Tell Austin Energy to Prioritize Sustainability

Austin Energy is preparing to update its Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan. Though the utility has backed away significantly from public participation in the process, it has issued a public survey to gather community feedback. While we disagree with the framing of the survey questions, we know that if residents like you don’t take a moment to respond, Austin Energy will use the results to justify continuing to burn fossil fuels.

Flawed as it is, we ask that you take the survey.

The following is guidance for two of the survey’s most critical questions:

• Question 2 asks you to prioritize affordability, cost stability, environmental sustainability, and reliability — priorities best achieved with a transition to renewable energy. Coal and gas plants have been the most significant sources of unreliability on the Texas grid. Energy sources with no fuel costs — such as wind and solar — are more affordable and stable in price. By contrast, natural gas prices fluctuate wildly. In truth, environmental sustainability is the only one of these priorities genuinely at risk of being discarded or minimized. Austin Energy already let the 2022 retirement date for its coal-burning Fayette Power Project pass without shutting it down. We encourage you to put environmental sustainability at the top of the list.
   
• Question 3 is problematic because it implies carbon-free energy is more expensive than polluting energy. It’s not true. However, responses to the question may guide the utility and Austin City Council as they decide the reasonable cost to shut down Fayette. We encourage you to respond to this question with an amount your household can afford. The choice is paying to transition from fossil fuels or for the cost of climate damage.

Austin can’t be truly green as long as Fayette is running. Take the survey and tell your utility to get rid of coal and embrace sustainability.