Austin Energy Profile

Austin Energy is one of the 10 largest publicly owned electric utilities in the U.S. and among the nation’s largest providers of renewable energy.

It generates 2,600 MW of power to serve 388,000 customers and a population of more than 900,000 in the city of Austin, Texas, Travis County and part of Williamson County. It has interests in three natural gas-fired power plants, a coal plant and a nuclear plant; construction on two more nuclear plants is expected to start in 2010.

Smart Grid

.

Austin Energy manages one of the country’s largest smart thermostat demand response programs and a successful green power program. It is installing smart meters for residential and business customers and expects to complete installation of 270,000 residential and C&I meters in summer ’09.

Renewables

.

In March of 2009 Austin Energy signed an agreement to buy power at $10 million per year from what will be the biggest solar PV project in the U.S., a 320-acre, 30 MW project. In August of 2008 the utility signed a 20-year, $2.3 billion contract in to buy power from a 100MW wood waste-fueled power plant.

For vendors only …

.

As a progressive utility, Austin Energy is eager to push boundaries. As a municipal with a friendly and supportive City Council, it can make decisions quickly. For these reasons, Austin Energy has been hotly pursued by vendors, many of whom have been willing to make heavy discounts or in-kind contributions.