Tell City Council to Vote NO to new gas plant proposal in Austin, TX

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Messaging guide for talking to Austin City Council

In less than a month, on May 21 or May 28th, Austin Energy is planning to ask the Austin City Council to approve a contract for additional gas-burning peaker power generation units. Austin Energy recently hosted a few poorly advertised ‘community’ meetings to check a required box before bringing this request to Council. Neither the Electric Utility Commission nor the Resource Management Commission were given adequate notice to enable participation, or sharing of information with the community. Community members and neighborhood associations in close proximity to the most likely sites for these polluting facilities weren’t aware of the meetings until after they happened. The same was true of many City Council offices.

Never-the-less, the people who did attend the meetings gave overwhelmingly negative feedback on the idea of adding more fossil fuel generation in Austin, at any site. While Austin Energy has not said where it plans to install these gas peakers, the most likely sites, due to existing infrastructure, are Austin Energy’s two existing gas-burning power plant sites in East Austin. 

With this one-pager, you should go to your council member and explain to them that the city of Austin does not need new gas plants, Austin Energy does not have the community’s support in this, and that Austin Energy must host better community meetings, allow for input and feedback from the public to influence what moves forward, and bring relevant city advisory commissions into the planning process. 

City Council must consider these factors:

  1. Solar and batteries can be built in 18 months; peaker plants will take 3-7 years. With strong global trends toward solar and batteries and with other possible emerging technologies (especially geothermal), a gas peaker plant could be obsolete by the time they’re operational leaving Austin residents and businesses paying for a plant that doesn’t benefit them.
  2. Other tools, such as demand response, energy efficiency, and virtual power plants, are additional tools that can be used to balance supply and demand in Austin Energy’s load zone/service area. 
  3. It is impossible for Austin Energy to build gas peakers and be a good neighbor to the community. Austin’s air is already polluted in excess of health-based standards and gas peakers would only make that worse. The entire region would suffer, and people living near the plant will suffer the most.
  4. Natural gas prices and supplies have been volatile not only over the last month, but over the last 6 years. Solar and batteries offer a more reliable and steady output even with variations in weather. Geothermal is 100% independent of weather and provides firm baseload power all year around.
  5. Solar and batteries will make money year round, while revenue from a gas peaker plant will go down as more battery storage systems are implemented in Austin and across Texas. 
  6. Austin Energy adding gas peakers won’t prevent Austin Energy customers from losing power if there’s another situation like Winter Storm Uri. ERCOT requires every utility to reduce demand based on the utility’s percent of the ERCOT total, regardless of how much energy that utility is producing. Only behind-the-meter energy resources – such as solar and batteries – can prevent a power outage. 

Its time to meet with, email and call your City Council member to ensure Austin Energy does a better job evaluating all the options and presenting the ones that provide the most reliable, affordable, and CLEAN electricity to Austin residents and businesses.

Here is the contact information for your Austin City Council members. You can call or email them to get a meeting or simply have your voice heard. You can reference the talking points above when speaking with your City Council member.

You can also comment at several open community meetings in the next few weeks. This calendar has dates, times, and locations for the Electric Utility Council (EUC), and City Council meetings.

OfficeRoleFirst NameLast NameEmailOffice Phone
MayorMayorKirkWatsonKirk.Watson@austintexas.gov512-978-2100
MayorChief of StaffColleenPateColleen.Pate@austintexas.gov706-442-3848
MayorCommunications StrategistRebeccaSzetoRebecca.Szeto@austintexas.gov 
MayorPolicy AdvisorAlexisGarciaAlexis.Garcia@austintexas.gov 
MayorSpecial Assistant to the MayorMarisolBentonMarisol.Benton@austintexas.gov 
MayorPolicy and Communications StrategistKateAlexanderKate.Alexander@austintexas.gov 
MayorPolicy StrategistMaxLarsMax.Lars@austintexas.gov 
Mayorpolicy (AE)LouisaBrinsmadeLouisa.Brinsmade@austintexas.gov(512) 978-2183
MayorDirector of Community EngagementPhilipDulinmayor.watson@austintexas.gov 
      
D1Council MemberNatashaHarper-MadisonNatasha.Madison@austintexas.gov512-978-2101
D1Chief of StaffSharonMaysSharon.Mays@austintexas.gov512-978-2136
D1Constituent Engagement DirectorDestinyBrowndestiny.brown@austintexas.gov 
      
D2Council MemberVanessaFuentesVanessa.Fuentes@austintexas.gov512-978-2102
D2Chief of Staff (AE)JasonLopezJason.Lopez@austintexas.gov512-978-2165
D2Communications DirectorAdalRivasAdal.Rivas@austintexas.gov512-978-2195
D2Constituent LiaisonChristianMendozaChristian.Mendoza@austintexas.gov512-978-2141
D2Policy DirectorSofiaMoralesSofia.Morales@austintexas.gov512-978-2148
D2Policy and Communications Advisor (environment/AE)AmeliaCasasAmelia.Casas@austintexas.gov512-978-2179
      
D3Council MemberJoséVelásquezjose.velasquez@austintexas.gov512-978-2103
D3Chief of Staff (AE)   512-978-2151
D3Constituent LiaisonBenjaminRomeroBenjamin.Romero@austintexas.gov512-978-2168
D3Communication StrategistJacquelineHermosillojacqueline.hermosillo@austintexas.gov512-978-2124
D3Policy AdvisorVictoriaHallVictoria.Hall@Austintexas.gov512-978-2149
D3Policy AdvisorMonique (Mo)Coopermonique.cooper@austintexas.gov512-978-2150
      
D4Council MemberChitoVelaChito.Vela@austintexas.gov512-978-2104
D4Chief of StaffSolomonOrtizsolomon.ortiz@austintexas.gov 
D4Constituent LiaisonAdrianaCastroAdriana.Castro@austintexas.gov 
D4Legal Policy AdvisorRameyKoRamey.Ko@austintexas.gov 
D4Policy AdvisorTimothyBrayTimothy.Bray@austintexas.gov 
D4Constituent Services & Office ManagerIsaiasCastroisaias.castro@austintexas.gov 
      
D5Council MemberRyanAlterRyan.Alter@austintexas.gov512-978-2105
D5Chief of StaffBenLefflerBen.Leffler@austintexas.gov 
D5Policy Director (AE)MichaelMcGillMichael.McGill@austintexas.gov 
D5Community EngagementIsabelHerreraIsabel.Herrera@austintexas.gov 
      
D6Council MemberKristaLainekrista.laine@austintexas.gov512-978-2106
D6Chief of StaffJennaHanesJenna.Hanes@austintexas.gov 
D6Senior Policy AdvisorCatherineHoangcatherine.hoang@austintexas.gov 
D6Policy StrategistIsabelWebb CareyIsabel.WebbCarey@austintexas.gov 
      
D7Council MemberMikeSiegelmike.siegel@austintexas.gov512-978-2107
D7Chief of StaffEmilyGerrickemily.gerrick@austintexas.gov512-978-2185
D7Senior Policy AdvisorKaylaSimonkayla.simon@austintexas.gov512-978-2187
D7Policy AideHeidiSloanheidi.sloan@austintexas.gov 
D7Constituent LiaisonSarahSwallowsarah.swallow@austintexas.gov512-978-2107
D7Director of Communications and Community OutreachJessRobertsonjess.robertson@austintexas.gov737-280-5717
      
D8Council MemberPaigeEllisPaige.Ellis@austintexas.gov512-978-2108
D8Chief of StaffJulieMontgomeryJulie.Montgomery@austintexas.gov 
D8Communications Manager and Policy Aide (AE)LaurenTerrazasLauren.Terrazas@austintexas.gov 
D8Constituent Director and Policy AideEdScruggsEd.Scruggs@austintexas.gov 
D8Constituent Services/ Executive AssistantWillieBalderramaGuillermo.Balderrama@austintexas.gov 
D8Communications StrategistBenLevisonben.levison@austintexas.gov 
      
D9Chief of Staff (AE)ZoQadriZo.Qadri@austintexas.gov512-978-2109
D9Chief of StaffSaraBargeSara.Barge@austintexas.gov512-978-2142
D9Director of Community OutreachAnnaMuckelroyAnna.Muckelroy@austintexas.gov 
 Communications DirectorKaraEisenstatkara.eisenstat@austintexas.gov 
D9Policy AdvisorNatalieDellerNatalie.Deller@austintexas.gov 
D9Senior Policy AdvisorMelissaBeelerMelissa.Beeler@austintexas.gov 
      
D10Council MemberMarcDuchenmarc.duchen@austintexas.gov512-978-2110
D10Acting Chief of StaffCarrieSmithcarrie.smith@austintexas.gov 
D10Senior Policy StrategistLauraYeagerlaura.yeager@austintexas.gov 

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