Austin American-Statesman
Ryan Maxin, Austin American-Statesman
Wed, July 5, 2023 at 3:50 PM CST

Austin Energy has a new leader at the helm.

Bob Kahn served his first day as general manager of Austin's public utility company on Monday, months after Jackie Sargent, its previous leader, announced her retirement.

Kahn took the reins from Stuart Reilly, who had served as interim general manager since Sargent's departure. Sargent retired in late March, and she is the first and only woman to serve in the position.

Kahn had been general manager for the Texas Municipal Power Agency since December 2012, and he's a Texas Public Power Association board member. Between 2007 and 2009, he served as president and chief executive officer at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages 90% of Texas' power load.

Kahn also previously worked in several roles at Austin Energy, including as deputy general manager.

Austin Energy has faced scrutiny in recent years, especially after severe winter weather earlier this year that left more than 156,000 homes and businesses without power.

Mayor Kirk Watson, who took office in early January, acknowledged in an interview with the American-Statesman in February that it appeared as though the city could have done more to get ready for the winter storm and that he was disappointed that officials were not more aggressive in their public communications as downed trees, branches and limbs left tens of thousands shivering in dark and cold homes.

An Austin Energy spokesperson declined the Statesman's interview request, citing Kahn's newness to the job. He was appointed by interim Austin City Manager Jesús Garza in June.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin Energy under new leadership after months with interim boss