Utility and Regulatory Division
The Utilities and Regulatory Division provides legal advice to several departments, including Austin Energy, Austin Water, Austin Resource Recovery, Austin Technology Services, and the regulatory functions of Austin Financial Services. The attorneys advise on utility, regulatory, and franchise issues, as well as cyber and information security legal compliance.
Don Ballard, Utility and Regulatory Division Chief
Don serves as Division Chief for the Utilities and Regulatory Division. He leads the team that represents the City’s electric, water, information security, technology, and regulatory practice areas. Don previously served ten years as the General Counsel for Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc., the largest electric utility cooperative in the country. Prior to joining PEC, Don was appointed to serve as the Texas Public Utility Counsel, the chief executive of the state office representing residential and small business customers in electricity and telecommunications matters. In that position he served on the Board of Directors for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). He has also served as General Counsel to the Texas Workforce Commission; Assistant General Counsel at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas; a Chief Attorney at the Texas Public Utility Commission; and Deputy Chief of the Open Records Division, Office of the Texas Attorney General.
In 2007, Don received the Texas General Counsel Forum’s Magna Stella Award for excellence in leadership and management. He is also a past president of the Administrative and Public Law Section of the Austin Bar Association. Don graduated from the University of Texas Law School and Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both. The City of Austin has substantial water rights granted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to divert water from the Colorado River. However, the City's water rights are not sufficient to meet the City's water supply needs. Therefore, the City has a water supply purchase agreement with the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to back up or supplement the City's water rights. In a typical year the City will use water from both its water rights and from its water supply agreement with LCRA.
A summary of the customer's rights and the City's responsibility shall be provided with the first bill to each customer, and at least every two years thereafter. Billing and customer service questions can be directed to Austin Energy, who also sends out bills for Austin Water Utility, 512-949-9400. For more information, click here.
For water/wastewater emergencies, contact 512-72-1000; this number is answered 24 hours a day.