By Mose Buchele and Nathan Bernier
KUT
Originally published June 26, 2026
Austin Energy says Austin City Council members have taken secret votes for years on matters involving the publicly owned utility, and that those votes don’t appear in any public record.
The disclosure only came after KUT News reviewed more than 1,000 City Council meetings and challenged the utility’s claim that such votes “ARE indicated in council minutes.”
Last month, the council took what appears to be its first documented secret vote on Austin Energy, approving the purchase of gas-powered electric generators estimated to cost more than $1 billion.
The vote occurred in a closed session under a narrow carve-out to the Texas Open Meetings Act that allows elected officials who oversee power companies to vote in secret on “competitive matters.” The final vote tally was never released.
A record of the meeting on the city’s website simply says the measure was “conducted and approved.”