City of Austin Scales Back on Some Public Services During COVID-19 Outbreak

Essential services including public safety, utilities continue

"...of Austin officials announced Sunday, March 15, that all public library branches, golf courses, athletic programs, recreation and cultural..."

March 16, 2020 News Post by Austin Sanders

Public Hearing: Rate Your Rate Increase

AE takes another stab, with middling results

"...council takes another round of testimony in the second public hearing on the proposal at City Hall, 301 W...."

Feb. 10, 2012 News Feature by Amy Smith

Servicing the Public or Public Service?

"...and state levels who have become lobbyists/consultants after leaving public service:..."

Aug. 9, 1996 News Feature

Public Citizen Tom “Smitty” Smith Looks Back on a Life Well Lived

The man in the white hat's relentless hard work and willed optimism

"...The appearance of Public Citizen Execu­tive Director Tom Smith at the November meeting..."

Dec. 16, 2016 News Feature by Michael King

Public Notice: Start Your Engines

Council gearing up for land use discussions?

"...Council's surrogates over at the Planning Commission seemed to be in a holding pattern Tuesday night...."

Jan. 25, 2019 News Column by Nick Barbaro

Naked City

Utilities' estimates of stranded costs associated with deregulation are coming in, and they're far higher than the figures originally provided to the Texas Legislature when the law was being approved.

"...Texas by the time many of the state's largest utilities are freed from government price-setting and regulation. Critics worry..."

June 2, 2000 News Feature by Dan Oko

City Hall Hustle: Milk Cows and Cash Cows

AE's uncertain future means wobbly program budgets

"...With apologies to federal "Cat Food Commission" chair Alan Simpson, the municipal milk's going bad at..."

Sept. 3, 2010 News Column by Wells Dunbar

TXU Tries Smoothing Waters

Partners involved in sale of TXU to private equity firm visit Lege to make nice, turn back wave of anti-TXU legislation

"...and lawmakers in Austin. "With the support of customers, public officials, and community and environmental leaders, TXU's new approach..."

March 23, 2007 News Feature by Kimberly Reeves

The Deal Gets Done

City Council settles AE rate case in principle, details to come

"...terms, the agreement, when presumably ratified by the state Public Utility Commission, will cost the utility just under $6..."

March 8, 2013 News Feature by Mike Kanin

Point Austin: Electric Lessons

Beneath the AE rate debate stands the strong ground of public process

"...council settled on after weeks of work sessions and public discussion – and oh yes, an election campaign –..."

June 15, 2012 News Column by Michael King

Smitherman: 'Make More Babies'

AG candidate flies to the far religious right

"...Texas women, Railroad Commission Chair Barry Smitherman has some advice for you: Marry..."

Sept. 6, 2013 News Feature by Richard Whittaker

Lege Notes: Taser talk and more

Stories from under the pink granite dome

"...to their municipality or county and directs the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education to compile..."

March 2, 2007 News Column

Capitol Briefs

"...Feb. 2 directed the state Health and Human Services Commission to establish guidelines for the Merck-manufactured vaccine. The suit..."

March 2, 2007 News Feature

Naked City

"...to a 24-24 record in their first year. A public memorial service for the man basketball fans knew simply..."

March 2, 2007 News Feature

Beyond City Limits

"...comes to wind power. Legislators have directed the Texas Public Utilities Commission to address inadequate power line capacity between..."

July 18, 2008 News Feature

Media Clips

Southwestern Bell and Time Warner push Jump.Net and other small Internet service providers out of the Austin market with anti-competitive pricing schemes.

"...Time Warner isn't violating either city or Federal Communications Commission rules -- because, one might be surprised to learn,..."

May 26, 2000 News Column by Lee Nichols

Naked City

News briefs from Austin, the region, and elsewhere

"...in a suit filed July 10 to prevent the public release of any such data that could identify individual..."

July 18, 2008 News Feature

Parsley Keeps Power Over Power

It'll be business as usual (with the emphasis on business) at the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

"...Senate confirmed the reappointment of Julie Parsley to the Public Utilities Commission of Texas on Wednesday. The former solicitor..."

Feb. 23, 2007 News Post by Richard Whittaker

Naked City

Quack!

"...wants to be treated as something different." That's how Public Utilities Commission Chair Rebecca Armendariz Klein described the proposal..."

Nov. 29, 2002 News Feature by Michael King

The Common Law

Smart water meter installation

"...As a public utility provider, Austin Water has a duty to maintain..."

July 5, 2024 Column by Luke Ellis

Electric Power Shortage, the Fix

"...17 hours during 2011(17 out of 8,720 hours). The Public Utilities Commission is planning an even richer increase to..."

July 13, 2012 Postmarks

There Are Problems, but There Also Are Solutions

"...are winning the Kill-a-Watt Challenge and both the Texas Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Congress are getting it,..."

Aug. 13, 2007 Postmarks

Winds of Change

As electric industry restructuring opens utilities up to competition, some, including Austin's municipally-owned utility, are looking to renewable energy sources to win customers and meet the requirements of a 1999 law.

"...positively beaming. Wind-powered generators, long shunned by Texas electric utilities, are primed to break into the state's energy market..."

April 21, 2000 News Feature by Kevin Fullerton

Naked City

Austin Energy readies a "secrecy resolution" to present to council that would allow it to conceal some of its financial information from the public. The resolution already has many consumer activists up in arms.

"...it hide contracts, maintenance schedules, and other documents from public view so that it can more aggressively recruit industries..."

July 14, 2000 News Feature by Kevin Fullerton

Shock to the System

Brace Yourselves: Deregulation Is Coming, Eventually

"...to try and wrangle a rate break from the publicly-owned utility). It's too early to say that the issue..."

Feb. 21, 1997 News Feature by Louisa C. Brinsmade

Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground

Austin slowly thaws out from an unprecedented – but not entirely unexpected – disaster

"...not subject to oversight by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (which among other things mandates winterization standards for utilities)..."

Feb. 19, 2021 News Feature by Lina Fisher

It's the Carbon, Stupid!

Texas leaders continue to drag their boot heels on global warming

"...Though plans by various Texas utilities to build 19 new coal-fired power plants have drawn..."

Dec. 1, 2006 News Feature by Daniel Mottola

Naked City

The council approves a requirement that all matters coming to a vote include a note detailing their financial impact; Austin Energy's "competitive matters" resolution, which would keep some business matters secret, angers some local activists.

"...can start the discussion … that [right to a public hearing and discussion] should be inviolate," Griffith said. Nonetheless,..."

Feb. 16, 2001 News Feature by Emily Pyle

Austin Energy Wins Round One

Austin Energy fends off rate case with only minor loss

"...Three days before the public hearing was scheduled to begin (with a preliminary session..."

March 8, 2013 News Feature by Mike Kanin

Energy Efficiency One Way or Another

Wanted: new rules to ensure funding is available year-round for consumers seeking to lower their electricity use

"...customers and private companies, filed a petition with the Public Utility Commission of Texas on Sept. 27, asking for..."

Oct. 13, 2006 News Feature by Daniel Mottola

1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8     NEXT ›    8 »