We're saved!: City of Austin to blow $8.5 million annually to pretend they're preventing bad weather by pretending they're running the city on wind power

Austin Goes 100 Percent Renewable

Shifting to green power -- wind, in Austin’s case -- will add $8.5 million in costs to the city this year. Officials estimate that that cost difference will shrink to just $3 million per year by 2021, as the prices of oil and natural gas rise. At any rate, the tradeoff is worth it, according to Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “I agree with the scientific community; global warming is a reality, and we will continue to lead American cities by maintaining our community vision,” Leffingwell said in a statement.

Austin will still purchase non-renewable power, including coal and nuclear energy, during times of the day when the wind turbines aren’t blowing. But all the money the city would normally spend on non-renewable sources will instead be directed to wind, according to the Austin American-Statesman.