John Driver: Electric franchise agreement: It’s time to say ‘yes’
Boulder’s clean energy initiative has come to a crossroads. We can now partner up with Xcel Energy for our carbon-free objective or continue fighting the company, requiring the city to direct precious funds away from other important city programs and services.
Xcel and the city have built a greenhouse gas reduction timeline, getting us to 80 percent below 2005 levels of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. And Xcel is committing to working with Boulder to get to 100 percent after that.
The agreement between Xcel and Boulder requires progress or Boulder can withdraw with no penalties. Xcel will have six greenhouse gas reduction benchmarks, both dates and amounts, that Xcel must achieve. If the company doesn’t, Boulder can opt out of the agreement.
Additionally, Xcel’s offer also meets other city needs like undergrounding critical electrical infrastructure. Xcel would fund that important project, estimated at $33 million.
I urge you to give this initiative a green light. Vote “yes” on ballot issues 2C and 2D.
John Driver
Boulder
Phil Wardwell: Electric franchise agreement: Forge ahead with the muni
In his Sept. 30 guest column, Patrick Murphy made two mistaken claims (as he did in 2016): Boulder would pay $200 million in “stranded costs,” and pay “going concern” damages.
Reasons why a Boulder municipal utility need not pay one dime in stranded costs:
1. Efficiency measures and self generation (solar) within Boulder (or connected to Boulder with Boulder’s wires) do not trigger stranded costs. Changing light bulbs to LEDs and installing solar panels reduces the power I buy from Xcel Energy, but does not trigger stranded costs. Stranded costs only apply when the muni buys power from Xcel’s generation competitor, and uses Xcel’s transmission lines to bring it to Boulder.
2. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission noted in 2013 that, to the extent a Boulder muni continues to buy wholesale power from Xcel, stranded costs do not apply. Thus, if a muni self generated 50 percent of its power needs and bought the rest wholesale from Xcel, it would owe no stranded costs.
3. When additional generation capacity is needed as the Colorado population grows, and more electric and plug-in hybrid cars need recharging, Boulder’s muni can say: “Don’t build more capacity, we’ll just stop buying from you.” The formula is: Stranded Cost Obligation = (Revenue Stream Estimate – Competitive Market Value Estimate) times Length (length of time Xcel can reasonably expect to serve Boulder). When Boulder surrenders generation capacity which Xcel can immediately use to sell power in its service area, the value of RSE-CMVE is zero, and the Stranded Cost Obligation is zero.
The “going concern” claim rests on a statute granting special damages when a muni acquires assets of a rural electric cooperative. Xcel is an investor-owned utility, not an electric cooperative.
Another reason to say “no” to a franchise and “no” on Ballot Issue 2C!
Phil Wardwell
Erie
Neil Kolwey: Electric franchise agreement: Let’s adapt with the times
Boulder’s original initiative to pursue forming its own municipal utility, passed by the voters in 2011, was a good idea. However, as many wise people have pointed out, “things change.” The city has spent more than $25 million and has basically achieved a better bargaining position, but nothing else. Now it is time to cash in on the better position.
Now Xcel Energy has a goal, approved by the Public Utilities Commission, to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent by 2030. And we have an excellent settlement agreement that will save the city millions of dollars and allow the city to achieve its GHG and clean energy goals by 2030.
Many of the opponents of the settlement agreement argue that we cannot trust Xcel, but the settlement agreement allows Boulder several opportunities to exit the agreement if the company does not achieve its GHG goals, or if we choose to do so anyway.
Some argue that we can achieve our clean energy goals more rapidly on our own. The lawsuits will take years and carry significant risks of failure. And some people argue that we should invest more locally rather than give our money to the monopoly utility. The settlement agreement specifically provides for developing innovative new local renewable energy solutions.
To close, here’s a brief poem:
We know that climate change is real,
But we have a great deal
Why keep wasting our dough
On lawsuits that make progress so slow?
Neil Kolwey
Boulder
Mary Hendrick: COVID-19 vaccine: Many people don’t want it
At a recent Boulder County Public Health board meeting, director Jeff Zayach acknowledged the untenable situation that schools are experiencing and agreed it’s important to return students to school as soon as possible. He said the ideal solution is the circulation of a vaccine throughout the community to help provide herd immunity.
Is the strategy to base Boulder County’s health policy around a vaccine (that doesn’t exist yet) something that an unelected public health official will decide for us, or will the community have a say? Most of the public does not want the COVID-19 vaccine.
Are we facing a scenario where this vaccine will be mandated in order for students to return full time to school? Would a potentially dangerous vaccine that’s been fast tracked to market and not tested over the long term really be a good idea for all, including children and young adults who aren’t at risk of serious complications from COVID-19?
The people in our community need to have a choice when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine, should it come to market, especially when doctors and pharmaceutical companies can’t be sued for any vaccine injuries that could occur.
Mary Hendrick
Broomfield
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