July 22, 2010
City Manager Ott Announces Larry Weis as New Austin Energy General Manager

Today City Manager Marc Ott announced the appointment of Larry Weis as the new General Manager for the City’s Austin Energy electric utility. Weis succeeds General Manager Roger Duncan, who retired earlier this year.

The announcement comes following a trip to California, where Ott and a delegation of City staff and community members interviewed business leaders, environmental advocates, staff members and Board members of the Turlock Irrigation District (TID), where Weis is currently the top executive.

"It was the unanimous feeling of the group that Larry is not only qualified to lead Austin Energy, but is an ideal candidate to lead the utility through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. He clearly has the heart, passion and intellect to honor and foster the innovative spirit that has come to define Austin Energy," said Ott.

"We need a creative thinker that clearly values what it means to be the best managed public utility in the country, someone with a track record of embracing challenges, pressing for innovation, offering full transparency and welcoming involvement from the community. We heard all of those things about Larry during our meetings last week."

Weis brings 29 years of electrical industry experience to the top job at Austin Energy. TID is one of the 30 largest public power utilities in the United States, serving more than 600,000 residents with a $460 million budget, and has been a leader in meeting state-mandated renewable energy goals. The utility currently supplies 28% of its annual energy requirements from renewable resources, while maintaining one of the lowest rates in the state.

Austin Energy currently serves more than 900,000 residents with a total budget of $1.3 billion. The utility provides about 10% of its energy needs from renewable resources, with a goal of increasing that amount to 35% by 2020. In addition to leading the utility toward that renewable energy goal, Weis will take the helm as Austin Energy begins its first rate study in 16 years.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to lead a utility that's so well-known as a leader and innovator in our field. Beyond that, I’m excited to become a part of a community that's proven to be so highly passionate and engaged about the work that we do," said Weis. "I've been impressed with the City leaders I've met, and believe that—as the Austin community gets to know me—they'll be assured that Austin Energy is in good hands."

Weis is expected to take leadership of Austin Energy on September 27 at an annual salary of $285,000. He is currently paid $277,188 with TID. Assistant City Manager Robert Goode has been serving as interim General Manager since March.

Read Larry Weis's resume