City and corporate leaders in Nashville turn to Austin, Texas today for advice on energy conservation.
Roger Duncan heads up the municipal utility Austin Energy, which conservationists have lauded for its focus on green power such as wind and solar. Duncan says those aren’t great options for Tennessee, but conservation works everywhere.
“It is the quickest and best opportunity to lower customers’ bills, through energy conservation.”
Austin Energy has offered cash rebates to customers for installing efficient air conditioners, buying new appliances and adding caulk and insulation. The city has also changed building codes. Duncan says he realizes his utility has more of an incentive to conserve than those in Tennessee like Nashville Electric Service, which is merely a distributor and does not produce its own power.
This week, Duncan has met with NES officials, as well as mayors from around the state. Today he meets with executives from the Tennessee Valley Authority and Nissan North America.
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