Austin Energy Prepared for Another Hot Summer

June 18, 2025

Photo of Austin Energy Power FacilityWith the official start of summer on tap, Austin Energy’s power generation and transmission facilities have completed their weatherization readiness activities in preparation for the coming heat. The utility conducted planned maintenance on its generation units throughout the spring to support reliable power plant and transmission operations during the summer.

Austin Energy certified its summer weather preparedness to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) in compliance with state regulations. The utility completes and maintains annual summer and winter season emergency preparation measures for its generation units and transmission substations.

Austin Energy’s summer preparations are complete as the state’s grid operator readies for what may be another record-breaking season regarding energy demand.

Some of the preparations Austin Energy staff have completed include:

  • Setting up cooling systems for power plant equipment to prevent overheating.
  • Conducting thorough maintenance and calibration checks on all power generation equipment to ensure reliability during peak demand periods.
  • Promoting the utility’s Power Partner Thermostats program, a demand response program that gives bill credits to residential customers for allowing the utility to adjust their thermostats on a handful of high energy use days.

Customers can visit austinenergy.com/savings to learn more about conservation, energy efficiency programs and rebates and more

City Buildings Proactively Take on Energy Conservation

Starting this month, all City of Austin buildings are stepping up to support grid reliability by participating in Austin Energy’s Commercial Demand Response Program. From June through September, brief two-hour demand response “events” may be called on hot days when energy use spikes. During these events, facility staff will reduce energy use by:

  • Adjusting HVAC settings.
  • Turning off non-essential lighting.
  • Powering down equipment.

About Austin Energy

Austin Energy, the City of Austin’s electric utility, serves more than 560,000 residential and commercial customer accounts and more than one million residents in Greater Austin. The utility’s mission—to safely deliver clean, affordable, reliable energy and excellent customer service — has guided Austin Energy in powering the community and supporting the region’s growth since 1895. For more information about Austin Energy, visit austinenergy.com.