How will Austin Energy generate electricity for the next decade? When Austin Energy's latest proposals to Council fell short of citizen's expectations for environmental leadership, the Council chose to designate a Task Force to make recommendations about the energy mix. 

 

The environmental community should be pretty excited about the members selected for the Austin Energy Generation and Resource Planning Task Force, as approved last week by the Austin City Council and Electric Utility Commission named 8 of 9 members, most of which have top-notch green pedigrees.

• Barry Dreyling, Staff Facilities Electrical Engineer at Spansion, electrical engineer in the semiconductor, solar and building industries  (Mayor Leffingwell)
• Cyrus Reed, Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter Conservation Director (Mayor Pro Tem Cole)
• Michele Van Hyfte, Manager of Environmental Stewardship at Seton Healthcare Family and former Director of the Committee on the Environment for AIA (Council Member Spelman)
• Michael Osborne, Recently retired Austin Energy futurist (Council Member Riley)
• Tom “Smitty” Smith, Director of Public Citizen and long-time renewable energy advocate (Council Member Morrison)
• Carol Biedrzyck, Executive Director of Texas ROSE – Ratepayers' Organization to Save Energy – dedicated to affordable electricity and a healthy environment (Council Member Martinez)
• Mike Sloan, Virtus Energy – 20+ year renewable energy consultant (Council Member Tovo)
• Clay Butler, The Butler Firm –  "one of the premier legal and consulting firms in the United States that focuses solely on servicing clients in the clean energy market  (Electric Utility Commission representative)
• A person to be named by the Resource Management Commission (all of which are pretty reliably mindful about environmental issues) at their April 15th meeting.

According to the Sierra Club's blog, "word on the street is the first meeting of the new Task Force will be April 16th. Task force is expected to make final recommendations on Austin Energy's Generaton Plan through 2024 in June."