01 Jul Letter Request- determining the new Austin Energy GM

 Dear Mayor and Council-members:

 

We all understand that the future of Austin depends on the future of Austin Energy. Energy security is the single most important factor in our city’s economic competitiveness, in our evolution towards sustainability, and in our ability to keep residential and commercial energy bills affordable now and into the future. AE is also enormously important to the City’s overall budget.

 

Given the importance of AE to Austin’s economic health, we have grave concerns about the three AE General Manager finalists announced June 17. There are a number of troubling issues that must be addressed before the interviews for the GM job proceed any further.

 

1. None of the finalists appear to meet the job description requirement of having “a proven track record of success” applicable to the “regulatory and legislative process within the State of Texas, at the federal level, and locally in Austin”. Texas is not California.

 

2. None of the finalists have the requisite understanding of the two most important issues facing Austin Energy: executing an effective rate case in Texas and creating an innovative new business model to help Austin stay a leader in Texas’ rapidly changing energy market.

 

3. None of the finalists work for a utility nearly as large in customers, electric revenues or Megawatt-hour sales as our community-owned utility (Austin Energy’s MWh sales are from 6 to 10-times larger than any of the finalists’ utilities in California).  Energy leaders in California have expressed surprise that Austin would consider hiring executives from such small utilities.

 

4. Affordability is a major issue for Austin.  These three utilities in California have electric rates 19-49% higher than Austin Energy. (source: U. S. Dept. of Energy)

 

5. The last AE GM was named by BusinessWeek Magazine as one of the top 20 carbon reducers of the last decade. Based on comments from California energy and environmental experts, there is little evidence that the finalists are considered visionary leaders.

 

The new head of Austin Energy should be someone who is a recognized leader and can hit the ground running on the critical issues facing our City. We should not risk all that the community has worked for on someone unproven and unknown. We need someone who is qualified to lead a first tier, complex utility such as Austin Energy. We are asking for and deserve someone exceptional.

 

Thank you in advance for taking action on this request.

 

Sincerely,

 

Austin Adams

Bill Bunch

David Foster

Sean Garretson

Jill McRae

Susan Moffat

Robin Rather

Paul Robbins

Robin Schneider

Brigid Shea

Mike Sloan, Virtus Energy

Solar Austin

Roy Waley