Power Ranking

Austin shines as the greenest city in Texas in powerful new ranking

Austin Photo Set: Photo Essay_Katherine Squier_Summer in Austin_bike ride

Austin's sustainability efforts are paying off.

Austin's commitment to cycling, electric vehicles, and renewable energy appears to be paying off environmentally. By at least one measure, Austin reigns as the greenest big city in Texas.

A new study by commercial real estate blog Commercial Café ranks Austin as the top sustainably powered big city in Texas and the 12th most sustainably powered big city in the U.S.

By comparison, Commercial Café put Dallas at No. 29 for sustainability, with San Antonio at No. 32 and Houston — dubbed the Energy Capital of the World, thanks to its status as an oil-and-gas hub — at No. 41.

To gauge how U.S. cities fare in terms of sustainability, Commercial Café sifted through mounds of data on factors such as number of bicycle commuters, number of charging stations for electric vehicles, and variety of sustainable-power methods, such as solar, wind, hydropower, and geothermal.

In the ranking, Austin scored particularly well for the percentages of solar and wind power consumed by business and residential customers.

Austin Energy, a city-owned utility that provides by far the most power to homes and businesses in the Austin area, has set aggressive goals aimed at energizing the city’s sustainability initiatives. Those goals include:

Achieving at least 55 percent renewable energy by 2025.
Committing to 65 percent renewable energy by the end of 2027.
Equipping the utility’s service area with solar capacity totaling at least 950 megawatts by 2025. Nationally, 1 megawatt of solar supplies power to 164 homes. By that yardstick, Austin Energy’s solar capacity would provide power to nearly 156,000 local homes by 2025.

“Austin is currently one of the greenest cities in the nation, with a sustainability plan to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050, and we would expect that our [standing] would rise every year as we achieve interim actions toward that goal,” Khalil Shalabi, vice president of strategy, technology, and marketing operations at Austin Energy, tells CultureMap.

According to the World Green Building Council, a net-zero-carbon building is highly energy efficient and is fully powered by on-site energy, off-site renewable energy, or both.

Despite the Capital City's commitment to the environment, that wasn’t enough to compete with San Francisco, which Commercial Café plugged into the No. 1 spot for sustainability, followed by Seattle at No. 2; Oakland, California, at No. 3; Portland, Oregon, at No. 4; and Boston at No. 5.

rankings sustainability

Keep On Giving

These 10 holiday markets in Austin make gift shopping way easier

Artist Calder Kamin Austin Creative Reuse holiday market

Photo courtesy of Austin Creative Reuse

Artist Calder Kamin participating in the Austin Creative Reuse holiday market, for reducing waste in gift-giving.

Sure, it's the thought that counts, but sometimes holiday shopping leaves Austinites with a bit more thinking than they're ready to do. Thankfully, this city is full of artists and people who really love small businesses, so it's also about to be full of holiday markets. In fact, a few have already gotten holiday sales underway.

Whether you're shopping for Christmas, Hanukkah, a coworker gift swap, or any other occasion, these markets do a great job curating goods that will appeal to a wide range of people. Read the dates carefully — some of these options cater more to shoppers who plan ahead.

ATX Small Business Passport
November 6 to December 31 — multiple locations
The only item on this list that isn't a physical market, this "passport" offers an itinerary of great places to buy gifts and follows up with incentives. When shoppers make a purchase at a participating business between the above dates — including Letterpress Play, The Little Gay Shop, and Parker + Scott, who organized the initiative — they'll get a stamp. After five stamps, they'll get special offers and discounts from participating businesses in the new year.

Blue Genie Art Bazaar
November 15 to December 24 — 6100 Airport Blvd., Ste. C
This bazaar is one of Austin's most popular markets, and for good reason; it's a fun shopping experience, and the selection is diverse enough to cover many shoppers' entire lists. Arts and crafts, home goods, clothing and accessories, games, and more are on display now. Shoppers don't have to go in person or even browse at all thanks to a personal shopping service.

Punch Bowl Social's Ugly Christmas Sweater Shop
November 16 to December 24 — 11310 Domain Dr., Ste. 100 (The Domain location only)
As the name implies, this shop has a singular focus. Great for gag gifts, group commitments, or anyone with a fun sense of fashion, this market is inside a bowling alley and arcade, so folks who get bored of shopping have a strong incentive to get it done. Plus, the price range is pretty affordable: everything is $15-40.

The Junior League of Austin's A Christmas Affair 2024
November 20-24 — 900 Barton Springs Rd.
This huge market brings together more than 230 small and mid-sized businesses from across the country. It's also a longtime tradition, now in its 49th year. Purchases support the Junior League of Austin — a women's leadership organization — along with Kids In Cool Shoes (KICS), Coats for Kids (CFK), and Food In Tummies (FIT), plus more than 20 nonprofit partners. Shoppers must purchase tickets ($25) to enter.

German-Texan Christmas Market
November 30, December 4 & 7 — 507 E. 10th St.
One of the more niche markets, this one by the German-Texan Heritage Society goes for German authenticity, with decor and other goods imported from Erzgebirge. There will also be German Glühwein (hot spiced wine) and kids' activities and gifts from St. Nick. The first two dates listed above are for members only; the market on December 7 is the only one that's open to the public, although they'll need to purchase a ticket ($8) to enter.

Holiday Reuse Market
November 30, December 1, 7 & 8 — 2005 Wheless Lane in Austin
Environmentally conscious shoppers who object to holiday waste may find some relief via Austin Creative Reuse. The 5th annual Holiday Reuse Market offers "handmade goods, upcycled treasures, and vintage finds." More than 100 local artists are attending this year.

The Front Market
November 23-24 — 500 E. 12th St.
More than 175 vendors are gathering for this semi-annual market. The organization putting it together, Future Front Texas, centers women and LGBTQ+ creatives, so expect the goods on offer to reflect feminine and queer themes. There will be clothes, accessories, vintage goods, ceramics, glass, skincare, and lots more. The website breaks down the full lineup by day, in case shoppers are looking for something specific. Shoppers will need a ticket, but they're free.

The Market at Zach!
November 23 and December 14 — 202 S. Lamar Blvd.
Zach Theatre, a performing arts space in Austin, is trying something new with its inaugural Market at Zach, which will bring together "over a dozen curated artists and makers." Although this is a smaller selection than some others on the list, it'll be interesting to see what a prestigious arts organization decides is gift-worthy, and a bar, carolers, and a petting zoo add a little excitement.

Community First! Village of Lights
December 6 & 7 — parking and shuttle at 9100 Decker Lake Rd.
Community First! Village is a place for people to live while recovering from chronic homelessness, and its residents are always working on projects to connect and keep the community running. They'll be selling handmade goods alongside food vendors Crepe Crazy, Four Brothers, Stony’s Pizza, and ATX Fire. There will also be holiday movie screenings, s'mores, an electric mini-train, inflatable axe throwing, and more activities. Tickets are free, but donations are also accepted.

Armadillo Christmas Bazaar
December 14-23 — 900 Barton Springs Rd.
This iconic market is a holiday tradition in Austin, combining fine arts and live music for a shopping experience that's enriching even if you don't buy much. Shoppers should note that the selection is very arts-heavy, with lots of paintings, prints, sculptures, and other visual works. Still, there are some home goods, skincare, games, and other small offerings. Tickets ($12) are required to enter, and season passes ($60) cater to repeat visitors.

gifts holidays shopping fashion home goods market