On November 1st, the citizens of Boulder, Colorado will vote on whether to create a city-owned electric utility to pilot leadership in renewables and the elimination of greenhouse gases in Colorado and the U.S. as a whole. Preliminary polling indicates Boulder voters have done their homework and generally favor this 2-part ballot initiative by approximately 70%.
The keys to the campaign are as follows:
3 R’s: Reliability, Rates, and Renewables
3 L’s: Local Governance, Local Generation, and Local Economy.
Beginning in 2008, the Boulder community has conducted an impressive analysis to better understand its energy future options. Technical feasibility modeling and a preliminary financial feasibility assessments of Boulder’s proposed economics and the renewable energy plan show that Boulder can “go green” and still enjoy electricity at rates comparable to that supplied by Xcel, the incumbent, privately-owned electric utility. Xcel has already pledged to spend $10 million to stop this historic public power initiative.
Clearly, the Boulder community cannot outspend Xcel financially. Our RenewablesYes campaign will be a grassroots campaign. And we will need the support and encouragement of both citizens and community leaders across America. To learn more and help out, go to www.RenewablesYES.org.
Best wishes for a democratic solar future,
Dan Berman,
Coalition for Local Power, Davis, CA,danmberman@gmail.com
PS: Here’s how supporters can contribute to Boulder’s RenewablesYES campaign:
People can donate to Boulder’s RenewablesYES campaign, an all-volunteer, community-wide effort, which has raised a little over 1/3 of the $35,000 necessary for lawn signs, flyers, and other campaign necessities. Checks are preferred for donations since we can put all your donation to work for the campaign (however, a PayPal account is being established). Please fill out a donation form (available here, 2 forms per page, share with a friend) and send it along with your check to:
Bill Briggs, Treasurer
CBCEF
825 7th St.
Boulder, CO 80302
Please make checks payable to CBCEF (Citizens for Boulder’s Clean Energy Future) and send them to the address above.
People from out of town should email info@RenewablesYes.org if they would like to come to Boulder to volunteer with the grassroots campaign making phone calls or doing door-to-door in Boulder in early October. This will be a mail-in ballot election. Ballots are scheduled to be mailed out on Friday, Oct. 14.
Dan Berman is the author of Who Owns the Sun? People, Politics, and the Struggle for a Solar Economy and is a public power campaigner.
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