift Model S173XDT 173' Articulating Boom #brontoskylift #austinenergy #internationaltrucks #internationalpaystar #8x8 #laddertruck #articulatingboomlift #constructionequipment #offroad #heavyduty #heavyequipment #truckcompany #reach #sethgranville #x635photos (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-SG4dyhBla/?igshid=qmw91td2voxm

[alessandrapaul]

Austin Energy is killing Monk Parakeets ! This is unjust and horrible. Demand them to stop killing them and to have the decency to at least give them a chance in life by calling the various rescue groups that deal with birds in Austin. People that need your help: A Parront's Love Small Bird Rescue. @austinwildliferescue @travisaudubonsociety #atx #monkparakeets #parakeet #help #wildlife #rescue #austinenergy

[brianparkphoto]

#SolarPolar electric recharge stations around town very cool #austinenergy #ets17 (at Austin, Texas)

[allisonorrblog]

This afternoon with some of our favorite people talking #powerup nearly 2 yrs later. #lovealineman @allisonorr @mrswnorris3 @cpinsky #atx #austinenergy (at Austin Energy)

[d6zimmerman]

Better to do nothing than anything

Zimmerman establishes pole position

As one of their first acts as a body, City Council members examined, then approved, a routine contract for up to $10 million of steel poles for Austin Energy. Council Member Don Zimmerman pulled the proposed contract with TransAmerican Power Products, Inc. for extra scrutiny and abstained from an otherwise unanimous vote. Zimmerman lamented the fact that he was being asked to vote on the contract without knowing the particulars of the project, and said that those particulars couldn’t be discerned from reading through the 60 to 70 pages of backup he was given. “I can’t be certain what it is I am voting for,” said Zimmerman.

... Zimmerman said [he] didn’t want to be caught in the same position that Enron executives were in the early 2000s. - See more at: http://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2015/01/zimmerman-sets-tone-challenge-city-spending/

If I can't be an expert on everything, the city will do nothing!  Those poor Enron executives were just blindsided by the free markets... good thing I've been advocating for privitizing Austin Energy, or something.

[briannunnery-blog]

Should I opt into Austin Energy's GreenChoice Program?

Austin Energy's letting customers subscribe to green power for 1¢ more per kwh of energy (which for the average user = $10 more per month). Their goal is to get the city to 35% renewable energy by 2020.

On one hand, the socialist in me thinks that if our city and state really wanted to implement necessary change to fix its persistent coal pollution problem and contribution to climate change, it'd be subsidizing this option for customers while raising rates for traditional customers. Thanks to recent technological advancements, renewable energy is now cheaper than traditional fossil fuel production, so this isn't an unreasonable expectation for customers considering such subsidies are at least theoretically viable in a cost re-distribution scenario.

On the other hand, rarely do such subsidies succeed in traditionally-conservative states, so it's difficult for Texans to expect this instead of being proud capitalists and voting with their dollars - which is exactly what Austin Energy seems to want its customers to do.

Personally I lean toward not supporting them because of my firm socialist belief that the government must make some "mission-critical" decisions without giving the public an option. If I pay more money to try to drive a change that's without question necessary for public health and also financially advantageous for the state, I'm essentially doing the government's work myself - which isn't my job and makes me an unhappy taxpayer. Clearly the general public knows far less about electric grids, about the systemic contributions Texas' current grid makes to pollution and climate change, and about specific impacts the transition to a sustainable, renewable grid would have on the state's environment and economy - and can be trusted to not look past the $ signs on their electric bills. How, then, is it wise to let the public voluntarily decide - by paying more - to make this happen?

Curious to hear thoughts.

(I express some naiveté here, but stand by my general assertions)