To: Austin Energy Leadership and Board of Directors
From: Concerned Austin Energy Customers and Supporters of Renewable Energy

We, the undersigned, call on Austin Energy to reevaluate its current solar metering structure in a manner that more closely mirrors the net metering system. This adjustment will empower Austin residents who have invested in solar energy systems and battery storage to better offset their utility costs, reduce energy consumption from the grid, and further promote the city’s sustainability goals.

Background
Austin Energy has made strides in promoting solar energy and renewable resources, but the current structure for solar metering fails to fully support customers who have installed battery storage. As it stands, solar customers with battery storage are often penalized with high-tier pricing when drawing from the grid, despite the fact they’ve generated clean, renewable energy through their solar systems. This structure does not adequately reward solar users for storing and using their own energy.

Our Request
We respectfully request that Austin Energy reconsider the current solar metering practices to:

1. Align Metering with Net Metering Principles: Implement a system that allows solar customers with battery storage to more easily offset their utility costs by utilizing stored solar power when needed, without being subjected to higher tiered rates or unnecessary charges.
2. Ensure Fairness in Energy Use: Customers who produce their own solar energy should have the flexibility to use that energy in real-time, including when the sun isn’t shining, and not face financial penalties for doing so. The ability to draw from stored energy at peak times without incurring punitive charges will foster greater adoption of battery storage systems and reduce reliance on grid power.
3. Support Clean Energy Transitions: Expanding support for home solar energy systems and battery storage directly aligns with Austin’s broader goals for reducing carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency, and leading the nation in renewable energy innovation.

Austin’s Value of Solar Program
We also ask that Austin Energy place greater emphasis on the Value of Solar (VOS) program to ensure it fairly compensates customers for the energy they contribute to the grid. The VOS is designed to calculate a fair value for solar energy generated by customers, and it is crucial that the value customers receive for exporting excess solar power reflects the true benefits it provides to the grid, such as:

• Reduced peak demand
• Lower grid maintenance costs
• Environmental benefits

Currently, the VOS compensation rate is fixed, and it may not fully account for the technological advances and benefits of modern solar energy and storage systems. We urge Austin Energy to reconsider its approach to this program to better incentivize the adoption of home solar and battery storage systems, which in turn will benefit all customers and the environment.

Conclusion
The future of energy in Austin lies in decentralized, renewable energy systems that empower homeowners to take control of their energy usage. By reevaluating the solar metering and storage policies to more closely align with net metering principles, Austin Energy can better support solar users, reduce overall grid demand, and strengthen the city’s sustainability efforts. We urge Austin Energy to take immediate action to make these changes and help create a more equitable, efficient, and sustainable energy future for all.

Sincerely,
City of Austin Residents via Travis Jamison

travsiphone@me.com

01/01/2025