[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6543143,"mediaKeyId","3731026-55f6300552ff375107de46373f293587","parentId",3731026,"title","Austin commissioners hear complaints about months‑long delays connecting local solar; vendors call for harmonized metering rules","audioSeconds",1391,"startMs",48000,"endMs",1439000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3731026-55f6300552ff375107de46373f293587&start=48&end=1439","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3731026-55f6300552ff375107de46373f293587/thumbnail_48000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6543143/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-commissioners-hear-complaints-about-monthslong-delays-connecting-local-solar-vendors-call-for-harmonized-metering-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6543143-86f3124d4e340990be04d2b95611e8d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770452854&Signature=GfvnJXq2ksL1Ddy8BxAh03Jp1O7eso0me0MqGD5zUP8vy0m5iMebB0VbM3vOR3Bl4T1iV7h21xUVkhHp73DMMWLc-5SBlYCoSUicwiYnxz05YcOBU1A1ZQlpZGKPrSJNA~~LIRDWFmLvJth2JihWxFf~gZI3To0n3yGHJfLKkeLh~26oB~8BQ~C0yFi~cgNbKmgMG3j-RpYikco740siN97i6WBCZBwhJLAai8FXGpo01b0EYWC2ULZHL1bfwy2G-ycb025Tse6gXmX4XmOIisuOsoeevdwDgr~OoiICeX490x681hh1yRbrJbR1Ed8H8C-GgroGuCFS5hnowA53og__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","article","Public commenters told the Electricity Utility Commission on June 9 that completed, utility‑scale and commercial rooftop solar systems have been held from operating for months because of new or inconsistently applied metering requirements.

The most detailed complaint came from David Hogan, lead technical contact for St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Northwest Austin. Hogan said Lighthouse Solar completed a 110‑kilowatt installation, that Austin Energy performed an on‑site inspection and issued a March 27 letter saying the system had “permission to operate,” and that Austin Energy’s paperwork stated the system would be connected in “5 to 10 days.” Instead, Hogan said, the church learned weeks later — verbally through its vendor — that Austin Energy’s metering group required an unplanned modernization of the service interface, including new current transformers (CTs). That change, Hogan said, would require significant unplanned expense. He told the commission the system cost roughly $220,000 and that the church had received a $99,000 rebate check May 11 but still was not connected.

Why it matters: speakers said the delays undo the financial assumptions behind customer investments and slow Austin’s stated goals to add local solar and storage. Vendors warned that late‑stage requirements can make small commercial projects uneconomic and undercut Austin Energy’s stated resource and climate plans.

Stan Pipkin, owner of Lighthouse Solar, told the commission he has worked with Austin Energy for about 17 years and called the problem “a real blockage.” He said guidelines are “poorly written” and often leave customers and vendors unable to predict whether they will face additional meter or service‑interface work after final inspection. “If it is coming at the end, it is really just not tenable at all,” Pipkin said. He asked the utility to develop clear, front‑loaded standards so developers and customers can predict costs and schedule projects without surprise upgrades.

Dale Beulah, speaking during public communication, urged the utility to “promote batteries” and local storage as a way to reduce wholesale costs and congestion; he also voiced support for a City Council draft resolution asking Austin Energy to add solar to city‑owned buildings. Jorge Veil, an Austin Energy repairer and member of Third Act Texas, urged planning for far greater battery capacity, saying municipal peers have moved faster and that Austin should “plan for a lot more” storage.

Austin Energy response and next steps: Stuart Riley, interim general manager, said the metering team and solar team had not yet finalized harmonized guidance in the case cited and that the St. Matthew’s matter had been delayed by storm response activity in late May. Riley said Austin Energy staff would follow up directly with the church and Lighthouse Solar and would report updates to the commission once resolved.

Commission discussion: commissioners asked staff to clarify whether metering requests represented safety or reliability requirements and whether customers should be grandfathered under preexisting approvals. Multiple commissioners urged a single point of contact inside Austin Energy — effectively an ombudsman for customer solar projects — or a harmonized checklist so the solar, metering and development services groups provide consistent, documented requirements up front.

What was requested of the utility: speakers and commissioners asked Austin Energy to (1) follow up with St. Matthew’s and Lighthouse Solar to complete connection under the originally approved plan or explain the technical safety rationale for any new requirement; (2) harmonize and publish interconnection and metering requirements across departments; and (3) consider grandfathering projects under approvals granted before any change in metering standard.

Quotable: “We would like to be connected under the approved plan that we submitted initially up front,” David Hogan said. Stan Pipkin said the late‑stage CT and metering impacts could represent “10% up to 100% of the value of the solar project” in worst cases.

Ending: Austin Energy told the commission it will report back after staff from metering and the solar program coordinate and communicate a path forward for the St. Matthew’s project. Commissioners asked staff to place a fuller briefing on interconnection timelines, meter modernization triggers and any planned changes to the line‑extension or meter policies on a future EUC agenda.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Electric Utility Commission - Jun 09, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Public commenters told the Electricity Utility Commission on June 9 that completed solar installations have sat offline for months because of metering changes and inconsistent guidance from Austin Energy.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6543133,"EUC votes: commission approves emailing rule recommendation, schedules meeting flexibility and recommends public forum for Austin Energy GM finalists",1606,4156000,5762000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3731026-55f6300552ff375107de46373f293587&start=4156&end=5762","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3731026-55f6300552ff375107de46373f293587/thumbnail_4156000.jpg","/articles/6543133/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/EUC-votes-commission-approves-emailing-rule-recommendation-schedules-meeting-flexibility-and-recommends-public-forum-for-Austin-Energy-GM-finalists","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6543133-c259e6471997ad0e8ae04565bd8c27d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770452854&Signature=TOthtY6C78EWNXBQCDdFGVkMV6aLV44SgF6ih4nqIHDg564LeFCqjXHrlw8iDpF3rghFFR85uat4kXpApNDkYIbAHPSYFEOvUK0uzT4lD9Xeggyh-kaZxL7NtHTRc-XlKVQwqJo6zEqJZ2aBQ5TRYJHJfeCYPMkkrfPRcQ2o9fAok8apZ3uABXQGGzmiQ293HTOz2b81fc~D5txw7llzg0Tn0tndKpvg6gL9jTo5ipAg59Af1zQ5fPDnEu-3rT0a2xCzNwm6zVpLhKjcGeVpU~ZJeO3RmM~HzmqmtGJ-J2LlO5irtemsBL3X8O3YTnrEEuC67AzcqvtTOAhhaCQTZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Electricity Utility Commission took three formal actions during its June 9 meeting.

First, the commission voted to send Recommendation 20250609‑003 to the Austin City Council asking that volunteer commissioners be allowed to be copied at a combination of official city and personal email addresses for commission business. The recommendation asks council to amend city code to allow staff and commissioners to explicitly copy personal email addresses when emailing commissioners’ official commission addresses while keeping the official commission email on all communications. Commissioners argued the change would reduce missed communications by volunteers who check personal accounts more frequently; staff noted all communications remain subject to the Texas Public Information Act. The motion was made by Commissioner Kayaba and passed unanimously in the meeting record.

Second, the commission approved a motion to allow staff, upon checking room and staff availability and confirming a quorum, to cancel the scheduled July 14 meeting and instead hold a special‑called meeting in July to accommodate the city budget release and presentations. Commissioners moved the measure to give staff flexibility to find a date and room while preserving the ability to call a special meeting if needed.

Third, the commission adopted Recommendation 20250609‑006 concerning the hiring process for the next Austin Energy general manager. The recommendation asks that the city establish clear candidate criteria aligned with Austin Energy’s decarbonization goals (as established by City Council policy) and that one or more hybrid public forums be held for finalists (three to five candidates) with public Q&A and recorded sessions. Commissioners argued the public forum would allow the community to evaluate finalists’ ability to lead a municipally‑owned utility during a transition away from fossil generation. The motion as amended passed by majority vote; the meeting record shows at least one recorded nay and multiple abstentions during the final tally.

Notes on tally and record: specific roll‑call names and counts were not fully recorded in the publicly posted transcript for each motion. The meeting transcript records unanimous support for the email recommendation and majority support for the GM hiring recommendation with recorded opposition and abstentions. For transparency, the commission read the motions into the record before voting and added a statement that the official commission email address must remain on all official communications.

Ending: staff will transmit the email‑policy recommendation to City Council, coordinate the July scheduling option and follow up on the GM hiring recommendation with the city manager’s office and the council as appropriate.","The Electricity Utility Commission voted to request that City Council allow commissioners to be copied at personal email addresses, approved flexibility on July meeting scheduling, and approved a recommendation that the Austin Energy general manager hiring process include decarbonization criteria and at least one public forum for finalists.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6543138,"Austin green‑building program staff says ratings covered 20,000 single‑family homes since 1991; program updates aligned with energy codes",557,2060000,2617000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3731026-55f6300552ff375107de46373f293587&start=2060&end=2617","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3731026-55f6300552ff375107de46373f293587/thumbnail_2060000.jpg","/articles/6543138/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-greenbuilding-program-staff-says-ratings-covered-20000-singlefamily-homes-since-1991-program-updates-aligned-with-energy-codes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6543138-69cd3ca6f5668dc1f99119fdb4ac2e60/orig.mp4?Expires=1770452854&Signature=IbLIgEzw53gQUOyEEoO2JayV1lMUM2tTCsz7YDYxsXgyVdLxhmPJYf46dxVGNQAhyxgSVik5gMPZGtDkyn51REQ9cPTPAAI-K7KxcGqmFChCjwJFpYxtpsj9gJlhHFzgdP8n7QmwIHAV0unOlP29iz7G4K3nv860pTJBZmLvWXh1ovTOwStcLAKWmXwzzpXa8sXo0bQZoe9frMKplCUEx7TvCqWP6tMxvWC956-EUuxnRIVcbnxXSR~NrsO4hSJjm3HvD23ez~gKPubZ4nxcAE0dEha90S0UiSqsWM8r0zyptgfa5OZL8KRGjTNNyf6Pvg-M2dbmfCab1DRMkQUoPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Austin’s Green Building Program staff briefed the Electricity Utility Commission on June 9 about the city’s longstanding voluntary rating system, which dates to 1991 and aims to move building practice toward the city’s conservation and climate goals.

The program, staff said, operates three complementary tracks: rating projects (1–5 stars), public education and outreach, and policy/code work. Staff told the commission that since the program began the city has rated more than 20,000 single‑family homes, roughly 249 multifamily developments and about 400 commercial projects (through the end of the last fiscal year). Ratings are updated roughly every three years to reflect changes in codes and technologies.

Why it matters: staff said the rating program both incentivizes and prepares the market for higher performance by testing approaches in the rating process and feeding lessons into the code development process. Program staff said ratings are used in zoning and housing agreements: planned unit developments and smart housing projects commonly require a minimum star level as part of approvals.

Details reported: the program assigns a set of basic requirements (the “one‑star” threshold) and then a menu of points across categories such as energy, water, indoor air quality and site resilience. Staff said annual energy and CO2 savings have been tracked since 2007; energy savings figures reported to the commission are measured against prior code baselines and use Austin Energy’s generation mix to compute CO2 impacts.

Commission questions and follow up: commissioners asked about how often the ratings are revised (roughly every three years) and whether city capital projects follow the rating system. Staff said many city projects use LEED or the city rating and that large capital projects (for example, airport expansion and convention center work) are pursuing high sustainability targets. Staff said draft updates are posted for stakeholder review, and the multifamily rating is in a draft stage.

Ending: commissioners thanked staff and asked staff to circulate draft updates when they are posted for public comment; staff said it will publish drafts on the SpeakUp Austin platform and notify stakeholders.","Austin’s Green Building Program staff told the Electricity Utility Commission the program rates new construction and influences codes, reporting participation and annual savings tracking since 2007.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Austin commissioners hear complaints about months‑long delays connecting local solar; vendors call for harmonized metering rules

EUC votes: commission approves emailing rule recommendation, schedules meeting flexibility and recommends public forum for Austin Energy GM finalists

Austin green‑building program staff says ratings covered 20,000 single‑family homes since 1991; program updates aligned with energy codes