Last year, when The Eagle pressed BTU for the salaries of its top executives, the paper was told again and again that the utility didn’t have to release the information because it was of a competitive nature.
Then-City Manager David Watkins tried to get that information as well as other financial records of the utility, and he, too, was denied. The Bryan City Council requested the information, and that request was rejected.
BTU executives and the council-appointed BTU board were adamant that release of the financial information would put the utility at a competitive disadvantage, even though it has a monopoly on providing electric power within its service area.
Is a policy analyst consultant for TCAP, a coalition of political subdivisions in Texas that purchase electricity in the deregulated market for their own governmental use. Because energy costs are typically a significant budget item to our members, TCAP is consistently looking for ways to save our members money, through cost-saving contracts, energy efficiency or demand response programs.