Boulder Colorado Announces Historic Commitment To 100% Clean Energy For City Electricity

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DENVER –  Boulder Colorado Mayor Suzanne Jones today announced that the city would commit to being powered by 100% renewable electricity by 2030. Boulder now represents the 17th city in the United States committed to be powered by clean, renewable energy like wind and solar, and is the second city in Colorado to make a 100% clean energy commitment along with Aspen. Boulder Mayor Suzanne Jones was joined by City of Denver’s Thomas Herrod who announced that Denver would also undertake plans to examine how to move Denver to 100% clean energy.

The announcements were made today at an event hosted by Environment Colorado, Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter, Google Project Sunroof, and Climate Reality Project where more than 30 organizations and businesses, and over 150 people came together to urge cities in Colorado to commit to 100% clean energy like wind and solar. The event was part of the going 100% Renewable Energy campaign, which is working in communities across Colorado and the country to get cities to commit to transition to 100% clean energy by 2030.

 

Over 150 people gather at Skyline Park in Denver to show their support for 100% Clean Energy

Photo Credit: Copyright 2016 by Giselle Turner

“Boulder is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030, as part of our strategy to achieve 80% greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2050. Climate change is the issue of our time, threatening to fundamentally change the way we live our lives. We are already experiencing increasingly intense and frequent wildfires, declining snow packs, droughts and more extreme weather events. Yet, it is increasingly clear that Congress is not going to address climate change, cities like Boulder need to take the lead. We can act as a model for cities across Colorado to craft a sustainable future by shifting our energy model from the dirty fossil fuels of the past to clean, renewable energy.” said Suzanne Jones, Mayor of Boulder

“A world powered by 100 percent renewable electricity is getting closer and closer every day. In fact, leading cities across the United States – including Salt Lake City and as of today, Boulder, Colorado – are making widespread renewable energy a bold new reality. Local commitments to a renewable energy economy play a critical role in ensuring the US meets the emissions targets created in Paris last year to address climate change. Just as important, they help create a healthy environment where citizens and businesses alike can thrive, as Salt Lake City and Boulder have proven. Like these outstanding communities, The Climate Reality Project’s 100% Committed campaign is dedicated to building a brighter, cleaner, and more prosperous future.” Ken Berlin, CEO and President, Climate Reality Project

With Boulder’s historic announcement, seventeen cities, including major cities like San Diego and Salt Lake City, have announced commitments to 100% clean energy, and five cities in the United States have already achieved 100 percent clean energy and are powered today with entirely renewable sources. Boulder’s pledge to 100% clean energy also includes a commitment to derive energy from local renewable energy resources. Environment Colorado, the Sierra Club and other partners are currently campaigning in Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Pueblo to urge leaders to commit to powering their local communities with 100% clean energy.

“Denver recognizes that our goal of 80% reduction in GHG emissions by 2050 will require big shifts in how we power our buildings, homes, and transportation sector. We are committed to exploring efforts like 100% renewable electricity as part of our 80×50 process and look forward to having our partners here today help us take on this challenge, immediately initiating that work with a draft of results by mid 2017.” Thomas Herrod, Climate & GHG Program Administrator of the City and County of Denver

“The Colorado Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign is working to assure a just and equitable transition to a clean energy future city by city and town by town across the state. The cities of Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Aspen have all made bold progress and commitments towards that goal. It’s critical that we come together in our hometowns as individuals, businesses, and community leaders, to assure that this transition happens as quickly and equitably as possible.” Jim Alexee, Director of Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter

We can’t wait: Scientists agree we must stop burning virtually all fossil fuels by 2050 in order to spare kids growing up today from the devastating impacts of climate change. We are already seeing the impacts with floods, fires and each year getting hotter and hotter and now 2016 on its way to being the hottest year on record. So why wait, when we can start changing now how we produce and consume energy — so it’s no longer a question of whether we’ll get to 100% renewable power, but how fast.” Jeanne Bassett, Senior Associate, Environment Colorado

Colorado has long been a leader on the advancement of clean, renewable energy like wind and solar. More than 300 solar companies currently employ almost 5,000 people in Colorado – nearly twice as many people as the coal mining industry. Prices for solar energy have fallen by 80% in recent years. In 2012, private investment for installing solar on Colorado homes and businesses totaled $187 million. Earlier this month, Xcel Energy entered into a landmark settlement with various clean energy and environmental advocacy groups that will provide Colorado consumers with greater energy choice and access to renewable energy like rooftop solar. 

To reach the event participants, please see below: 

11:30 11: 35 | Masters of Ceremony

● Jodie Van Horn, Director, Sierra Club Ready for 100 Campaign

[email protected] , 415-977-5654

● Angie Fyfe, Executive Director, ICLEI Local

Governments for Sustainability

[email protected] , 510-844-0699

11:35 11: 40 | Environmental Perspective

● Jim Alexee, Executive Director, Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter

[email protected] , 303-454-3362

● Jeanne Bassett, Senior Associate, Environment Colorado

[email protected] , 303-573-3871 ext 336#

11:40 11:50 | Energy Justice Perspective

● Anne Stattelman, Executive Director, Posada

[email protected] , o: 719-545-8776, c: 719-251-2888

● Larry Atencio, Pueblo City Council

[email protected], [email protected]

● Ryan Tobin, Denver Housing Authority

[email protected]

1:50 11:55 | Expert Perspective

● Jacob Corvidae, Manager, Rocky Mountain Institute

[email protected] , Direct: 303-567-8705,

Mobile: (313) 4100439

● Megan Day, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

[email protected] , 303-275-3261

11:55 12:00 | Business Perspective

● Ian Melchior, EcoMark Solar & COSEIA

[email protected] , 720-722-0326

● Nicole Lambardo, Google

[email protected]

12:00 12:05 | Advocacy Perspective

● Tayla Tavor, I AM PRO SNOW Program Manager, Climate Reality Project

[email protected]

12:05 12:15 | City Commitments

● Thomas Herrod, Climate & GHG Program Administrator, Environmental Quality Division, Dept. of Environmental Health, City and County of Denver

Contact: Meghan Hughes, [email protected] , 720-865-5429

● Mayor Suzanne Jones, Boulder

Contact: Emily Sandoval, Communications Coordinator, City of Boulder

[email protected] , 303-441-1927

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