SAWS, CPS Energy team up for pumping station backup power plan
A year-and-a-half after faucets around Bexar County ran dry during the 2021 February Freeze, the San Antonio Water System has a $202 million plan to keep the water flowing should it happen again, and the utility is teaming up with CPS Energy for part of it.
City Council passes $3.4B budget, including bill credits to CPS customers
The San Antonio City Council is poised to pass a $3.4 billion budget Thursday that includes pay bumps for employees, dozens of new police officer positions, and a property tax cut. But it is unclear whether council members will follow a staff recommendation to send $50 million in extra revenue back to CPS Energy customers or take more time to figure out an alternate use.
CPS Energy enters contract negotiations with Rudy Garza to serve as permanent president & CEO
Rudy D. Garza makes CPS Energy history as the board votes to name him CEO & President of the electric company. Garza will be the first Hispanic leader to hold this leadership position, according to a press release.
Survey finds nearly 90% of people in San Antonio are cutting back on other expenses due to higher electric bills
The majority of CPS Energy customers surveyed by KSAT said they are seeing pricier electricity bills than usual, which is causing them to cut back on other expenses in order to cover the cost.
City council still divided on how to spend $50M of CPS windfall
The hot temperatures and higher natural gas costs have been pushing up power bills, which increases CPS Energy revenues in turn and the amount the utility passes on to the city. While city staff has proposed giving $50 million back to CPS customers - mostly through bill credits averaging $31 for residential customers- city council members haven’t all signed on to the idea..
CPS Energy customers cranking up air conditioning pay nearly $80 more for comfort, utility says
CPS Energy customers are paying higher energy bills than they did last summer, an average of about $80 dollars according to the provider. It's mostly due to fuel cost increases and the relentless Texas heat wave.
CPS Energy spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on housing costs for current and former executives, records show
The often five-figure benefit, described by CPS Energy officials as a “transitional housing payment” for executives hired by the company from outside of San Antonio, has gone to multiple staff members who had relatively short tenures with the utility.
CPS Energy attempting to block information on natural gas purchases from latest winter storm
CPS Energy officials this week declined to release information related to natural gas purchases made ahead of the latest winter storm, claiming in a letter sent to the Texas Attorney General that the information is confidential.
Ex-ERCOT chief testifies that Gov. Abbott’s order led to energy price hike during storm: report
While testifying in a bankruptcy trial for a Texas electric co-op, the state’s former grid manager said Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive led them to keep power price points high during last year’s winter storm, according to a Houston Chronicle report.
Final paycheck for Paula Gold-Williams topped $1 million, CPS Energy records show
A majority of that money, more than $751,000, came in the form of a “restoration payment.” An attorney representing the utility described the payment late Tuesday as a distribution of benefits from a non-qualified retirement plan that is taxable when earned.
Top CPS Energy leadership taking pay cut would show solidarity with customers, says San Antonio professor
As a proposed CPS Energy rate increase heads to the San Antonio City Council for a vote this week, some customers are saying not so fast. Many who left in the dark during last year’s winter storm are asking why utility leaders aren’t taking a pay cut instead.
CPS Energy’s Board of Trustees approves 3.85% rate increase
CPS Energy Board of Trustees unanimously approved a 3.85% rate increase Monday. They also approved a regulatory asset, or a fuel adjustment charge, which the utility says will recover $418 million in fuel costs from last February’s winter storm.
Winter storm issues exposed a cascade of scandals at CPS Energy in 2021
While February’s deadly winter storm not only left hundreds of thousands of San Antonio residents without power in subfreezing temperatures, some for days on end, it also exposed a large number of organizational issues within CPS Energy, the largest public power company in the nation.
City, CPS Energy to collaborate against cyberattacks at new regional center
Through the new Alamo Regional Security Operations Center at Port San Antonio, city officials say they can collaborate closely with CPS Energy -- and possibly soon other local organizations -- to help each other better protect against cyberattacks.
CPS Energy rate hike coming amid ‘trust crisis,’ council warns utility
The utility needs council’s support to institute a two-pronged approach to raising customers’ bills: a 3.85 percent increase to the base rates and a bump in the fuel adjustment charge. Combined, CPS officials say those changes would raise the average residential customer’s bill by about 3.3 percent - or $5.10 per month.
Proposed congressional bill aims to prevent natural gas price gouging
February’s storm caused major shortages to the natural gas supply chain, which caused prices to skyrocket by 10,000%. It’s why U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio introduced a bill Wednesday that would prevent natural gas price gouging during a declared emergency.
City of San Antonio considers giving $30 million to thousands of CPS Energy, SAWS customers behind on their bills
The City of San Antonio is considering using a $30 million chunk of the federal money it received from the American Rescue Plan Act to help pay off or pay down the overdue utility bills of struggling San Antonio residents.
Council members fret about process for SAWS and CPS board appointees, but not enough to derail new trustees
Council members’ concerns over the process for appointing trustees to the city’s water and utilities spurred lengthy discussions Thursday, but ultimately weren’t enough to derail the newest SAWS and CPS Energy board appointments.