Boulder Leader

City of Boulder issued the following announcement on July 28.

The City of Boulder and Xcel Energy announced on July 28 they have reached a potential settlement that, if approved by the City Council and Boulder voters, would create new pathways to reach the city’s clean energy and emissions goals and  suspend the city’s decade-long municipalization effort.

The agreement could result in a new franchise agreement as well as several other contracts between Boulder and Xcel Energy, and would achieve multiple city and Xcel Energy objectives.

“The settlement we are bringing forward today is the culmination of decades of community-led activism to build an energy future that’s better for our planet and our community,” said Boulder Mayor Sam Weaver. “We have the opportunity to secure in this agreement historic changes in the relationship between the community and its energy provider. Boulder, a small city that thinks big, has long strived for a clean community energy system that shares our values, and I want to thank Xcel Energy for their willingness to grow and improve as a company through working with us.”

“We’ve always believed we could accomplish more by working together and we’re pleased to have reached an understanding that supports both Xcel Energy’s vision to deliver carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050 and achieves Boulder’s own clean energy goals”, said Alice Jackson, president, Xcel Energy - Colorado. “We look forward to continuing to serve our Boulder customers and exploring ways to enhance our clean energy strategy. We hope to share what we learn with communities across the state and beyond Colorado. We appreciate Boulder’s leadership and dedication to achieving these ambitious environmental goals.”

A key element of the proposed 20-year franchise agreement is the right for Boulder to resume municipalization efforts at the five-, 10- or 15-year anniversaries for any reason, and in 2023, 2025, and 2028 if Xcel Energy fails to meet specified emission targets. The proposal also preserves Boulder’s ability to create a local electric utility in the future by reducing future potential litigation.  

Another deal component is a pathway for Boulder to achieve 100% renewable electricity in Boulder by updating Boulder’s electric grid, sharing data and developing innovative demonstration projects under the guidance of a community board. The parties have also committed to work collaboratively to change current regulations that limit innovation and local renewable development.

Negotiations between the city and Xcel Energy began in April, with the parties meeting dozens of times over the three months of talks. In the negotiations, the city brought forward much of the community input that was expressed during the parallel public engagement process. The city held four virtual listening sessions in June attended by nearly 200 community members. The City Council and Xcel Energy also heard from hundreds of community members via email.

City Council received a briefing on the agreements at the July 28 meeting, and will discuss them again on Aug. 4 for the first reading of the proposed franchise agreement. The second reading and public hearing are scheduled for Aug. 18.

If City Council votes to place the proposed franchise agreement on the fall ballot, voters will determine whether or not the city will enter into the franchise agreement, as required by the city charter. The franchise agreement is also subject to approval by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, which is expected to consider the new franchise soon after potential voter approval.

Original source can be found here.