The city of Georgetown once celebrated being completely powered by renewable energy, but now residents are singing a different tune.
Residents hoped the green energy source would save them green, but the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s William Peacock told residents at a Tuesday night town, the city signed long term agreements in 2012 for 1) more energy than the city needed and 2) at a fixed rate that only made sense at the time.
He said typical energy sources like coal and natural gas were expected to rise while solar and wind looked like a cheaper, greener option, believing the city wanted to sell the green energy for a profit. However current energy costs are below what Georgetown’s leaders agreed to pay.
Peacock explained the city is locked into the deal and the city leadership is in a tough position, he said to ease burden on residents, they could allow residents to find their own separate energy provider. But he added, this would not exempt the city from the contract.
Some residents like John Foliot say the first step to fixing this problem starts with the next local election, suggesting some city leaders who agreed to the deal should be cleared out. Others like Charles Baker believe the city should break the contract and pay whatever fees necessary one time rather than pay up every month.
(Photo:Newsradio KLBJ 590am/99.7fm/Jon Cooley)
