Abbott comes for Austin Energy
What does this mean?
Yesterday Gov. Greg Abbott announced legislation to end publicly-owned utility monopolies in cities like Austin and San Antonio as part of a slate of "affordability" initiatives. From Abbott's campaign website:
“We must address the cost of electricity that is putting a growing strain on Texas households,” said Governor Abbott. “That’s why I’m proposing legislation to end the monopoly control that cities like Austin and San Antonio have over electricity services and give Texans the freedom to choose the provider that works best for them. By expanding competition, residents in Austin and San Antonio could save more than 10% on their electricity bills, with small businesses seeing even greater savings.”
In the 11 years I've covered city politics, the prospect of the deregulation of Austin's electricity market has been a dark cloud hovering over City Hall. Almost every legislative session there is someone at the legislature babbling about freeing Austin from the tyranny of its publicly-owned utility.
None of those threats have ever come close to becoming law. And it's entirely possible that Abbott's announcement is nothing more than empty campaign posturing. That's what many insiders say.
