Water and Electrical Smart Restart
Those of us San Antonians that were affected by power outages will not forget February of 2021. Winter Storm Uri brought rain, ice and snow into the Alamo City. As beautiful as it was to see, touch and even taste for some; it also brought in harsh conditions.
San Antonio and its citizens were not prepared for ice, snow and extreme cold temperatures. We experienced absence of water throughout the city. Many homeowners witnessed electrical outages while others had to deal with burst pipes.
I have personal experience with a lot of the homeowners who had burst pipes because Lopez (Plumber) and I jumped in my truck to perform repairs for some elderly residents who didn’t have water. We also took water to sustain them until we repaired their leaks. We used flash lights because many of them had candles but no electricity. One couple trusted to leave us at their home to complete the repairs. They traveled to a friend’s house that had hot water to shower and heat to avoid the extreme cold weather inside their home. For some, I walked dogs. I brought food. One of the only restaurants that were available for residents that lived off Babcock was Dalia’s Thai Cuisine. I picked up food from that location daily to feed various residents in the area.
A lot of residents and political figures attempt to blame the mayor, city council and CPS for the electrical outages. Finger pointing usually occurs during times of discomfort and struggle. To their defense, San Antonio wasn’t prepared because those weather conditions were not the norm for our city. So, how do we protect our electrical grid under those circumstances and most importantly provide for our citizens? Some of the answers to that question have been implemented.
As mayor, one way I would prevent a reoccurrence of the affects of Winter Storm Uri is encouraging citizens to utilize an alternate source of power like generators. After the storm, I installed gas lines and gas stoves in many homes. It’s not a bad idea to have a Generac unit installed for many types of power delays or outages. I would encourage solar power. The city has and can pivot to solar power by harnessing sunlight as an alternative. San Antonio has invested in the Alamo Solar Project which has solar farms in different areas of the city. We have CPS energy’s solar farms. The El Patrimonio solar farm located near Neal Road and 1604 Loop is expected to begin producing power this year, 2025. Texas has a property tax exemption for solar power but not a state solar tax credit. I will work with the Honorable Governor Greg Abbott to create financial allowances for those who choose to benefit from solar power. Many of our residents currently utilize solar panels as an alternate method to power their homes and businesses. We are the fifth largest producer of solar power in the United States. The city has and can also pivot to wind power by capturing the energy from wind turbines. Presently, we have the Desert Sky Wind Farm that has 107 turbines. CPS gets approximately 14% of its power from the wind. I’ll work with CPS to increase that percentage. Sweetwater wind farm also supplies energy to San Antonio.
In addition to the steps already taken, as Mayor, I’ll implement my “Electrical Smart Re-Start Initiative” where I’ll support and encourage CPS to upgrade our current electrical infrastructure to more efficient parts, add smart grid systems with fault detection, isolation mechanisms to optimize electricity distribution, data management, smart meters and have multiple feeds installed. City development changed some codes during new construction and renovation projects like the installation of smart circuit breakers and promoting energy efficiency.
As part of my “Electrical Smart Re-Start Initiative”, I realize the future of electrical efficiency, optimization and assistance to what is already in place for city and residential growth will be impacted by Artificial Intelligence. I believe AI will not replace but simplify the jobs of many employees within the electrical spectrum. As mayor of San Antonio, I will assure smart leadership is at the forefront. I will evaluate where the future is going, create a plan to incorporate measures which are future-focused and maximize our potential. AI will assist us with better planning for our electrical grid, a more accurate preventive maintenance system, optimization of energy usage and suggestions to align with renewable energy resources. We will not be caught off-guard due to the lack of engagement or vision for how we can provide a better electrical infrastructure for our citizens.