WHATEVER. >> HAPPENED TO ALL RIGHT. GREAT LITTLE APP.
>> THERE ARE BIG PLANS FOR BIG
PROJECTS AT THE SAN ANTONIO
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND A BIG
CHUNK OF MONEY REQUESTED FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WON’T BE
COMING AT LEAST NOT RIGHT NOW
TO HELP WITH TO HEADLINE YOU
MIGHT BE SEEING. SO WE’RE GOING
TO ASK SAN ANTONIO MAYOR RON
NIRENBERG ABOUT THAT TODAY AND
MORE. MAYOR, THANKS FOR JOINING
US. WE LIKE TO CALL THE SEGMENT
MAYOR ON THE MOVE. HEADED TO
WHERE YOU ARE OUT AND ABOUT
THIS EVENING. BUT FIRST, LET’S
START THAT AIRPORT FUNDING
REQUEST 50 MILLION DOLLARS
DENIED TO THE CITY OF SAN
ANTONIO. WHAT HAPPENED THERE
AND AND HELP PUT THIS IN
PERSPECTIVE FOR US.
>> SURE. WELL, AND FOR A MATTER
OF PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE A NEW
STRATEGIC PLAN. IT’S ABOUT A
2 AND A HALF BILLION DOLLAR
UPGRADE TO THE SAN ANTONIO
AIRPORT THAT INCLUDES NEW
AIRFIELDS CAPACITY RUNWAY THAT
ACTUALLY A NEW AIRPORT TERMINAL
CENTRAL PROCESSING FOR SECURITY
AND CENTER. IT’S A MASSIVE
UPGRADE OVER ALL OF OUR SAN
ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
YEAH, WE PUT IN GRANT
APPLICATIONS WITH THE FAA ALL
THE TIME. AND FOR THE LAST MANY
ROUND SINCE THE STRATEGIC
PLANNING STARTED, WE HAVE BEEN
SUCCESSFUL. OF COURSE NOT.
EVERY GRANT APPLICATION GETS
APPROVED. THAT’S TRUE ACROSS
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. BUT
WE HAVE BEEN MORE SUCCESSFUL
OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AND
WE EVER HAVE BEFORE. SO IT’S
NOT A SURPRISE.
I WOULD SAY THAT THIS
PARTICULAR GRANT APPLICATION
IS NOT A SETBACK. IT’S A MATTER
OF TIMING THAT THE THE PROJECTS
THAT WERE APPROVED FELL WITHIN
THE SHOVEL READY CATEGORY.
THAT’S NOT WHAT THIS
APPLICATION WAS. WAS BEST
EMPHASIZE THAT THESE ARE
PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL IN
DEVELOPMENT. BUT WE DO EXPECT
THAT THIS PROJECT AND THIS
GRANT APPLICATION, FRANKLY,
WE’LL BE APPROVED IN SUBSEQUENT
ROUNDS. NEWS ROUNDS HAPPEN
CONSTANTLY. SO THIS ISN’T A
SETBACK AS IT MIGHT APPEAR.
THIS IS PART OF THE PROCESS WE
PUT IN APPLICATIONS ALL THE
TIME WERE SUCCESSFUL ON SOME.
WE’RE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN OTHERS.
BUT THIS IS JUST A MATTER OF
TIMING. AND I EXPECT THAT THIS
GRANT APPLICATION WILL BE
APPROVED VERY SOON. DID THEY
GIVE YOU A REASON FOR NOT
GRANTING APPLICATION? I MEAN,
IS IT DO THEY GIVE YOU REASON?
IS IT BECAUSE IT WASN’T SHOVEL
READY?
>> WE VISITED WITH
THE FAA AND YOU TALKED ABOUT
THIS AND AND A LOT OF THE
DISCUSSION WAS ABOUT.
PROJECTS WITHIN THE TIMELINE
THAT ARE MORE CELLS ALREADY GOT
FUNDING FIRST. BUT OF COURSE,
THESE ARE THEIR CONSTANT ROUNDS
THAT ARE HAPPENING. SO WE’RE
GOING TO WE’RE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO PURSUE THIS GRANT
APPLICATION AND ALL OF THESE
GRANT APPLICATIONS, WHETHER
THEY’RE IN THE DOT, THE
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OR
ANYWHERE ELSE DO COME WITH THE
BRIEFING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
CITIES AND COMMUNITIES THAT ARE
APPLYING FOR THESE FUNDS ACROSS
ANY OF THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS,
OUR BEST PREPARED. IT’S A
COOPERATIVE EFFORT, ESPECIALLY
IN THIS ADMINISTRATION. THEY
WANT US TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS
MUCH AS WE WANT TO BE. IF WE
STEP BACK AND TAKE A BIGGER
LOOK AT THE PROJECT IS A 2 AND
A HALF BILLION DOLLARS.
>> TO THE AIRPORT. THIS IS TO
ATTRACT MORE ROUTES HERE.
MORE AIRLINES HERE TO COMPETE
WITH CITIES LIKE AUSTIN AND
MAYBE EVEN DALLAS AND HOUSTON.
AM I CORRECT?
>> YOU CAN LOOK AT IT THIS
COMPETITION. WHAT I WOULD SAY
IS THAT THESE ARE PROJECTS
WITHIN THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT
ARE. FOR THAT. OUR AIRPORT,
A PARADE TO MEET THE CAPACITY
THAT WE PROJECT THE AIRPORT IS
BOOMING. SAN ANTONIO’S AIRPORT
IS AS ONE OF THE FASTEST
GROWING IN TERMS OF PASSENGER
EMPLACEMENTS. AND WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THERE ARE AIRPORT IS
GROWING. THAT’S IMPROVING THAT
WE HAVE BETTER TERM. NO
EXPERIENCE FOR CUSTOMERS AND
THAT WE CAN FLY FARTHER AND
HAVE MORE DIRECT CONNECTIONS.
SO THE PLACES THAT ARE FLYERS
AND THE RESIDENTS AND
BUSINESSES WANT TO GO TO SO
IT’S ALL PART OF THE PROCESS.
OF COURSE, IT WILL MAKE US MORE
COMPETITIVE ECONOMICALLY.
AND THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT
THE FAA WANT SAN ANTONIO TO
GROW INTO AS WELL. SO WE’RE IN
IT TOGETHER. AND I DO EXPECT
THIS AGAIN TO SEE SOME OF THIS
FEDERAL FUNDING COME DOWN IN A
MATTER
OF TIME.
>> SO THIS IS NOT A REAL
SETBACK. IF THERE ARE THESE
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN
JUST A FEW MONTHS TO REQUEST
MORE FEDERAL DOLLARS, DOES THIS
DO ANYTHING TO THE CURRENT
PLANS FOR THE PROJECT? DOES
MONEY HAVE TO BE MOVED AROUND
AND THE CITY BUDGET IN ANY WAY
FOR THIS?
>> NO, IT’S NOT A SETBACK.
IT’S NOT A SETBACK. AND TIMING.
THE AIRPORT TERMINAL C PROJECT,
WHICH IS THE NEW TERMINAL THAT
THAT I THINK IS THE THE THE
MOST THE BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT OF
THE CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN
PHASE IS STILL SET TO OPEN ITS
DOORS AND THE 2020 A TIME
PERIOD. WE SHOULD HAVE SHOVELS
IN THE GROUND WITHIN 2024.
AIRPORTS ARE SUCH A MASSIVE
CAPITAL PROJECT. THEY ALWAYS
THEY ALWAYS A NUMBER OF OF
REVENUE STREAMS FROM AIRLINES
TO TO THE FEES THAT THE
AIRLINES PAY THE FEDERAL
GRANTS, ET CETERA. AND THAT’S
GOING TO BE A CONSTANT DYNAMIC
PROCESS FOR US TO FINALLY SEE
THIS PROJECT COME TO FRUITION.
SO IT’S NOT A TIMELINE. EXCUSE
ME. IT’S NOT A SETBACK IN TERMS
OF TIMELINE. IT’S GOING TO
OBVIOUSLY BUT MORE IMPETUS ON
THE NEXT ROUND OF FUNDING FOR
US. BUT WE’RE GOING TO GET THE
PROJECTS DONE.
>> RUDY GARZA APPROVED BY THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND CPS
ENERGY TODAY AS THE NEW CEO, WE
TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT.
THE LAST TIME WE VISITED ON
THE Q AND A YOUR REACTION HAPPY
TODAY THAT THIS IS DONE.
>> ABSOLUTELY. RUDY HAS DONE AN
INCREDIBLE JOB AS THE CEO OF
CPS, ENERGY DURING THE MOST
CHALLENGING TIME, ENERGY.
ANY ENERGY CEO COULD EXPERIENCE
PARTICULARLY HERE IN TEXAS.
AND HE’S NAVIGATED THAT QUITE
WELL. HE’S DONE IT WITH
COMPASSION BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY
OUR OUR RATE PAIRS, OUR
RESIDENTS ARE GOING THROUGH THE
SAME KIND OF PAIN THAT, YOU
KNOW, WE WE READ ABOUT IN TERMS
OF THE HIGH ENERGY COSTS THAT
ARE BEING DRIVEN AS A RESULT
OF HIGH GAS PRICES AND
NAVIGATING THAT IT’S VERY
CHALLENGING. HE ALSO HAS THE
CONFIDENCE OF AN INCREDIBLE
WORK FORCE AT CPS ENERGY WHO WE
OFTEN DON’T SEE BUT ARE KEEPING
THE LIGHTS ON AND ARE THE MOST
TREACHEROUS CONDITIONS. RUDY
HAS DONE A STELLAR JOB AND I’M
GLAD THAT HE’S GOING TO BE THE
PERMANENT CEO FOR CPS ENERGY.
IT’S A IT’S AN OBVIOUS TIME OF
TRANSITION FOR THE UTILITY WITH
THIS AT LEAST NOW OFFICIALLY
ON PAPER. HE’S BEEN IN THIS
POSITION FOR 10 AN INTERIM
BASIS.
>> BUT IN THE TIME, IS THERE
ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO
SEE CPS ENERGY CHANGE IN TERMS
OF PRIORITIES OR STRUCTURE
MESSAGING TO RATE PAYERS.
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
>> WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO
DO THAT. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES
THAT WE’VE SEEN AS A RESULT OF
THE WINTER STORM AND THE
CHALLENGES THROUGH THE
PANDEMIC. AND EVEN THIS HEAT
WAVE IN WHICH IT THE HIGH GAS
PRICES HAVEN’T CREATE A LOT OF.
BACK PAY ISSUES FOR CPS,
RATEPAYERS. WE’VE GOTTEN THAT
WE’VE GOT TO
MANAGE THAT EFFECTIVELY BECAUSE
LET’S FACE IT, THE PEOPLE WHO
ARE EXPERIENCING THE MOST PAIN
IN THIS COMMUNITY WITH REGARD
TO HIGH ENERGY COSTS ARE THE
ONES WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD THAT
IMPACT. A LOT OF TIMES
FAMILIES, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
SAN ANTONIO FAMILIES. OUR ONE
MISSED PAYCHECK
AWAY FROM MISS RENT PAYMENT,
OR MISSED MORTGAGE PAYMENT.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THAT COMES
DOWN TO THE UTILITY PAYMENTS.
SO WE’VE GOT TO BE VERY
CAREFUL. THIS IS A PUBLICLY
OWNED UTILITY TO NAVIGATE THAT
SPACES. WE GET THE ENERGY
UTILITY BACK ON ITS FEET
THROUGH AGAIN, SOME OF THE MOST
TREACHEROUS YEARS THAT WE’VE
EVER EXPERIENCED IN THIS
PARTICULAR INDUSTRY. HE’S DONE
A GREAT JOB OF THAT. EXPECT
THAT TO CONTINUE. AND THEN
LOOKING FORWARD, WE ALSO HAVE
TO MAKE THE ENERGY TRANSITION.
WE AS A COUNTRY AS A AS A GLOBE
ARE MOVING AWAY FROM FOSSIL
FUELS AS GOOD AS THEY SOLAR
OR A SOURCE OF POWER, 2 MORE
RENEWABLES SO THAT WE CAN DO
THINGS THAT ARE CRITICAL TO THE
FUTURE LIKE CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN
WATER AND ENSURING THAT WE’RE
DEALING WITH THE CHANGING
CLIMATE AND NAVIGATING THAT
SPACE IN A WAY THAT’S
AFFORDABLE. THAT’S RELIABLE.
IT’S VERY CHALLENGING. AND
THAT’S SOMETHING THAT ALSO IN
HIS TIME AT CPS, ENERGY, RUDY
IS SHOWN A HE’S ADEPT AT THAT
CONVERSATION AND ALSO THE
ABILITY TO IMPLEMENTED IN THE
ORGANIZATION.
>> MISTER MAYOR, ALWAYS
APPRECIATE YOU NAVIGATING OUR