Colorado Gives Day, PUC Training Sessions and Public Hearing, The False Promise of Net Zero, and More! |
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"We are not drowning, we are fighting!"
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Colorado Gives Day
Help support the transition to a fossil-free future! As many of you know, CEA operates on a shoestring budget but makes an outsized impact on clean energy policy. This year our main projects have been influencing the Build Back Better plan and COP26 at the national level, testifying on Xcel's ERP at the state level, and opposing Suncor at the local and state level.
While we can't all be the dynamic experts influencing policy at the tip of the spear, we can each do our part to keep the movement going strong. Make your Colorado Gives Day donation HERE.
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Upcoming Event: PUC Public Comment Hearing and Training on Xcel ERP
In case you missed the email that recently went out, this is another way you can play a part in a clean energy future! Join us on Thursday, December 2 to provide public comment on Xcel's Energy Resource Plan (ERP) for Colorado. This is a remarkable opportunity to accelerate the decarbonization of Xcel's electricity.
Sign up HERE to get on the list to speak as an individual, then attend one of the training sessions.
What: Training for PUC Public Comment on the Xcel ERP
When: Choose the Date That Works Best for You:
Thursday, November 18, 7 pm, HERE
Tuesday, November 23, 7 pm, HERE
Tuesday, November 30, 7 pm, HERE
Where: Virtual, Links Above, No Registration Necessary
See more information HERE.
What: PUC Public Comment on the Xcel ERP
When: Thursday, December 2, 4-6 pm
Where: Virtual, Sign Up Now to Speak HERE
On the Day of the Hearing, Join HERE
No Registration Necessary
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Upcoming Event: EOF Empower Hour with EcoCycle
Join Empower Our Future for a presentation by EcoCycle on the role of zero waste as a climate solution.
What: Zero Waste Empower Hour
When: Thursday, December 9, 6 pm
Where: Virtual, Register HERE
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COP26
As many of you have probably seen by now, COP26 was a story of two worlds: inside, the governments - influenced by fossil fuel lobbyists - compromising on half measures and weak commitments, and outside, a hundred thousand activists galvanizing grassroots action.
Still, progress was made, which we must take and build upon as we figure out what's next...
For a summary "in three charts", see HERE.
For inspiration led by indigenous youth climate activists, read The Guardian article HERE and watch these videos, HERE and HERE.
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CEA Blog: The False Promise of Net Zero
Net zero is not zero. Greta Thunberg amusingly demonstrated this with a pledge to go net-zero on swearing, which I might take up as well.
Whether it's overproducing solar during the day but still burning coal at night, or planting trees but still drilling for oil, or counting on some unproven carbon capture technology but still burning gas, net zero is most often a greenwashing term to let us keep polluting. Read the CEA blog post HERE.
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COGCC Disappointment
Despite months of environmental groups pushing for financial assurances that actually reflect the cost of plugging oil and gas wells and remediating the sites, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) actually went backward and eliminated a set dollar amount for each well in their revised plan.
The argument was that the industry can't afford the bonds, which is exactly the problem - the industry has been losing money for years, the return is even worse when the cost of cleanup is included, and it's only getting worse. Instead of forcing the industry to face those facts and put up the money now while companies are still solvent, they're being allowed to continue operating without any assurance that they'll clean up their mess. Read more about this topic HERE.
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APCD Whistleblower Update
On the heels of the director of the Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) being reassigned after reports of a conflict of interest surfaced, the division has given interim guidance to model smaller sources of pollution when reviewing permit applications. This omission is one of the complaints the whistleblowers filed, which they said resulted in the granting of illegal permits. See a deeper dive HERE.
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La Plata Electric Seeks to Accelerate Decarbonization
La Plata Electric Association, a member of Tri State Generation and Transmission, has a memorandum of understanding to buy half of its electricity from Crossover Energy Partners. That half would start in 2023 and be 75% renewable, getting La Plata much closer to its clean energy goals. Read more about the ongoing plan HERE.
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PUC Update
October was slow, but as you can see above, November and December are kicking into high gear with the Xcel ERP hearing and an upcoming Xcel transmission plan.
Of note, Xcel requested modifications to its Electric Vehicle charging rates, including a new fast charging rate and performance incentive for "equity" investments in disadvantaged communities.
A more complete summary of PUC activities can be found HERE.
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What We Are Reading
Colorado Neighborhood Makes National news
Despite touting the net-zero catchphrase, the Geos neighborhood in Arvada is a wonderful example of a future without fossil fuels: high-efficiency all-electric homes, solar on every roof, and even a herd of goats to manage the lawns. The problem is that only 28 houses were built this way; the other 215 plots were sold to a developer who abandoned the vision and installed natural gas lines. More HERE.
Arizona Regulators Take Positive Steps for Consumers and the Climate
The Arizona Corporation Commission (their version of the PUC) decreased rates for the state's largest Investor-Owned Utility (IOU) instead of granting a requested increase - something Colorado should follow for Xcel's requested 13% increase. See the press release HERE. It also eliminated a grid access charge for solar customers after it was shown that solar customers do not incur extra service costs as the IOU asserted - more on that HERE.
Energy Efficiency is Critical for the Clean Energy Transition
A new National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) report (HERE) concludes that energy efficiency is more important than long-term storage (48 hours or more) to meeting building electrification goals.
Energy efficiency might also help more with the transition of fossil fuel workers to new careers, as well. Transitions to renewable energy jobs have been low; advocates say that energy efficiency jobs are more plentiful, more permanent, more local, and make up better for losses in wages by saving the community money on utility bills.
Communities Taking Big Steps Forward
Ithaca, New York, population 35,000, launches first city-wide electrification in the U.S. Read about it HERE.
Des Moines, Iowa, along with Ithaca, pledges renewable electricity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Full article and podcast can be found HERE.
Facing Off Climate Disaster in Louisiana: The Tale of Two Microgrid Champions
The work of PowerSecure and Footprint during Hurricane Ida tell the story of the diligence, breadth of technology and range of response that the microgrid community now brings to disasters. See HERE for the full scope.
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Spotlight on Organizations That Do Great Work
This month's organization is the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). ILSR has been a friend of CEA's for many years, particularly its Energy Democracy initiative led by John Farrell. If you haven't yet, you can listen to his interview with CEA's Leslie Glustrom HERE and watch the talk he gave for last week's Empower Our Future Empower Hour HERE.
Based in Minnesota, the impact ILSR has made is demonstrated by the fact that Minnesota has the most community solar gardens in the country. Their seminal Value of Solar report (HERE) introduced a formula for paying customers the actual value of distributed solar, which was largely adopted in Minnesota and serves as a model throughout the country.
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Thank you for tuning in and taking action!
- The Clean Energy Action Team
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