January 25, 2019

Volume 40, Number 41

The City of Austin has invested heavily in contracts for wind energy to produce electricity.  It indicated it may continue to do so in the future.  Austin’s commitments have helped Texas emerge as the nation’s leader in wind energy. This is taking place in a state where oil is king, with no signs of relinquishing its crown.  So, what is the future for wind as a power source?

Let’s get this out of the way up front:  wind power can exist alongside Texas’ abundance of oil and gas.  It’s not an either/or situation.  In fact, visual evidence exists in West Texas where both giant spinning wind turbines and oil/gas wells dot the same wide-open landscape.  It’s a below-ground industry working beside an above-ground dynamic.

Back to the original question, what is the future for wind power?  Wind energy is an expanding business.  And it is not just for generating electricity.  For instance, there are nearly 13,000 wind turbines operating in Texas for electricity.  Yet, there are still another 80,000 wind turbines spinning in the state that are used for pumping water and other purposes.  (Think windmills pumping water in the days of the Old West.)

We focus on Austin’s energy needs, rightly so.  But considering the future of wind energy it’s important to note “wind power has become an invaluable tool in the rural economic development space,” reports Powering Texas.  It is providing opportunities for landowners and local school districts, as well as creating jobs,

The national wind energy association reports Texas is home to nearly four-dozen manufacturing facilities and numerous component suppliers.  This is a growing support group for the expanding wind energy industry.  Not only this, but eight of the world’s ten largest wind farms are in the US – and five of those are in Texas.

The US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration this month released bullish 2019 projections.  Some of its strong forecast is based on these facts:  1) there is already installed wind capacity in Texas amounting to 23,421 megawatts, 2) Texas wind capacity under construction is 6,148 megawatts, and 3) the wind capacity in advanced development is 1,804 megawatts.  Do the math.  In the pipeline (so to speak) is a capacity that will increase wind power in Texas by more than one-third.  This is a hefty increase, signifying a solid future. Read More

January 11, 2019

Volume 40, Number 39

Property values are increasing dramatically in high-demand, low-availability parts of Austin.  Take the land west of the UTAustin campus where hot new development projects include high-rise (and high-dollar) luxury living units.  But, prime land is at a premium.  So, how do you meet strong demand?  An emerging trend is to build in air space above existing structures that are ideally located.  At the forefront of this trend is a church.  That’s right, a church.

You couldn’t ask for a much more ideal location for high rise student living units than in the 2000 block of Guadalupe Street (The Drag), alongside the UTAustin campus.  This is the location of St. Austin’s Catholic Parish.  St. Austin’s is in active negotiation for air space development rights above its property.  This could be a big win-win for both parties.

“Currently we are negotiating an exclusive agreement with Greystar, where we will spend the next couple of months developing the financial model that tells us if we could make a project work for all of us,” the pastor, Rev. Fr. Charles Kullman, told his parish.  The property is huge.  It not only includes the church facility itself but other buildings such as the rectory, offices, school, etc.

Greystar, he said, is a global leader in student housing with assets close to $30 billion.  “They stood out with their global experience and specific experience in West Campus, and it has the balance sheet needed to support a potential project of this size,” said Fr. Kullman.

Negotiations are not public, but the church will probably want to improve its existing facilities and negotiate ongoing payments from the development, while it maintains ownership and control of the land and church assets.  Greystar would, within existing city zoning regs, see how many living units (condos? rentals?) it can build and how high it can rise above the church facilities.

So, what’s the timetable?  “No decision to move forward will be made until everyone is comfortable with the financial model and it is approved by the Diocese,” said Fr. Kullman.  “I expect it would be sometime in late February before we get through this next step.”  St. Austin’s, by the way, tried to work a similar air space deal with UTAustin, but was told the university’s business model does not include student housing off their own property.  Also, we understand a small UTAustin fraternity, Acacia, is also working on an air space deal. Read More

January 4, 2019

Volume 40, Number 38

As a New Year begins, most folks only look ahead and plan for the upcoming year.  But, economists are not “most folks.”  Part of what they do is go out on a limb and look waaaaay out.  In the case of Texas economist Ray Perryman, would you believe 25 years – between now and 2045?  Austin’s economy is strong now, and his long-range prediction for the next quarter-century is very positive for the Austin metro area.

Long range economic forecasts for the Austin area have not always been bullish.  Back when Austin was only a state-government-state-university town -- modest economic growth was the standard.  In fact, going back to only 1980, a 25-year forecast would have been grossly underestimated.

That was then.  This is now.  Here’s what Perryman said in the first days of 2019:  “The Austin-Round Rock metro area remains one of the top performers in the state and continues to attract national attention; the area is projected to be a strong performer over the forecast horizon.”

All that verbiage is well and good.  But what about numbers?  What will happen to the job situation?  “Nearly 665,100 new jobs are likely to be added by 2045,” Perryman predicted.  Whoa!  This is a whole lot of new jobs, new payrolls, new residents in the 5-county metro area.

When you break down his job numbers, you find it amounts to a 1.78% annual growth rate, spread out over the next 25 years.  Sure, the Austin metro has notched a higher annual growth rate than that in the past.  But, when you average the ups-and-downs certain to occur over a quarter-century, this is impressive.

In fact, Perryman’s predicted 1.78% job growth rate ties the Dallas-Plano-Irving Metropolitan Division and leads the others:  the Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Division, 1.58% … El Paso metro, 1.5% … Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro, 1.64% … McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metro, 1.64% … and San Antonio-New Braunfels, 1.66%. Interestingly, about 72.4% of Texans live in these major metros.  And that percentage has been rising.  In fact, Perryman predicts through 2045, 80% of new jobs will be in the seven largest metro areas in Texas. Read More

December 14, 2018

Volume 40, Number 37

As 2018 winds down, it’s time to look ahead to what can be expected in 2019 (especially since this is our final 2018 issue, as we take our traditional year-end 2-week hiatus).  In no particular order, let’s hit as many issues as we can cram into this week’s newsletter.  First, as you plan your 2019 travel, here’s what you can expect at Austin’s airport.

Frequent flyers know record-breaking passenger traffic has crowded the corridors, security lines and parking at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) this year.  It is averaging a huge 15.1% increase over last year, with no additional airport capacity.  Hang on.  Help is on the way.  And sooner, rather than later.

Nine new gates are nearing completion.  They should be quite impressive.  They will open in phases in the next year.  The north facing gates are on track to open in the spring of 2019.  This is none too soon.  But final construction will continue on new restaurant space, concessions and for an area ABIA calls the patio.  All this and the south facing gates are set to open by fall of 2019.

Important, but not as sexy, the remodeling and modernization of 13 vestibules is entering into the final construction phase.  Vestibules are the automatic sliding glass entrances and exits.  They will be enlarged to allow more space to enter and exit the terminal with luggage, while controlling drafts and the loss of cooled air.

In 2019, look for a continued major increase in passenger traffic.  But, by the end of the year, the new construction should alleviate some of the hassle as you travel through ABIA. Read More

December 7, 2018

Volume 40, Number 35

It’s common these days for glowing national articles to be written about Austin.  So when an opinion piece in a respected national publication criticizes actions by Austin, you need to be aware of what is being said.  Within the past week, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) wrote the City of Austin “risks becoming the San Francisco of the South – an expensive playground for wealthy progressives.”  And it cited examples.

 “It would be hard to find a better example of left-wing naiveite in municipal affairs than what transpired here in November,” wrote the WSJ in its opening sentence.  “Voters in the Lone Star State’s progressive bastion overwhelmingly approved a $925 billion bond package, but rejected a simple ballot initiative for an independent audit of city spending.” “The defeat of the audit wouldn’t be so galling if the new bonds didn’t so obviously demonstrate the need for an independent review of Austin’s books.  Spending in the Texas capital is more like what one would expect in some profligate California city,” observed with WSJ.  “With this new bond package, Austin has been reduced to using debt to fund parks, public safety and sidewalk repair – instead of paying for them out of its $4.1 billion annual budget.”

It cited other examples saying Austin “spends too much of its steadily growing budget on dubious social programs and utopian schemes, financed by a steadily growing tax burden.”  It ticked off actions such as mandatory paid sick leave “with an exemption, of course, for union shops.”  A solar-ready requirement for all new homes and commercial buildings was another example, as was “exorbitantly high development fees that get passed on to consumers.”

“The priority of the city’s ultraprogressive political establishment is to serve the interests of the wealthy, ultraprogressive white people who fund and elect Austin’s insular political class,” claims the WSJ opinion piece.  “As living here gets more expensive and as the city’s elite dig in to protect their left-wing haven from disruption and change,” it becomes more like San Francisco.  Tough talk.

Let’s put this in perspective.  Readers of the WSJ can agree or disagree with this assessment.  This is not the point.  The point:  this review of the City of Austin’s governing policies is now out there for all to see.  In a respected publication. Read More

November 23, 2018

Volume 40, Number 34

While enjoying leftovers from the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, it’s time to look ahead at a special Austin City Council runoff election that will likely be largely overlooked.  Even though Council positions are theoretically non-partisan – candidates are not listed by political affiliation – Council District 8 has taken on an aggressively partisan Dem vs Repub tone.

It’s a special runoff election December 11, 2018 for three seats on the Austin City Council.  No candidate got 50+% of the vote November 6, 2018.  So the top two vote-getters for District 1, District 3 and District 8 must face voters once again.  Here’s how it breaks down.

District 1 features newcomers Natasha Harper-Madison against Mariana Salazar.  District 3 is a re-match of a family affair:  incumbent Pio Renteria is in the runoff with his sister, Susana Almanza.  Neither of these contests has partisan overtones.  No matter who is elected, these districts will continue to be represented by another left-leaning Council member.

The change in tone is for the District 8 Council seat.  You’ll recall this is the Council district currently represented by Ellen Troxclair.  An avowed conservative, Troxclair – who was frequently on the short end of 10-1 votes – decided not to seek re-election.

The runoff for this seat pits Paige Ellis against Frank Ward.  Why do we say this is a highly-partisan contest?  The Travis County Democratic Party endorsed Ellis.  And described the contest this way:  “Her opponent Frank Ward is a Trump-Republican and former staffer for the Republican National Committee endorsed by outgoing conservative Council Member Ellen Troxclair.”

The Dem Chair says of Ellis:  “Paige is an advocate for Planned Parenthood and believes that Austin can be a leader in gun safety reform … and is running to ensure environmental responsibility.”  The Democratic Party is raising money for Ellis and is block-walking Sunday, November 25^th to get out the vote for her.

If Ellis wins, there will be no conservative voice, much less a lone vote, on the Austin City Council.  And, as the Austin American-Statesman noted previously, in the very diverse 11-member City Council, there will be no white, heterosexual, Christian male serving on the law-making body.  Early voting runs from November 29th to December 7th. Read More

October 12, 2018

Volume 40, Number 28

It’s a rare sight in Austin:  powerful activist environmental interests disagreeing among themselves.  Usually the environmental community leaders in Austin publicly march in lock-step -- fighting for or against the same issues.  Not now.  Distinct lines have been drawn over an issue that will be on Austin ballots November 6th.  Which side prevails may go a long way toward defining the shape of Austin’s growth.

The ballot item is Proposition J.  Huh?  What’s that?  Simply put, it would require any comprehensive change to Austin’s land use rules go to voters for approval.  Just getting on the ballot was controversial.  It took a grass-roots effort to bypass the Austin City Council to get Prop J on the ballot.  This grew out of the CodeNEXT development rules process that inflamed such strong opinions, it was ultimately abandoned. So, how has this pitted Austin environmental leaders against each other?  We need to credit Mose Buchele, an award-winning reporter for KUT-FM, for bringing this to our attention through his writing in Austin Monitor.  It boils down to differing environmental philosophies as they relate to growth and climate change.  How so?

“If Proposition J passes, then the voters will have the right to check the Council’s work if we resurrect CodeNEXT and we have a comprehensive rewrite of our Land Development Code,” longtime environmental activist Bill Bunch argues.  Arguing against passage of Prop J is the director of Austin-based Environment Texas, Luke Metzger.  Where do they differ?

Bunch opposes development being shoved into the Central city where you would “scrape our existing city neighborhoods and try to force it on top of existing communities.”  He doesn’t like adding density in downtown Austin and wants growth moved away from the city core.

Metzger disagrees:  “Are we going to increase sprawl, increase traffic, or are we going to do it in a much more walkable, transit-friendly way and bring people into the city core?”

They both cite strong, passionate environmental reasons for their approach.  It’ll be interesting to see which approach prevails in this environmentally-centric Austin community. Read More

October 5, 2018

Volume 40, Number 27

The price of oil is surging toward an extremely high price of $100 a barrel.  In fact, this week the price moved up to bounce around $80/barrel.  Good for the Texas “awl bidness.”  Good for state government, as tax revenue is pouring into state coffers in advance of the Texas legislative session starting in January.  Good for the Texas economy.  Yes, but.  What about the price of gasoline you pay at the pump for personal and business driving?  Good question.

There are predictions that the price of gasoline will be increasing, even though the summer heavy driving season is behind us and the demand theoretically is lessened.  It’s a logical forecast.  After all, it is costing more to buy and then process crude oil.  So it isn’t surprising to expect the price at the pump may go up.  If it does, though, how high could it go?

As of mid-week, the price for a gallon of regular gas at Costco on Austin’s Research Blvd. was $2.48/gal.  (Admittedly, Costco generally has some of the lowest prices around.)  This is the same price range, slightly up and down, seen at Costco through the busy summer travel months.

Know what the gas price is in California?  “Gasoline prices are climbing toward $4.00 a gallon in Southern California, boosted in large part by a rise in worldwide crude oil prices,” reported the Los Angeles Times.  “The average pump price for regular gas in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area stood at $3.77.”

Wait a minute.  If crude prices were the biggest culprit, wouldn’t you think similar prices could be found in Austin and all over the US where the price of crude is the same?  Hasn’t happened.  Something else is happening in LaLa Land.

“The truth is that California policies, including its high state taxes on gasoline and diesel, drive up prices,” observed the conservative think tank Texas Public Policy Foundation.  “Regulations and corporate taxes also play a big role in determining refinery operating costs as well as expenses throughout the entire supply chain.  That’s why prices are rising, especially in California.”

You’ll probably always pay more at the pump in high-tax states than here in Austin or around Texas.  Competition and volume also play a part.  Still, the price you pay will likely rise.  See the next story. Read More

September 21, 2018

Volume 40, Number 25

Face it.  Whether you like it or not, advances in robotics and artificial intelligence will be used in battle by someone – an enemy or an ally.  And Austin will be on the cutting edge of the effort to ensure US soldiers will have the best technologies available.  This was securely set in stone when the first new 4-star command in 45 years – the Army Futures Command (AFC) – was established, not in a remote military base, but in downtown Austin.

While this is a development of yet-to-be-fully-understood, long-term-significance to the Austin area, it is a continuation of Austin’s quiet involvement for more than a half-century in private and public war-related activities.  Two quick examples:  1) UTAustin’s Defense Research Lab was active in World War II in North Austin, where the Pickle Research Lab now sits, and where Sam, the first monkey to launch into space, was trained and 2) Tracor, the first home-grown NYSE-listed company, was founded in 1955 to work on US defense electronics.

What we know about the AFC’s economic impact in Austin is that, once fully operational, it will employ about 500 employees, including 400 civilians.  Not Dell-huge in terms of numbers, but important in high-level positions.  This is where university graduates and private sector workers come in.

“By tapping into private-sector and academic know-how, the Army can better develop solutions to future problems,” observed longtime Texas economist Ray Perryman.  “With Austin’s large number of professionals in science and technology industries and thousands of graduates each year in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics career fields, the area is well equipped to work with the Army to modernize.”

The Army hasn’t said so yet, but you can anticipate that millions and millions of government dollars will start flowing, as if from a fire hose, into UTAustin, established tech and computer companies, start-up tech innovators, leading-edge researchers, etc.  This is how the Army can maximize the advantages of all that Austin offers.  Make no mistake, this will provide a significant infusion of funds into the area. Want a phrase from an expert that puts the Army Futures Command Austin/Texas location into perspective? Try this from Perryman:  “In one of the most important arenas imaginable, Texas has shown itself to be an innovation juggernaut of global significance.” Read More

September 14, 2018

Volume 40, Number 24

The Texas economy – especially as it impacts the Austin area – is so strong it has triggered an action not taken in 30 years.  State government, so important in Austin, is benefitting significantly from what is happening throughout the state – not to mention the impact of the red-hot Austin economy.  All this is due to better-than-expected economic and revenue growth around Texas.

We’ve long maintained the Austin area is uniquely positioned economically.  Steady government paychecks provide a solid underpinning for the area.  In general, these jobs are not subject to ups-and-downs or twists-and-turns of the private sector.  So, add to this, the Silicon Hills of Austin is right now riding the crest of tech-driven private sector job growth, that is the envy of the rest of the nation.

Consider this:  the sky-rocketing Austin private sector tech economy is set to get a rocket-boost from normally-staid state government.  What?  How’s this?  The Texas Legislature that sets budget parameters for the many state agencies in Austin doesn’t even meet for almost four months.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, by law, is the state official who decides money guidelines the legislature must follow.  He says to legislators “this is how much money you will have to spend during the next two years of the biennium and you can’t spend any more than that.”  Last October, he issued his forecast for fiscal year 2019.

For the first time other than a legislative session in 30 years, the State Comptroller has increased his certified revenue estimate he made last October.  And it was a big increase.  Remember, the Texas Legislature meets only once every two years for 140 days.  So it’s a big deal for setting a two-year budget.

His reason for saying state agencies will have more money to spend starting in 2019 than earlier predicted are several fold:  sales tax revenue is up 10.5% over FY 2017 … oil/gas natural gas production tax revenue is up 56.1% … general revenue-related revenue, up 9.3%, etc.

The legislature will have more money to dole out.  If state agencies get bigger bucks, it will mean bigger paychecks circulating through the Austin economy.  A nice future boost. Read More