June 25, 2010
Jill Maness joins Austin Energy to manage Clean Energy Accelerator project

Jill Maness, a 22-year City of Austin employee, has joined the Austin Energy team as Project Manager to establish and manage the utility’s new Clean Energy Accelerator project. Reporting directly to Karl R. Rábago, vice president of Distributed Energy Services, Maness will manage a $10 million federal grant-funded program recently awarded to Austin Energy. The goal of the project is to develop and implement a suite of innovative financial products aimed at increasing customer access to comprehensive energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy generation opportunities.

Austin Energy successfully competed for the $10 million in federal funding with a commitment to establish products that would lay the groundwork for the next generation of energy-efficiency programs in Austin and across the country. The first products are expected to be available in less than one year and will supplement Austin Energy’s world-class energy efficiency and clean energy programs already under way.

Maness served as the Building Services Officer for the City of Austin for more than 15 years and was responsible for operations, maintenance and renovations of nearly 200 City of Austin facilities and managed more than 120 employees. During her tenure, she oversaw the acquisition of more than 1 million square feet of office buildings, commissioned and opened the new City Hall, and converted three downtown parking structures into paid public garages.

Maness has worked closely with Austin Energy over the years to increase the energy efficiency of City buildings and has become an expert in municipal energy conservation and green building practices. She received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council and under her leadership One Texas Center, at 505 Barton Springs Road, became the first City of Austin municipal building to receive an Energy Star designation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for superior energy management practices.

Prior to becoming the Building Services Officer, Maness, a certified public accountant, was a Budget Manager for the City’s central Budget Office.

“Jill Maness represents the ideal combination of skills and experience to lead this project to great success,” said Rábago, “and she will assume a key role in our clean energy leadership team.”

The federal funding for the Clean Energy Accelerator project will be used to develop and implement creative financing approaches to encourage Austin residential, multi-family and commercial property owners to invest in comprehensive energy and water conservation and solar energy improvements in existing buildings without incurring large upfront costs.