San Antonio Utility Receptive To Public Input For Climate Change Strategies

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, December 7, 2017 CPS Energy along with the City of San Antonio and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), participated in a SA Climate Ready Plan discussion with San Antonio residents. This meeting is the first in what will be a year-long series of meetings aimed at receiving public input and feedback on ways San Antonio can mitigate global warming. Organizers believe a public input process allows the community to become more engaged in creating and implementing the strategies resulting from the completed plan.

As the electric and gas provider for San Antonio and portions of seven adjoining counties, CPS Energy plays a major role in ensuring public expectations are met.

"Our diversified fuels portfolio allows us to be a game changer in the industry," said Paula-Gold Williams, CPS Energy's President & CEO. "It has given us the flexibility to add more than 1,500 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy, expand our Demand Response programs and pilot new technologies such as microgrids and battery storage. It also allows us to optimize wind and solar by integrating it with our power generation fleet."

CPS Energy is currently working with UTSA to research new technologies that ultimately help the utility reduce its carbon footprint.  As part of a $500,000 agreement with the University, UTSA has been tasked with finding innovative and practical energy solutions to apply locally and improve the quality of life for San Antonio residents.

"We are proud to have the ability to utilize a local resource to help us achieve our goals. UTSA has been a great partner," said Gold-Williams. "For us, the answers to the global issue of Green House Gas Emissions need to come locally with a thoughtful approach. We believe partnering with UTSA aligns us with those goals."

CPS Energy's current renewable portfolio includes 497 MW of solar and 1,059 MW of wind generation. Together, they help avoid about 3.2M tons of CO₂ per year. A key success is the utility's reliability of service during intermittency. By maintaining a well-balanced blended portfolio they hope to maintain a level of affordable energy while moving forward with cleaner, more reliable environmentally friendly solutions.

"We have to become more flexible, thoughtful and innovative in our approach to integrating solutions that lessens our impact on the environment," Gold-Williams added. "We are eager to hear what our community has to say and anxious to find viable solutions that will help us tackle the issue at hand."

Going forward, the utility will collaborate with the City of San Antonio and UTSA as more public meetings are scheduled. The effort allows for grass-roots discussions with residents who are interested in addressing the issue of global warming. CPS Energy says residents have a unique opportunity to help shape the future of San Antonio.

CPS Energy is celebrating its 75th year of City of San Antonio ownership. Established in 1860, we are the nation's largest municipally owned natural gas and electric company, providing safe and affordable service to 804,000 electric and 343,000 natural gas customers in Greater San Antonio. With our AA+ credit rating, one of the best in the industry, we offer best in class reliability and some of the lowest rates among the top 10 largest U.S. cities. We recognize our role as a community partner and are continuously focused on job creation, economic development and educational investment. Powered by our people, our investment in the community is demonstrated through our employees' generosity in giving $1.1 million to United Way. We are also committed to investing in clean energy. CPS Energy is among the top public power wind energy buyers in the nation and number one in Texas for solar generation. For more information, visit newsroom.cpsenergy.com 

SOURCE CPS Energy