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In the Media

Reporters: More information about PEC4U is available on our Media page

Newspaper articles:

Austin American Statesman: Pedernales co-op election matters to members
May 11, 2009

Austin American Statesman: Pedernales settlement halted at the last minute 6/6/08
Horseshoe Bay attorney files appeal in state appeals court that could delay deal by years.

Austin American Statesman: Pedernales’ board finally close to revising pay 5/22/08
Review shows directors earn more than at most co-ops, comparable pay to investor-owned utilities.

Austin American Statesman: Tax forms detail Pedernales officials pay, benefits 5/17/08
Co-op tax form most detailed in years.

Austin American Statesman: Pedernales settlement makes sense — on the whole 5/7/08 (note also the comment from Naomi Byrne)

Austin American Statesman: Judge approves settlement in PEC case 5/6/08
Agreement allows $23 million in bill credits over five years

Austin American Statesman: Pedernales general manager Juan Garza defends proposed settlement 5/2/08

Austin American Statesman: Co-op members urge rejection of lawsuit settlement5/1/08
Judge is told proposed deal would be too soft on Pedernales Electric officials.

Austin American Statesman: Judge denies motion to remove Dietz from PEC case 4/28/08

Highland Lakes Newspapers: Fraser disagrees with PEC settlement 4/22/08

Austin American Statesman: A timeline of utility’s relations with billing software company 4/20/08

Austin American Statesman: Pedernales couldn’t attract much business for software company 4/20/08

Austin American Statesman: Pedernales co-op paid for executives’ trips to New Mexico homes 4/20/08

Austin American Statesman: Co-op’s software subsidiary a costly choice 4/20/08
Members shielded from more than $63 million in expenses in recent years.

Austin American Statesman: PEC settlement doesn’t diminish members’ gains 4/15

Austin American Statesman: Member fight to stop lawsuit settlement begins 4/13/08
But a continued fight could mean more costly lawyers fees.

Horseshoe Bay Beacon: Insurer to pay only part of PEC settlement 4/10/08

KUT Radio: Brief audio piece about the election 4/7 or 4/8/08

Austin American Statesman: Pedernales co-op gets slew of candidates for board 4/8/08
47 people so far plan to vie for 5 seats at troubled co-op.

Horseshoe Bay Beacon: Senate begins inquiry into unregulated cooperatives 4/3/08

Horseshoe Bay Beacon:State will review PEC audit 4/3/08

Austin American Statesman: Audit of PEC must steer clear of board influence 4/1/08

Austin American Statesman: State audit of Pedernales co-op in jeopardy 4/1/08
Agreement with lawmaker lets member-owned utility escape an expanded review of its books for now.

Austin American Statesman: Pedernales Electric Cooperative officials face angry lawmakers 3/28/08
Co-op board chairman apologizes for mistakes; officials vow to let state audit its records.

Austin American-Statesman: Senate hearing targets PEC allegations 3/28/08
State lawmakers express constituents’ concerns about how electric co-op has conducted business.

Austin American-Statesman: Pedernales co-op, lawmakers to face off today 3/27/08
Co-op releases yet more documents showing large no-bid contracts, exec expenses.

Austin American-Statesman: Legislature can help open up co-ops 3/22/08

Austin American-Statesman: Bills to be 11 percent higher for PEC customers 3/18/08
Co-op is passing along fuel charge from LCRA.

Austin American-Statesman: It doesn’t get any better jobwise than being the honorary poobah over at the PEC 3/18/08

Austin American-Statesman: Co-op board kept pay going for 3 retired directors 3/16/08
Program highly unusual, in either public or private employment, experts say.

Austin American-Statesman: PEC still owes full disclosure 3/12/08

Austin American-Statesman: Settlement reached in Pedernales co-op lawsuit 3/11/08
PEC members will get refunds, but extent of reforms remains to be seen.

Austin American-Statesman: Texas Attorney General Enters PEC investigation 2/23/08
Saying a ‘more extensive investigation’ of utility is needed, local prosecutor gets help from the state

Austin American-Statesman: Co-op members to elect leader2/12/08
Board decides that members will elect a board member to fill Burnett’s vacancy

Austin American-Statesman: New Pedernales chief brings Austin official on board 2/12/08
Co-op General Manager Juan Garza starts work, begins drafting reforms.

Austin American-Statesman: Hilgers headed to PEC 2/11/08

Austin American-Statesman: Time to make way for open, honest PEC 2/8/08
W.W. ‘Bud’ Burnett has departed. So has Bennie Fuelberg. The rest of the board needs to follow suit.

Austin American-Statesman: At PEC, some draw paychecks without showing up 2/3/08
Former director, employees left jobs but not money behind, officials say.

Austin American-Statesman: Glare of Senate panel targets PEC 1/30/08

Austin American-Statesman: Dewhurst adds study of electric co-ops to charge for interim Senate committee 1/30/08
Panel’s review of deregulation to include scrutiny of Pedernales and state’s other member-owned utilities

Austin American-Statesman: In latest turn, PEC invites mistrust 1/25/08

Austin American-Statesman: Pedernales co-op board blocks lawmakers’ attempt to open books to state auditor’s office 1/25/08
Despite growing consensus for state auditor to step in, PEC board balks.

Horseshoe Bay Beacon (and others): Members ask PEC board to resign despite board’s election reforms 1/23/08

Austin American-Statesman: Pedernales co-op gets more rule changes 1/22/08
Board amends election process again, but many want directors to resign.

Hays Free Press: PEC eliminates nominating committee, proxy voting process 1/21/08

Austin American-Statesman: Co-op exec will walk away without $600,000 from pay package 1/19/08
But questions over management style remain.

Hays Free Press: Burnett resigns from PEC Board 1/18/08

Austin American-Statesman: PEC gets needed criminal scrutiny 1/16/08

Austin American-Statesman: Blanco County prosecutor plans Pedernales investigation 1/15/08
Electric co-op’s activities ‘worthy of an investigation,’ says district attorney.

Austin American-Statesman: Don’t dam the flow of PEC info – we need more answers 1/13/08

Austin American-Statesman: Pedernales financial information may remain hidden 1/13/08
Co-op members ‘fear a potential cover-up’ if lawsuit is settled and records are never released

Austin American-Statesman: Step aside, Pedernales board 1/12/08
Free-spending leaders at electric cooperative have failed its members.

Junction Eagle: No good deed goes unpunished (editorial) 1/9/08

Austin American-Statesman: Hey, Conde Nast, meet your match: the PEC bigwigs 1/8/08
Pedernales co-op poo-bahs should start their own travel magazine.

Austin American-Statesman: Pedernales co-op lawsuit on hold for settlement talks 1/8/08
Negotiations follow disclosures about expenses, testimony.

Austin American-Statesman: Pedernales co-op changes leaders and bylaws, but members still locked out. 1/6/08

Austin American-Statesman: Pedernales Electric Cooperative Board Members 1/6/08

Austin American-Statesman: Pedernales keeps paying when some are away from job 1/6/08

Austin American-Statesman: Expenses of some Pedernales executives 1/6/08

Austin American-Statesman: Pedernales Co-op executives – and their spouses – go first class 1/6/08
Credit card bills document spending habits of utility’s top officials.

Austin American-Statesman: PEC hire is move in right direction 1/5/08

San Antonio Express-News: Pedernales electric co-op has new GM 1/4/08

Austin Business Journal: Austin Energy’s Garza to join Pedernales 1/4/08

Austin American-Statesman: Electric co-op moves fast to name new leader 1/4/08
Austin Energy chief picked by embattled utility board to replace general manager of 31 years.

Austin American-Statesman: Garza expected to bring open management style to electric co-op 1/4/08
Former general manager of Austin Energy seeks to encourage, empower employees to get job done.

Junction Eagle: Senator Troy Fraser visits Junction 12/19/07

Austin American-Statesman: Time for leadership on Pedernales board 12/11/07

Austin American-Statesman: Less work, great money: This Bud’s for you, America 12/11/07

Austin American-Statesman: Pedernales board chairman has made $1 million since 2001, but doesn’t remember much. 12/9/07

Austin American-Statesman: Chart: PEC Power Pays 12/09/07

Austin American-Statesman: General manager is firmly in control, co-op workers say 12/09/07

Austin American-Statesman: Excerpts from the court-ordered transcripts 12/08/07

Austin American-Statesman: Hight: State utility regulator casts eye on Central Texas 12/02/07

San Antonio Express-News: PEC board’s pay, perks are filed with IRS – and they’re astounding 11/24/07

Junction Eagle: PEC subsidiary loses money 11/21/07

The Hays Highway: PEC Power Play 11/18/07

Johnson City Record Courier PEC discloses general manager compensation 11/15/07