Thanks to everyone for starting this forum.
I completely agree that energy is one of the key pain points for cities that may prevent them from ultimately emerging and succeeding. In my experience, one of the clearest opportunities to move towards their ambitious GHG reduction goals is through the de-carbonization of municipal energy systems. Some of the most prominent barriers for cities seeking to transform their energy supply include:
· Reliability – This is a non-starter and risks of intermittent renewable sources need to be minimized.
· Stranded assets – Devalued components become liabilities
· Financial concerns – Increased support of renewables may be thwarted because current energy supply business model depends on volume
· Feasibility of innovation – Large scale use of micro-grids and other technology still unproven
· Renewable supply growth – Can demand match supply?
Boulder is in the middle of an unusual and complex process that indicates a city’s sustained desire to take control of its energy-supply future. When Boulder developed its climate action plans, the city realized that it would be almost impossible to achieve its deep de- carbonization goal without an energy supplier willing to partner with the city to achieve those goals. Nearly 90 percent of electricity was generated from coal or natural gas. The City negotiated with the multi-state, investor-owned utility (Xcel) that supplied it over op- tions for increasing renewable supplies, but was un- able to reach agreement. In November 2011, Boulder voters passed a measure to fund an analysis of the feasibility of establishing a municipal utility and two years later they authorized the city to issue bonds to finance purchase of the utility’s assets.
The detailed vision for “Boulder’s Energy Future” was established in 2011 with the City Council approval of language articulating the purpose, framework, goals and objectives for Boulder’s Energy Future. The key elements of the Boulder Energy Future vision are summarized below.
The Goal
“The ultimate purpose of this effort is to ensure that residents, businesses and institutions have access to reliable energy that is increasingly clean and remains competitively priced.”
Strategic Framework – Energy Localization
1. Democratize Energy Decision Making: customers should have more direct control and involvement in decisions about their energy, including opportunities to invest in their long-term energy needs and to have a say in energy investments made on their behalf.
2. Decentralize Energy Generation and Management: energy should be generated locally or within the region to the maximum extent feasible, reducing reliance on external fuel sources; customers should be able to manage and reduce their energy use as directly and effectively as possible; and energy service companies should be empowered to compete and innovate within a diverse and robust local energy economy.
3. Decarbonize the Energy Supply: renewable and clean fuel sources should be maximized as much as possible, as quickly as possible, minimizing both short‐ and long‐term environmental impacts and maximizing energy independence over time.
A feasibility study found that a city-owned utility could immediately obtain 54 percent or more of its electricity from renew- able resources. It is transformational approaches like Boulder’s municipalization approach, which allow truly smart and sustainable cities.
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This topic was modified 2 months ago by Nils Moe.
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This topic was modified 2 months ago by Nils Moe.
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This topic was modified 2 months ago by Nils Moe.
