Because of the efforts of organizations like Pueblo's Energy Future and the Sangre de Cristo Group of the Sierra Club, as well as countless local individuals, the renewable energy movement has seemingly found its legs and is hitting its stride in the Steel City.

Perhaps the biggest initiative that punctuates how Pueblo is primed for a future in green energy is the Ready for 100 Campaign -- a national effort of the Sierra Club that was brought to Pueblo by the Sangre de Cristo Group in partnership with PEF, which sparked a resolution by Pueblo City Council to commit the city to 100 percent renewable energy by the year 2035.

"Climate change is front and center right now, and this national campaign of Ready for 100 is the flagship campaign of the Sierra Club nationally to address climate change," said David Cockrell, Sangre de Cristo Group treasurer.

"We view climate change as an existential threat. It's the most important threat that our species has ever encountered, and we must do something about this."

Cockrell, who wears many hats in Pueblo's energy and environmental movements as a prominent member of both the Sangre de Cristo Group and PEF, said the Sangre de Cristo Group funded its push for city council to commit to renewables with a $50,000 grant from the Sierra Club.

With the help of City Councilman Larry Atencio, who has championed a number of sustainable-energy initiatives and has positioned himself as one of Pueblo's political leaders in renewable energy, the resolution was presented to council in February and passed 6-1, making Pueblo just the 22nd city in the country to make such a commitment.

"Committing the resolution was the first step, which was 10 percent of the effort, and the rest is actually getting this resolution complete," said Rebecca Vigil, PEF community coordinator, which partnered with the Sangre de Cristo Group to get the resolution passed.

Before the Sangre de Cristo Group spearheaded the Ready for 100 Campaign, the group helped lead a combined effort with the Rocky Mountain Group of the Sierra Club in Colorado Springs, to improve water quality in Fountain Creek with the creation of the Fountain Creek Water Sentinels.

Cockrell said the two-fold goal of the sentinels is to clean up Fountain Creek, as well as to monitor water quality.

"So they're monitoring chemicals and organic pollutants in Fountain Creek that emanate from the Colorado Springs storm water system and, also, from the agricultural practices between Colorado Springs and here," Cockrell said.

While the Sangre de Cristo Group has worked closely with PEF on many projects that coincide with the two organizations' missions, PEF has focused intently on building a sustainable energy grid that can power Pueblo in the years to come.

One of PEF's most recent accomplishments was directing an effort for Pueblo County to create an Energy Coordinator position, which the group was able to complete last year.

"We wrote the business plan for the office and set up all of the guiding philosophy of how it should operate. Terry (Hart) and Chris (Markuson) and Laura (Getts) are great, they're real leaders. And so to have an elected official and two really solid staff people who work on these things thoughtfully and professionally. ... They're not just 'greenies.' They are careful public servants who really want to serve the community.

That Energy Coordinator, Laura Getts, has been working with the county since September and is working to help Pueblo get a handle on its energy output through a variety of short- and long-term initiatives.

"I'm trying to work at the residential level, the commercial level and then look large-scale at community strategic energy planning and large-system visioning, as well," Getts said.

"So I'm looking at boosting weatherization efforts in our community, because a lot of low-income individuals in particular are really suffering in this community because of high rates. It's a perfect storm for a lot of folks that produce high energy bills. So we're looking at ways to get them as much relief as we possibly can through a variety of programs."

Getts has a list of ambitious initiatives she hopes to bring to the community to help lower some of residents' particularly high electric rates, and said that Puebloans stand much to gain through energy interventions, particularly upgrades that look at better understanding rate structures.

"So these are some really exciting, progressive things here being done with old buildings to demonstrate to folks that it's not impossible, it's not that hard, and doing so is saving us thousands and thousands of dollars every month," she said.

As for future ventures for PEF, another large-scale initiative that is being undertaken is an effort to aid the city of Pueblo in exploring an "off-ramp" to exit its current contract with Black Hills Energy.

"It's been a really busy year with Ready for 100, the Black Hills Energy off-ramp and now the big thing is doing the feasibility study for the off-ramp commission," Vigil said. "Working with that commission, I think, is the next big step."

zhillstrom@chieftain.com