SOMEONE ON TV. YEAH, IT WAS A LOT OF FUN WITH SOME FUN FOOTBALL.
CPS. ENERGY HAS A SURPLUS.
THE QUESTION IS WHAT IS GOING
TO HAPPEN WITH THAT MONEY?
WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN?
>> WITH THAT MONEY? IT’S ONE OF
THE MANY QUESTIONS WERE PUT TO
SAN ANTONIO MAYOR RON
NIRENBERG. HE JOINS US NOW
LIVE. MISTER MAYOR, THANK YOU
FOR BEING WITH US. YOU ARE AN
ADVOCATE OF GIVING PART OF THAT
MONEY BACK TO CPS, ENERGY
CUSTOMERS. IT DOES NOT SEEM
LIKE THAT’S UNIVERSAL OPINION
AT THIS POINT. DO YOU THINK
THAT’S THE MOST LIKELY THING TO
COME OUT OF THE OF THE SURPLUS?
THE CPS ENERGY HAS RIGHT NOW.
>> YEAH. AND LET ME LEVEL SAID
A LITTLE BIT. THIS IS NOT A
CPS ENERGY SURPLUS TO WHAT
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IS EXCESS
REVENUES THAT CITY HAS RECEIVED
AS A RESULT OF ITS 14% DIVIDEND
FROM CPS REVENUES. YOU KNOW,
CPS AGAIN ON BY THE
MUNICIPALITY PROVIDES 14% OF
REVENUES TO THE CITY TO DO
THINGS LIKE PAY STREETS, PAY
FOR PARKS, POLICE AND FIRE
SERVICES. PART OF THE GENERAL
FUND.
BECAUSE OF THE HIGH ENERGY
COSTS AND THE USE OF ENERGY
OVER THE SUMMER, THERE’S
ADDITIONAL REVENUES FAR BEYOND
WHAT WAS FORECAST AND THE
DEBATE RIGHT NOW IS WHAT TO
DO WITH THOSE EXCESS REVENUES.
CITY MANAGER HAS PROPOSED A
REBATE OF ROUGHLY 50 MILLION
DOLLARS BACK TO CPS CUSTOMERS.
UNFORTUNATELY, FOR YOU KNOW IT
IT THE THE MONEY HAS TO GO BACK
THE SAME WAY CAME. AND SO IF
THE REBATE.
GOES BACK OUT TO CUSTOMERS WHO
PAID THE AVERAGE REBATE IS
QUITE SMALL COMPARED TO THE
THAT THE BILL IS THAT PEOPLE
ACTUALLY RECEIVE THEIR DEN.
THAT HIGH BILLS WERE RESULT
OF HIGH GAS IN ADDITION TO A
LOT OF EXTRA USE BECAUSE OF
THE HEAT. SO THAT’S A DEBATE
GOING ON RIGHT NOW IS IS SHOULD
THERE BE A REBATE IF NOT,
SHOULD THERE BE SOME FOCUS ON
REALLY, FOR, YOU KNOW,
CUSTOMERS SO WE CAN AVOID SOME
OF THESE HIGH BILLS IN THE
FUTURE. SO IT’S AN ONGOING
CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW. IT WILL
BE SETTLED IN THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS. WHAT I HAVE SAID IS THAT
I SUPPORT THE REBATE. IF WE
DON’T DO A REBATE. HOWEVER,
IT NEEDS TO BE IN A PROGRAM
THAT HAS A PLAN THAT SOME PROOF
THAT IT CAN BE. HE’S A GOOD TO
BE FUNDED AND IMPLEMENTED IN A
PROPER MANNER. WE DO
WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS.
WE WORK ON HEAT MITIGATION
ALREADY WE’VE GOT AND WE’VE
GOT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE
PROPOSAL IS TO MAKE IT MAKE USE
THE FUNDS AND EQUITABLE AND
EFFECTIVE MANNER. SO YOU’RE
OPEN TO OPTIONS LIKE IT.
THE ROUTE YOU’RE NOT JUST STUCK
ON A REBATE.
>> WELL, IF THERE’S NOT SUPPORT
FOR REBATES AND WE’VE GOT TO
MAKE SURE THAT THERE’S A PLAN
THAT CAN CAN BE DONE
EFFECTIVELY. AND THAT WILL BE
DIRECTED AT CUSTOMERS. AGAIN,
HAVE BEEN SEEING THESE VERY
HIGH GAS PRICES AND HAVE HIGH
HIGH ENERGY COSTS AND THE WAY
YOU KNOW, WE COULD POSSIBLY DO
THAT IS THROUGH WEATHERIZATION.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS ALL THE
RESULT OF CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE
SEEN REALLY HIGH GAS AND ENERGY
COSTS OVER THE SUMMER. IN MY
OPINION, WE NEED TO PROVIDE
SOME RELIEF BACK TO THE
CUSTOMERS.
>> AND YOU’RE I MEAN, YOU’RE
RIGHT, THE WHAT THAT 50 MILLION
DOLLARS AMOUNTS, 2 PER
CUSTOMER, ROUGHLY 30 BOX WITH
WITH WHAT EVERYTHING IS COSTING
RIGHT NOW. THAT’S NOT GOING TO
GO VERY FAR FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
CUSTOMER. BUT WHEN WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT THE IDEA OF
WEATHERIZATION THAT HAS BEEN
ALREADY DISCUSSED IN THESE
BUDGET SESSIONS. BUT IS THERE A
PLAN AT THIS POINT THAT’S BEING
PROPOSED OF WHAT THAT WOULD
LOOK LIKE? THAT’S PERHAPS
DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE CITY
ALREADY DOES TO HELP OUT PEOPLE
WEATHERIZE THEIR HOMES. WHAT
WHAT I’VE HEARD FOLKS DISCUSS
AND YOUR DISCUSSED AND YOU
HEARD THAT AGAIN TODAY IS
THINGS LIKE WHAT THE STEP
PROGRAM, THE 7 TOMORROW.
>> ENERGY FOR PROGRAM DOES FOR
THE CITY DOES FOR THE
COMMUNITY. WE FIND THE STEP
PROGRAM. IN FACT, THE SECOND
PHASE OF STEP WAS WAS APPROVED
BY THE CITY COUNCIL JUST A FEW
MONTHS AGO THAT WILL PROVIDE
MONEY FOR WEATHERIZATION AND
OTHER HEAT AND ENERGY DEMAND
MITIGATION PROGRAMS. SO IN MY
MIND, WE’VE GOT SOME PROGRAMS
IN PLACE ALREADY EFFECTIVELY DO
WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED. THE
QUESTION IS, IS THERE ENOUGH
MONEY IN THOSE PROGRAMS TO MAKE
IT EFFECTIVE? THAT THAT ANSWER
IS NOT. THAT QUESTION HAS NOT
BEEN ANSWERED. SO AT THIS TIME,
WHAT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE
HAPPEN IS REALLY FOR THE RATE
PAYERS, EVEN IF IT’S IT DOESN’T
AMOUNT TO MUCH ON AVERAGE, AT
LEAST IT’S RATE PAIR RELIEF
THAT AGAIN, FOLKS DESERVE.
WE’VE SEEN VERY HIGH PRICES
OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER.
WE KNOW WHAT INFLATION IS MEANT
TO THE AVERAGE FAMILY. WE NEED
TO FIND WAYS TO HELP WITH THAT
RELIEF.
>> SPEAKING OF CPS, THE ACTING
RUDY GARZA IS IN CONTRACT
NEGOTIATIONS. REPORTEDLY,
THAT’S WHAT WE’VE REPORTED.
HE TOOK OVER FOR PAULA GOLD
WILLIAMS IN OBVIOUSLY A VERY
TOUGH SITUATION WITH THE
FEBRUARY WINTER OUTAGES AND
THINGS LIKE THAT GOING ON.
ARE YOU SUPPORTIVE OF HIM BEING
GIVEN THE PERMANENT TITLE?
>> I AM. AND
>> CPS ENERGY BOARD HAD A HAD
A MEETING TO GET AN UPDATE FROM
THE FROM THE PERSONNEL
COMMITTEE ABOUT HOW THE SEARCH
IS GOING AND PART OF THAT
PROCESS DEVELOP A PROFILE OF
WHO WE WANT TO SEE BASED ON
COMMUNITY INPUT AND WHAT WE’VE
HEARD FROM, YOU KNOW, THE
COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST 10
MONTHS WHO WE WANT TO SEE IN
THE ROLE PERMANENT FOR CPS,
ENERGY AND, YOU KNOW, IN MY
THE THE CHARACTERISTICS AND THE
SKILL SET, THE PERSON THAT
WE’RE TRYING TO SEE AT THE HOME
OF CPS. ENERGY HAS BEEN
EXEMPLIFIED IN RUDY’S
LEADERSHIP OVER THE LAST 10
VERY DIFFICULT MONTHS. HE TOOK
OVER THIS. THE UTILITY HAD A
VERY DIFFICULT TIME, HAS HELPED
TO STEADY THE SHIP AND HAS
REALLY HELPED TO START THE
REEMERGENCE OF CPS ENERGY TO
WHAT IT ONCE WAS, WHICH IS THAT
THE ONLY ONE OF THE BEST, IF
NOT THE BEST NEWS FOR ENERGY
COMPANIES IN THE COUNTRY.
THAT’S OUR VISION FOR THIS
COMPANY. I THINK RUDY IS ON HIS
WAY TO ACHIEVING IT.
>> THE LABOR SECRETARY WAS IN
TOWN YESTERDAY REALLY
APPLAUDING A SAN ANTONIO
PROGRAM READY TO WORK. I REALLY
AN EFFORT TO GET PEOPLE BACK
ON THEIR FEET IN TERMS OF JOB
TRAINING AND CAREER PATHWAYS,
ESPECIALLY AFTER THE PANDEMIC.
SO TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM THE
NATIONAL LEVEL LOOKING AT SAN
ANTONIO AS A POTENTIAL MODEL
FOR OTHER PLACES. WHAT’S THAT
MEAN FOR YOU IN TERMS OF
IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM OVER,
YOU KNOW, 2 PRETTY TOUGH YEARS.
>> YEAH, WELL, WE’VE SEEN THE
DEVASTATION THAT THE PANDEMIC
HAS WROUGHT ACROSS THE COUNTRY
AND HERE IN SAN ANTONIO
INCLUDED THE JOB LOSS THAT YOU
COME.
YOU CAN COME IN PACKS A 10%.
TONY FAMILIES. WE’RE NOT YOU
NEED. THIS IS HAPPENING ALL
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND IN
FACT, THE PANDEMIC ONLY WORSEN
CONDITIONS THAT WERE HERE
BEFORE. SO THIS JOB TRAINING
PROGRAM READY TO WORK, WHICH IS
APPROVED BY 77% OF SAN ANTONIO
VOTERS HAS LAUNCHED. IT’S 3 AND
A HALF MONTHS OLD. AT THIS
POINT. WE’VE ALREADY HAD OVER
5400 APPLICATIONS. SO THIS IS
NEEDED HAVING THE SECRETARY OF
LABOR FROM THE U.S. COME DOWN
AND SEE THE PROGRAM AND LOT IT
THE WAY HE HAS AND SAY THAT
IT’S A MODEL FOR THE REST OF
THE NATION. HE’S REALLY
CREDIBILITY TO OUR APPROACH.
THAT DOESN’T MEAN BY ANY
STRETCH THAT WERE DONE YET.
THERE’S A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT
CONTINUES TO GO IN THE PROGRAM
TO MAKE SURE IT’S SUCCESSFUL.
BUT IT IT IS AFFIRMATION OF
THE APPROACH THAT WE TAKE IN
AND ONE MORE PROOF POSITIVE
THAT SAN ANTONIO IS A MODEL FOR
THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
AS WE WORK ON THIS RECOVERY
PROGRAM. SO IT’S GREAT TO HAVE
HIM IN. THERE’S ONE THING THAT
CAN’T BE REPLICATED, THOUGH.
AND THAT IS THE COLLABORATION
AND THE SPIRIT OF THE SAN
ANTONIO COMMUNITY. THIS IS A
PROGRAM THAT WAS BUILT BY THE
PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT
BELIEVE IN EACH OTHER AND WANT
TO GET FAMILIES BACK ON THEIR
FEET. AND THAT’S NOT SOMETHING
I THINK YOU CAN EASILY
REPLICATE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
AND I KNOW THE LABOR SECRETARY
IS CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG.
SO FORMER MAYOR OF BOSTON SO
DID G I KNOW YOU’RE A RED SOX
FAN. DID YOU GET TO TALK RED
SOX WITH THEM AT ALL OR YOU
VERY BRIEFLY, I WILL SAY THIS
IS THE THE ONLY TIME I’VE NOT
BEEN GIVEN GRIEF.
>> FOR BEING A RED SOX FAN IS
GOING TO FORMER MAYOR OF BOSTON
COMMANDERS NOW THE SECRETARY OF
LABOR. BUT YEAH, WE DID TALK A
LITTLE BIT OF A LITTLE BIT OF
BASEBALL. IT’S NOT BEEN A GOOD
SEASON FOR THE RED SOX. SO IT
WAS A SHORT CONVERSATION THAT
WAS GOING TO SAY MISERY LOVES
COMPANY. SO I’M GLAD THAT
SOMEBODY COULD VENT TO.
YEAH, FOR SURE. IT WAS GREAT
TO HAVE HIM AND WE CAN
COMMISERATE HOPEFULLY ON
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HERE PRETTY
SOON. BUT WE HAVE A LOT TO
SHARE IN THAT REGARD. IT’S
GOING TO BE GOOD SAYS FOR THE