Fort Collins leaders to consider 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030

Forget carbon neutral.

Environmental groups think Fort Collins should go for the whole enchilada: 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030 without caveats. They’ll present a resolution to City Council at an upcoming meeting.

If adopted, the resolution could push Fort Collins electricity provider Platte River Power Authority on a fast track to drastically reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Platte River is governed by city leaders from its four owner communities, and one of those communities — Longmont — has already set a similar goal for renewable electricity.

Renewable vs. carbon neutral

Platte River, which produces electricity for Fort Collins, Loveland, Estes Park and Longmont, unveiled a report last fall illustrating its first-ever path toward carbon neutral electricity by 2030 — different from 100 percent renewable electricity because it would still include some fossil fuel-based power generation.

This resolution, proposed by Fort Collins Partners for Clean Energy, goes farther than that. Platte River doesn’t need to build a natural gas plant to offset the transience of solar and wind power, the groups argue. The power provider should look instead to utility-scale battery storage, they say.

More: Here's what carbon neutral electricity could look like for Fort Collins

Platte River and consultant Pace Global’s “assumptions about what renewable energy technology is going to cost are just flat-out wrong,” said Kevin Cross, spokesman for Fort Collins Sustainability Group.

“The whole net-zero carbon concept is very problematic,” Cross added. “It depends on assumptions that other utilities in the region will all continue business as usual, which we know isn’t the case.”

A recently released critique of the Platte River report recommended the electricity provider “abandon the zero-net carbon accounting scheme,” which would involve the utility producing extra renewables and selling them to other utilities to make up for greenhouse gas emissions.

Even if Platte River sticks with the carbon neutral route, it could end up being much cheaper than the utility predicted in its report, argued critique author Energy Strategies. The Platte River report found that carbon neutral electricity would cost about 20 percent more than the status quo by 2030. By 2050, the report found, carbon neutral electricity would cost about 12 percent less than status quo projections.

What would it take to get there?

Platte River projects its delivered electricity will be 32 percent renewable in 2018. Coal power accounts for another 62 percent, mostly produced by the Rawhide Unit One coal plant near Wellington.

An in-progress wind farm and solar array are expected to bring the utility to about 50 percent renewable electricity by 2021, the first full year both facilities are expected to operate.

Platte River leaders are narrowing down about three dozen bids for the solar project, which will include the utility’s first venture into battery storage. This is more exciting than it might sound to someone outside electricity circles — batteries represent a huge opportunity for the electricity industry because they can make up for times when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing, potentially eliminating the need for fossil fuels.

More: As coal falters, Larimer County's largest polluter could close its doors

Everyone agrees battery technology has a long way to go, but Cross and others are optimistic that batteries will eventually be cheaper than natural gas power generation.

“Projections for wind generation, solar generation and battery storage have consistently been wildly below actual performance in those three industries,” said Scott Denning, an atmospheric science professor at Colorado State University and science adviser for Fort Collins Sustainability Group.

Those projections matter because they guide utilities like Platte River as they plan for the future.

“I don’t think they’re intentionally underselling,” Denning added. “I think it’s a combination of institutional caution and also disruptive innovation in the market, which is driving the costs down faster than people expected.”

Fort Collins trying to cut emissions

The proposed renewable electricity resolution comes as Fort Collins staff prepare to announce whether the city's greenhouse gas emissions declined in 2017. Using 2005 emissions as a benchmark, city leaders hope to achieve an 80 percent emissions reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050.

Electricity production accounted for about 50 percent of 2016 emissions. Updated numbers should be released next week, according to city staff.

Meanwhile, Platte River is crafting its latest Integrated Resource Portfolio, which will guide the utility’s moves for the next five years. Platte River is also preparing to join the Southwest Power Pool, which will allow it to more easily use and sell renewable electricity on a large scale.

In a statement responding to the proposed resolution, Platte River spokesman Steve Roalstad emphasized the utility’s pending renewable electricity additions.

“We look forward to working with the city of Fort Collins and all of our owner communities to help achieve their energy goals,” he said.