Boulder — long committed to achieving significant climate goals — voted in the initial “carbon tax” to begin climate action, including exploring the muni, in November 2007. Xcel spent approximately $1 million to defeat the measure. This is a story of David (annual city budget ~ $321 million) vs. Goliath (annual revenues >$11.1 billion). Xcel has fought the muni and renewable energy for years. Hear me out.

Item: In 2004, Colorado voters passed the nation’s first Renewable Energy Standard (RES), requiring investor-owned utilities to generate 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Xcel mounted a full-scale attack against the measure.

Item: In March 2008, Xcel announced SmartGridCity (SGC), involving installation of “smart meters” in 23,000 homes in Boulder to reduce peak electricity consumption (think a/c), identify outages, and reduce voltage fluctuations. Xcel promised the project would be funded by government and private-sector partners, and would not cost ratepayers anything.

Item: City leaders Shaun McGrath and Frank Bruno recommended shelving muni efforts in favor of the SGC.

Item: One year later, two Xcel executives who managed the SGC (Ray Gogle and Mike Carlson) resigned.

Item: In its first year, SGC cost $44.5 million. The project provided few perceived benefits.

Item: Subsequently, Xcel recouped $27.9 million from ratepayers; then requested another $16.6 million from the PUC which denied the request with prejudice.

Item: In 2011, Boulder voters approved ballot measures 2B/2C authorizing exploration of a muni. Xcel and other utilities outspent supporters by 10-1.

Item: In 2012, Boulder voted by 82 percent to reapprove the 2007 Climate Action Plan “carbon tax.”

Item: In 2013, 68 percent of Boulder voters rejected an Xcel-backed ballot question (310) to block the muni.

Item: For several years, Xcel sought to reduce the amount paid for net metering (which allowed rooftop PV owners to sell excess electricity back to the utility), and to impose a grid fee.

Each year, Boulder customers send $140 million to Xcel. Despite the multi-year SGC distraction, we have doggedly pursued climate action. Xcel has spent millions to defeat the muni and renewables, dragging its feet at every turn. We cannot rely on Xcel’s recently announced “plan” to supply more than half its power from large-scale wind by 2026.

Consider three key issues. First, Boulder wants a distributed electrical system; Xcel wants a centralized one. To Boulder, in addition to larger-scale wind and solar electricity, “renewables” means power generated where it is used, as well as shared through small neighborhood networks called “microgrids.” To Xcel, “renewables” apparently means mostly centralized wind with large transmission costs. Boulder wants local control; Xcel wants centralized control. Boulder wants power lines underground, investments in electric-vehicle charging, energy efficiency, energy conservation, and other improvements through an innovative, cutting-edge resilient utility. Xcel wants to continue receiving $30 million in annual profits.

Second, reliability. Colorado Springs and other Colorado cities operate their own municipal utilities, illustrating that cities can and do competently manage reliable services with professionals in charge. A muni that integrates solar PV, conservation, efficiency, storage, and microgrids will be more reliable and resilient than old-fashioned models.

The third key issue: cost. ~$2/mo./2 years. The city’s near-term costs are for two parts: (1) engineering design, and (2) regulatory and litigation processes. Xcel has made the muni process even more difficult than anticipated, resulting in higher costs and longer time frames to accomplish goals. Xcel has withheld crucial information from Boulder which affected its plans and PUC applications. And, staying with Xcel inevitably means paying higher rates indefinitely.

There is now a path forward. The PUC has mandated that Xcel share the information that Boulder needs related to real property interests and system separation. The PUC appears unlikely to pass Xcel’s legal costs to ratepayers. And, Xcel must allow Boulder to interconnect.

We don’t know the full story yet. After the condemnation court’s costs and separation-construction bids are in, we citizens will have our chance to make a go/no-go decision on the muni. By that time, we will know the score. At an appropriate point, the city will begin to receive revenue from ratepayers, thus keeping $140 million a year under Boulder’s control. (The latest model shows ~$160 million will be collected in 2022.) Let’s see this thing through. Vote “Yes” on 2L, 2O, and 2P.

This is bigger than Boulder and Xcel: it is about our planet. This is about manifesting hope and actualizing a sustainable way of life on this earth.

Boulder—we can do this!

Barbara Farhar first came to Boulder in 1956. She was principal investigator at SERI/NREL and at CU and is the author of more than 250 papers/publications largely focusing on sustainable energy.