Today, Austin City Council approved a resolution on an 8-2-1 vote authorizing Austin Energy, the city-owned utility, to contract approximately 162 megawatts of solar energy. This decision means that Austin Energy will have approximately 600 MW of solar power by the end of 2016.
This solar energy purchase comes on the heels of two previous contracts approved by City Council - 150 MW approved in 2014, and approximately 288 MW on October 1, 2015. Combined, the three sets of contracts would bring Austin Energy to within 150 MW of the 750 MW solar goal in their 2025 Generation Resource Plan.
The resolution also called on Austin Energy to build out an additional 150 MW of solar by the end of 2019 if available and affordable.
In response, Cyrus Reed, Conservation Director of the Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter, issued the following statement:
“Today, Austin City Council took bold action toward clean energy by approving more solar power. The City Council did the right thing by listening to numerous citizens and organizations calling for aggressive action on solar, and then considering the best of the available contracts and setting an overall expected rate impact of approximately one percent on any rate class, which is about $0.67-$1.00 per month for residential ratepayers. This deal is another hedge against the volatility of prices in the fossil fuel market. It is a win for the environment, a win for clean energy, and a win for Austin ratepayers."