Here at Solar Austin, we continue to peel back the curtain on local policy and utility action after February’s Winter Storm Uri. It’s not a mystery why over two-thirds of Texans, left in the cold and dark, view the performance of their local electric utility as more negative than positive. The one exception to Lone Star utilities’ particularly scathing performance reviews came from the members of the 60+ electric cooperatives operating within the Texas Interconnection grid. According to Forbes Magazine, customers of these city-owned cooperatives submitted the only positive evaluations of their local utility’s February freeze performance.
As one of the few applauded utilities, Bandera Electric Cooperative (BEC) will be joining Solar Austin to discuss what set them apart from commercial competitors. Stretching from the outskirts of Northwest San Antonio to the far west corners of Leakey, BEC powers as many as 38,000 members and is helping re-imagine rural communities as we know them. Under the leadership of Bill Heatherington, BEC strives to provide a democratic and collaborative way of delivering secure, reliable, and affordable electricity and high-speed internet access – pillars for 21st century economic stability.
Picking up the discussion from our March Happy Hour on the Texan State of Solar, Solar Austin aims to shed light on the unproductive blame game between renewables and non-renewables currently gaining traction in our state’s Capitol. Our goal is to help bridge the gap between Central Texas’ energy producers and consumers to better understand how much solar energy matters.
Grab a (virtual) beer with us next Tuesday May 25th to learn how BEC’s Bill Heatherington has garnered such well-deserved successes. If you are interested in learning more about Apolloware, the financial benefits of solar for Hill Country residents, BEC Fiber, and Bill’s vision for decentralized solar and storage fit, this is a happy hour you won’t want to miss!
Tuesday, May 25th, 2021
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM (CDT)
RSVP here to get the Zoom link!
About the Speaker:
Bill Hetherington has been CEO at Bandera Electric Cooperative (BEC) since 2013. With over 30 years of experience in renewable energy, technology development, and electric utility management, Bill oversees several non-traditional utility programs including: BEC Solar, BEC Fiber, and Apolloware. Bill earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, a Masters in Business Administration from Central Michigan University, and has completed postgraduate studies at the Wharton Business School on executive leadership.
How to Attend:
Once you RSVP on Eventbrite, you will receive the Zoom information in your Eventbrite confirmation email and in a reminder email that Solar Austin will send you the day before. On the day of the event, all you’ll have to do is find a comfy spot on the couch with a steady internet connection and kick start Zoom for free! If you have any issues, please contact juan.afanador@solaraustin.org.
Support the Cause:
We hope you’ll consider donating to Solar Austin so we can continue our work ensuring that the benefits of solar are equitably accessible to everyone. For regular updates on Solar Austin’s happy hours and advocacy work, like us on Facebook, find us on LinkedIn, join our Meetup group, and follow us on Twitter.