[00:00:46]
[ PROCEDURAL ]
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL A SESSION.
THE TIME IS 9:12 AM ON THE 12TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2023.
UH, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE ON TIME.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL A SESSION.
UH, TODAY WE HAVE AN INVOCATION.
UH, PASTOR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF? UH, GUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ IN DISTRICT TWO.
I'M AT THE CHRIST TEMPLE APOSTOLIC CHURCH, LOCATED AT 6 1 6 SOUTH HACKBERRY HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE LIKE TO, UH, BRING GREETINGS FROM OUR, UH, CHURCH AND THEN ALSO I'D LIKE TO, UH, GIVE HONOR TO AS HONORS DUE TO THE DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
GRACIOUS FATHER IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WE COME TO YOU THIS MORNING, LORD, AS WE ASK YOU TO BLESS THIS COUNCIL AS THEY ARE UPON ANOTHER YEAR.
LORD, WE ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO TOUCH THEM, MOLD THEM, AND MAKE THEM THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE CALLING THEM TO BE IN THIS DAY AND TIME.
LORD, WE ASK YOU TO BLESS THIS CITY, ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO BLESS THESE, THAT LABOR AND THOSE THAT LABOR AMONG US.
LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE, EVERYTHING YOU'RE GONNA DO.
WE ASK YOU TO CONTINUE, TO CONTINUE TO HELP US, TO HIDE THY WORD IN OUR HEARTS THAT WE MAY NOT SIN AGAINST THE, AND LORD, WE ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO BLESS THOSE FAMILIES, LORD, THOSE THAT ARE THIS PLACE, AND THAT WE ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THOSE IN THE HALL OF THINE HAND.
AND LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE AND EVERYTHING YOU'RE GONNA DO IN THIS DAY.
WE GIVE YOUR NAME THE PRAISE, THESE ALL BLESSINGS WE ASK IN JESUS NAME, AMEN TO THE FLAG, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TO THE REPUBLIC FROM WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE ]
ALRIGHT, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, UM, I'M GONNA TURN THE FOUR OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, UH, FOR HIM TO MAKE A STATEMENT.UH, FIRST OF ALL, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
UM, I'M GLAD TO BE BACK FROM MY LEAVE OF ABSENCE AND HAVE A LOT TO BE THANKFUL FOR, THANKFUL TO GOD FOR BEING MY ROCK AND GUIDE AS ALWAYS, BUT ESPECIALLY DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME, THANKFUL THAT OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED WEREN'T PHYSICALLY HARMED FOR THIS COUNCIL, FOR SHOWING ME THE COMPASSION AND SUPPORT TO TAKE THE TIME OFF TO WORK ON ME FOR ALL THE SUPPORT, THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GIVEN BY MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND FOLKS IN D 10 AND AROUND THE CITY AND THE COUNCILMAN GALLAGHER AND MY STAFF.
[00:05:01]
GRATEFUL TO BE SURROUNDED BY SUCH AMAZING PEOPLE.IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A TOUGH COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT I WANNA ASSURE EVERYONE THAT I KEPT MY COMMITMENT I MADE AT THE LAST MEETING TO FOLLOW ALL THE APPROPRIATE MEASURES AS RECOMMENDED BY MEDICAL EXPERTS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
AND ASK, AND AGAIN, ASK FOR EVERYONE'S COMPASSION AND FORGIVENESS.
I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT DEVOTED TO ENSURING THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
AND TO REGAIN YOUR CONFIDENCE.
WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY IMPORTANT EVENTS HAPPENING AND AT THIS POINT, I'M READY TO GET BACK TO WORK WITH MY COLLEAGUES, DISTRICT 10 AND THE CITY STAFF.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND KINDNESS YOU'VE SHOWN ME OVER THESE LAST TWO MONTHS.
ALRIGHT, UH, BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR AGENDA TODAY, UM, MY COLLEAGUES AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU ALL FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO RECOGNIZE TWO, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WE'VE LOST OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST WEEK OR SO.
UM, AND, UH, AND RECOGNIZE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY ACROSS THE BOARD.
UH, SAM LUNA, UH, WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION LEADER, UH, AS WELL AS A SAWS BOARD MEMBER REPRESENTING THE SOUTHWEST QUADRANT.
UM, AND YOU MAY REMEMBER HIM ALSO IN SERVICE OF OUR BOND COMMITTEES, BLAINE TUCKER, WHO WE ALSO LOST, WAS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, UH, AND A STAUNCH ADVOCATE OF THE RESTAURANT BAR INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS A, UH, ADVOCATE AND ORGANIZER FOR OUR MUSIC INDUSTRY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE TWO COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND AND CONTRIBUTORS THAT WE LOST, WE'D ASK YOU FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
UM, THOSE TWO MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WERE RECOGNIZED, UM, ACROSS THIS DIOCESE AS WELL.
UH, AND TO, UH, FURTHER GIVE A FEW WORDS ON THOSE TWO INDIVIDUALS.
LET ME TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, VILLAGRA.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME OUT TO HONOR THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF BLAINE SCOTT TUCKER, WHO PASSED AWAY ON DECEMBER 30TH.
HE WAS RAISED IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, GRADUATING FROM CLARK HIGH SCHOOL AND EARNED HIS DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA LAS VEGAS.
HE THEN WENT ON TO RECEIVE A DOCTORATE OF JU JURISPRUDENCE FROM TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY, UM, FOCUSING ON A LEGAL CAREER THAT FOCUSED ON ARTS, IN PARTICULAR MUSIC AND MUSIC VENUES.
HE SERVED AS CO-OWNER OF THE MIX MANAGING PARTNER OF FLORIS COUNTRY STORE IN HEUS.
HE LOTUS AND CO-FOUNDED THE MAVERICK MUSIC FESTIVAL IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH LAUNCHED IN 2013 AND RAN THROUGH 2017.
BLAINE'S PASSION FOR MUSIC, GUIDED HIM TO ENTERTAINMENT LAW, AND HE TOURED WITH THE LIKES OF GARY CLARK JR.
AND TRAVELED WITH ERIC CLAPTON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, AND OTHER MUSICAL ARTISTS BEING ABLE TO TRAVEL THE WORLD.
BUT CALLING SAN ANTONIO HOME, HE HAD RECENTLY CO-FOUNDED THE INDEPENDENT MUSIC TOURING NETWORK DETOUR, AND WAS COMMITTED TO ADVOCACY WORK AIDING VENUES DURING THE DISASTER, INCLUDING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, THE NATIONAL INDEPENDENT MUSIC ASSOCIATION, WHICH INCLUDED THE SAVE OUR STAGES INITIATIVE.
TUCKER HELPED PUSH THROUGH THE SAVE OUR STAGES AT THE RE THE, AND THE RESTAURANT SHUTTERED VENUES.
HE GOT THAT 15 BILLION FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDS FOR THE, FROM THE C OVID 19 THAT WE ALL HEARD ABOUT IN THE NEWS.
MARY'S BUSINESS OWNERS ASSOCIATION AS A WAY TO GIVE LIVE MUSIC ENTREPRENEURS ON THE STRIP A PLATFORM FOR THEIR CONCERNS.
HE WASN'T SHY ABOUT SHARING HIS OPINION IN SAN ANTONIO AND SERVING HE WAS MARKEDLY UNPRETENTIOUS AND UNABASHEDLY HIMSELF DOWN TO HIS SIGNATURE BAND TEES, TRACK PANTS, AND SNEAKERS.
HIS FRIENDS CALLED ME AND I KNOW PERSONALLY TO TELL ME OF THEIR LOSS.
UH, MY DISTRICT THREE TRICENTENNIAL, APPOINTEE APPOINTEE, BRENDA PACHECO LET ME KNOW THAT HE WAS THE FIRST FRIEND SHE HAD ON THAT COMMITTEE AND CHERISHED THE DAYS THAT SHE SERVED WITH HIM.
SOMETIMES IT SEEMED THAT BLAINE'S WORLDVIEW BELONGED TO JUST ANOTHER COSMOS GOVERNED BY MUSIC, GOODNESS, AND COMMUNITY, AS HE ONCE WROTE THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG US FLOW PERPETUALLY DIVISION ONLY IMAGINED BY THIS FALSE SENSE OF SPACE BETWEEN ONE ANOTHER AS WE ARE ONE UNIFIED FIELD.
[00:10:01]
BY HIS MOTHER, CAMILLE GRAY, FATHER TOM TUCKER, STEPMOTHER GAIL TUCKER, MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER JANE WOOTEN, SISTERS SHELBY COCHRAN, AND VALERIE SULFUR SISTER, JEN YIANNIS BROTHER GREG COBB AND SEVERAL NIECES.HIS SERVICES, A MEMORIAL IS PLANNED FOR FEBRUARY 11TH, AND WE HAVE LOST SOMEONE THAT HAS REALLY TRULY ADVOCATED FOR THIS CITY, NOT FROM DIOCESE, BUT FROM HIS OWN REALM.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE PASSING OF ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, AND THE MAYOR MENTIONED SAM LUNA FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, RAINBOW HILLS.
AND HE PASSED AWAY YESTERDAY AT 1:08 PM AND SAM, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, SERVED ON SOFT BOARD.
HE ALSO WAS MY DISTRICT APPOINTEE TO THE MUNICIPAL GOLF ASSOCIATION, UM, FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND JUST RECENTLY, UM, HAD DECIDED TO STEP DOWN AS HIS HEALTH, UM, WAS FAILING HIM.
HE WAS ALSO A DISTRICT APPOINTEE OF MINE TO THE HISTORIC AND DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE.
AND HE SERVED ON THE 2012 STREET BRIDGES BOND COMMITTEE, THE 2017 BOND DRAINAGE COMMITTEE AND THE 2022 BOND COMMITTEE FOR STREETS.
AND SAM WAS NEVER AFRAID TO LET HIS VOICE BE HEARD.
UM, HE AND KATHY, HIS WIFE, WERE ALWAYS TOGETHER.
IN FACT, THEY SERVED ON, UM, DIFFERENT COMMITTEES, UH, TOGETHER AND I I WOULD SAY TOGETHER, EVEN THOUGH ONLY ONE OF THEM WAS APPOINTED, YOU WOULD GET BOTH OF THEM.
YOU GET TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE WITH KATHY AND SAM.
AND SO OUR COMMUNITY IS REALLY SAD TO, UM, TO LOSE HIM.
PLEASE KEEP HIS WIFE KATHY AND, UM, THEIR CHILDREN IN YOUR PRAYERS AND ALL OF THE FAMILY OVER AT RAINBOW HILLS.
OKAY, ONE, ONE OTHER NOTE, UH, IN MY EXCITEMENT TO GET THIS YEAR STARTED, I STARTED THE AV ROLLING, WHICH YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED IS THE, UH, INTRODUCTION TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND, UH, I DIDN'T CHECK TO SEE, UH, THAT I HAD EVERYTHING IN ORDER.
AND SO UNFORTUNATELY, UH, PASTOR BURTON, WHO GAVE US A WONDERFUL INVOCATION TO START OUR YEAR, DIDN'T GET A PROPER INTRODUCTION.
UH, AND SO COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGO, WHO WELCOMED PASTOR BURTON TO OUR CHAMBERS TODAY, UH, IS GONNA DO THAT RIGHT NOW SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS.
UH, PASTOR BURTON, HIS CONGREGATION PASTOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WELCOME TO PASTOR ELDER RICHARD BURDEN FROM CHRIST TEMPLE APO APOSTOLIC CHURCH.
HE JUST RECENTLY CELEBRATED HIS THIRD PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY WHERE HE GARNERED A GREAT DEAL OF SUPPORT FROM ACROSS THE PASTORAL COMMUNITY.
IN ADDITION TO HIS PASTORAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UH, PASTOR BURTON IS ALSO A GRADUATE OF TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY, SAN ANTONIO, WHERE HE EARNED AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEGREE.
HE SERVED ARM HONORABLY IN THE US ARMY FROM 1985 TO 1990, AND ALSO SERVES AS OUR DISTRICT TWO COMMUNITY AS A LEADER IN THE HUNTLEY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I KNOW YOU'RE NOT HERE ANYMORE, BUT I WILL SEND YOU THIS VIDEO, PASTOR ELDER BURTON, FOR HONORING US WITH THIS WORD THIS MORNING.
AND AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE FOR STARTING THAT AV UH, PREMATURELY.
BUT, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PASTOR BURTON ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
ALL RIGHT, NOW WE ARE GONNA GET INTO OUR BUSINESS AND WE DO HAVE A FULL CONSENT AGENDA.
ACTUALLY, WE HAVE MINUTES TO APPROVE FROM DECEMBER 14TH AND 15TH, 2022.
AND SO, UH, THOSE ARE IN YOUR PACKET, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THOSE MINUTES.
ALL RIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, MINUTES OF DECEMBER 14 AND 15, HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE.
[CONSENT AGENDA ]
OKAY, NOW WE HAVE A FULL CONSENT AGENDA, UM, THAT IS IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL.AND, UM, WE HAVE NO ITEMS LISTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATIONS, SO I'LL ASK MY COLLEAGUES NOW IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS TO PULL FROM CONSENT TO HEAR INDIVIDUALLY.
IF THERE ARE NONE, UH, WE WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THAT'S ALL ITEMS FOUR THROUGH 17.
OKAY, SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, WE'LL BEGIN NOW WITH PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS THAT ARE ON CONSENT.
I DON'T HAVE THE, UM, LIST IN FRONT OF ME, SO JUST ONE SECOND.
MR. MONTEMAYOR, UH, ON ITEM SIX.
GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.
[00:15:01]
TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.I'M ALAN MONTEMAYOR, UH, CHAIRMAN OF THE ALMA GROUP OF THE SIERRA CLUB.
ITEM SIX ON YOUR AGENDA IS THE PURCHASE OF LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES.
UM, UH, MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, WHY AREN'T YOU PURCHASING ELECTRIC VEHICLES? UH, YOU ALL SIGNED ON TO THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN.
AND, UM, UH, WHAT I, MY REQUEST IS THAT YOU NOT APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF THESE VEHICLES WITHOUT GETTING AN ASSURANCE THAT THERE'S NO WAY THIS CAN BE DONE BY ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO CONTINUE BUSINESS AS USUAL.
UM, I I SAID ALMOST THE SAME SPEECH AT SAWS YESTERDAY WHEN THEY WERE PURCHASING LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE STAND BEHIND THE, THE CLIMATE ACTION ADAPTATION PLAN, NOT JUST IN IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES, BUT IN ALL THE OTHER ASPECTS.
AND I'M HOPING THAT YOU AS CITY COUNCIL, WILL USE YOUR OFFICE TO MOVE FORWARD AND GET SOME ACTION ON OUR CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN, AND NOT JUST CONSIDER THE BUSINESS AS USUAL ATTITUDE THAT PREVAILS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, ANYWAY, MY, MY REQUEST ON ITEM SIX IS THAT YOU NOT APPROVE THESE VEHICLES UNTIL YOU'VE AT LEAST HAD A DISCUSSION AND FIND OUT THAT THOSE VEHICLES CANNOT BE ELECTRIC OR THAT OTHER VEHICLES CAN BE SHIFTED AROUND.
AND THESE PURCHASED VEHICLES CAN BE ELECTRIC.
WE CANNOT CONS, WE NOT CANNOT CONSIDER ON THE PATH.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE ON THE PATH THAT WE ARE EMBARKED UPON.
ON ITEM, ACTUALLY, THE OTHER TWO SPEAKERS WHO ARE HERE TODAY ARE ON ITEM 18, WHICH IS A TIME CERTAIN HEARING AT EIGHT AT, UH, 1:00 PM SO WE'LL MOVE NOW INTO COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE HIGHLIGHT CONSENT AGENDA, UH, TO QUEUE UP.
I CAN MAKE SURE YOU'RE CALLED IN ORDER.
LEMME START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA.
UM, I HIGHLIGHT ITEM FIVE, THE PURCHASE OF FIVE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE BUSES FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR RESIDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TO KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE FOR THEM, THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THEM, AND THAT OUR CITY IS SUPPORTING THEM.
THESE BUSES MAY SEEM LIKE A MINOR ITEM IN RELATION TO THE HUGE CITY BUDGET THAT, THAT WE VOTE IN EVERY YEAR.
BUT TO THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, THIS MEANS OPPORTUNITY.
THIS IS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, OF COURSE, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH, EDUCATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND EQUITY.
THIS ALSO POINTS TO THE NEED FOR OUR, OUR SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY AND OUR CITY TO HAVE A PLACE AT THE TABLE WHERE DECISIONS ARE ABOUT THEIR LIVES ARE BEING MADE.
PERSONS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ADVISORY ROLE IN MANY OF THE CITY'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT THAT ROLE SHOULD BE ELEVATED AND THE DISABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE'S ROLE CAN BE EXPANDED TO MORE STAUNCHLY ADVOCATE AND, UH, REPRESENT OUR NEIGHBORS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
SO I'LL BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THIS IN THE WEEKS TO COME, BUT I DO APPRECIATE DH S'S, UH, FORESIGHT AND, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE PROVIDING WITH THESE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE BUSES.
OUR SPEAKER LAN MONTE MAYO BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT TODAY, UM, ABOUT US PURCHASING, UH, THESE VEHICLES AND WHY ARE WE NOT PURCHASING ELECTRIC VEHICLES? AND, UH, I DID PULL AN ITEM PREVIOUSLY, UH, NOT TOO LONG AGO BECAUSE I SHARED THAT SAME CONCERN.
AND WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS BY CITY STAFF WAS THAT OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS TO PURCHASE ELECTRIC VEHICLES, BUT WHEN THEY RUN INTO SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES FOR THOSE SPECIFIC VEHICLES, THEN, AND THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MUCH OF A LAG TIME THAT THEY WILL PURCHASE OTHER VEHICLES INSTEAD.
BUT I DO WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A REQUEST OF THE CITY MANAGER THAT WE DO GET A BRIEFING ON OUR, UM, ON OUR VEHICLE PROCUREMENT PRIORITIES.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE ARE ADHERING TO THAT AND SO THAT EVERYBODY IS, I GUESS THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF HOW WE ARE MAKING EFFORTS, UM, AND WHERE WE'RE MAKING EFFORTS TO PURCHASE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
ERIC, YOU WANNA ADDRESS THAT? YEAH.
UH, AND, AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN FOR, FOR, UH, FOR BRINGING THE S ISSUE UP.
COUNCILMAN COURAGE CAME OVER HERE AND WAS ASKING A SIMILAR QUESTION.
SO, UM, WE DO HAVE A PLAN, AND AS YOU SAW IN THE RESILIENCY B SESSION PRESENTATION, UH, FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, WE HAVE BEEN TRANSITIONING OUR FLEET WHERE WE CAN TO FLEET.
UM, THE VEHICLES THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS TODAY, UH, BEFORE YOU ARE THE POLICE DEPART, IT'S ONE VEHICLE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT'S GRANT FUNDED, UM, PUBLIC WORKS VEHICLES AND ONE HEALTH DEPARTMENT VEHICLE.
ALL OF THESE VEHICLE ARE TRUCKS THAT ARE PULLING TRAILERS.
UM, AND SO THERE IS NOT AN EQUIVALENT AT THIS TIME.
UM, BUT WE ARE CAUTIOUS AS WE AS DEPARTMENTS REPLACE, UH, THEIR, THEIR EXISTING FLEET OR WE HAVE FUNDING FOR NEW EQUIPMENT, WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS TO EVALUATE WHERE WE CAN BUY, UM, ALTERNATIVE FUEL OR ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
[00:20:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM NINE.
IT'S AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO REQUEST A FEDERAL GRANT FOR THE CEILING CHANNEL FLOOD REDUCTION PROJECT.
THIS, UH, PROJECT, UH, SOME OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY HEARD CEILING CHANNEL, CEILING CHANNEL FOR, UH, MULTIPLE BOND CYCLES.
AND WONDER WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? WELL, IT'S A CRITICAL DRAINAGE PROJECT IN DISTRICT SEVEN, UH, BEGUN IN RESPONSE TO SOME FLOODING THAT OCCURRED DECADES AGO.
WITHOUT ITS CONSTRUCTION, THERE IS NO WAY FOR OUR CITY TO MANAGE UPSTREAM STORM WATER.
UH, THERE'D BE NO PLACE FOR IT TO GO.
AND WITHOUT THIS PROJECT, WE CANNOT MOVE FORWARD ON UPSTREAM DRAINAGE, UPSTREAM DRAINAGE ISSUES, ISSUES, UH, AND IN SOME PLACES WE CAN'T EVEN GET SIDEWALKS OR CURBS BECAUSE OF THE NEED FOR THIS STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PROJECT.
UM, THE PHASES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED IN THIS GRANT REQUEST, UH, WILL AFFECT, UH, WILL BE DIRECTLY BUILT IN THE DONALDSON TERRACE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, THAT IS ACTUALLY WHERE I LIVE, AND I HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW THE LACK OF A DRAINAGE SYSTEM HAS KIDS WALKING TO SCHOOL IN THE PUDDLES BECAUSE THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS AND THERE IS A STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PROJECT PROBLEM.
SO, UM, I AM VERY GLAD TO SEE THIS, UM, MOVE FORWARD AND HOPEFULLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL SEE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO THIS VULNERABLE COMMUNITY.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE COUNTY'S CONTRIBUTION OF $4 MILLION TO THIS PROJECT.
OH, ACTUALLY I DO HAVE A CLARIFICATION ON ITEM 18.
MAYOR, ARE PEOPLE STILL ABLE TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK FOR THAT BECAUSE IT BEGINS AT ONE OR IS THAT CLOSED? OKAY.
YEAH, THE, UM, IT'S ON TODAY'S AGENDA, BUT TIME CERTAIN AT ONE O'CLOCK.
SO THOSE, UH, SPEAK UP SIGNUPS, SPEAK OUT, SPEAKER SIGNUPS, UH, CLOSED AT THE SAME TIME AT 8 45.
SO THOSE ARE CLOSED AT THIS POINT.
MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WE CAN FIND A WAY TO CLARIFY THAT.
I THINK SOME PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT PLACE TO SIGN UP FOR THOSE AND MAY HAVE MISSED THAT WINDOW.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF ITEMS. ITEM 10 IS PROVIDING FUNDING TO CONSTRUCT A MINI PARK UNDER I 35 BETWEEN MARKET SQUARE AND U T S A.
THE AMENITIES WILL INCLUDE A BASKETBALL COURT PINGING PONG TABLES, PLANTERS, SEATING, AND PUBLIC ART.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE, THE CENTER CITY DEVELOPMENT STAFF FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO MAKE THIS PROJECT A REALITY AND FOR ENSURING THAT THERE WILL BE NO, UM, HOSTILE ARCHITECTURE.
I ALSO WANNA THANK THE ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT WHO WILL WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY IN MY OFFICE TO ENSURE THAT THE ART IS, UH, CULTURALLY RESPECTFUL TO THE COMMUNITY AND HIGHLIGHTING THE CHICANO ROOTS THAT WILL BE PROMINENT TO THE WEST SIDE AND TO DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK THOSE GROUPS WHO ARE PUTTING FORTH FUNDS TO MAKE THIS PROJECT A REALITY.
U T SS A CLARITON AND THE EIGHT 20 FOUNDATION, THERE ARE PLACE MAKING PROJECTS MY RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR, AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYONE WHO'S HELPED CREATE THIS PROJECT.
I'M ALSO REALLY EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM 15.
FOR ONE REASON, WHEN THIS ITEM CAME FORWARD, I INDICATED THAT MY SUPPORT WOULD DEPEND ON ADDING GUARANTEES THAT WOULD ENSURE ALL WORKERS, INCLUDING CONTRACT WORKERS, WOULD BE PAID AT LEAST THE CITY'S LIVING WAGE OF 1750 PER HOUR.
SO I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR CITY STAFF AND THE LEGAL TEAM FOR ENSURING THAT WE WERE SECURING A LIVABLE WAGE IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, WHILE WE SUPPORT LARGE EFFORTS LIKE THIS, A READY TO WORK AND THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE EVERY STEP TO SECURE LIVING WAGES FOR WORKING FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING USED, UM, TO WORKERS WHO HELP RENOVATE, CLEAN AND MAINTAIN THE DEVELOPMENT.
THIS PROVISION RECOGNIZES THAT YOUR LABOR WITH HIGHER WAGES, WHICH ULTIMATELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE, LIKE HOUSING, FOOD, MEDICATION, EDUCATION.
SO I WANTED TO THANK CITY STAFF FOR ENSURING THAT WE SECURED THAT LIVABLE WAGE FOR THIS PROJECT.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I APPRECIATE, UH, MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN BRAVO BRINGING UP THE ISSUE ON, ON ITEM SIX, WHICH IS WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO AS WELL.
AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO, UH, CONCUR WITH HIS ASK THAT WE GET A BETTER BRIEFING ON WHERE WE'RE HEADED ON INCLUDING MORE, UH, ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN OUR FLEET GOING FORWARD.
I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.
UM, THIS ITEM IS ACCEPTING AND AWARDING A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR IMPROVEMENTS AT STINSON
[00:25:01]
PARK RELATED TO STINSON PARK AND FIVE DIAMOND LITTLE LEAGUE PROJECT.THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A NEW CONCRETE CURB AND ASPHALT PARKING AREA EQUIPPED WITH 60 PARKING SPACES, SHADE TREES WITH IRRIGATION AND RES STRIPING OF THE EXISTING PARKING LOT NEAR THE NORTH MOST BASEBALL FIELD.
THIS IS, UH, PART OF THE PROJECT WILL HELP WITH THE PARKING SITUATION THERE.
AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN OUT TO FIVE DIAMONDS AND SEEN THE LITTLE LEAGUE PLAYERS, YOU KNOW THAT PARKING IS A NECESSITY.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING THIS, UH, NECESSITY POSSIBLE TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN, THAT'S EVERYONE I HAVE IN MY QUEUE.
IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, IF YOU CAN JUST SIGNAL ME, IF NOT, UM, WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THAT'S ITEMS FOUR THROUGH 17 HEARING.
NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE.
[Proclamations ]
UH, SOME GUESTS IN OUR AUDIENCE TODAY, UH, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE.AND I'M GONNA START IN JUST A SECOND, UH, BY READING A PROCLAMATION ABOUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, WHEREAS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, DISTRICT TWO CITY COUNCILMAN JALEN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, AND THE SAN ANTONIO MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
COMMISSION CHAIRED BY DWAYNE ROBINSON, WILL HOST THE 36TH ANNUAL MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
MARCH IN CELEBRATION ON JANUARY 16TH, 2023.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO ADVANCING EQUALITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL, AND CHALLENGED ALL AMERICANS TO PARTICIPATE IN NONVIOLENT SOCIAL CHANGE, TO STRENGTHEN AND BRING OUR NATION TOGETHER.
KING ADMONISHED THAT IT IS FAR BETTER TO LOVE THAN HATE TO SEEK JUSTICE RATHER THAN REVENGE, TO EDUCATE COMMUNITIES AND COMMUN COMING GENERATIONS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUALITY AND REFRAIN FROM ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST ANY PERSON, GROUP, RACE OR RELIGION.
AND WHEREAS A FEDERAL HOLIDAY WAS ESTABLISHED NEAR DR.
KING'S BIRTHDAY ON THE THIRD MONDAY OF JANUARY EACH YEAR TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF AN IMPORTANT FIGURE IN AMERICAN HISTORY AND KEEP ALIVE THE SPIRIT OF DR.
KING, ALONG WITH HIS TIMELESS VALUES OF COURAGE, TRUTH, JUSTICE, COMPASSION, DIGNITY, HUMILITY AND SERVICE.
AND WHEREAS THE MISSION OF THE M L K COMMISSION IS TO PROMOTE HUMAN EQUALITY, THE PRINCIPLES OF NON-VIOLENCE AND THE UNDERSTANDING, ACCEPTANCE OF RACIAL HARMONY, RESPECT, AND GOODWILL, ALL AS A WAY OF BUILDING COMMUNITY AMONG ALL CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO AND ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
NOW, THEREFORE, I RON NURENBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IN RECOGNITION THEREOF, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY 16TH, 2023 TO BE DR.
DAY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND URGE OUR CITIZENS TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO THE PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE AND EQUALITY FOR ALL.
I FURTHER COMMEND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, M L K COMMISSION FOR THEIR DEDICATION TO THE MEMORY OF DR.
UH, WE DO HOPE, UH, EVERYONE JOINS IN ON THE RECOGNITION ON MONDAY AND THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, WHICH IS, UH, OF COURSE WRAPPED NOW BY DREAM WEEK.
SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
AND, UH, WE DO HAVE SOME GUEST MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY, VERY HARD THIS PAST YEAR.
I DO NOT ENVY EACH OF THEM IN THEIR ROLES AS COMMITTEE LEADERS.
UM, THE STRESS IS ALL ABOUT TO COME TO AN END, COME MUND AND SOME CHANGE.
THE DISTRICT TWO OFFICE AND THE M L K MARCH COMMISSION ARE HONORED AND OVERJOYED TO INVITE OUR NEIGHBORS, FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND GUESTS TO CELEBRATE AND WALK TOGETHER FOR THE 36TH ANNUAL DR.
MARCH FOR JUSTICE ON MONDAY, JANUARY 16TH AT 10:00 AM BEGINNING AT M L K ACADEMY, I MUST HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'LL BE MARCHING IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE COVID PANDEMIC.
AND THE THEME THIS YEAR IS, TOGETHER WE CAN BE THE DREAM SAN ANTONIO'S MARCH IS CELEBRATED AS THE LARGEST MARCH IN THE COUNTRY AND THEREFORE THE WORLD.
WE WANT TO REMEMBER THE SPIRIT OF M L K AS AN ANTI-CAPITALIST, ANTI-WAR AND WORKING CLASS LEADER.
KING FOUGHT FOR VOTING RIGHTS FOR JUSTICE AND AGAINST RACISM AND CLASSISM THROUGH A NONVIOLENT PRACTICE.
HE WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED PHILOSOPHER IN THEOLOGY AND WHOSE POLITICS EVOLVED THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE TOWARDS BLACK LIBERATION.
KING LED A MULTI-GENERATIONAL, MULTI-RACIAL INTERFAITH MOVEMENT THROUGH HIS OWN EXAMPLE AND IS PROOF THAT PROTESTS CAN LEAD TO LASTING SOCIAL CHANGE.
AS WE MARCH TOGETHER ON MONDAY, I HOPE IT INSPIRES EACH OF US TO REFLECT ON THE MANNER IN WHICH WE CHOOSE TO EMBODY DR.
KING'S LEGACY EVERY SINGLE DAY.
DO WE FIGHT AND STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE MOST MARGINALIZED? DO WE STRIVE FOR PEACE, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE IN EVERYTHING WE DO?
[00:30:01]
DO WE RECOGNIZE A LIBERATED FUTURE CAN COME ONLY WHEN WE HAVE HOUSING FOR ALL THE ENDING OF STATE SANCTIONED VIOLENCE, PROVIDING QUALITY FOOD AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND DEMONSTRATING A COMMITMENT TO THE LIBERATION OF THE MOST MARGINALIZED IN OUR COMMUNITY.AND WHEN WE ROOT OUR ACTIONS IN WORKING CLASS SOLIDARITY AND THE LIBERATION OF BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND MARGINALIZED FAMILIES, THEN CAN WE BEGIN MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER TOWARD JUSTICE AND A FUTURE WORTHY OF THE STRUGGLES OF OUR ANCESTORS AND THE PROMISE OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
SO AGAIN, JOIN US ON MONDAY, JANUARY 16TH, BEGINNING AT 8:00 AM FOR THE PREM MARCH SERVICE, FOLLOWED BY THE PRE-WAR SERVICE AT 9:00 AM AT M L K ACADEMY.
THE MARCH ITSELF WILL LAUNCH AT 10:00 AM WE WILL SEE YOU AT THE MARCH.
AND AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LOVE TO INVITE, UH, THE COMMISSION UP IF YOU HAVE A FEW WORDS BRIEFLY AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, PLEASE STAND.
GOOD MORNING TO THE, UH, CHIEF STEWARD OF THIS HOUSE OF THE PEOPLE, MAYOR RON NUREMBERG, AND TO MY CITY COUNCILMAN FOR DISTRICT TWO, WHOM I LIVE IN HIS DISTRICT.
AND TO EACH OF YOU, THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND TO THE CITY MANAGER, I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY SAYING GOOD MORNING.
SO WE, UPON JANUARY THE 16TH, UH, FINALLY THE MARCH IS HERE.
I GUESS FOR A QUICK SECOND, I THOUGHT, MAYOR, TO ASK IF ANYONE KNOWS SOMEONE THAT HAS A RED BULL FRANCHISE, COULD YOU HAVE THEM GIVE ME A CALL? UM, AS THE COUNCILMAN SAID, IT REQUIRES A LOT OF WORK.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THESE FOLKS THAT ARE STANDING HERE WITH ME THIS MORNING, UH, THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION COULD NOT DO ANY OF THIS WITHOUT THEM.
SO FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I THINK EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE PUT IN, IT TRULY IS A LABOR OF LOVE.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK AND, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THE D TWO CITY COUNCILMAN'S STAFF PERSON AND LORITA GOTLIN MCDAVID FOR ALL OF HER HARD WORK AND FRANKIE TKI.
AND THEN IN PARTICULAR, ON THE CITY SIDE, THERE ARE A TON OF FOLKS, BUT JOHN PATRIK HAS BEEN CERTAINLY A RAM IN THE BUSH, BUT AS THE COUNCILMAN SAID, MONDAY IS FINALLY HERE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD DO IS I WOULD ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU AS, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE USE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA TO INVITE ALL OF YOUR FOLKS.
UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE MAYOR.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE COUNCILMAN THAT MADE THE COMMENT.
I THINK IT WAS THE MAYOR THAT INVITED EVERYONE OUT.
UM, MY GUESS IS WE'LL HAVE CLOSE TO 400,000 PEOPLE THERE, BUT IF EACH OF YOU INVITE YOUR FOLKS, WE'LL GET TO THAT NUMBER AND MORE.
SO WE START ON MONDAY WITH THE MARCH, AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
BUT FRIDAY EVENING, THERE WILL BE AN EVENT OVER AT ANTIOCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH THAT THE BAPTIST MINISTER'S UNION PUTS ON, STARTS AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
AND THEN WE HAVE EVENTS ON SATURDAY, WHICH WOULD BE OUR YOUTH EVENT OVER AT THE ESPY.
HOPE TO SEE FOLKS AT THAT EVENT SUNDAY.
WE HAVE TWO EVENTS AMONGST OTHER THINGS.
WE HAVE OUR INTERFAITH SERVICE AND OUR REEF LAND CEREMONY.
AND THEN ON SUNDAY, UH, WE GET TO, I GUESS, BREATHE JUST A LITTLE BIT
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING IS AT ONE TIME.
BUT AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE THE REEF LAND CEREMONY AND THE INTERFAITH SERVICE.
AND THEN MONDAY WE START WITH THE MARCH BEGINNING WITH THE PRE-MATCH PROGRAM.
SO AGAIN, WE HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE.
SEND PEOPLE TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S WEBSITE, PUT IN THE SEARCH ML KING COMMISSION.
WE'RE READY TO GET HERE AND, AND, UH, SEE ALL OF THE SMILING FACES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO.
AS YOU HEARD, THERE ARE MULTIPLE EVENTS.
HE'S, HE PUT 400,000 OUT THERE, SO I AM NOT TO BE EMBARRASSED.
EVERYONE, PLEASE GET 400,000 PEOPLE OUT THERE,
AND WE HAVE A LITTLE SOMETHING THAT ONE OF OUR MEMBERS, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAS A, A COMMEMORATIVE COIN THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO THE MAYOR AND EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK DANA LOCKRIDGE FOR THESE CHAIR.
WELL, GREAT JOB, UH, DWAYNE AND EVERYBODY ON THE COMMISSION.
I KNOW I, UH, I KNOW JALEN SHARES THESE SENTIMENTS.
WE'VE BEEN WAITING THREE YEARS FOR THIS ONE, SO COME ON OUT, EVERYBODY,
[00:35:01]
IT WILL BE A, A GREAT CELEBRATION OF WHO SAN ANTONIO, UH, IS.SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND PERSISTENCE OVER THE YEARS.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THIS MONTH WE'RE CELEBRATING AND RECOGNIZING NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTH, WHEREAS DURING THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 2023, SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD AND TISSUE, UH, WILL CELEBRATE NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTH TO THANK ALL BLOOD DONORS WHO HAVE HELPED KEEP OUR COMMUNITY BLOOD SUPPLY READY WHEN NEEDED, AND RAISE AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR CONTINUED BLOOD DONATIONS.
AND WHEREAS EVERY TWO SECONDS SOMEONE IN THE UNITED STATES NEEDS A BLOOD TRANSFUSION AND EVERY DAY 600 UNITS OF BLOOD MUST BE COLLECTED IN SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD AND TISSUE SERVICE AREA, WHICH INCLUDES MORE THAN 100 HOSPITALS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TO ADEQUATELY HELP PATIENTS IN OUR AREA.
AND WHEREAS TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD AND BLOOD PRODUCTS HELP SAVE MILLIONS OF LIVES EVERY YEAR AND CAN HELP PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS LIVE LONGER AND WITH A HIGH HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE AND SUPPORT COMPLEX MEDICAL AND SURGICAL PROCEDURES.
AND WHEREAS THIS MONTH LONG OBSERVANCE SERVES TO THANK VOL, VOLUNTARY UNPAID BLOOD DONORS FOR THEIR LIFESAVING GIFTS OF BLOOD, AND TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR REGULAR BLOOD DONATIONS TO ENSURE THE QUALITY, SAFETY, AND AVAILABILITY OF BLOOD FOR PATIENTS IN NEED.
NOW, THEREFORE, I RON NURENBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND RECOGNITION THEREOF, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY, 2023 TO BE NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTH IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY TO BECOME FREQUENT BLOOD DONORS TO MEET THE ONGOING NEEDS OF PATIENTS SCHEDULED FOR SURGERY.
THOSE WHO NEED BLOOD AS PART OF THEIR REGULAR CANCER TREATMENTS, NEWBORNS AND THEIR MOTHERS, AND MANY OTHER PATIENTS.
AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK OUR BLOOD AND TISSUE CENTER LEADERSHIP TO COME ON UP AND JUST, UH, GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE SUPPLY AND HOW WE CAN HELP.
UH, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY AND FOR YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF BLOOD DONATION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, COVID HAS MADE BLOOD DONATION, UH, A CHALLENGE, UH, EVEN MORE THAN, THAN IT HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN, AND WE ARE STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND OF OUR GROWING COMMUNITY.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR PROMOTION OF, UH, BLOOD DONATION AND THE SUPPORT THAT YOU PROVIDE US, UH, EVERY DAY.
UH, WE, WE ENDEAVOR TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BLOOD SUPPLY IN SAN ANTONIO AND THE SURROUNDING REGION IS, UH, ADEQUATE AND SAFE.
MARY, COULD I ASK YOU A QUESTION WHILE YOU'RE HERE IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY? WHAT IS THE, UH, STATUS OF OUR BLOOD SUPPLY RIGHT NOW? WELL, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, MOST RECENTLY ARE AIMING FOR A SIX DAY BLOOD SUPPLY, AND CURRENTLY WE'RE IN THE RANGE OF A TWO DAY BLOOD SUPPLY.
BUT SOME OF THE CRITICAL, UH, BLOOD TYPES, PARTICULARLY TYPO, WHICH IS NEEDED IN EMERGENCIES, IS, UH, FLUCTUATING LOWER THAN THAT.
WE'VE SEEN IT AS LOW AS A HALF DAY SUPPLY, UH, MOST RECENTLY ABOUT A ONE DAY SUPPLY.
SO WE'RE WORKING TO REBUILD THE HOLIDAYS AND BEGINNING OF THE YEAR IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGING TIME.
SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF YOU, MAYOR BERG AND THE COUNCIL.
SAN ANTONIO REALLY SETS A STANDARD, UH, WITH ITS CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BLOOD DRIVES AND WITH THE COUNCIL DRIVE THAT YOU HOST EVERY YEAR.
AND WE'RE ENCOURAGING SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, SURROUNDING COUNTIES TO, UM, SHOW THE SAME SUPPORT THAT SAN ANTONIO DOES.
SO AGAIN, I THINK SAN ANTONIO, UH, CITY IS TAKING A LEAD IN THIS AND WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH, UH, FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES, UH, FOR THE BLOOD DRIVES THAT THEY HOST, UH, EVERY YEAR AS WELL AS OUR EMPLOYERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND FOR THOSE, AGAIN, TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS, WE RESPOND REGION-WIDE, UH, TO MATCH CASUALTY EMERGENCIES, UH, NATURAL DISASTERS OF ALL KINDS, AND OF COURSE ALL THE TRAUMA, UH, THAT OCCURS WITHIN OUR CITY.
SO, UH, IT IS A SENSE OF URGENCY THAT YOU BRING TODAY, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T, UH, ISN'T LEFT UNSAID.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
UM, NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER.
I, MY, UH, MY NOTES MAY NOT BE UP TO SPEED.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M LOOKING AROUND THE DA.
THERE WAS A, IF THERE IS ANOTHER, UM, POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
[00:40:02]
YES.UM, TO KICK OFF THE FIRST WEEKEND OF THE NEW YEAR, I SPENT PART OF MY SATURDAY WITH THE SAN ANTONIO FIREFIGHTERS AND SPARKY TO INSTALL SMOKE DETECTORS FOR SENIOR RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
I WANTED, WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS SMOKE ALARM PROGRAM BECAUSE THESE ARE SOME OF THE MORE DANGEROUS MONTHS FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
AND SEEING AN INCREASE IN FIRES AS IT GETS COLDER, INSTALLING SMOKE ALARMS, DEVELOPING A FIRE ESCAPE PLAN AND REACHING OUT TO YOUR NEIGHBORS MAY FEEL, UH, MAY HELP YOU, UH, ADDRESS ANY VULNERABILITIES THAT YOU MAY HAVE IF YOU'RE GOING TO POTENTIALLY EXPERIENCE A FIRE.
AND I KNOW THAT WE OFTEN ASSOCIATE OUR FIREFIGHTERS WITH PUTTING OUT FIRES OR COMING TO OUR AID IN MOMENTS OF CRISIS, BUT IF YOU CALL THE UNITED WAY HELPLINE AT 2 1 1 FOR A SMOKE DETECTOR, YOU'LL WITNESS THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT TAKING THOSE CRUCIAL PROACTIVE MEASURES THAT ULTIMATELY SAVE LIVES.
AND WE WILL BE JOINING OUR FIREFIGHTERS FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF SMOKE DETECTOR DETECTOR INSTALLATIONS ON JANUARY 21ST.
OUR DISTRICT FIRE RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL OUR OFFICE AND SIGN UP IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO VISIT A VISIT FROM MYSELF AND SPARKY.
UH, WE DANCED OUR WAY TO THE DOORS WITH SPARKY.
IT WAS THE CONSTITUENTS WERE REALLY HAPPY AND THEY'RE REALLY GRATEFUL TO KNOW THAT THEY WERE SAFE.
UM, AS MANY OF YOU ALL KNOW, DISTRICT FIVE HAS SEEN, UH, A HUGE SPIKE IN FIRES.
SO WE WANNA BE SURE THAT WE'RE CONNECTING AND DOING ALL WE CAN FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE RESOURCES AND THAT THE CITY IS BEING PROACTIVE AND ENSURING THAT WE KEEP EACH OTHER SAFE.
ALRIGHT, A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS, UH, BEFORE WE MOVE INTO EXEC.
UM, WE'LL START WITH OUR CITY MANAGER REPORT FIRST ONE OF THE YEAR.
WELL, I WON'T MAYOR, UH, FOR ANYONE PLANNING ON ATTENDING THE, UM, THE SPURS 50TH ANNIVERSARY GAME, UM, TOMORROW NIGHT AT THE ALMA DOME, UM, WE'RE ASKING, I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF MEDIA, UM, ATTENTION.
WE'RE ASKING THAT EVERYBODY PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
UM, WE, UM, UH, WE'LL HAVE A SOLD OUT CROWD AT THE DOME TOMORROW NIGHT.
UM, WE HAVE FREE PARKING AT, UH, TWO CITY GARAGES DOWNTOWN AND VIA METRO, UM, UH, TRANSITS PARK AND RIDE WILL BE OPERATING FROM BOTH CROSSROADS AND THE AT AND T CENTER.
SO IT'LL BE A HUGE TURNOUT TOMORROW NIGHT.
GREAT GAME, AND, UH, EXPECT TO, UM, UM, SEE EVERYBODY THERE.
WE WILL HAVE, UH, 5,000 CITY EMPLOYEES WHO, UM, RECEIVE TICKETS.
SO, UH, WE'LL HAVE A GOOD TURNOUT, GREAT TURNOUT TOMORROW NIGHT.
UM, SECONDLY, MAYOR, THE, UH, AND COUNCIL, THE, UM, THE CITY TEAM.
AND YOU SAW AN EMAIL FROM, UH, JEFF COYLE YESTERDAY.
UM, THE, UM, OUR 3 0 1 APP MOBILE APP, UM, HAS BEEN UPDATED AND WILL BE RELEASED TOMORROW BY THE APP, BY THE, UH, APPLE APP STORE.
IT'S A NEW DESIGN, UM, IMPROVED EXPERIENCE FROM THE USER STANDPOINT.
UM, IMPROVEMENTS ON OUR PROCESSING OF SERVICE REQUESTS.
SO IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE PUSHING OUT, UM, BEGINNING TOMORROW THROUGH THE APP STORE.
AND, AND WE WILL BE DOING THAT, UM, UM, HIGHLIGHTING THAT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THE LAST, UM, THE, THE LAST THING IS, UH, OUR FIRST, UH, EMPLOYEE HIGHLIGHT VIDEO FOR THE YEAR.
AND IT'S, UH, REALLY SPOTLIGHTING OUR MANAGEMENT FELLOW PROGRAM.
UM, THAT PROGRAM STARTED, UH, ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS DESIGNED TO BRING, UM, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD, UH, THAT WERE JUST ABOUT TO GRADUATE WITH THEIR MASTERS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OR BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND BRING THEM INTO THE CITY AND ROTATE THEM THROUGH ON A 12 MONTH CYCLE THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE BUDGET OFFICE, AND AN OPERATING DEPARTMENT WITH THE GOAL TO GIVE THEM THE EXPERIENCE, UM, AND, AND HIRE THEM SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS YOU LOOK AROUND THE ORGANIZATION, UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT.
UM, MOST OF THE FELLOWS HAVE REMAINED WITH THE CITY AND WE'VE, UM, UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT PROFESSIONAL CAREER, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND SO IT'S AN EXCITING PROGRAM.
WE'LL BE TAKING APPLICATIONS HERE IN THE SPRINGTIME.
AND SO WE'VE GOT A SHORT VIDEO CLIP ON THIS YEAR'S MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
THE MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP IS A 12 MONTH PROGRAM WHERE, UH, FELLOWS ARE EXPECTED TO START EACH SUMMER OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEY GET THE CHANCE TO REALLY IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND LEARN HOW CITIES FUNCTION AND OPERATE.
I WAS, I WAS NEARING THE END OF MY MASTER'S OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM AND I SAW THE JOB POSTING COME UP AND IT SEEMED LIKE A REALLY GREAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME WHERE I COULD GET HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH THINGS THAT I LEARNED IN SCHOOL BUT HADN'T NECESSARILY HAD THE CHANCE TO APPLY IN THAT ENVIRONMENT.
BUT TO ACTUALLY JUST LEARN A WHOLE NEW SPECTRUM OF THINGS REALLY EXCITES ME.
[00:45:01]
FEEL LIKE THAT HAS BEEN THE MAIN THING IS AS SOMEONE WHO STARTED OUT AS A CITY EMPLOYEE, I'VE NEVER TAKEN IT LIGHTLY.THE OPPORTUNITY AND EXPOSURE AND EXPERIENCE THAT YOU GET AS A FELLOW TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SIT IN THE ROOM WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AS DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE IS REALLY UNIQUE.
IT HELPED US LEARN ABOUT THE CITY'S OPERATIONS.
IT REALLY HELPED US LEARN THINGS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE FROM INSIDE.
IT'S VERY REWARDING AND I JUST WANT TO KEEP PUSHING MYSELF AND KEEP LEARNING AND JUST BE THE BEST THAT I CAN BE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I REALLY LEARNED ABOUT THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE SO FAR.
THE SKILLS THAT YOU WORK ON, THE PROJECTS THAT YOU WORK ON IN THE MANAGEMENT PUBLIC PROGRAM, IT REALLY MAKES YOU COMPETITIVE IN THE JOB MARKET.
IT REALLY DOES DO WONDERS FOR OR FOR YOUR JOB GROWTH? I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE CONFIDENT IN YOURSELF AND YOU'RE, AND YOU WANNA LEARN MORE ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT, YOU WANT TO HAVE THIS KIND OF EXPOSURE, JUST DON'T HESITATE.
JUST PUT AN APPLICATION OUT TO IT.
LET'S SEE MORE OF THOSE, UH, MANAGEMENT FELLOW VIDEOS THAT THOSE, UH, I DIDN'T REALIZE THE NUMBER OF THOSE EMPLOYEES WERE FORMER FELLOWS, SO THAT'S VERY INTERESTING.
YEAH, THEY'RE, WE, WE'VE GOT A LOT, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE STAYED WITH US THROUGH THE YEARS.
ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE A 1:00 PM TIME, CERTAIN HEARING ON ITEM 18, BUT BEFORE WE GO INTO EXEC, WE HAVE A FEW CELEBRATIONS AND THAT IS, UH, WE ARE CELEBRATING THE BIRTHDAYS OF COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
THERE'S TOO MANY CAPRICORNS I WAS TOLD, SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
[Executive Session At any time during the meeting, the City Council may recess into executive session in the B Room to consult with the City Attorney's Office (Texas Government Code Section 551.071) and deliberate or discuss any of the following: ]
ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 12TH, 2023.THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 1 0 7 1, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.087, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 REAL PROPERTY LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO LITIGATION INVOLVING THE CITY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071, CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY AND LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO C OVID 19 PREPAREDNESS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY PROBABLY IN THE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE EXEC IN THE B ROOM.
UH, WE'LL BE IN THE B ROOM FOR OUR EXEC SESSION.
UH, THE TIME IS 1:09 PM ON THE 12TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2023.
CITY COUNCILS RECONVENED FROM ITS EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[The following item is for briefing only. 1:00 P.M. TIME CERTAIN (may be heard after this time) ]
A SESSION NOW WITH ITEM NUMBER 18.UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE OUR QUORUM HERE.
SO WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND CALL UP ITEM 18.
AND WE DO HAVE TWO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM 18.
SO WE'LL GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATIONS FIRST.
I'LL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL GO STRAIGHT INTO OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
UH, YEAH, MADAM CLERK, READ THE CLERK.
UH, IF YOU COULD PLEASE READ THE CAPTION.
ITEM NUMBER 18 IS A BRIEFING BY C P S ENERGY ON THE POWER GENERATION RECOMMENDATIONS SUBMITTED TO THE C P S ENERGY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
ALRIGHT, AND, UH, WHILE FOLKS ARE APPROACHING THE DIOCESE TO, TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION, LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRESENCE OF OUR, UH, C P S LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS THE, UM, VOLUNTEERS FROM OUR RAID ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, OUR CHAIR, REED WILLIAMS. AND THEN I SEE MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, UH, JANIE GONZALEZ, VICE CHAIR, UH, CHAIR DR.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
AND, AND OF COURSE OUR C E O, RUDY GAR, RUDY GARZA, REED FLOOR'S, YOURS.
UH, THIS'LL, THIS'LL BE QUICK.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK ONE I WANT TO THANK, UH, ALL OF YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO COME TODAY.
UH, WE'VE HAD A GROUP THAT'S DONE A A LOT OF WORK AND WE WERE ASKED TWO QUESTIONS TO ANSWER, UH, BEFORE I GOT INTO THE PRESENTATION.
THE FIRST ONE WAS, WHAT'S THE CHARGE OF THE RACK? SOME PEOPLE WERE NOT HERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN IT WAS ESTABLISHED.
SO VERY QUICKLY, UH, WE'VE REALLY GOT ABOUT, UH, THREE RESPONSIBILITIES.
WE ALSO, UH, PROVIDE INPUT INTO THINGS THAT COULD AFFECT THE RATE, LIKE THE STEP PROGRAM.
[00:50:01]
UH, UH, JUST ADVICE ON POWER GENERATION.NOW, THIS BOARD THAT, UH, THESE ARE THE APPOINTEES BY EACH ONE OF YOU.
UH, SO THERE'S 10 OF THOSE, AND THEN THERE'S 11 BY THE C P S ENERGY BOARD.
THOSE 21 PEOPLE, IN MY ESTIMATION, DID AN AMAZING JOB.
UM, I HAVE TO GIVE ALL THE CREDIT TO 'EM.
THEY WERE DILIGENT, THEY WERE RESPECTFUL, AND THEY CREATED A LEVEL OF, OF TRUST AND RESPECT AMONG THE GROUP.
AND NOT EVEN AMONG THE GROUP, BUT ALSO BETWEEN THE GROUP AND C P S.
WE DID THAT WITH A LOT OF HELP FROM A COUPLE OF CONSULTANTS.
AND SINCE THERE WAS QUITE A FEW PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT WE COULDN'T SEE, UH, WE HAD A CONSULTANT THAT ACTUALLY VERIFIED THOSE NUMBERS OF THE PRIMARY CONSULTANTS.
SO I THINK EVERYTHING WENT FINE.
AND IN THE END OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, ONE PERSON, UH, DID NOT VOTE.
BUT OUT OF THE 20 PEOPLE THAT VOTED, 13 PEOPLE VOTED FOR, UH, NUMBER TWO.
AND THERE WAS THREE PEOPLE THAT VOTED FOR, UH, NUMBER NINE AND FOUR FOR, UH, NUMBER SIX.
AND, AND SO THAT'S THE 20 PEOPLE.
THE 13 WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN THE BYLAWS WERE WRITTEN, WE HAD TO HAVE 13 VOTES TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION.
OKAY? IT WASN'T 60 SOMETHING PERCENT OR A SUPER MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE QUORUM.
SO IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GOT 13 VOTES AND WE DID.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHY THOSE 13 PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, BELIEVE THAT PORTFOLIO TWO IS THE, IS THE BEST PORTFOLIO.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE GOT TO KEEP IN OUR MIND THAT RELIABILITY IS, IS JOB ONE AT, AT A UTILITY.
WHETHER IT'S THE WATER UTILITY, WHETHER IT'S THE, UH, ELECTRIC UTILITY, WHATEVER IT IS, WE MUST BE RELIABLE.
THAT'S OUR OBLIGATION TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
THAT'S OUR OBLIGATION TO OUR CITIZENS.
WE CANNOT BE AFFORDABLE, NOR CAN WE BE SUSTAINABLE IF WE'RE NOT RELIABLE BECAUSE WE KEEP HAVING PROBLEMS THAT CAUSE US NOT TO BE AFFORDABLE AND SUSTAINABLE.
ONCE YOU'RE SU AFFORDABLE, ONCE YOU'RE RELIABLE, YOU CAN REALLY CONQUER THOSE OTHER TWO PROBLEMS. NOW, WHAT IS THIS? WHY ARE WE MAKING THIS DECISION? WHY IS THIS EVEN IMPORTANT? WELL, LET ME BACK UP.
WE DID THE, THE, UM, FLEX POWER BUNDLE AND THAT REPLACED THE BROING PLANTS.
WE HAVE THE BROING PLANTS, WHICH ARE SOME OLD STEAM PLANTS, AND WE HAVE THE SUMMERS PLANTS THAT ARE OLD STEAM PLANTS.
THESE ST PLANTS WERE BUILT IN THE LATE SIXTIES, EARLY SEVENTIES.
THEY'RE ALMOST 50 YEARS OLD, IF NOT THAT MUCH.
THEY'RE NOT USED THAT MUCH BECAUSE, BUT WHEN THEY ARE USED, WE DO NEED 'EM.
BUT SOMETIMES WHEN WE NEED 'EM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT USED ALL THE TIME AND THEY'RE RELIABLE, NOT RELIABLE.
AND YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE AN EVENT, YOU'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO TURN SOMETHING ON THAT CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT EVENT.
AND THESE PLANTS JUST ARE NOT AT THE AGE OR IN THE CONDITION OR THE TYPE OF PLANTS WE NEED TO PROVIDE THAT QUICK POWER.
THE NEXT THING IS, IS THAT WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THE COAL BUSINESS.
YEARS AGO, WE SHUT DOWN THE DELEY PLANTS, OKAY, THAT WAS A STEP.
PROBABLY DIDN'T GET IT DONE AS FAST AS WE SHOULD HAVE.
NOW WE GOTTA SHUT DOWN THESE COAL PLANTS AND, AND TO DO THAT, WE'VE GOT ONE.
WE CAN'T JUST THROW ALL THAT MONEY AWAY.
SO WE'RE POSING TO CONVERT THAT ONE TO NATURAL GAS.
BUT THE, THE OTHER ONE, WHICH IS STILL NEW FOR A COAL PLANT, WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO BITE THE BULLET AND SHUT THAT DOWN.
'CAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS IT NEEDS.
ANY PLAN THAT YOU BRING OUT OF A OUT OF A MODEL HAS TO BE A PLAN.
YOU CAN CONVERT TO A WORKABLE, TIME SCALED MODEL, AN OPERATING PLAN.
THIS PLAN IS THE EASIEST ONE I SAW OUT OF THE NINE PRESENTED TO US.
AND ALSO THE PEOPLE ON THE RACK THAT COULD BE CONVERTED TO A REAL PLAN THAT CAN GET DONE FAST.
WE DON'T WANT TO FOOL AROUND RIGHT NOW, THE PLAN SAYS WE'LL GET ALL THE COAL OUTTA HERE IN FIVE YEARS.
IF WE COULD GET IT OUT IN THREE OR FOUR YEARS, THAT'D EVEN BE BETTER.
OKAY? OR IF WE COULD JUST GET THE PLANT CONVERTED.
SO WHAT WE'VE GOTTA DO IS COME UP WITH SOME SHORT TERM.
SO, UH, SOLUTIONS FOR THAT CAPACITY.
THE WAY THIS PLAN IS DESIGNED IS ONE OF THE BIG KEYS TO IT IS 880, 808 MEGAWATTS OF OF ENGINES.
THESE ARE ENGINES LIKE WE USED ON THE PIPELINE TO PUMP NATURAL GAS.
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RUN 'EM ON NATURAL GAS, NOT THE BEST, BUT YOU RUN 'EM ON NATURAL GAS, YOU TURN THE KEY ON AND THEY START OR FLIP THE BIG SWITCH.THE POINT IS, WE KNOW WE CAN GET IT TO RUN.
AND UNLIKE TURBINES, YOU DON'T CYCLE THOSE TURBINES, OKAY? AND, AND THEN HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE, WITH THE BLADES.
THEY CAN QUICK START AND THEY CAN SHUT DOWN.
SO THAT 880 IN MY FEELING WILL COMPLETELY REPLACE WHAT WE'RE SHUTTING DOWN.
THAT GIVES US THE CHANCE TO MOVE QUICKLY ON THIS AHEAD OF OTHER PEOPLE.
FIRST MOVERS HAVE AN ADVANTAGE.
WE HAVE AN ADVANTAGE AS A FIRST MOVER AS A CITY, AND WE NEED TO TAKE IT.
SO WE GOT THE, WE'RE GONNA DO THE RELIABILITY ON TOP OF THAT.
AND THIS IS THE SECOND POINT INSIDE THE SYSTEM, WE'RE WORKING.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, IF YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE NEWS LATELY, A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, THE, THE GOVERNOR CAME OUT WITH A PLAN.
IT'S REALLY NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE HAVE.
IT'S GOT A NEW FANCY NAME TO LAST NIGHT, UH, ONE OF THE PRIMARY SENATORS SWARNER CAME OUT AND SAID, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
WE WANT ANOTHER KIND OF PLANT.
SO AGAIN, WE CAN'T COUNT ON, ON AUSTIN.
WE CAN'T COUNT ON THE ERCOT PROBLEM GETTING SOLVED.
WE GOTTA SOLVE OUR OWN PROBLEM AND TO SHUT THE COAL PLANTS DOWN.
WE CAN SHOW THEM THAT WE ARE RELIABLE AND CERTAINLY EVEN CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCREASED RELIABILITY OF THE ERCOT SYSTEM WITH THIS PLANT.
AND AS WE'RE MORE RELIABLE, SURE THEY'RE GONNA COME TAKE OUR POWER, BUT WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL GET GOOD PRICES FOR IT.
'CAUSE WE BELIEVE THE POWER WE RUN WHEN WE NEED IT TO UNDER THIS PLAN.
ALL RIGHT? NOW I UNDERSTAND WE ALL WANT TO HIT THE CAP GOALS.
THERE'S NOT A PERSON IN HERE THAT DOESN'T, AND THIS DOES HIT THE 2030 CAP GOALS.
BUT THAT'S, THAT IS BECAUSE WE JUST SIMPLY DON'T, IN MY MIND, HAVE THE TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED TO A POINT THAT, THAT WE CAN EMPLOY THOSE COMMERCIALLY AND NOT MAKE A MISTAKE.
YEARS AND YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY RUNNING PLANTS, I KNEW IF I HAD TO MAKE A DECISION, MAKE A DECISION, DON'T MAKE IT BEFORE YOU HAVE TO 'CAUSE SOMETHING NEW MIGHT HAPPEN.
I'M, I'M COMPLETELY CONVINCED THAT THE, UM, THAT THE NEW, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE REDUCTION ACT, THE IRA BIDEN AND, AND THE FOLKS GOT DONE IN WASHINGTON WILL CHANGE THE WHOLE DEAL.
IT'S GONNA CHANGE THE WHOLE THING.
WE'VE ALREADY GOT PEOPLE NOW LOOKING AT DIFFERENT KINDS OF BATTERIES, IRON, LITHIUM, SULFUR, LITHIUM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF NEW BATTERIES THAT ARE COMING ON.
AND, AND EVEN THE PLAN THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CAN PUT IN SOME SHORT TERM BATTERIES RIGHT OFF ON TOP OF THAT.
IT DOESN'T QUIT PUTTING IN SOLAR TO CONTINUE TO PUSH OUR CAP GOALS.
BECAUSE WHAT IT DOES IS IT NOW UNDER THE I R A, IT ALLOWS US AS A UTILITY TO RECEIVE PAYMENTS THAT WE USED TO HAVE TO DO THROUGH A THIRD PARTY THAT WAS A TAXPAYER.
SO NOW WE CAN BRING BACK WHAT EVERYBODY'S WANTING, WHICH IS COMMUNITY SOLAR, OUR, OUR CITIZENS.
TELL ME TIME AND AGAIN, WE WANT TO INVEST IN COMMUNITY SOLAR.
WE WILL, WE WILL GO PUT OUR MONEY IN THOSE PANELS BECAUSE WE WANT TO HELP AND WE WANT TO PUT IT IN RIGHT HERE.
SO WE AVOID THE TRANSMISSION COST, THE TRANSMISSION RISK.
IT'S ONE THING FOR A MODEL TO PICK AN, UH, A PRODUCTION SYSTEM, OKAY? SUCH AS, WHETHER IT'S A COMBINED CYCLE OR IT'S WIND, OR IT'S SOLAR OR WHATEVER, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO PUT IN THE RISK OF GETTING IT HERE AND GETTING IT USED INSIDE OUR SYSTEM.
I DO NOT SEE ANY NEW TRANSMISSION LINES ON THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE IN TEXAS.
AND WITH THE AUSTIN AND THE, AND THE RIGHT WING APPROACH TO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY GETTING RIGHTS OF IMMINENT DOMAIN TO PUT IN POWER LINES ACROSS MY RANCH.
ALRIGHT? SO WE KNOW WE WANT TO DO SOLAR.
IT'S GOT SOLAR IN IT, IT STILL HAS SOME WIND IN IT.
MAYBE WE LOOK AT COASTAL WIND.
IT DOES HAVE A PROGRAM IN IT TO PUT IN A COMBINED CYCLE, BUT THAT CAN BE TIMED OUT.
AND WE MIGHT THEN GO TO MY FOURTH POINT IS THAT THIS FACILITATES NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
IF WE CAN START IN WITH THE LOWER RISK ITEMS, THE LOWER CAPITAL ITEMS, REPLACE WHAT WE NEED TO REPLACE AND GIVE OURSELVES SOME TIME TO SEE HOW THESE TECHNOLOGIES COME ON.
WE'VE HAD A, WE'LL HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, DON'T PUT THAT BIG COMBINED CYCLE PLAN IN.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND SEE IF WE CAN TRY A NEW TECHNOLOGY.
AND I KNOW THAT BENNY AND HIS FOLKS ARE LOOKING AT ALL KINDS OF THINGS RIGHT NOW.
SO IT DOES ALL THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO.
IT GIVES US A MORE, A RELIABLE SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS US TO, UH, TO HAVE A COMPETITIVE
[01:00:01]
ADVANTAGE OVER OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.BECAUSE THE STATE'S STILL SITTING HERE GOING, WE DON'T KNOW.
WE'RE GONNA FIGHT ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE.
OKAY? AND NOW WE GET AN ADVANTAGE.
IT CONTINUES OUR PROCESS TO THE CAP.
IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO FACILITATE NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
AND, UM, I JUST HOPE THAT, UH, Y'ALL CAN UNDERSTAND HOW PROUD I AM OF THIS GROUP THAT PUT IT TOGETHER AND, AND HOW HARD THEY WORKED.
AND, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I THINK, UH, CALLING UP, UH, RUDY NOW.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, AND, UH, IN A SECOND I'M GONNA BRING UP, UH, KATHY TO ACTUALLY WALK YOU THROUGH THE BRIEFING TODAY.
BUT THERE'S A FEW THINGS I WANNA SAY AS WE GET GOING.
UH, NUMBER ONE, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF MY STAFF WHO I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE FOR BEING C COMMITTED TO, YOU KNOW, GREATER TRANSPARENCY, UH, AND THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATION, UH, THAT'S BEEN HELD, NOBODY HAS SPENT MORE TO TIME, UH, ON THIS ISSUE OUTSIDE OF C P S ENERGY, UH, THEN REED WILLIAMS AND OF COURSE, UH, THE RAC MEMBER.
SO I WANNA RECOGNIZE THE LEADERSHIP, REED WILLIAMS. WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY WITH AN ALIGNED RECOMMENDATION TO OUR BOARD, UH, IF NOT FOR, UH, REED'S LEADERSHIP.
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UH, BOTH JENNY GONZALEZ, WHO KIND OF STARTED OFF, UH, THE PROCESS AS LIAISON, UH, WITH THE RAC AS WELL AS, UH, DR.
ROMEO WHO'S COME IN AND REALLY ROLLED UP HER SLEEVES AND GOTTEN TO WORK.
UH, SHE'S HELPED SHEPHERD, UH, YOU KNOW, AND ENSURED THE RIGHT CONNECTION BETWEEN THE RAC AND OUR BOARD.
UH, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE AS WELL.
AS COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, UH, WHO, UH, WAS AT MOST RAC MEETINGS THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND OF COURSE, COUNCILWOMAN VRAN, WHO'S ON THE RAC.
UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND PROBABLY, UH, HAS BEEN AS, UH, AS DEEP ON THIS TOPIC AS AS ANYONE.
UM, SO WE'RE HERE TODAY, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, THE BOARD GETTING TO A, A POINT WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GIVE US GUIDANCE, UH, ON THIS ISSUE SO THAT WE CAN GET, UH, STARTED ON THE WORK THAT'S AHEAD OF US.
AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, THAT OUR BOARD WEIGH IN, AND I THINK, UH, THEY'RE IN A POSITION, UM, YOU KNOW, TO BE READY TO DO THAT.
UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I PERSONALLY AND OUR TEAM, UH, IN, IN GENERAL, WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE FOR, FOR PROVIDING RELIABLE ENERGY TO A GROWING COMMUNITY.
AND THE GROWING COMMUNITY ASPECT OF THAT IS WHAT REALLY MAKES THIS TRICKY.
AND THE TIMING OF WHICH MAKES THIS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
WE'VE GOT OLD ASSETS THAT WE'VE GOT TO RETIRE, UH, IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO GET TO, YOU KNOW, THE TECHNOLOGY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS TRANSFORMATION, UH, THAT WILL CARRY US INTO THE FUTURE.
SO, UH, SO, SO THE CLOCK IS TICKING.
UH, THERE IS URGENCY, UH, FROM OUR PART, UH, TO START MAKING INVESTMENTS.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T JUST FLIP A SWITCH AND A POWER, A NEW RESOURCE COME ONLINE.
IT TAKES YEARS, UH, TO GET, YOU KNOW, UH, SOLAR FARMS BUILT AND, YOU KNOW, TO, TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING ON, UH, MORE WIND GENERATION, YOU KNOW, UH, PREFERABLY IN THE COASTAL REGION.
UH, AND SO THE TIMING OF THIS IS SUCH THAT WE CAN'T REALLY GET GOING UNTIL OUR COMMUNITY MAKES THIS DECISION AND GIVES US THE GUIDANCE WE NEED THROUGH OUR BOARD, UH, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO, TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
UH, THROUGH THIS PLANNING INITIATIVE, I CAN PROMISE YOU, UH, THAT, UH, WE HAVE NOT HELD A PHILOSOPHICAL VIEW WITH REGARDS TO ANY TECHNOLOGY OR FUEL TYPE.
UH, THERE IS NO BIAS, UH, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE OR FROM, UH, OUR ORGANIZATION'S PERSPECTIVE.
THE PRIMARY JOB THAT WE HAVE TO ENSURE AS THAT WE KEEP THE LIGHTS ON AND WE MANAGE THE RISK THAT'S AFFORDABLE TO US TO ENSURE THAT RATES STAY AFFORDABLE, UH, FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
THAT IS, THAT IS OUR, OUR, OUR PRIMARY DRIVER.
UH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO UTILIZE RENEWABLES TO THE LARGEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
BUT THE, THE REALITY IS WITH, WITH ANY RESOURCE, UH, AS WE SAW IN WINTER STORM MURI, SOMETIMES GAS AND COAL, AND, YOU KNOW, NUCLEAR ISN'T THERE EITHER.
UH, BUT THERE'S A REALITY WITH MOTHER NATURE THAT THERE ARE TIMES OF THE YEAR, TIMES OF THE DAY, UM, YOU KNOW, TIMES OF, OF, YOU KNOW, MORE DAYTIME, NIGHTTIME, WHERE RENEWABLES, UH, ARE JUST NOT AVAILABLE TO US.
SO, UH, TO THE EXTENT WE ARE NEEDING ANOTHER RESOURCE, I WANNA BE ABLE TO CONTROL THAT RESOURCE, UH, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE RELIABLE, UH, RATES FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND SO, UH, SO THAT WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT DRIVER, UH, OF THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, THERE'S A COST TO ANY ACTION THAT WE TAKE.
AND WITH ANY PORTFOLIO SELECTED, AS WE BRING NEW RESOURCES ON, TAKE NO NEW OLD RESOURCES OFF, THERE'S A RECONCILIATION, UH, THAT HAPPENS.
BUT UNDER ANY SCENARIO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA FULLY VET THOSE COSTS.
THERE'S A PROCESS FOR COMING TO YOU TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS ARE, UH, FOR OUR RATES.
I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT OUR PLAN WILL BE, AS WE PUT OUR EXECUTION PLANS TOGETHER, THAT WE'RE GONNA PHASE
[01:05:01]
WHATEVER THE IMPLICATIONS ARE FOR OUR RATE PAIRS IN, IN A WAY THAT KEEPS OUR RATES AFFORDABLE.UM, THERE IS NO RATE SHOCK ASSOCIATED WITH ANY PLAN THAT WE WOULD BRING FORWARD.
WE ARE GOING TO FOLLOW THAT PROCESS TO FIRM THOSE COSTS UP TO, TO TALK THROUGH WHAT OUR EXECUTION PLAN LOOKS LIKE, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
UM, SO LET ME JUST REASSURE YOU, UH, THAT WE ARE, THAT, THAT AS WE BUILD OUR EXECUTION STRATEGY, UH, ON, ON, ON, UH, THIS ISSUE, UH, THAT RATES AND, AND AFFORDABILITY WILL BE, UH, AT THE FOREFRONT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING THE CITY'S CAP GOALS.
YOU ALL, UH, SET THE POLICY AS IT RELATES TO OUR CLIMATE ACTION POLICIES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND IT'S CPS ENERGY'S JOB TO FIGURE IT OUT, HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND SO YOU'VE GOT, YOU, YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE, UH, MY COMMITMENT, UH, AS WELL AS THE COMMITMENT OF OUR BOARD, UH, WHO HAS WEIGHED IN ON THIS ISSUE, UH, IN A FORMAL MANNER THAT WE'RE GONNA DO OUR PART.
UH, AND, AND THIS PLAN DOES THAT THIS PLAN MOVES US IN THE DIRECTION OF MEETING OUR 2030 GOAL, GETS US 70% OF THE WAY THERE FOR OUR 20 20 40 GOAL.
WE'RE WE, WERE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE TO DO MORE WORK, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ACHIEVING OUR CAP GOALS DOWN THE LINE.
UH, AND SO, UH, SO I PROMISE YOU THAT, UH, THE P TWO, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE, UM, THE MOST FLEXIBLE OPTION THAT, THAT WE REALLY HAVE CENTERED ON, UH, WILL GET US TO OUR 2030 GOAL AND GETS US A, A GOOD WAYS TOWARDS OUR 2040 GOAL.
BUT WE, WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE MORE WORK TO DO.
THE WORK DOESN'T STOP JUST BECAUSE OUR BOARD VOTES TO, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THE CURRENT PROPOSAL, THE, THIS WILL BE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS EVERY YEAR.
WE'LL TAKE A LOOK, SEE WHERE WE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED TO EVOLVE AND, AND, AND CHANGE OUR PLAN, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT BASED ON MARKET CONDITIONS AND THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AROUND US.
SO THIS IS IT VERY MUCH, UH, A DYNAMIC PLAN, AND IT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, INTO THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
UM, THE TYPE OF ALIGNMENT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE WITH THE RAC AND, AND, AND, AND MY TEAM.
IT'S EXACTLY, I THINK WHAT WE'RE, WE WERE HOPING FOR, YOU KNOW, WE, THE, THE LAST COUPLE OF ITERATIONS OF THESE PROCESSES WITH THE RATE CASE, UM, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, AND, YOU KNOW, THE, AND THE STEP, UH, PROGRAM THAT, THAT UL ULTIMATELY WE WERE SUCCESSFUL ON, DIDN'T GET, AS, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF ALIGNMENT THAT WE'RE HOPING FOR THIS TIME WE DID.
AND I THINK WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, THE, BOTH THE ALIGNMENT AND THE RECOMMENDATION COMING OUT, IT IS A WIN FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
MAKE NO MISTAKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ARE GONNA PRESENT TO YOU TODAY, AND WHAT OUR BOARD ULTIMATELY WILL VOTE ON IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND I'M PROUD OF BOTH THE RAC AND, UH, THE C P S ENERGY LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR MAKING IT, UH, HAPPEN.
SO WITH THAT, UH, VERY GLAD TO BE HERE TODAY, UH, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO KATHY GARCIA TO WALK YOU THROUGH OUR PRESENTATION.
UM, TODAY WE ARE SHARING OUR POWER GENERATION RECOMMENDATION THAT HAS BEEN MADE TO OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
OUR BOARD IS EXPECTED TO VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATION AT FEBRUARY 23RD.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS FOR THE NEAR TERM.
THIS TAKES US TO 2030, AND AS YOU HEARD RUDY SAY, KEY DECISIONS ARE NEEDED TO SERVE OUR CUSTOMERS WITH ADEQUATE POWER GENERATION, AS DEMAND INCREASES AND AGING POWER PLANTS ARE SET TO RETIRE.
WHEN IT COMES TO POWER GENERATION, WE ARE CONSTANTLY PLANNING IN CYCLES, AND WE'RE ASSESSING OPPORTUNITIES TO INCORPORATE NEW AND IMPROVE TECHNOLOGIES INTO OUR POWER GENERATION FLEET.
BECAUSE OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, WE ACTUALLY NOW PLAN IN SHORTER, MORE FREQUENT CYCLES.
THIS PLANNING CYCLE RUNS TO 2030, AND IS AN IMPORTANT INCREMENTAL STEP IN OUR TRANSITION TO HELPING THE CITY ACHIEVE ITS CAP GOALS OF NET ZERO CARBON BY 2050.
I'LL SPEAK TO OUR PLANNING APPROACH AND OBJECTIVES AND FOCUS TODAY'S INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING ON THE TWO PORTFOLIOS THAT ARE MOST ALIGNED WITH THE, THE PLANNING OBJECTIVES.
AND WITH OUR, AND, AND I'LL SPEAK TO OUR RECOMMENDATION AS WELL.
SO, LEANING ON THE EXPERTISE OF CHARLES RIVER ASSOCIATES, THE CONSULTANT THAT PROVIDED MODELING AND ANALYSIS SERVICES, WE UTILIZED AN INTEGRATED FIVE STEP PROCESS THAT STARTED WITH IDENTIFYING THE PLANNING OBJECTIVES AND ENDED WITH A PREFERRED PLAN.
THIS IS AN INDUSTRY STANDARD, AND IT, AND THE SLIDE REFLECTS THE MILESTONES THAT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED ALONG THE WAY.
WE'RE COMMITTED TO AN OPEN, TRANSPARENT PLANNING PROCESS.
THROUGHOUT THE, THIS LAST YEAR, WE HAVE WORKED IN EARNEST WITH OUR RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS, OUR COMMUNITY AND EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS TO EVALUATE AND IDENTIFY THE POWER GENERATION RESOURCES
[01:10:01]
TO TRANSFORM OUR FUTURE SOURCES OF ENERGY TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY.WE LEVERAGED BROAD PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERTISE IN THIS PROCESS, AND WE DID SO WHILE KEEPING FRONT OF MIND THE COMMITMENT TO REDUCE OUR CARBON INTENSITY.
THIS IS ANOTHER REPRESENTATION OF THE JOURNEY THAT WE'VE BEEN ON.
WE'VE SHARED FOR WELL OVER A YEAR THAT WE HAVE AGING POWER PLANTS THAT MUST BE RETIRED IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, AND DECISIONS ON HOW TO REPLACE THAT POWER MUST BE MADE.
NOW, OUR PROCESS INCLUDED MODELING NINE DISTINCT CONCEPTS, WHICH INCLUDED FOUR MARKET SCENARIOS AND VARIOUS SENSITIVITIES, WHICH YIELDED 50 DATA SETS.
OUR PROCESS, UM, INCLUDED THE HIRING OF CHARLES RIVER ASSOCIATES TO AID THE UTILITY IN THIS VERY COMPLEX PROCESS, AND TO BOLSTER THE TRUST AND TO VALIDATE THE PROCESS.
BURNS AND MCDONALD WAS SELECTED BY THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT A PEER REVIEW.
ALL MATERIALS AND DATA RELATING TO THIS PLANNING INITIATIVE HAVE BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, ON MAJOR POLICY DECISIONS SUCH AS THIS.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING ALL THAT WE CAN TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
WE UTILIZED NEW AVENUES OF OUTREACH IN ADDITION TO OUR NORMAL METHODS.
SOME OF THOSE AVENUES INCLUDED HOSTING OPEN HOUSES IN THE MORNING AND THE EVENING, AND AT THOSE HAVING AN ENTIRE TEAM OF C P S ENERGY EMPLOYEES AVAILABLE TO TALK TO THE COMMUNITY.
THIS REALLY ALLOWED FOR OPEN TWO WAY CONVERSATION.
WHAT IS SHOWN HERE IS A CROSS SECTION OF ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE AS PART OF OUR GENERATION PLANNING INITIATIVE.
AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HELPING US REACH OUR CUSTOMERS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
SHOWN HERE ARE OUR PLANNING OBJECTIVES.
THE PLANNING OBJECTIVES GUIDED THE FORMULATION AND THE EVALUATION OF OUR PLANNING INITIATIVE.
I'LL MAKE A POINT TO SHARE HERE THAT FINANCIAL INTEGRITY OF THE UTILITY WAS A FOUNDATIONAL OBJECTIVE.
IT'S UNDERLYING, AND NOTHING CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT IT.
AS A MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY, WE HAVE TO TAKE A HOLISTIC VIEW FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE.
AND WE BELIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES DID THAT BASED ON THE PLANNING OBJECTIVES, THE BLENDED PORTFOLIO P TWO AND THE RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO P NINE, MOST CLOSELY IN NINE ALIGN WITH THOSE OBJECTIVES.
AND THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE FUEL SOURCES THAT WOULD BE USED IN EACH.
TO HELP ORIENT TO THIS SLIDE, WE MENTIONED THE NEED TO REPLACE 2100 MEGAWATTS OF CAPACITY BY 2030 BECAUSE WE HAVE POWER PLANTS THAT ARE RETIRING AND THOSE THAT ARE TRANSITIONING AWAY FROM COAL.
PLUS, WE HAVE LOAD GROWTH THAT WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR WITH A GROWING COMMUNITY.
BOTH PORTFOLIOS RETIRE SPRUCE ONE IN 2028 AND CONVERT SPRUCE TWO TO GAS IN THE 20 27, 28 TIME, TIME PERIOD.
P TWO REPLACES NEEDED CAPACITY WITH A BLEND OF NATURAL GAS, SOLAR, WIND, AND ENERGY STORAGE.
P NINE REPLACES NEEDED CAPACITY WITH WIND, SOLAR, AND ENERGY STORAGE.
P TWO INCORPORATES FLEXIBLE, EFFICIENT NATURAL GAS TECHNOLOGIES.
P NINE INCORPORATES ADDITIONAL WIND ALONG WITH SHORT DURATION, UH, STORAGE.
HERE'S A SLIDE COMPARISON OF THE TWO PORTFOLIOS WITH THE BLENDED PORTFOLIO.
P TWO, IT OFFERS DISPATCHABLE, OR IF YOU WILL, CONTROLLABLE GENERATION.
IT IS LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO EXTREME WEATHER RISK.
IT INCORPORATES RENEWABLE AND ENERGY STORAGE.
IT WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO MEET THE 2040 CAP TARGET.
WITH THE, THE RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO P NINE, IT FAR EXCEEDS THE 2030 AND 2040 CAP TARGETS.
IT REQUIRES A HIGHER VOLUME OF MARKET PURCHASES WITH INCREASED EXPOSURE TO EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS.
OUR BOARD EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN FURTHER EXAMINING THESE TWO PORTFOLIOS AS IT RELATES TO EXTREME WEATHER.
WE UTILIZED PAST EVENTS TO MODEL THE PORTFOLIOS, AND THIS SHOWS A VIEW OF HOW THEY PERFORMED UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
THE LEFT HAND ACCESS INDICATES THE COSTS THAT ARE SHOWN IN BILLIONS OVER AN EIGHT YEAR PERIOD WITH AN AVERAGE WEATHER, AND THEN WITH EXTREME WEATHER.
AVERAGE WEATHER IS WHAT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED BY C P SS ENERGY WITHIN OUR SERVICE TERRITORY, UH, OVER A 15 YEAR, UH, PERIOD.
EXTREME WEATHER IS WHEN WE EXPERIENCE
[01:15:01]
TEMPERATURES OF EXTREMES WHEN IT'S VERY HOT OR VERY COLD, AND ENERGY USAGE IS LIKELY TO INCREASE ABOVE AVERAGE.AND MARKET PRICES RISE WITHIN ERCOT FOR EXTREME WEATHER.
WE USED THE YEAR 2030 AND MODELED A COLD WINTER EVENT, MUCH LIKE STORM MURRY THAT HAPPENED IN 2021 AND A HOT EXTREME SUMMER FOR JULY AND AUGUST, LIKE WHAT WE EXPERIENCED IN 2011.
WE HAVE TO MANAGE TO THIS RISK.
AND JUST RECENTLY, WE EXPERIENCED AN EXTREME WEATHER RISK, WHICH SHOWN HERE IS A NINE HOUR PERIOD ON DECEMBER 23RD.
ON THIS DAY, ERCOT AND C P S ENERGY ACTUALLY SET A RECORD FOR USAGE.
THE DATA ON THIS SLIDE COMES FROM ERCOT.
THEY HAVE AN APP THAT CAN BE USED ON YOUR SMARTPHONE, AND IT PROVIDES REALTIME DATA.
AND THESE ARE ACTUALLY SNAPSHOTS THAT WERE TAKEN FROM THE MORNING AND THE EVENING.
ON THAT DAY, THE 72.9 GIGAWATTS THAT'S MENTIONED ON THE TOP LEFT IS NOT THE RECORD.
HOWEVER, THAT RECORD FOR THE DAY WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, AND THE EXTREME WEATHER CONDITION ACTUALLY PERSISTED THROUGHOUT THIS DAY.
WHAT WE SEE HERE IS THAT SOLAR DROP THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WHICH IS NORMAL, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE SUN SETS AND THE WIND HAPPENED TO DROP THIS DAY.
SO OTHER RESOURCES WERE NEEDED.
DISPATCHABLE GENERATION WAS NEEDED ABOUT 68% IN THE MORNING, BUT INCREASED TO ABOUT 86% IN THE EVENING.
AND WE SHARE THIS BECAUSE THIS IS A, A TYPE OF VARIABILITY THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO PLAN FOR.
OKAY? THERE ARE IMPORTANT EXTERNAL FACTORS OR RISKS THAT WE HAVE THAT CAN IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO EXECUTE.
I'M NOT GONNA READ THOSE TO YOU, BUT THESE ITEMS SHOWN ON THE SLIDE ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE TO MANAGE TOO.
AND WE HAVE TO ASSESS THE PORTFOLIOS AND DETERMINE WHICH ONE HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF OVERCOMING THESE CHALLENGES.
OUR RECOMME, OUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD IS CONSISTENT WITH THE RACK.
WE ARRIVED AT THE RECOMMENDATION TOGETHER, BALANCING THE RISKS, THE COST, AND THE BENEFITS.
THE BLENDED PORTFOLIO, P TWO IS WHAT WE RECOMMENDED TO OUR BOARD.
IT RETAINS A GREATER DE DEGREE OF FUEL DIVERSITY, CAREFULLY BALANCING RELIABILITY WITH AFFORDABILITY WHILE CONTINUING OUR TRANSITION TO A LOW CARBON FUTURE.
IT RETAINS OUR EXPERIENCED WORKFORCE TO SUPPORT THIS TRANSITION.
AND AGAIN, IT'S THE PORTFOLIO SUPPORTED BY A MAJORITY OF THE RACK MEMBERS.
SHOWN HERE ON THIS SLIDE IS A LINK TO THE WEBSITE THAT CONTAINS ALL THE INFORMATION FOR THIS INITIATIVE.
AS I MENTIONED, ALL OF THE, THE RESULTS, UH, ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE.
AND AS YOU'LL RECALL, OUR BOARD PASSED A RESOLUTION AFFIRMING ITS SUPPORT FOR THE CAP.
THIS DEPICTION HIGHLIGHTS OUR PATHWAY TO 2050.
IT IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY GOALS AND OUR CITY'S GOALS.
WE'RE A LEADER IN GENERATING ELECTRICITY THROUGH RENEWABLES, AND WE'VE DONE SO WHILE BALANCING RELIABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY THROUGH A DIVERSE SET OF RESOURCES, SAND.
AND ANTONIO IS RANKED NUMBER ONE IN TEXAS, AND NUMBER FIVE IN THE NATION FOR SOLAR CAPACITY.
AND WE'RE NUMBER TWO IN TEXAS FOR WIND POWER.
WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE.
AND IT'S OUR INTENT TO IMPLEMENT PILOTS AS NEW TECHNOLOGIES CONTINUE TO SURFACE AND MATURE.
AND WE'RE WORKING VERY COLLABORATIVELY WITH YOU TO LEVERAGE DOLLARS FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT AND THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT TO ACCELERATE THIS WORK.
SO, IN CLOSING, WE BELIEVE OUR RECOMMENDATION BUILDS OFF OUR HISTORY OF HAVING A DIVERSE PORTFOLIO OF RESOURCES THAT HELPS US TO TRANSFORM OUR FUTURE SOURCES OF ENERGY TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION TODAY.
AND WE HAVE A, AN ARRAY OF TEAM MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ALL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
KATHY, RUDY, UH, AND REED, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 18.
AND SO I'LL CALL THEM UP NOW AND THEN WE'LL BEGIN OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
UH, LEMME FIRST CALL JACK FINGER.
AND JACK, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ALAN MAOR.
WELL, MAYOR NURENBERG AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER, UM, MR. MAYOR, YOU ARE THE, UH, MAYOR OF OUR CITY, AND CONSEQUENTLY, YOU ARE THE, UH, ONLY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE
[01:20:01]
ON THE CITY PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD.CONSEQUENTLY, YOU SUPPOSED TO MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT REPRESENT ALL OF US.
I MUST TELL YOU, SIR, THAT, UH, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, I HAVE DISAGREED WITH SOME OF THE DECISIONS YOU'VE MADE, UH, SUPPORTING ALL THE VARIOUS RATE HIKES THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING.
BUT MORE THAN THAT, SIR, UM, I NOTICED THAT, UH, THE PORTFOLIO THAT IS BEING PRESENTED HERE TODAY IS ONE THAT HAS MAJOR CONFLICTS, MAJOR LOGGERHEADS OF THE VARIOUS, UH, ELEMENTS OF IT HERE, ELEMENTS THAT ARE IN LOGGERHEADS AGAINST EACH OTHER.
YOU, UH, YOU'RE YOUR VERY OWN, UH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MR. GARZA HERE JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, MENTIONED THAT, UH, THE WIND DOES NOT ALWAYS BLOW, AND THE SUN DOES NOT ALWAYS SHINE.
AND YET YOU'VE PLACE THIS SO-CALLED ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AS ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES IN THIS PRI IN THIS PORTFOLIO.
WELL, I'M SORRY, THAT'S REALLY UNREALISTIC.
AND WHO SAYS WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO CLOSE DOWN THE COAL POWERED PLANTS THAT WE HAVE? I MEAN, HAS ANYBODY LOOKED AT THE IMPROVED PERFORMANCE OF THE SCRUBBER TECHNOLOGY THAT VARIOUS COAL, UH, POWERED, FIRED, POWERED PLANTS HAVE THESE DAYS? AND THE BIG CONCERN IS THAT WE WANT TO SUPPOSEDLY HELP OUR ENVIRONMENT.
WELL, HAVE WE LOOKED AT OUR RECORD ON POLLUTION IN OUR SKIES LATELY? ANYBODY IF TRULY LOOKING AT IT, WE'LL FIND OUT.
WE'VE MADE ENORMOUS PROGRESS ON THIS, AND IT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO COME ON THE BACKS OF THE RATE PAYER, BECAUSE THAT EXACTLY IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
IF YOU TAKE UNREALISTIC APPROACHES ON THIS, IF WE CHOOSE UNRELIABLE SOURCES, THAT MEANS WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE, THE ENERGY THAT WE NEED IN THE PROPER TIME, WHICH IS GOING TO PLACE PRESSURE ON YOU TO SAY, WELL, MR. AND MRS. RATE PAYER, WE'VE GOTTA RAISE YOUR RATES IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT, WELL, I'M SORRY, I'M NOT BUYING THAT.
AND QUITE A FEW RATE PAYERS AND CITIZENS ARE NOT GONNA BUY IT EITHER.
YOU NEED TO REVISE THIS WHOLE THING AND START LOOKING AT THE REALITY OF IT ALL.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAIN SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT A PRIORITY HERE.
I'M ALAN MONTEMAYOR, CHAIRMAN OF THE ALMA GROUP OF THE SIERRA CLUB.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, UH, ALLOWING US TO SPEAK TODAY.
TO ANSWER MR. FINGER'S QUESTION, I, FOR ONE WILL SAY, WE DO HAVE TO GET RID OF COAL IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, SO THE PLAN THAT C P SS ENERGY IS ADVANCING, UM, HAS SOME POSITIVE ASPECTS AND SOME NEGATIVE ASPECTS TO IT.
FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE GRATIFIED THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE GETTING RID OF COAL, UH, BY 2028.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE GOOD FOR THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO IN MANY DIFFERENT RESPECTS.
I DIDN'T GO INTO THAT RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE ARE DISHEARTENED THOUGH THAT THE, UM, WE'LL DE BE DEPENDING UPON NATURAL GAS.
I, I BELIEVE I SAID, SAW 2065 AS THE RETIREMENT POTENTIAL, RETIREMENT TIME FOR THAT.
THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A HORRENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME TO BE DEPENDENT ON NATURAL GAS.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THE PRICE OF NATURAL GAS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE, AND THE PRICE OF RENEWABLES WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE, AND THAT ULTIMATELY IT WILL BE AN ECONOMIC DECISION THAT WILL FORCE C P S ENERGY TO MOVE TOWARDS MORE TOWARDS RENEWABLES.
UM, THE, UM, THE CAP BASICALLY DOES SAY THAT WE HAVE TO MOVE AWAY FROM COAL AND OUR RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS.
UM, UH, I I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WILL KEEP THE PRESSURE ON C P S ENERGY FOR A TIMELY DEMISE OF COAL IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, FOR A, UH, MOVING AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS, THE FOSSIL FUELS THAT WE WILL USE IN THE INTERIM PERIOD.
I'M VERY MUCH HOPING THAT YOU WILL KEEP THE PRESSURE ON C P S ENERGY TO PURCHASE FOSSIL FUELS THAT HAVE LOW FUGITIVE EMISSIONS CHARACTERISTICS.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EUROPE IS STARTING TO DO.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN EMULATE.
AND I KNOW THAT C P S ENERGY HAS A DESIRE TO DO THAT, BUT IT'S UP TO Y'ALL TO DO, TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON TO DO THAT.
UH, EINSTEIN SAID, AND I'LL PARAPHRASE WHAT HE SAID, THOSE THAT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND, HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT.
[01:25:01]
OKAY? AND THAT'S OUR, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR C P S ENERGY.SO, UH, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT, UH, THE RELIABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH C P SS ENERGY AND, AND SAWS AND OTHER, OTHER UTILITIES.
HOWEVER, FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF ENVIRONMENTALISM, WE DO HAVE TO GET RID OF COAL, AND WE DO NEED TO MOVE AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING CONVERTING CITY FLEETS, C P S ENERGY FLEETS, AND, UH, SAWS FLEETS, AND OTHER COMMERCIAL FLEETS OVER TO EV.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, UH, I'M GRATIFIED TO SEE THAT THERE'S VERY FEW PLASTIC BOTTLES, UH, UP HERE ON CITY COUNCIL.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT ANAS SANDOVAL IS PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
UH, BUT PLASTICS IS ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE'LL BE TALKING A LOT IN THE COMING YEARS, UH, AND, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO SOME GREAT THINGS IN THAT AREA AS WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION.
WE'RE GONNA GET INTO COUNCIL CONVERSATION FIRST.
UM, ARE, ARE, NOW, LET ME SET A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AND ALSO LET ME THANK THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO CAME UP.
I THINK YOU CAPTURED THE, THE, THE, UH, THE SPECTRUM OF THE CONVERSATION THAT'S BEEN OCCURRING IN THE, IN THE RAC ROOM.
AND I WANNA THANK OUR RAC MEMBERS, UH, PARTICULARLY CHAIR WILLIAMS FOR NAVIGATING THAT OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF OR SO.
UH, IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY GOOD WORK, AND OF COURSE, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES.
UH, LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO VOTE ON THIS SCENARIO, UH, I GUESS NEXT WEEK OR, OR THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, LET ME START WITH ONE COMMENT.
RUDY, YOU MAY, YOU MADE A MENTION, AND THERE'S A, I GUESS THERE'S ALWAYS UNEASINESS IN THIS BUILDING BECAUSE C P SS ENERGY IS A MUNICIPALLY OWNED AS A CITY OWNED ENERGY UTILITY, AND YOU HAVE ENORMOUS RESPONSIBILITY, UM, TO PERFORM, TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE HITTING THE OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE TRY TO REFLECT TO YOU.
UM, BUT IT IS INDEPENDENTLY GOVERNED.
AND SO THERE'S FAITH THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WE PUT IN THOSE ROOMS WILL GOVERN ACCORDINGLY, UH, ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF THE PUBLIC AND, AND HOPEFULLY THE REFLECTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES.
YOU MADE A MENTION THAT, UM, I THINK YOU SAID THAT THE CITY, UH, ADOPTED THE CAP GOALS WE'RE COMMITTED TO THE CAP GOALS, AND YOU'RE GONNA DO WHAT YOU CAN TO STAY ALIGNED TO THAT.
LET ME REMIND EVERYBODY OUT THERE THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY THAT ADOPTED THE CAP GOALS.
C P S ENERGY ADOPTED THE GOALS OF THE CAP.
SO DID SAWS, SO DID OUR MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE PARTNERS AS WE CREATED THIS CLIMATE ACTION ADAPTATION PLAN.
SO THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY MISGIVINGS WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMMUNITY'S DIRECTION OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNANCE OF C P SS ENERGY, OUR INTENT AND OUR OBLIGATION, AS WELL AS TO LIVE UP TO THE POLICIES THAT WE ADOPT.
SO LET ME GO INTO THE REASONS.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY FRUITFUL PROCESS AND SHOULD GIVE PEOPLE CONFIDENCE THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING, UH, BY THE CAP GOALS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THEY EXPECT FROM C P SS ENERGY.
PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, ESPECIALLY AS WE'VE LIVED THROUGH, UH, SUCH EVENTS AS WINTER STORM AREAS, IS RELIABILITY.
PEOPLE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AFFORDABLY, WE CAN KEEP THE LIGHTS ON IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, AND I DO NOTE THAT, UM, IN THIS SCENARIO, WE ARE OWNING MORE OF THAT ABILITY OURSELVES, UH, POWER GENERATION IS, UM, PART OF SAN ANTONIO'S, UM, AUTHORITY, AND WE ARE TAKING MORE OF THAT RESPONSIBLY ON, UH, IN A REALISTIC WAY.
UM, LET ME JUST HIT, HIT SOME HIGHLIGHTS WITH REGARD TO GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS.
UH, WE ARE STAYING IN LINE WITH OUR 2030 CAP, UH, PLAN.
WE ARE REDUCING THE INTENSITY OF C O TWO EMISSIONS FROM 2016 LEVELS BY 44%.
WE ARE BEATING THE FIRST PROJECTIONS OF CLOSURE OF, OF THE COAL BUSINESS IN SAN ANTONIO BY SEVERAL DECADES, BY, UH, 2030 CLOSING BOTH SPRUCE ONE AND SPRUCE TWO TO COAL PRODUCTION CONVERSION OF ONE PLANT.
WE'RE ALSO ENSURING THAT THROUGH THIS PLAN, AGAIN, A NEAR TERM STRATEGY, THIS IS AN ADOPTION OF A 50 YEAR STRATEGY.
THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, A PLAN A DIRECTION, AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING IT ALONG THE WAY, UH, THAT WE HAVE ALLOWED OURSELVES, UM, THE ABILITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
WE'VE ALLOWED OURSELVES THE ABILITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, BOTH OF WHICH WE CAN'T PREDICT WHERE THEY ARE HEADED, UH, BUT WE, WITH SOME CONFIDENCE CAN ASSUME THAT TECHNOLOGIES ARE GOING TO IMPROVE, THEY'RE GOING TO GET MORE CONSUMER, UH, THEY'RE GONNA GET, UH, MORE COST EFFECTIVE.
AND THE I R A IS GOING TO PUSH
[01:30:01]
US FURTHER IN THAT DIRECTION.SO, UM, WITHOUT BELABORING THE POINT, I THINK THAT, UH, SCENARIO TWO, CONSIDERING ALL THE OBLIGATIONS OF, OF OUR UTILITY AND OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, RELIANCE ON C P S ENERGY DOES THE RIGHT THING AND ALLOWS US THE FLEXIBILITY TO CONTINUE TO MEET OUR CAP OBLIGATIONS.
SO I AM, UH, VERY HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS OF, OF THE DELIBERATIONS AND THE RECOMMENDATION FROM C P S ENERGY, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES TO NOT ONLY ADOPT THE PLAN, UH, BUT IMPLEMENTED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
SO, THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS.
UH, LET ME START OUR COUNCIL CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
AND THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE HERE TO, UH, SHOW THEIR OPINION TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NECESSARILY SUPPORT
RUDY, UH, YOUR ENTIRE STAFF THAT PARTICIPATED IN ALL OF THE RAC MEETINGS AND TO CHAIR WILLIAMS FOR HIS LEADERSHIP.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK MY APPOINTEE, DR.
ALI CANTU, WHO'S, UH, NOT HERE TODAY.
UM, I'LL ACTUALLY, I WANNA START BY
UH,
APPARENTLY, SOME PEOPLE ARE SCARED THAT YOU CAN GET COVID FROM USING A GLASS.
UM, BUT PLASTICS IS THE NEW COAL AS, UH, AS YOU KNOW.
UM, I WANT TO ECHO SOMETHING THAT THE, THAT THE MAYOR BE BEGAN WITH.
AND THAT IS THAT, UH, WHEN WE EXPERIENCED STORM YURI, I THINK THE COUNCIL'S RELATIONSHIP WITH C P SS, UH, SORT OF CRYSTALLIZED A LITTLE BIT MORE WHILE WE HAD BEEN, UH, HANDS OFF.
UM, THERE WERE ALL THESE REASONS WHY C P S WAS RUNNING ON ITS OWN.
UM, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THAT WAS NOT OKAY WITH THE PUBLIC WHEN SOMETHING AS BIG AS STORM UY WOULD HAPPEN, THAT THE EXPECTATION WOULD BE ON US AS THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO ENSURE THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE AND RELIABILITY.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, RUDY, FOR TAKING THAT NEW RE THAT DIRECT, THAT NEW DIRECTION IN THAT RELATIONSHIP, UH, SO SERIOUSLY AND INCLUDING US IN THESE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS.
UM, WHEN THE RAC BEGAN ITS WORK ON GENERATION PLANNING, I DID MEET WITH, UH, JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GATHER THEIR INPUT.
AND I SHARED THAT AT A MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE MEETING.
I BELIEVE A LOT OF THOSE REQUESTS OR RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN MET WITH THE WORK THAT THE RAT HAS COMPLETED.
MAY THERE MAY BE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE CAN STILL FINE TUNE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
ONE OF THEM WAS HOW CLOSELY WE WOULD LINK WITH THE CLIMATE ACTION ADVISORY COMMITTEES, UM, AS THAT WORK WAS CONDUCTED BY, BY THE COUNCIL AND IN OUR APPOINTEES.
AND I, THIS COUNCIL TOOK THAT WORK VERY SERIOUSLY AND WANTED THEIR, THEIR ROLE TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, ACKNOWLEDGED.
AND, UH, THE ELIMINATION OF, UH, SPRUCE WITH, UH, SOME TIME, UH, A STRICT TIMELINE AND, UH, CLARITY OF COST.
SO I THINK WE CAN STILL WORK A LITTLE BIT, UH, ON THOSE TWO THINGS.
BUT, UH, OVERALL, I'M, I'M VERY GLAD TO SEE THE WORK THAT THE, THAT THE RACK, UH, COMPLETED.
UM, ONE THING I WOULD, UM, LIKE TO, TO CLARIFY FOR, YOU KNOW, I HAVE HEARD SOME COMMENTS ABOUT P P TWO VERSUS P SIX BEHIND, I WAS THERE FOR, FOR THE CONVERSATION IN THE VOTE, AND, UH, FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT RELIABILITY IS THE NUMBER ONE, UH, DRIVER HERE, RIGHT? IF WE DON'T HAVE, UM, IF WE CAN'T RELY ON YOU TO RUN THE LIGHTS, UM, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE POINT IN ALL THIS? SO I, I APPRECIATE THAT AS BEING A NUMBER ONE DRIVER.
UM, SOME OF THE IRONY IS THAT, IS THAT IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT RELIABILITY, WE ARE RELYING A LITTLE BIT MORE ON FOSSIL FUELS, RIGHT? IN THIS PARTICULAR, UH, SCENARIO.
AND WE'VE COME TO SOMETHING LIKE AN NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP, RIGHT? IN ORDER TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM EXTREME WEATHER THAT'S CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, WE NEED TO USE A LITTLE BIT MORE FUEL THAT CONTRIBUTES TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND, UH, BUT WE WANNA PROTECT OUR POPULATION.
SO WE'RE KIND OF IN THIS CONUNDRUM, AND THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT A SHORT WINDOW WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, AND THAT THERE IS, UH, WHAT I HEAR IS COMMITMENT ON THE MAYOR'S BEHALF, AS WELL AS, UH, SOME OF THE, SOME OF YOUR BOARD MEMBERS TO REVISIT THIS WHEN MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
UM, AND TECHNOLOGY IS ALWAYS CHANGING.
SO I, I GUESS, COULD YOU CLARIFY FOR US, UM, WHEN THIS IS ADOPTED, CAN THERE BE A COMMITMENT TO, UH, REVISIT THE PORTFOLIO GENERATION PLANNING SCENARIO? AND HOW SOON CAN THAT BE? IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A 2030 TARGET, UM,
[01:35:01]
I WOULD IMAGINE A, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR YEARS FROM NOW MIGHT BE GOOD.UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, MY BOARD HAS BEEN CLEAR THEY EXPECT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AT LEAST EVERY FEW YEARS, UH, FORMALLY.
SO THAT'S WHY I SAID WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT OUR PLAN ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, UPDATE THE BOARD ON WHERE WE'RE AT, WHAT'S CHANGED, HOW THAT IMPACTS, UH, OUR DIRECTION.
UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS WE WILL DO IT, IT IS A LOT OF WORK TO DO AN INTEGRATED PLANNING PROCESS THE WAY WE JUST DID A LOT OF STAFF HOURS, A LOT OF CONSULTANT TIME.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, TO DO THAT EVERY YEAR IS REALLY DIFFICULT JUST FROM A CAPACITY STANDPOINT.
UH, BUT I DO THINK EVERY THREE TO FIVE YEARS, IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
UH, AND AGAIN, AS POLICY, UH, YOU KNOW, DIRECTION CHANGE, THE PRICE OF NATURAL GAS GOES UP, IT DOESN'T COME BACK DOWN.
AND WE GOTTA REEVALUATE WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE RIGHT DECISION.
I MEAN, YOU GOT MY COMMITMENT, UH, AS THE LEADER, AT LEAST IN THE MOMENT AT C P S ENERGY.
I DON'T WANNA PUT THE COMMUNITY IN A POSITION OF HAVING TO MAKE ANOTHER SPRUCE LIKE DECISION IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE MADE AN OVER INVESTMENT IN ONE TECHNOLOGY VERSUS ANOTHER.
SO, UH, OUR, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST OUR EXECUTION PLAN IS WE WANT TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, MODERATE STEPS FORWARD, UH, AS WE REPLACE AGING, UH, RESOURCES TO BE ABLE, UH, TO, TO, TO NOT HAVE TO OVERCOMMIT AND MAKE THIS AND GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AGAIN.
UH, THE PROCESS OF HAVING TO CLOSE A COAL PLANT, THE PROCESS, CLOSE AN OLD, I DON'T WANNA CLOSE PLANTS DOWN EARLY, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD RATHER, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAINTAIN MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY THAN TO OVERINVEST AND THEN HAVE TO WALK AWAY FROM IT.
I, I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO DO THAT AGAIN.
UM, I, I DO HAVE, UH, ONE CLARIFICATION, UM, THAT I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO, TO MAKE AND REGARDING A SCENARIO TO YOU OR YOU OR KATHY.
AND THAT IS, UM, WE'RE THE, THE RACK AS IS CHOOSING THAT SCENARIO AND, AND STAFF IS ALSO PROMOTING THAT SCENARIO BECAUSE OF THE RELIABILITY, AND THAT SCENARIO DOES DEPEND ON NATURAL GAS.
AND WHEN WE EXPERIENCE STORM, YURI, NATURAL GAS FAILED US RIGHT AT THAT POINT.
AND IT, UH, OR LET'S JUST SAY THE PRICE SHOT UP
HOW CAN WE ENSURE THE COMMUNITY THAT IF WE GO FORWARD WITH P TWO, WE ARE STILL MINIMIZING THAT RISK, UH, THAT WE EXPERIENCED DURING URI? SO, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE INDUSTRY IN GENERAL IS REALLY GOOD AT THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION, RIGHT? I MEAN, PRICES GO UP AND DOWN, AND WE PLAN FOR THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN PUT TOGETHER THE BEST UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES IN THAT MOMENT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE BEST DEAL IN THE MARKET.
UH, IT'S THE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS THAT REALLY DRIVE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN P TWO AND P NINE, UH, WHEN NATURAL GAS PRICES DRIVE THE PRICE OF, UH, POWER IN THE MARKET, FUNDAMENTALLY, THAT THAT'S THE WAY THE ELECTRIC MARKET IN TEXAS IS SET UP.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, OF ON RELIABILITY DURING EXTREME EVENTS, THAT'S WHERE REALLY P TWO AND P NINE DIVERGE.
UH, BECAUSE IF, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU NO LONGER HAVE NATURAL GAS ASSETS THAT YOU CONTROL THAT YOU CAN LEAN ON IN EVENTS LIKE THAT.
AND WE CAN PREPAY, YOU KNOW, GAS, WE'RE PUTTING MORE GAS IN STORAGE, YOU KNOW, OUR HEDGING PROGRAM HAS BEEN REVISED SINCE, UH, WINTER STORM URI TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, UH, A LOT MORE THOUGHTFUL IN THE MO IN THOSE MOMENTS.
UM, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, THEN YOU'RE BUYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE YOUR RENEWABLES AREN'T, YOU KNOW, IT'S COLD, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE SUN'S NOT SHINING, WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE.
UM, YOU'RE BUYING WHATEVER THE PRICE OF THE MARKET IS.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT ONE SLIDE, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION, THAT SHOWS THE EXTREME, THE DIFFERENCES IN EXTREME WEATHER, THAT'S REALLY KIND OF WHERE THE TWO PLANS, YOU KNOW, DIVERGE FROM A, FROM A RELIABILITY STANDPOINT.
SO IT'S, UH, A LESS RELIANCE ON THE MARKET.
UM, BUT NOT SO MUCH A LESS RELIANCE ON GAS.
THAT WE'RE GOING TO ASSUME THAT THE GAS THAT WE OPERATE AND THAT WE CONTROL WILL, WILL FLOW UNDER BOTH SCENARIOS IN EXTREME WEATHER.
YOU'RE RELYING ON NATURAL GAS UNDER BOTH SCENARIOS, WHETHER AND EXTREME WEATHER YES, MA'AM.
TO THE SAME EXTENT, YES, MA'AM.
UM, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS FOR, FOR NOW.
I'LL CHIME BACK IN LATER, BUT I DO WANNA, UH, THANK THE RAC ONCE AGAIN AND, UH, THE COUNCIL FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS A LIAISON TO THIS, UH, BODY.
UM, BACK WHEN THIS PROCESS STARTED, UH, I HAD SOMEONE APPOINTED TO THE RAC COMMITTEE.
SHE WAS DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB, BUT IT TOOK A LOT OF TIME AND COMMITMENT, SO SHE ASKED TO STEP OFF.
IT WAS, AT THAT TIME WHEN WE WERE COMING FOR THE RATE INCREASE THAT I WAS, I FELT IT WAS HARD TO ASK ANOTHER RESIDENT TO COME AND DO THIS JOB BECAUSE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT.
[01:40:01]
APPOINTED ONTO THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND IT HAS BEEN A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE.UH, I WANNA THANK REED FOR HIS PROCESS.
WE DID A, A, UM, THOROUGH JOB IN LOOKING AT THIS.
I THINK WHAT YOU HAVE TODAY, BEFORE YOU WITH P TWO AND P NINE, WERE THE BEST OPTIONS WITH WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE.
I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUANCES, IT GOES DOWN TO THE FACT THAT THE RA, THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS 21 PEOPLE, AND EVERYBODY KIND OF HAD, WHERE WE DIDN'T SAY, OH, THIS IS OUR MAIN PRIORITY.
WE KIND OF LEANED TOWARDS ONE OR THE OTHER AND FELT LIKE THIS PRIORITY SHOULD BE EVERYBODY'S PRIORITY.
BUT AGAIN, IT IS WHAT, WHAT THE MAJORITY WANTS.
AND THEY WERE COMING OFF THE WINTER STORM, AND THAT THAT DID MAKE A BIG OF AN IMPACT.
I THINK RENEWABLE IS THE FUTURE.
I FELT LIKE THERE WERE BENEFITS THERE, BUT THE COMMITTEE AND THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMITTEE FELT LIKE THIS.
THIS WASN'T THE TIME FOR, FOR THE MOVE ON P NINE.
AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT, AND I RESPECTED THAT.
AND HERE TODAY, YOU HAVE THE, THE PRESENTATION TO ASK THE QUESTIONS, AND THEY ARE GOING TO ANSWER ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE THEY ANSWERED THEM THOROUGHLY FOR US IN THE COMMITTEE, I THINK WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE ARE HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT DISPARITY AND ABOUT ECONOMICS, THAT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE PICTURE.
I WAS REPRESENTING D THREE, MANY OF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT DISTRICT.
WHEN I HAVE ONE SIDE THAT WAS FOR ALL RENEWABLES, TALK ABOUT PLUGGING IN THEIR TESLA AND AT THEIR HOME.
AND I HAVE ANOTHER SIDE SITTING AT THEIR HILL COUNTRY HOME LINING UP THEIR CIGAR, TALKING ABOUT HOW IT'S NO BIG DEAL TO STAY WITH COAL.
I FELT, UH, THAT THEY WERE DISENFRANCHISED TO THE PIER AND BEAM HOMES OF DISTRICT THREE, THE MOTHERS TAKING THEIR CHILDREN TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE THEY HAD ANOTHER ASTHMA ATTACK THAT REQUIRED AN EMER AN ER VISIT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I, I PUSHED FOR P NINE.
I THINK P TWO IS DEFINITELY THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT I THINK SIMILAR TO WHAT COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL SAID IS THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE TO MEET THOSE 24, UH, CLIMATE ACTION PRIORITIES AND OUR SUSTAINABILITY PRIORITIES.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING AS A TEAM AND WORKING WITH C P S ON HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
AND I THINK, I THINK THE COMMITTEE, AGAIN, FOR THEIR EFFORTS BOARD, IT IS NOT AN EASY JOB THAT YOU DO, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE THIS CITY FORWARD, A GROWING CITY WITH AN A TREMENDOUS POPULATION AND WITH, WITH VERY OLD HOMES AND, AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND I THINK TOGETHER, UH, CLOSING THAT COAL PLANT IS, IS DEFINITELY THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND THE RIGHT STEP.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
AND THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT I'LL START, UH, I WANNA SAY I'D LIKE TO THANK THE DISTRICT TWO RACA APPOINTEE AND NWA UH, ORA GARCIA FOR REPRESENTING OUR COMMUNITY SO CAPABLY AND FOR BRINGING OUR VOICES, THOSE OF BLACK, INDIGENOUS, UM, AND WORKING CLASS FAMILIES TO THE TABLE WITH HER AT EVERY MEETING.
AND SINCE I JOINED THE COUNCIL, I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR A VERY CLEAR DATE FOR THE CLOSURE CLOSURE CLOSURE OF SPRUCE COAL POWER PLANT.
AND I'M MILDLY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THE PLANT WILL CEASE COAL BURNING OPERATIONS BY 2028.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I APPLAUD THIS MOVE, AND I WANNA SAY THAT IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE ADVOCACY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GROUPS LIKE SOUTHWEST WORKERS UNION AND PUBLIC, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.
SO THANK YOU TO THOSE GROUPS AND TO THE ORGANIZERS AS WELL.
I WANT TO DIG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THE CON CONVERSION OF SPRUCE FROM A COAL PLANT INTO A NATURAL GAS PLANT.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS THEN WOULD EXTEND OPERATIONS OF SPRUCE THROUGH 2065.
IS THAT CORRECT? OH, GOOD AFTERNOON.
UM, THE ORIGINAL DESIGN OF THAT PLANT WOULD TAKE THE LIFE TO 2065.
WHAT I'LL SAY IS WE'LL MAKE THE GAS CONVERSION AND WE'LL OPERATE THAT PLANT TO THE FULL EXTENT, PRACTICAL, AS LONG AS IT SERVES THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND LIKE WE DO EVERYTHING WILL, WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE ASSETS FROM TIME TO TIME TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE STILL DOING WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IN, IN A RELIABLE, ECONOMICAL WAY TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.
[01:45:01]
POINT OF MY QUESTION IS THAT WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY CLOSING SPRUCE.WE'RE CONVERTING IT TO NATURAL GAS, THEN EXTENDING ITS LIFE.
UM, AND I STILL HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE POLLUTION IMPACTS, UM, AND HOW THOSE, YOU KNOW, UH, COUNCILWOMAN
AND MY DISTRICT IS, UH, CLOSER THAN, UH, SOME OTHERS TO THE, TO THE POWER PLANTS.
AND SO I'M WONDERING WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, DID YOUR SCENARIOS MODEL THE IMPACTS ON DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES? AND DID YOU SEE ANY MAPS OR ON, UH, THE ENVIRONMENT? DO WE HAVE ANY SORT OF INFORMATION ON THAT? SO THAT TYPE OF MODELING WAS DONE WHEN THE PLANT WAS CONSTRUCTED, AND THAT INFORMATION IS OUT THERE.
AND, AND AS, AS YOU KNOW, WITH GAS, THE EMISSIONS WILL BE LOWER THAN THEY, THAN THEY WERE WITH COAL.
BUT THE IMPACTS WILL STILL BE DISPROPORTIONATE, RIGHT? I CAN'T SAY THEY WOULD BE DISPROPORTIONATE.
UH, HOW MANY TIMES DID THE RACK GET TO LOOK AT THE MAP OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS IN WHICH COMMUNITIES WERE MOST IMPACTED? COUNCILMAN? WE'VE GOT AIR MONITORS ALL OVER SAN ANTONIO, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT WE WORKED WITH, WITH ACOG, UH, AND CAN, WE CAN SHOW YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE EMISSIONS PROFILES LOOK LIKE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY, UH, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
UM, SO WHILE THE MODELING BENNY, UH, WAS TALKING ABOUT DURING THIS PROCESS, DONE A LOOK AT IT DISTRICT BY LOOK DISTRICT, IT LOOKS AT OUR AIRSHED AND IT LOOKS AT, YOU KNOW, HOW'S THE OVERALL PROFILE OF OUR AIRSHED AND, AND CARBON EMISSIONS COMING DOWN ACROSS SAN ANTONIO.
SO THE MODELING DIDN'T DO IT ON A DISTRICT BY DISTRICT BASIS, BUT WE CAN SHOW YOU WHAT THE EMISSION RATES LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, OF DIFFERENT POINTS ACROSS OUR CITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT CAN AT LEAST GET YOU SOME OF THE WAY WHERE, WHERE YOU'RE AT WITH THE QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M CONFLICTED BE BECAUSE OF COURSE, UH, AS COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL MENTIONED AND AS BEEN STATED HERE, RELIABILITY IS GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR MEMBERS THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE CITY, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, RESIDENTS OF OUR ENTIRE CITY.
UM, AND I THINK UNDERLYING IS STILL THAT CONFLICT THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO PIN THE BURDEN OF POLLUTIONS ON FAMILIES LIVING ON THE EAST SIDE.
AND THESE ARE MAINLY POOR WORKING CLASS FAMILIES.
AND TO ME THAT'S ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM.
AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO RECTIFY RELIABILITY WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF WHAT, OF OUR DECISION MAKING IS ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM.
AND SO I DON'T EXPECT AN ANSWER RIGHT HERE ON HOW ARE WE GOING TO LESSEN THAT BURDEN, BUT I THINK THAT NEEDS TO, WE VERY CLEARLY NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
IF WE WERE TO SHIFT OUR ENERGY GENERATION FURTHER INTO RENEWABLES AND BATTERY STORAGE, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO SHUT DOWN THE PLANT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER? I I AM SORRY.
WOULD YOU ASK THAT QUESTION AGAIN? UM, IF WE WERE TO SHIFT OUR ENERGY GENERATION FURTHER INTO RENEWABLES AND A BATTERY STORAGE, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO SHUT DOWN THE PLANT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER THAN 2065? SO TO THE EXTENT WE CAN CONTINUE TO EXPAND CAPACITY, UH, TO MEET OUR NEEDS, UH, ABSOLUTELY.
WHAT I'LL TELL YOU IS WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT OUR FLEET AND WE WILL MAINTAIN THAT FLEET TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CITY BEING RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE.
THAT IS TO SAY, WE, WE INDICATED 2065 LIFE.
'CAUSE THAT WAS THE, WAS THE PLANT, UH, DESIGN, THAT'S WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE WON'T BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO BETTER MEET OUR NEEDS DURING THAT PERIOD, IN WHICH CASE WE WOULD TRANSITION.
AND I SHIFTING A LITTLE BIT, UM, AS IT IS, NATURAL GAS PRICES HAVE ALREADY, UM, YOU KNOW, MADE C P S ENERGY CUSTOMER BILLS INCREASE OVER 40% SINCE LAST YEAR.
HOW WILL CONTINUED GAS USE IMPACT CUSTOMER BILLS? SO I'M GONNA NEED TO PHONE A FRIEND ON THAT ONE.
I THINK THE, THE IMPACT THAT, UM, KATHY SHOWED ON SLIDE 10, UM, INCORPORATED BOTH KIND OF FIXED AND VARIABLE COSTS.
AND TO THAT EXTENT, YOU KNOW, USING NATURAL GAS IS BUILT INTO THAT.
UM, SO, UH, THAT'S ALL FORECAST OBVIOUSLY AND MARKET DRIVEN.
UM, BUT IN THE, THE CASE THAT YOU SAW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE FORECASTED THE USE OF GAS AT, UH, FORWARD PRICES AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING NOW IS ACTUALLY PRICES TRENDING DOWN IN, IN NATURAL GAS FROM THE HIGHS THAT YOU SAW EARLIER THIS YEAR.
I'M NOT SURE THAT I'M GONNA GET, I HAVE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT I'M GONNA GET THE ANSWERS THAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
UM, HOW OFTEN WILL C P S ENERGY UPDATE THE RESOURCE PLAN? AND MY HOPE IS THAT IF WE UPDATE IT MORE OFTEN, SAY EVERY TWO YEARS, AND MAYBE WE CAN RESPOND TO CHANGE IN CONDITIONS MORE QUICKLY, AND PERHAPS MY GOAL IS TO RETIRE SPRUCE EARLIER.
AND SO THE BULK OF MY QUESTIONS ARE GETTING TO THAT POINT.
AND SO WILL WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE EVERY YEAH, COUNCILMAN, I, I MEAN, MEAN IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A COMMITMENT FROM ME THAT WE'RE GONNA RETIRE, SPLICE EARLY, I CAN'T MAKE THAT COMMITMENT TO YOU STANDING HERE TODAY, WE'RE GONNA BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT OUR RESOURCE MIX TO TO, YOU KNOW, TO BRING OUR, OUR, OUR EMISSIONS PROFILE DOWN.
[01:50:01]
INCREASE RENEWABLES, AS NEW TECHNOLOGY COMES INTO PLAY, UH, THE, THE, THE GOOD THING ABOUT, ABOUT OUR NATURAL GAS, UH, FLEET, ESPECIALLY ONCE WE REPLACE, UM, THE OLD GAS PLANTS, UH, THAT ARE A LITTLE LESS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, EFFICIENT, UM, WE CAN TURN THOSE PLANTS OFF AND ON, YOU KNOW, WHEN RENEWABLES ARE AVAILABLE, WHEN THERE ARE OTHER RESOURCES WE CAN LEAN ON.THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE FLEXIBILITY THAT WE BUILT INTO, INTO THE P TWO SCENARIO IS SO IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO RUN NATURAL GAS ALL THE TIME WHEN THERE, WHEN THERE ARE OTHER RESOURCES, UH, AVAILABLE.
UH, BUT I WOULD EXPECT AS BATTERY STORAGE, ESPECIALLY LONG DURATION BATTERY STORAGE COMES INTO PLAY, OUR RELIANCE, OUR RELIANCE ON NATURAL GAS WILL GO DOWN.
AND I GUESS THE COMMITMENT THAT I'M LOOKING FOR, 'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO YEAH.
GIVE ME THE ANSWER I WANT RELATING TO SPRUCE RIGHT NOW IS THAT AS CONDITIONS CHANGE, THAT THERE IS A COMMITMENT THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO REEVALUATE OUR PLAN.
THAT'S, UH, THAT WAS MY RESPONSE TO COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL'S QUESTION.
WE'RE GONNA BE GIVING ANNUAL UPDATES TO OUR BOARD AND PROBABLY LOOKING AT OUR RESOURCE PLAN EVERY THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER PALAI.
UH, RUDY, THANKS TO, UH, THE BOARD, THE CHAIR AND, UH, FRANCINE ROMERO PHD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING SAID YES TO THIS.
UH, WE PROMISED YOU IT'D BE EASY NO STRESS.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT WE'VE DELIVERED, UH, YEAH.
AND SO WE, UH, I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND, AND I HEAR NOTHING BUT, BUT GOOD THINGS, UH, COMING FROM, UH, FROM OUTTA THE ORGANIZATION, FRANCINE, AND, UH, REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU, UH, YOU LEANING INTO THIS.
UM, ONE OF THE
EVERYBODY'S AN EXPERT IN TAXATION.
EVERYBODY'S AN EXPERT IN, UH, POLICING AND, UH, EVERYBODY'S AN EXPERT IN, NOT EVERYBODY'S AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST THESE DAYS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND NOW EVERYBODY'S AN EXPERT IN HOW TO RUN A, THE LARGEST MUNICIPAL UTILITY ON THE PLANET, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, THEY THINK THAT IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TURNING ON THE LIGHTS, AND THEY COME ON, AND THAT'S OKAY.
I MEAN, WE WANT, WE WANT YOU GUYS TO BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED IN MANY INSTANCES, RIGHT? UH, PEOPLE ARE EX REALLY EXPERTS AS IN LIVING THEIR OWN LIVES AND LIVING ON, YOU KNOW, UH, WITH THEIR OWN BUDGETS.
AND, UM, AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T EXPECT THEM TO BE EXPERTS, BUT THE FAMILIARITY THEY HAVE WITH, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, THE WORKINGS OF A UTILITY AND WHAT IT TAKES TO GENERATE AND, AND MANAGE THE ARMY OF PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR YOU, THAT IT'S, UH, I, I'M NOT SURPRISED, UM, THAT, THAT THERE IS, UH, VERY LITTLE, IF ANY, FAMILIARITY WITH THAT.
BUT, UM, WE STILL HAVE TO SOMEHOW EXPLAIN THINGS TO, TO OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE ALL EXPERTS, AND THAT'S OKAY.
THAT'S THE JOB, RIGHT? UM, BUT I, I, I HAVE, UH, STRUGGLED OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS WITH, UM, PLUMBING, THE DEPTHS OF MY OWN IGNORANCE WHEN IT COMES TO ALSO WHAT IT IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE STRUGGLES THAT YOU GUYS FACE AND THE CHALLENGES YOU GUYS FACE IN ORDER TO DELIVER EXCELLENT SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY GRATEFUL THAT THE ORGANIZATION, KATHY, AND, AND YOU KNOW, RUDY AND YOUR PREDECESSOR, RUDY AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO WORKS FOR YOU GUYS OUT THERE WHO'S, YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLY PATIENT WITH ME IN, IN EXPLAINING HOW THINGS WORK AND HAVING TO EXPLAIN OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, RIGHT? SO THAT I CAN THEN SYNTHESIZE THAT AND DELIVER THOSE EXPLANATIONS TO MY, TO MY CONSTITUENTS.
AND SO YOU GUYS ARE, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE GREAT.
UM, I, I DO ALSO, UM, EXPERIENCE FRUSTRATION BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO, UM, STILL CONSIDER C P SS TO BE WHAT IT WAS, RIGHT? RUDY, UM, AND BACK IN THE DAY, RIGHT? UM, C P S ENERGY WAS A SLEEPY, COOL LITTLE UTILITY, RIGHT? THAT WAS DELIVERING ENERGY FOR A SLEEPY, COOL LITTLE TOWN.
UH, AND NOW WE'RE THE THIRD LARGEST CITY AND THE NINTH LARGEST ECONOMY ON THE PLANET.
UH, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT BRINGS WITH IT, IT'S SOME REALLY SOPHISTICATED PROBLEMS THAT REQUIRE VERY SOPHISTICATED AND COMPLEX SOLUTIONS.
SO, UM, I DO THINK THAT THE WORK DONE BY THIS RACK IS IMPRESSIVE.
UM, AND I, I'M NOT SURPRISED, UH, I'M IMPRESSED, BUT NOT SURPRISED.
UM, IT WAS LED BY SOME PRETTY SMART PEOPLE AND, UM, NAMELY REED WILLIAMS. AND, UM, I THINK THAT ALL OF YOU WHO, WHO GET TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH REED AND, UH, AND GET TO KNOW HIM, I THINK MOST PEOPLE WILL COME AWAY KNOWING THAT THAT IS A MAN WHO'S INCAPABLE OF GUILE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SOM AND, UH, AND MINCING WORDS, I MEAN, YOU'RE ONE OF THE MOST PLAINSPOKEN PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET REED, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY WHEN YOU COME AND GIVE US YOUR DIAGNOSIS, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU'RE NOT SUGARCOATING ANYTHING.
AND, UM, SO FAR WHEN IT COMES TO THIS TOPIC, UM, YOU'VE BEEN RIGHT, UH, ALL ALONG, AND I, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SERVING ON A RACK WHERE
[01:55:01]
YOU WERE ALSO OUR FEARLESS LEADER OF THAT RACK OVER AT SAS, AND YOU DID EXCELLENT WORK THERE, AND YOU WERE RIGHT, UM, BECAUSE, UM, YOU ARE A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN MANY WAYS ON SOME OF THIS STUFF.AND SO, UM, I, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN SCRUBBED, UH, AND WHEN IT'S DELIVERED BY REED WILLIAMS, I KNOW THAT IT'S, I KNOW THAT IT'S THE RIGHT RESULT.
NOW, RUDY, THE QUESTION FOR YOU AND, UH, TAKE THIS IN WHATEVER DIRECTION YOU WANT, BUT, UM, ARE WE DONE? AND, UH, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT LIES ON THE ROAD AHEAD OF US THAT WE SHOULD, UH, ANTICIPATE AFTER WE ACCEPT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS? UH, COUNCILMAN THANK NUMBER ONE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF, OF THE TEAM AND THE PROCESS.
I THINK, AGAIN, I, I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN, YOU KNOW, THE ROAD TO GET HERE.
UH, WE ARE, WE ARE NEVER DONE.
AND, UM, TO YOUR POINT, UH, WHICH IS RIGHT ON SPOT ON THE C P S ENERGY WE WERE YESTERDAY IS NOT THE C P SS ENERGY WE ARE TODAY, AND CERTAINLY IS NOT WHAT OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS US TO BE, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
UH, IT'S GONNA REQUIRE CONSTANT EVOLUTION.
IT'S GONNA REQUIRE, UH, CHALLENGING OURSELVES IN WAYS THAT, THAT MAYBE WE NEVER HAVE BEFORE.
IT'S GONNA REQUIRE LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE, AND TAKING FEEDBACK IN THE MANNER THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO A BETTER JOB OF, UH, IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE.
SO, UH, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THE ROAD AHEAD IS HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, FIT ALL THESE PIECES TOGETHER, UH, IN A REALLY COMPLEX PUZZLE? UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE DOVE HUNTING WITH A, YOU KNOW, A, A BIRD THAT'S MOVING, YOU KNOW, THREE DIMENSIONALLY.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A MOVING TARGET.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THE BEST JOB TO CREATE CERTAINTY IN AN UNCERTAIN ENVIRONMENT AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND TRY TO DO OUR BEST TO ASSURE THE COMMUNITY, UH, THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ABOUT THINGS THE RIGHT WAY.
UH, BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR EXPECTATION OF US, RIGHT? THEY, THEY WANT RELIABLE SERVICE AND THEY WANT IT FOR THE BEST PRICE THEY CAN GET IT.
UH, AND SO WE HAVE TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS, UH, AT EVERY TURN IN THAT MANNER, BUT IT'S GONNA REQUIRE A CONSTANT STATE OF EVOLUTION THAT MAYBE LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM REED, I'D LIKE TO JUST, UH, ASK YOU, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT, UH, YOU'VE DONE ON THIS COMMITTEE AS FAR AS PROVIDING, UH, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP COORDINATION, SOME DIRECTION.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE COMMITTEE.
DO YOU FEEL IT, IT FAIRLY REPRESENTED THE COMMUNITY? UH, TOO OFTEN WE HEAR, WELL, THESE THINGS ARE FIXED.
HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION AND THE REPRESENTATION ON THE COMMITTEE? UH, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY GOOD.
UM, I, YOU, I GUESS YOU CAN ALWAYS SAY, WELL, THIS PERSON IS, IS TO THIS, OR THIS PERSON'S TO THAT, BUT WE HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE TO EVERYTHING.
UH, SO I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE HAD ANYBODY THAT WASN'T COVERING SOME POSITION.
AND, AND ANOTHER POINT THAT I THINK IS JUST AS IMPORTANT, UH, COUNCILMAN, IS THAT WE WERE, EVERYBODY WAS RESPECTFUL AND LET EVERYONE SPEAK.
UH, QUITE OFTEN I'VE BEEN IN SITUATIONS, UNFORTUNATELY, WHERE WE HAVE WHAT I WOULD CALL DOMINANT SPEAKERS, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN HERE.
UH, AND I'VE ALSO BEEN IN SITUATIONS WHERE PEOPLE WERE NOT, UH, PROPERLY RESPECTED AND, AND I DON'T THINK THAT HAPPENED HERE.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF GETTING A COLLECTION OF PEOPLE, IT'S GETTING A COLLECTION OF PEOPLE THAT CAN CREATE SOME LEVEL OF MUTUAL TRUST AND RESPECT.
AND WHILE WE DIDN'T AGREE ON EVERYTHING, AND WE NEVER WILL, UM, I THINK MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT, IF NOT ALL OF 'EM THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS, CAME AWAY WITH THE, WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT THEY NOW KNOW, UM, THAT THEY COULD PROBABLY TALK TO ANYTHING ABOUT.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S JUST A REFLECTION OF SAN ANTONIO COUNCILMAN CUR.
SO, YES, I THINK YOUR ANSWER IS YES.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO GO ON TOO LONG.
WE CAN'T, UH, IN THIS DAY AND AGE, WE CAN'T UNDEREMPHASIZE HOW WE'VE GOT TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS. AND AGAIN, THAT'S A, THAT'S A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR US IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE CAN, WE, WE'LL BE MORE COMPETITIVE BECAUSE WE CAN GET ON WITH IT.
DO YOU THINK YOU HAD THE COMPLETE TOTAL COOPERATION FROM C P SS ENERGY, UH, ALL OF THEIR STAFF, ALL OF THEIR RESOURCES, YES.
WAS THERE ANY STONE UNTURNED? UH, IN OTHER WORDS, DID, DID THE COMMITTEE CONSIDER ALL LIKELY AND PRESENTLY AVAILABLE POSSIBILITIES FOR CONTINUED ENERGY RELIABILITY?
[02:00:01]
I, I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE WERE, WE WERE GIVEN FOUR, UH, PORTFOLIOS BY C P S, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET, UM, FIVE MORE, UH, FROM, FROM, UH, DD AND, UH, THAT GROUP, AND THEY WERE ALL GOOD.ARE, IS IT A PORTFOLIO THAT I WOULD'VE DESIGNED? NO.
UM, I, I'M, ANYTIME YOU'RE USING A MODEL, THIS IS AN LP MODEL, A LINEAR PROGRAM.
UH, IT WORKED ON A PORTFOLIO CONCEPT AND A SCENARIO CONCEPT.
UH, SO THE WAY THE MODEL WAS DESIGNED, IT LOOKED AT EVERYTHING.
BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE DONE IT DIFFERENTLY, PERHAPS.
BUT AS FAR AS ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, I THINK ALL CONSIDERATIONS WERE CONSIDERED.
NOW THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, THE REAL STRENGTH OF THIS IS THAT WE CAN TAKE A PLAN AND CONVERT THAT, WHICH IS JUST A, YOU KNOW, WHILE IT'S A MULTI PERIOD PLAN, IT'S REALLY LOOKING AT SEVEN OR EIGHT, NINE YEARS HERE THAT CAN GET CONVERTED TO AN OPERATING PLAN THAT CAN, CAN, AS RUDY SAID, YOU CAN CONSTANTLY BE LOOK, TESTING THE, THE, THE ASSUMPTIONS.
IF THE ASSUMPTIONS CHANGE, PUT IT IN A SIMULATION THAT'S MORE, UH, IT'S EASIER TO USE ON A MULTI PERIOD BASIS.
SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT CAN DO.
THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY, TOTALLY QUALIFIED TO DO IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'LL GET DONE, COUNSEL.
UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK RUDY A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
NOW, RUDY, THERE WERE, UH, TWO DIFFERENT CONSULTING REPORTS THAT WERE DONE.
ONE WAS THE RIVER'S REPORT THAT I GUESS, PRESENTED WHAT THEY THOUGHT SOME OF THE VIABLE OPTIONS WERE TO BE CONSIDERED.
THE OTHER WAS THE MCDONALD'S REPORT THAT KIND OF LOOKED AT THE WAY THE RIVER'S REPORT WAS PUT TOGETHER.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, CERTAINLY THERE WERE TWO PERSPECTIVES OFFERED UP, YOU KNOW, CHARLES RIVER ASSOCIATES IS THE MODELING COMPANY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THAT THAT DOES IT THE WAY MOST UTILITIES DO IT.
UH, AND, UH, BURNS AND MAC, UH, REALLY JUST, UH, PROVIDED THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THE RACK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ASSUMPTIONS MADE WERE REASONABLE THAT THEY, THEY GOT TO SEE ALL THE INFORMATION, SOME OF WHICH WAS NOT MADE AVAILABLE TO THE RACK, UH, JUST TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT THEIR PROCESS WAS RIGHT.
UM, DOES THE P TWO UH, PROGRAM LEAD TO FUTURE COST SAVINGS OR COST INCREASES IN YOUR OPINION? UH, TO, I THINK TO THE EXTENT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, EXTREME EVENTS ARE MINIMIZED THAT YOU, YOU WE COULD SEE SOME COST SAVINGS.
I THINK THAT THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE UNKNOWN, RIGHT? THE MORE EXTREME EVENTS WE HAVE, I THINK THE MORE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT THE IMPACT ON OUR CUSTOMERS WILL BE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THE MAYOR AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE.
I THINK WHAT, WHAT WHAT YOU'RE REALLY GONNA GET IS, YOU KNOW, P TWO IS KIND OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLE, BUT IT'S WITH A LEAN TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, P NINE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE MODELING DID, DID SAY THAT, THAT UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, MORE RENEWABLES PROVIDES A LOWER COST, UH, OUTCOME FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
SO THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE GONNA LIKELY MAXIMIZE THE, THE AMOUNT OF RENEWABLES WE BRING, BRINGING ON INTO OUR PORTFOLIO, YOU KNOW, AS CONDITIONS CHANGE, AS OUR, OUR ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHETHER EVENTS CHANGE AS NEW TECHNOLOGY COMES ON BOARD.
UM, AND SO WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS OUR APPROACH UNDER ANY SCENARIO IS GONNA BE TO FIND WAYS TO BRING OUR COSTS DOWN.
NOW, HERE'S WHAT I'LL TELL YOU, COUNCILMAN.
I THINK THE NEXT FIVE YEARS ARE GONNA, ARE GONNA BE TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR C P S ENERGY THERE.
IT'S GONNA REQUIRE AN INVESTMENT BY THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO GET US OVER THE HUMP.
BUT ONCE WE GET OVER THAT HUMP AND, AND, AND, AND MOVE TO THE FUTURE, UH, I THINK YOU WILL SEE COSTS START TO COME DOWN FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANT TO BE IN AN ERA OF ONE RATE CASE AFTER ANOTHER.
I'M HOPING, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE NEXT COUPLE THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO GET THROUGH THAT THERE'LL BE SOME SAVINGS THAT WE CAN COME BACK AND TALK TO COUNSEL ABOUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, BECAUSE WE'VE MADE THAT TRANSITION EFFECTIVELY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO I WILL TELL YOU MY COMMITMENT, UH, IS THAT WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS TO TRY TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT TO OUR RATE PAYERS.
NOW, I NOTICED IN, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION THAT ERCOT HAS, UH, THE ABILITY TO SAY NO TO SOME OF THE PROCESSES.
WHAT HAPPENS IF ERCOT SAYS THEY DON'T WANT C P S TO CLOSE A PLAN? WELL, THEY REALLY WOULDN'T SAY IT THAT WAY.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS ERCOT IS LOOKING AT THEIR MODEL.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE CAPACITY THAT'S COMING ONLINE, COMING OFFLINE, UM, 25%, OR THINK IT'S 25,000 MEGAWATTS ACROSS ERCOT, OUR OLD NATURAL GAS PLANTS JUST LIKE OURS.
AND SO THERE'S OTHER UTILITIES
[02:05:01]
THAT ARE GONNA BE TAKING THEIR OWN OLD GAS PLANTS OFFLINE AND REPLACING THEM, YOU KNOW, WITH SOMETHING ELSE.SO WHAT ERCOT DOES IS WE, YOU KNOW, ONCE, UH, THE BOARD GIVES US DIRECTION THAT OUR GOAL IS TO CLOSE DOWN, YOU KNOW, CONVERT SPRUCE ONE AND OR SPRUCE TWO AND SHUT DOWN SPRUCE ONE.
WE MAKE NOTICE OF THAT TO ERCOT.
ERCOT LOOKS AT THEIR MODEL, AND ERCOT SAYS, OKAY, BASED ON OUR, OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, OUR, UH, VIEW OF THE WORLD, WE DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, TO MEET RELIABILITY STANDARDS IF YOU SHUT DOWN SPRUCE ONE BY THIS DATE.
SO WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO KEEP THAT ON UNTIL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CAPACITY THAT WE, THAT WE KNOW IS COMING ONLINE IS THERE.
UH, SO THEY REALLY WON'T SAY, WE DON'T AGREE WITH YOU THAT YOU'RE GONNA SHUT DOWN SPRUCE ONE.
THEY'RE GONNA SAY, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN RELIABILITY, WE'RE GONNA PUT THAT UNIT AND RELIABILITY MUST RUN STATUS.
AND THEN WE WILL, WE WILL GIVE YOU A DATE THAT WE THINK THAT YOU CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SHUT THAT UNIT DOWN, UH, THAT, THAT ALLOWS ERCO TO MAINTAIN RELIABILITY.
AND SO THERE'S A PROCESS WE GO THROUGH BACK AND FORTH, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT STARTS BY US MAKING THIS DECISION.
SO I, I WOULD GUESS THEN THAT THE SOONER THE DECISION IS MADE AND THE SOONER ERCOT IS INFORMED, THE BETTER POSITION WE'LL BE TO TAKE THE ACTION WE WANT TO, WHEN WE WANT TO TAKE THAT ACTION.
I, UM, I'M GONNA GIVE A ROUND OF THANK YOUS, BUT THERE ARE A LOT, UM, WELL-DESERVED THANK YOUS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, REID, KATHY, RUDY, UH, THANK YOU TO OUR C P S BOARD MEMBERS, DR.
MACKEY, UM, MY REPRESENTATIVE, JANIE MARTINEZ, GONZALEZ GONZALEZ, AND, UM, DR.
ROMERO FOR BEING HERE AND OUR RAC MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE, UH, SPECIFICALLY MY RAC APPOINTEE, UH, AL RODRIGUEZ, AS WELL AS DR.
FEMI SELLI AND DIDI EZ, I'M SORRY, WHO, UM, VERY GRACIOUSLY KEEP ME IN THE LOOP ON, ON THESE ISSUES.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE RAC.
UH, FEMI ASSURES ME THAT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BASED ON DATA AND MODEL BASED ANALYSIS, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT YOUR HARD WORK AND DUE DILIGENCE ON THIS MATTER IS APPRECIATED.
I ALSO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO BUILD TRANSPARENCY THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
THERE'S THREE AREAS I WANNA FOCUS ON.
UM, AND I THINK THAT I SEE THAT IN THE PRESENTATION, PREPARING FOR GROWTH, ENSURING THAT WE'RE PREPARED AND DON'T GET CAUGHT OFF GUARD AGAIN, LIKE WE DID FOR YURI.
AND THEN OF COURSE, LOOKING FOR OUR, UH, LOOKING OUT FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT.
AND I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THE RACK IS ENSURING THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF COMPROMISE, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
AS WE, WE TALKED ABOUT, THERE'S, UM, PEOPLE ON ALL PARTS OF THE SPECTRUM WHEN IT COMES TO THIS.
BUT, UM, I DO FEEL LIKE THERE'S A GOOD A COMPROMISE THAT'S COME FORWARD.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE A PLAN TO GET IT DONE.
SO THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME.
THE PRESENTATION LAYS OUT THE PROCESS YOU FOLLOWED TO REACH YOUR DECISIONS, AND I DON'T HAVE A CONCERN WITH THAT PROCESS.
I, I MENTIONED I APPRECIATE THE TRANSPARENCY AND YOU MAKE A GOOD CASE TO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, UM, I DO, AGAIN, REALLY RESPECT THE ROCK'S WORK.
UM, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY AFTER THE WINTER STORM THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT WE CAN ONLY CLAIM TO BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD ONE TIME.
UH, SO THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE NOTED TODAY CONSISTENT AND RELIABLE ENERGY GENERATION.
THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN, A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, AND OF COURSE, AN ECONOMIC ISSUE.
AND YOUR RECOMMENDATION, I BELIEVE, ADDRESSES MY CONCERNS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT I REPRESENT, NOT JUST IN MY DISTRICT, BUT IN MY CITY.
I WANNA TAKE TIME TO CONSIDER, UM, BRIEFLY WHAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION.
KATHY MENTIONED THAT POPULATION GROWTH AND SERVING OUR, OUR MORE VUL VULNERABLE POPULATIONS WERE CONSIDERED IN A, A HOLISTIC APPROACH.
AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT, UM, AS WE GO ALONG, UM, A MORE IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION WITH OUR, OUR GENERAL PLANNING COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL'S REQUEST TO REVISIT THE PLAN EVERY FEW YEARS IS IMPORTANT TO REVIEW AS TECHNOLOGY EVOLVES.
BUT ALSO AS OUR CITY GROWS, WE'RE GROWING EXPONENTIALLY.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT MAYBE THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
AND WHILE WE'RE REASSESSING THE TECHNOLOGY AND WHAT WE CAN BRING TO THE TABLE HERE, WE HAVE TO ALSO TAKE, UM, THAT SNAPSHOT OF, OF THE CURRENT POPULATION AND WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH AT THAT IN THE FUTURE.
OUR POPULATION GROWTH AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ARE CENTRAL TO ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT ENERGY GENERATION.
UM, THEY'RE THE STANDARD BY WHICH A PUBLICLY OWNED UTILITY OPERATES.
AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S THE STANDARD BY WHICH C P S OPERATES.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S ALSO GOOD BUSINESS.
BUT, UM, I SPOKE THIS WEEK WITH DR.
SHE'S A DEMOGRAPHER AT U T S A.
AND THE CONVERSATION FOCUSED VERY MUCH ON IMPOR AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ESTIMATING, UH, AND PREPARING FOR OUR POPULATION GROWTH.
SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE IS, IS NOT, UM, WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT A NUMBER THAT'S GROWING.
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED SERVICES IN ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF REALMS. UM, AND THEY'RE COMING FROM DIFFERENT ECONOMIC SITUATIONS, CHANGES TO OUR ENERGY GENERATION RESOURCES.
UM, THEY'RE NOT JUST TECHNICAL AND MECHANICAL.
THEY'RE ALSO ABOUT, UM, MAINLY REALLY ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE SERVING, OUR CITIZENS,
[02:10:01]
OUR BUSINESSES, AND OF COURSE, OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.KNOWING THAT WE'RE IN THE FASTEST GROWING, GROWING CITY, THAT ALTERNATIVE ENERGY RESOURCES CAN BE COST PROHIBITIVE.
AND KNOWING OUR LARGEST ECONOMIC CENTER, UH, IN, IN SAN ANTONIO ANYWHERE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, I DO YOU, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW YOU'RE WORKING TO ENSURE THAT THE TRANSITION WILL BE EFFICIENT, UM, COST EFFECTIVE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR NOT JUST CURRENT SANTON, BUT OUR FUTURE SANTON.
SO, THANKFULLY WHEN, UH, WHEN, WHEN COUNCILWOMAN WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU'RE REALLY GOOD AT, UH, SOLVING PROBLEMS, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU KINDA GET MORE PROBLEMS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S RIGHT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO, UH, REED AND THE RACKS NEXT, UH, YOU KNOW, NEXT, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY IS GONNA BE TO HAVE CONVERSATION ABOUT RATE DESIGN.
UH, AND SO I THINK COUPLED WHEN YOU COUPLE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE FUTURE OF OUR GENERATION PLAN WITH, WITH THE CONVERSATION ABOUT RATE DESIGN, AND THEN WE COME BACK TO COUNCIL TO KIND OF RECONCILE, YOU KNOW, THAT POLICY, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT YOU HAVE IS KIND OF A HOLISTIC VIEW OF HOW WE GET FROM WHERE WE ARE TODAY TO THERE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THOSE MOST VULNERABLE, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES TO ENSURE, YOU KNOW, THAT THE WAY RATES ARE STRUCTURED ENCOURAGES EFFICIENCY AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AT THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY COMMITTEE, UH, AND AT COUNCIL.
SO, UH, SO I THINK WHEN YOU ADD OUR TWO KIND OF CHARGES TOGETHER OF THE RACK, UH, AS WE KIND OF MOVE FORWARD, YOU'RE GONNA SEE US KIND OF LOOK AT THIS ON A HOLISTIC MANNER.
NOT ONLY WHAT ARE THE, SOME OF THE DRIVERS OF THE INVESTMENT WE HAVE TO MAKE IN OUR UTILITY, BUT THEN HOW DO YOU RECOVER THOSE COSTS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO KIND OF BE CUTTING EDGE ON, ON, ON THE WAY RATES ARE DESIGNED AS WELL.
SO I, I AM, UH, LOOK, I, I KNOW LEMME PUT TO YOU THIS WAY.
I KNOW WE WILL HAVE A FRUITFUL CONVERSATION ABOUT RATE DESIGN NEXT, AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK TO, TO COUNCIL AND, AND TRY TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.
WAS THAT MY TIME,
UM, MUCH HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AND ADDRESSED, UM, BUT I WANTED TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO MY RAC APPOINTEE, ANDY CASTILLO.
UH, WE MEET PRIOR TO HIS RAC MEETINGS WHERE HE, SO HE COULD BRIEF ME WITH THE AGENDA AND ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
AND WITH THIS PAST MEETING, UH, WE MET UP AND HE HAD THIS BIG BINDER AND HE LENT IT TO ME TO REVIEW WITH ALL THE PORTFOLIOS AND ALL THE DETAILS.
LIKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SERVING AS OUR RAC APPOINTEE.
'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF WORK, RIGHT? UM, SO REALLY GRATEFUL FOR HIM.
ALL OF THE RAC APPOINTEES, UH, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO COME OUT AND, UH, EDUCATE MANY OF US ON CITY COUNCIL ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES AND GOALS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS REACHING OUT AND ALWAYS, UH, BEING AVAILABLE.
AND AS WELL TO, TO RUDY AND YOUR TEAM.
I'VE COMMUNICATED THIS ON ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS, BUT, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT IN TRANSPARENCY AND CONVERSATION AND BEING ACCESSIBLE TO COMMUNITY.
SO I WANTED TO LET THE MASSES KNOW, AND THANK YOU PUBLICLY FOR THAT.
UM, IT, IT'S BEEN A, A HUGE SHIFT.
UM, AND REED, THANK YOU AS WELL.
AND WHILE I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS AROUND, UH, RELIABILITY, ESPECIALLY WITH ERCOT LACK OF RELIABILITY, NATURAL GRASS ALSO HAS ITS LIMITS ON RELIABILITY AS WELL.
UM, SO WITH, UH, PORTFOLIO TWO, WILL WE BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND WINTER STORMS LIKE THIS PAST DECEMBER OR WINTER STORM URI? DO WE BELIEVE WE'LL BE IN A BETTER POSITION, UH, WITH PORTFOLIO TWO THAN BEFORE? UH, READ
I'M A LITTLE SLOW SO HE CAN TAKE IT IF YOU CAN COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, IT'S GONNA DEPEND ON, ON, ON HOW WE GO THROUGH THIS.
AND AGAIN, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THAT WHILE WE DO A PLAN LIKE THIS, YOU'VE GOTTA CONVERT THAT TO AN OPERATIONAL PLAN THAT YOU CAN EXECUTE.
AND, AND I, I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW RUDY AND HIS TEAM PRETTY WELL, AND I KNOW THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE CONCERN OF, OF THE RELIABILITY OF NATURAL GAS, OKAY.
IN THE, IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM WITH NATURAL GAS, UH, ALLIE MADE A REALLY GOOD POINT.
AND, AND WE NEED TO RE-EMPHASIZE THAT.
THAT IS TO THE EXTENT WE CAN PURCHASE FROM, UH, PROVIDERS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES IN THE PRODUCTION, TRANSPORTATION AND PROCESSING OF THE NATURAL GAS, THE BETTER OFF WE'RE GONNA BE ENVIRONMENTALLY EVEN USING NATURAL GAS.
SO I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT TOO, BECAUSE IT ALLOWS EARLY ADAPTION ADOPTION OF A SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT GO ALL IN UPFRONT WITH BIG NEW COMBINED CYCLE PLANTS, GIVES US THE OPTIONALITY TO LOOK AT THE BATTERY TECHNOLOGY, TO LOOK AT RENEWABLES, AND TO SEE IF WE GET THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS WE NEED.
[02:15:01]
YOU'RE, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.IT'S, IT'S NOT A ONE AND DONE.
IT'S NOT, WE'VE SIGNED THIS PLAN AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA STICK TO.
AND I DO BELIEVE TOO IS MORE RELIABLE THAN WHAT WE HAD MM-HMM.
SOMETIMES THEY DON'T RUN WHEN YOU NEED 'EM TO.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT, RIGHT? BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT LUCKILY THINGS, UH, WE WERE PREPARED THIS PAST DECEMBER, UH, BUT TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO DROP FURTHER, RIGHT? AND I WANNA ENSURE THAT, UM, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO PREVENT WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED BEFORE.
IT'S YOUR JOB, NOT MY JOB, BUT I THINK THEY'LL DO IT.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, RIGHT, THAT WHILE WE'RE HAVING THIS, AND I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
THAT WHILE WE'RE HAVING THIS, THIS CONVERSATION, RIGHT? THAT THIS IS ONE PIECE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, GREENHOUSE GASES AND OUR CARBON EMISSION FOOTPRINT, UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT RETROFITTING, UH, HOUSING, WE HAVE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO TACKLE AND REDUCE.
I'M READY FOR A WEEK LONG MEETING ON THIS.
UM, SO I'M, I'M VERY COMFORTABLE.
I'M, I'M CELEBRATING, UH, THE SHUTDOWN OF SPRUCE ONE.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO SPRUCE TWO, I'M, I'M NOT CONVINCED AT THIS POINT, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK WE DO HAVE TIME, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, WHAT I GUESS I'M, ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE IS NOVA RELIANCE ON NATURAL GAS.
I KNOW ONE THING THAT C P S ENERGY HAS ALWAYS PUBLICLY CELEBRATED IS THEIR DIVERSITY OF ASSETS AND HOW THAT HELPS SPREAD OUT RISK.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, GERMANY JUST PROVED TO US THAT THEY CAN BUILD, UH, A LIQUID NATURAL GAS, UH, TERMINAL IN LESS THAN A YEAR, UH, BEFORE PEOPLE THOUGHT IT TOOK FIVE YEARS TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE OF THOSE BUILT.
I'M GOING TO, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE EXPORTS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, NATURAL GAS COSTS A LOT MORE IN EUROPE THAN IT DOES HERE.
AND SO IF A, IF A SUPPLIER HAS A CHOICE BETWEEN SELLING US NATURAL GAS AND SOMEONE ELSE, THEY MIGHT TRY AND EXPORT IT SO THAT BECAUSE THEY CAN GET MORE MONEY, AND THAT'S GONNA DRIVE UP OUR COSTS.
AND SO I AM CONCERNED ABOUT OVER-RELIANCE ON NATURAL GAS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JUST THIS COMMITMENT OF HAVING THIS PLANT, UM, PO YOU KNOW, EXTENDED OUT ALL THE WAY, POSSIBLY TILL 2065.
AND THE OTHER ISSUE IS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE BENEFITS TO NATURAL GAS, CLEARLY BURNS CL CLEANER THAN COAL.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE UPSTREAM CONCERNS ABOUT NATURAL GAS AND THE WAY IT'S PRODUCED, WHAT HAPPENS IN THE WAY IT'S PRODUCED, HOW MUCH IT'S LEAKED THERE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, NATURAL GAS METH IS PRIMARILY METHANE IN, UH, METHANE IN OUR CLIMATE IS A CLIMATE FORESTER.
IT'S MUCH MORE POTENT AS A GREENHOUSE GAS THAN CARBON DIOXIDE IS.
AND IT CONTRIBUTES TO A LOT OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE THAT WE EXPERIENCE IN OVER THE NEXT DECADE, AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE MIGHT BE CONCERNED ABOUT FOR OUR GREAT GRANDKIDS OR GREAT, GREAT GRAND GRANDKIDS IN THE FUTURE.
AND, UM, SO I MAYOR, I WANT TO MAKE AN ASK OF YOU AND OUR BOARD, AND IF THIS IS THE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TOTALLY CONVINCED THAT, THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THIS DECISION, OR, AND WHEN I SAY WE, UM, C P S ENERGY AND YOU ALL, BUT MY ASK OF, OF YOU, MAYOR AND OF THE BOARD IS THAT YOU DIRECT C P SS ENERGY, IF THEY GO IN THIS DIRECTION, WHEN YOU MAKE THIS APPROVAL TO, UM, TO TAKE ACTION IN PROCURING NATURAL GAS THAT IS, UM, THAT, THAT THAT CAN BE PROVEN TO BE MORE, RE MORE RESPONSIBLY, UH, SOURCED AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UH, LEAK RATES THAT ARE REDUCED AND THAT THEY, THEY'RE USING BEST PRACTICES BECAUSE THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, MOM AND POP OPERATORS OUT THERE THAT ARE LOOKING TO GET RICH QUICK AND THEY'RE SLOPPY AND THEY CUT CORNERS AND THEY'RE, THEY HAVE VERY LEAKY OPERATIONS.
AND WE SHOULDN'T BE, WE SHOULDN'T BE USING OUR TAX DOLLARS OR OUR, OUR CITIZENS, OUR C P S ENERGY'S CUSTOMERS, UH, RATE PAYERS DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO, TO, I GUESS, FINANCIALLY COMPENSATE THOSE OPERATORS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LOVE TO SEE OUT OF YOU ALL IN A CONVERSATION I'D LIKE TO SEE C P S ENERGY HAVE PUBLICLY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I GUESS IT'S JUST, THIS IS JUST A CONVERSATION THAT I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE.
AND, UM, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN VERY RECEPTIVE AT, YOU KNOW, RUDY AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM, AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE
[02:20:01]
THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE.AND, UM, I GUESS THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
UM, I AM GOING TO GO BACK TO, UH, TO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, NOW AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER, NOT SO MUCH AS THE LIAISON, UM, ALTHOUGH IT WAS GREAT BEING THE LIAISON, UH, I, I'M GONNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT AS, UH, AS SOMEONE WHO WORKS WITH THE, WITH THE CLIMATE ACTION, UH, AND ADAPTATION PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
AND SOMETHING THAT OF COURSE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM IS THAT THE, WE SOMEHOW MEET THOSE GOALS IN 20 30, 20 40, AND 2050.
AND MY COLLEAGUE DID BRING UP ONE OF, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER.
MY FIRST MEETING WITH PAULA AND CHRIS STER, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I BROUGHT UP, UH, RESPONSIBLY SOURCING, UH, NATURAL GAS AS, AS WELL, WHICH I HAD LEARNED, UH, THROUGH THE WORK AT E D F ABOUT THAT.
AND, UH, WHAT I WAS TOLD AT THE TIME IS THAT THEY HAD VERY LITTLE CONTROL BECAUSE OF HOW THE NATURAL GAS IS PURCHASED.
UM, SO I'M GONNA TAKE THAT AT, AT FACE VALUE AND, UH, AND ASSUME THAT THAT'S STILL THE, THE CASE.
UM, RUDY, I DUNNO IF YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS AN INITIATIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE TASKED THE TEAM WITH, HOW CAN WE ALIGN OURSELVES WITH A GAS SUPPLIER THAT NUMBER ONE GIVES US WHAT WE NEED WHEN WE NEED IT, UH, WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, AND DOES IT IN A WAY THAT'S AS SUSTAINABLE AS POSSIBLE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T COUNCILMAN, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
THE BOARD, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO DIRECT ME TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
UH, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THIS ISSUE, AND I'M HOPEFUL, UH, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIND A SUPPLIER TO WORK WITH US THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT MINIMIZES FLARING AND THAT ADDRESSES LEAKAGE AND THAT DOES THE THINGS TO DELIVER GAS IN A WAY, UH, THAT MINIMIZES THE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO I, I HEAR YOU A LOUD AND CLEAR, MY TEAM AND I ARE WORKING ON THIS ISSUE AS A PRIORITY AS WE SPEAK.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE WE HAVE THE GUESTS WE NEED IT IN ENVIRONMENTALLY, YOU KNOW, SOUND AND MANNER AS WE, AS WE, AS WE CAN GET IT.
THAT'S, UH, VERY GOOD TO HEAR.
RUDY, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT.
UM, WHAT I WOULD, UM, LIKE TO REQUEST, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE IS IF, FOR THESE PORTFOLIOS, IF AT LEAST FOR PORTFOLIO TWO, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE OR, OR WHICHEVER THE, THE BOARD, UH, DECIDES TO GO WITH, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE ONE OF YOUR CONSULTANTS GIVE US AN ESTIMATE ON WHAT THOSE METHANE EMISSIONS ARE OR COULD BE ESTIMATED AS, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PARTICULAR PORTFOLIO? SOME ASSUMPTIONS WILL NEED TO BE MADE.
UH, I HAVE HERE, UM, A REPORT THAT WAS PRODUCED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND, STANFORD AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, ESTIMATING THAT NATURAL GAS EMISSIONS ARE 14 TIMES GREATER THAN THE E P A ASSUMES THEY ARE IN THE PERMIAN BASIN.
AND IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE SOME OF THE STATE REGULATIONS.
SO, UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO GET AN ESTIMATE FOR THAT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, I THINK BASED ON OUR USAGE OF NATURAL GAS, WE SHOULD, I, I DON'T THINK WE JUST SHOULD.
I THINK WE HAVE TO REPORT TO THE E P A, WHAT OVERALL ADMISSION RATES ARE, UH, FOR OUR, FOR OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR PERMITS.
SO I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO, TO, TO PROVIDE SOME YOU INFORMATION.
WEALTH WE DON'T OWN, WE DON'T OWN.
SO THIS WOULD BE FROM YOUR SUPPLIERS.
WE DON'T, DON'T, THAT'S THE THING.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU OUR SUPPLIER INFORMATION.
I CAN TELL YOU WHAT OUR USAGE, YOU KNOW, HOW OUR USAGE IMP YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT OUR EMISSIONS ARE FOR OUR USAGE.
I, I KNOW YOU CAN GIVE US A VERY GOOD NUMBER ON THAT.
WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS AN ESTIMATE, UH, BASED ON THE PORTFOLIO ASSUMPTIONS.
SO I THINK WE'RE A MEMBER OF THE NATURAL GAS SUPPLY COOPERATIVE, AND WE'VE ASKED SOME OF OUR LARGEST GAS SUPPLIERS WHAT THEY COULD DO TO HELP US PURCHASE MORE RESPONSIBLE NATURAL GAS WHERE THEY MANAGE THOSE EMISSIONS.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN CAPTURING THAT, AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP AND WE'LL NEED TO REPORT BACK.
THEN YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO DEDUCE HOW MUCH GAS COMES FROM EACH OF THOSE SUPPLIERS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW PRECISE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THE COOPERATIVE HAS TODAY, BUT I, I KNOW IT IS AN AREA THAT'S GETTING MORE ATTENTION.
MAYBE WE CAN TALK OFFLINE, UH, OKAY.
[02:25:01]
IT.BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GO IN WITH OUR EYES OPEN ABOUT WHAT THE IMPACT MIGHT BE OF THIS PARTICULAR SCENARIO.
I JUST HAVE A FEW, UM, SECONDS.
IN TERMS OF THE CLOSURE OF SPRUCE, I, I CAN'T, UM, EMPHASIZE HOW, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MOVE QUICKLY ON THAT BECAUSE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY WAS LOOKING AT AIR QUALITY NUMBERS, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PM TWO AND OF COURSE SOME OF IT HAD TO DO WITH NEW YEAR'S AND FIREWORKS, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PARTICULATE MATTER OF SIZE 2.5 THAT IS REALLY CONCERNING.
AND IT'S NOT JUST HAPPENING AT NEW YEAR'S, MOST EXTREME AT THAT TIME, BUT THAT IS CERTAINLY INFLUENCED BY THE PARTICULATES THAT ARE EMITTED WHEN WE USE COAL, WHEN WE TRUCK COAL, WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, RAIL COAL OVER HERE.
AND OF COURSE, WHEN WE BURN IT.
UM, SO I, I JUST CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW, HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS FOR THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME OTHER FEEDBACK I HAVE IS THAT, UM, HYDROGEN WAS INCLUDED IN THAT PRESENTATION, AND I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE AREN'T, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT'S, THAT SHOULD BE IN THE PRESENTATION.
I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT TECHNOLOGY'S NOT THERE AND THE SUPPLIES ARE NOT THERE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PUT THAT IN AS A, AS A REAL CONSIDERATION AT THIS POINT.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, I I, IN SOME WAYS I THINK OF THAT COAL PLANT AS A BATTERY THAT'S LIKE A LONG-TERM BATTERY, RIGHT? AND FOR INTERMITTENT, UM, USE WHATEVER IT'S IS DISPATCHABLE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST WONDER, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD YOUR CONSULTANTS LOOK AT THIS, BUT IF IT'S GONNA COST 40 OR $50 MILLION TO CONVERT IT TO NATURAL GAS, I'M WONDERING IF THAT 40 OR $50 MILLION COULD BE APPLIED TOWARDS JUST PROCURING MORE RENEWABLE UTILITY SCALE RENEWABLES, AND THEN COULD WE RUN ANOTHER 25 OR 30,000 HOUSES, UH, ON THAT ON MOST DAYS WHEN THE SUN SHINES, MOST DAYS WHEN THE WIND BLOWS.
AND THEN JUST RE REDUCE THE AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE TO RUN ANY OF OUR FOSSIL FUEL BASED PLANTS AND WHAT THOSE EMISSION REDUCTIONS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS.
UM, LASTLY, UH, RUDY REED MENTIONED SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES WITH REGARD TO THE TRANSMISSION OF OVERLY INVESTING IN, IN WIND AT, YOU KNOW, TOO, TOO SOON.
UH, COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE WORKFORCE ASPECTS OF EACH OF THESE SCENARIOS IN PARTICULAR WITH, UH, P TWO AND THE IMPACT THAT WE'LL HAVE ON, ON C P S? WELL, THE ONE GREAT THING ABOUT, UM, THE, THE GOOD THING ABOUT P TWO IS, UH, IN CONVERTING SPRUCE ONE TO, TO NATURAL GAS, MOST OF THOSE EMPLOYEES CONTINUE TO BE UTILIZED FOR OUR GAS OPERATION.
NOW, THERE'S SOME EMPLOYEES IN OUR COAL YARD, UH, THAT ACCEPT SHIPMENTS AND THAT MANAGE THE COAL, UH, THE, THE MOVEMENT OF COAL THAT WILL HAVE TO RETRAIN.
UH, GOOD NEWS IS WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT TRAINING PROGRAMS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT JOBS IN NEED ALL OVER OUR, OUR UTILITY TO RE TO RETRAIN THOSE FOLKS TO DO, UH, OTHER THINGS.
YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, WE NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVAN TO GET THE SAME FINANCIAL ADVANTAGES OF ACTUALLY OWNING RENEWABLES, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE DO WITH OUR PURCHASE POWER AGREEMENTS, YOU KNOW, TO MAXIMIZE THE, THE BENEFIT OF, OF THOSE TAX INCENTIVES.
SO, UH, SO I ENVISION A FUTURE WHERE WE WILL HAVE A C P S ENERGY RENEWABLES DIVISION THAT WILL BE MANAGING, UH, BATTERIES AND MANAGING SOLAR FARMS. UH, AND, AND A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE TODAY THAT ARE DOING FOSSIL FUEL RELATED, UH, WORK, WE CAN TRANSITION OVER TO MANAGE OUR, A RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO, UH, THAT I EXPECT US TO OWN AT SOME POINT IN TIME IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UH, SO MAYOR, ALL OF THOSE, UH, THIS TRANSITION ALSO INCLUDES THE, THE IMPACT ON OUR WORKFORCE.
'CAUSE WE DON'T, UH, WE DON'T DO REDUCTION IN FORCES AT C P S ENERGY.
UH, WE ALLOW ATTRITION, UH, TO HELP US MANAGE OUR WORKFLOW NEEDS AND RETRAIN PEOPLE, UH, FROM ONE JOB CLASS TO ANOTHER AS THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF.
SO I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A, A VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD INSIGHT.
AND, AND IT IS A GREAT WORKFORCE AND WE WANT TO THANK OF ALL, ALL OF OUR C P S EMPLOYEES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES YOU NEVER SEE, UH, THAT ARE OVERNIGHT KEEPING YOUR LIGHTS ON.
SO, UM, TO WRAP UP AGAIN, WE, WE ARE, UH, GOING TO SEE THIS AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, WHICH I THINK IS IN TWO WEEKS.
UH, THE P TWO SCENARIO, UH, WHICH IS RECOMMENDED BY THE RAC AND BY THE C P SS STAFF.
AND KEEPING IN MIND, UH, I DO BELIEVE, AND I THINK THAT THIS SCENARIO ARTICULATES THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE OUR RELIABILITY GOALS NEAR TERM AND LONG TERM, WHILE ALSO GIVING OURSELVES THE HORIZON COM RECOMMITTING OURSELVES TO THE HORIZON OF REACHING OUR CAP ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY GOALS AS WELL.
SO, UM, AND THAT'S WHAT P TWO WILL ACCOMPLISH FOR US, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DRIVE TOWARDS AND, AND PERHAPS EVEN EXCEED AS WE BEGIN TO IMPLEMENT, UM, THE
[02:30:01]
SCENARIO.SO, UH, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR THE DISCUSSION.
ONCE AGAIN, READ TO THE ENTIRE RAC UH, COMMITTEE AND TO OUR C P S STAFF.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE GOOD WORK.
WE'LL GET TO WORK ON THIS IN A COUPLE WEEKS AND THEN WE'LL REPORT BACK AS WE GO ALONG WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, IT'S 2:52 PM ON THE 12TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2023.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL A SESSION IS NOW ADJOURNED.