Public and staff press Austin Energy for faster local battery storage and rooftop solar on city buildings

Public commenters at the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee meeting on May 20 urged the committee and Austin Energy to accelerate local utility‑scale battery storage and to adopt a draft resolution to install solar on city‑owned buildings.

The appeals came as Austin Energy staff reported they have shortlisted battery storage project proposals from an RFP and are conducting contract negotiations with the aim of returning to City Council on July 24 with contracts, though staff warned that tariff and supply‑chain challenges could delay or alter the projects.

Why this matters: Local battery storage and rooftop solar were described repeatedly during public comment as tools to reduce price volatility in the ERCOT market, ease distribution congestion in Austin, lower customer bills and further Austin Energy’s decarbonization goals. Staff said contractual, tariff and material‑supply risks remain and could affect timing and scope.

"We are collectively here today, to support some actions that we know are going on behind the scenes and some that are that are coming up and really just to, you know, ask that you all keep your eye on advancing the transition to clean energy," said Kabia White of Public Citizen's Texas office during public comment. Several other speakers, including representatives of the Austin Sierra Club, Clean Water Action and local clean‑energy groups, urged timelines for implementation and asked that the city budget include funds or a revolving fund to pay for rooftop solar on city buildings.

Interim General Manager Stuart Riley told the committee that Austin Energy issued an RFP earlier this year and has shortlisted proposals. "We are hoping to come back to Council with contracts at the July 24 meeting," he said, while adding an asterisk for regulatory and tariff uncertainty that could introduce risk to the schedule.

Riley also told the committee the utility's Resource Generation and Climate Protection Plan, adopted by Council last December, includes a local battery storage commitment (staff said 125 megawatts of local battery storage by the end of 2027, if economically feasible). He described the shortlisting and ongoing contract discussions but warned of tariff and interconnection complexities that create uncertainty for deliverability and timing.

Speakers asked the committee to add deadlines into the draft resolution sponsored by Councilmember Alter to ensure staff analysis aligns with budget schedules and to make funding available in the coming budget cycle. Multiple commenters cited staff analysis finding rooftop solar could generate savings for ratepayers and urged the committee to treat the draft as a near‑term budget priority.

Public comment highlights: - Rafael Schwartz, speaking for the Austin Sierra Club, said, "Battery storage, more than anything else, is what kept the Texas grid reliably online," and urged prioritizing local, utility‑scale storage. - Camille Cook (Public Citizen Texas office) cited staff analysis showing a potential for $2,300,000 in annual bill savings from solar on city buildings and urged setting a deadline so the analysis is ready for mid‑July budget discussions. - Clean Water Action's Becky Smith and other speakers reiterated support for the 25–150 megawatt battery procurement Austin Energy staff announced at the Electric Utility Commission and asked the committee to treat early procurements as a floor, not a ceiling.

Staff and technical caveats: Riley and other staff warned that tariffs and supply‑chain issues are active constraints. Riley said suppliers are currently signaling potential price increases (staff characterized these as roughly 25% or more on some materials) and that those increases, together with regulatory questions, add cost and schedule risk for battery and emerging resource projects. The geothermal pilot power production project (described by staff as a small, approximately 5‑megawatt demonstration) is experiencing supplier/material delays and is under review to determine whether it can be salvaged.

Committee action and next steps: The committee did not take a binding vote on the draft rooftop solar resolution at this meeting. Staff reported the battery RFP shortlist and said they hope to return with contracts for council consideration on July 24. Several public speakers asked the committee to add timelines to the draft resolution and to include budget allocations or a revolving fund to accelerate installations on city facilities.

Ending: The committee’s upcoming calendar items include the target July 24 Council meeting referenced by staff for potential battery contract approval and a future comprehensive distribution resilience study staff said they will bring back later this year.

Votes at the meeting: the committee approved two procedural motions recorded in the minutes: a motion to waive the five‑speaker public comment cap and the approval of the March 25, 2025 minutes (both approved without objection).