In this episode of Beyond the Bite, CPS Energy CEO Rudy Garza, rejoins the podcast to provide important updates on San Antonio’s power landscape. Garza discusses how CPS Energy has adapted since the severe winter storm of 2021, emphasizing their improved communication with ERCOT and the significant strides they've made in power generation and responsiveness to outages. Garza highlights CPS Energy's readiness in handling cold weather challenges and outlines the investments made in maintaining aging natural gas plants scheduled for shutdown to ensure reliability.

Garza delves into the collaborative relationship between CPS Energy and ERCOT, describing efforts to bridge transmission challenges. He shares insights into the legislative landscape, advocating for a balanced energy approach that includes natural gas, solar, batteries, and potentially small modular nuclear reactors. He underscores the importance of forward-thinking investments in infrastructure to meet San Antonio’s growing energy demands, especially considering the rise in large-scale projects like data centers and the necessity for strategic planning in power distribution and transmission.

Looking forward, Garza touches on the essential need for infrastructure development and the financial strategies CPS Energy employs to support this growth. He discusses the ongoing efforts to manage past due balances from customers while maintaining a delicate balance of rate increases to fund necessary investments. Concluding the episode, Garza discusses a new role that he and his wife Emily have taken as community campaign chairs for the United Way in 2025, reflecting his commitment to the community beyond his professional responsibilities.

https://www.cpsenergy.com/

https://www.cpsenergy.com/en/about-us/who-we-are/senior-leadership.html

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudy-d-garza-sa/

Podcast Production Service by EveryWord Media