In a move to enhance its community engagement and transparency, San Antonio's own CPS Energy is opening up applications for its revamped Community Input Committee (CIC), the utility recently announced. San Antonians have until May 17 for a chance to weigh in on critical issues affecting their city's power and energy policies.
The CIC, which combines the former Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) and Rate Advisory Committee (RAC), is expanding its roster from 15 to 19 members. They're filling positions with four new members from designated quadrants of CPS Energy's service area, and an at-large seat is up for grabs by applicants residing in the suburban cities or unincorporated areas of Bexar County, outside of San Antonio proper. The CPS Energy Board of Trustees is set to handpick the four quadrant-based members, while the existing CIC members will select the at-large candidate, as reported by the San Antonio Report. Once selected, the 19-strong body will be the voice of the people, providing the utility’s trustees with a public perspective "on matters as assigned by the board," which will include discussions on rate structures, possible rate hikes, and the utility's generation portfolio.
This initiative follows the sunset of the RAC, praised for its role in informing the board's first rate increase in eight years along with input on a new generation portfolio, as per statements in the press release from CPS Energy cited by the CPS Energy Newsroom.
Transparency advocates will be pleased to note that, unlike the CAC's historically private conclaves, the new CIC committee will conduct open meetings accessible to the public. This change addresses past community concerns about the need for public scrutiny and engagement. As part of the rebranding, the CIC will also feature three specialized subcommittees focusing on power and technology, rates, finance and business, and customer relations and communications. Members are expected to contribute to anyone, or perhaps even multiple, of these subcommittees. Final approval for all new nominees will occur at the board’s next meeting on June 24, as laid out in announcement from San Antonio Report.
Following a period of restructuring and modernizing its approach to community involvement, CPS Energy shows a clear intention to correct the course with its embrace of a more open, interactive, and representative committee structure. Applications are only open for a short window. For more details and to become part of the change in San Antonio's energy scene, potential applicants and interested observers can get more information from the CIC website.
