All about Green Building in Central Texas

How green can we get?
Austin Energy's goals for renewable sources would rank us high nationally

To understand why Austin Energy is proposing a major shift toward wind and solar power a shift that will raise bills 20 percent over the next decade, according to the utility's best estimates it's important to realize just how much weight city leaders have placed on environmental stewardship.

Austin's leaders have proclaimed that the city should be the nation's leader in combating global climate change. Austin Energy, the city-owned electricity provider, has crafted a much-debated proposal to begin weaning itself off coal and onto cleaner sources such as wind and solar. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the plan next month.

Roger Duncan, Austin Energy's general manager, says the plan will keep Austin in the industry's vanguard. It has been praised by advocates and knocked by critics for essentially the same reason: its aggressiveness.

But in the fast-changing world of energy, where would that place Austin?

Austin Energy put itself on the map with its landmark GreenChoice program, which allows customers to buy wind power at a fixed 10-year price.

But that program has relied on big businesses, which account for roughly 80 percent of GreenChoice sales. Relatively few residents have opted for GreenChoice, which in recent years has been more expensive than standard electric rates.

Austin Energy says it needs to expand its efforts to satisfy the city's green goals.

According to the new plan, by 2020, Austin would get 35 percent of its electricity from renewables, up from 11 percent now.
 

By Marty Toohey AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Updated: 12:33 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010

8 types of Renewable energy

Residential & Commercial Recycling