Fall 08
Vol. 13 No. 4

Cris Eugster, chief officer for sustainable growth, talks to Florida Power & Light representatives. Eugster keeps abreast of the alternative energy markets so he can make informed decisions. Photo by Dave Schafer

By Dave Schafer

When the second phone line rings, Cris Eugster puts down his Blackberry and asks the Houston Solar Tour representative who is on line one to please hold for a minute. On line two, an administrative assistant tells him his 2:30 p.m. appointment is here early.

“Thanks. Tell them I need five more minutes, then I’ll be up,” says Eugster, the city’s chief officer for sustainable growth. He and the Mayor’s Office are trying to increase the visibility and impact of the nonprofit solar tour. They’ve attracted more sponsors, increasing the operating budget from about $1,000 to $25,000.

His Blackberry buzzes. Eugster picks it up and looks at it, then thumbs a response while explaining to the Solar Tour rep that because about 25 percent of the city still doesn’t have power, he’s not sure holding the tour in 10 days is a good idea.

Eugster is busy. But he hates putting anything off.

“If I can answer a question in real time, that means it doesn’t get pushed down the queue, and I don’t have to call back a week later and ask, ‘Now, what was going on?’” he says later.

That queue would get pretty long. Eugster serves as an internal consultant on energy-conservation issues within the city and works with departments and outside businesses and nonprofits to make the region more energy efficient and to promote alternative energy solutions.

“This city is going to grow,” he said. “What we want to address is how we grow and manage our resources efficiently.”

Bring alternatives to the masses
Mayor Bill White has emphasized energy efficiency and alternative energy sources since he took office. From 2004 through 2007, the city reduced its kilowatt usage by 5.8 percent while expanding city services.

White hired Eugster March 1, 2007, to improve those numbers further. He wants the region’s energy usage to flat line from year to year even as the population grows.

“The market is transforming,” said Eugster, who also speaks on panels and helps raise awareness in the community. “There are still people you have to convince about the benefits of energy efficiency or alternative sources, but mostly it’s more about showing them how. And that’s a cool problem to have.”

Eugster helps city projects be as energy efficient as they need to be, and he knocks down barriers to efficiency. Or he takes ideas to others for help implementing the concepts or to find funding.

He worked with General Services Director Issa Dadoush to arrange for the city to buy 40 megawatts of wind power from Texas wind farms, and they worked together to get solar panels installed at the code enforcement building and City Hall Annex. He’s working with the Houston Architecture Foundation, Houston Advanced Research Center, CenterPoint Energy, B.P. PLC and the Houston Endowment Foundation to put solar panels on the George R. Brown Convention Center to generate 100 kWh of power.

Getting, dispensing information
With a master’s and a doctorate in electrical engineering, Eugster knows the importance of analysis. That is much of his job. Each project involves research, going into the field to talk to people, and crunching numbers.

At his 2:30 appointment, two men from Florida Power & Light want to sell the city more wind power. There’s no budget for that, but Eugster meets with them so he can stay connected to the market.
He listens to their presentation, his salt-and-pepper head nodding, his glasses tilted to the left. He takes notes and asks questions about the company’s size and projects. He mentions that FPL provides wind power to Dallas, something the company reps didn’t know.

Do they do any solar projects? he asks. He thinks the price of solar power is too high right now, but he’s looking at the city perhaps contracting with a company to build solar panels on 100 acres of a closed landfill. The city would agree to buy a certain amount of solar power for the next 20 years.

Before joining the city, Eugster worked as a management consultant. He’s still mindful of the bottom line.

“Here, there’s a higher sense of purpose,” he said. “You’re working with the bottom line for the community.”

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