City News
This is news from the city of Boulder, about the city or any of its departments
Boulder: Let the sun shine on city’s energy future
Sep 10th
The City of Boulder announced today that it will create a working group of solar industry specialists and customers – both current and future – to explore motivators and barriers to implementing more solar throughout the community. The focus of the group’s work will be on defining the next-generation of incentives as well as providing guidance about how to handle solar contracts between now and the time when the city decides whether it will create a local electric utility.
“Supporting and increasing renewable sources of energy is a core value, and we see this discussion as an important next step in our effort to create the electric utility of the future,” said Heather Bailey, executive director of Energy Strategy and Electric Utility Development.
Bailey said the city has a unique opportunity to benefit from local experts to design programs that will encourage more local energy production. Expertise from the university and federal labs, as well as the numerous companies and entrepreneurs developing leading-edge energy technologies, has already helped Boulder achieve one of the highest levels of solar per-capita in the US, with close to 14 megawatts installed in the city.
The City of Boulder has also played a significant role in supporting local energy generation, particularly solar. This has included streamlining the permitting process to offering a local solar rebate and grant program. The concept of Solar Gardens was originally conceived in Boulder, and city staff members were on the drafting team of legislation that allowed this. The solar gardens law was signed by then-Governor Bill Ritter overlooking the Flatirons from a parking lot rooftop along the Pearl Street Mall.
“We don’t want to simply continue this tradition; we want to make it even stronger by working with stakeholders to identify ways to encourage even more locally generated clean energy sources. This is fundamental to achieving our community’s goals, whether we create our own electric utility or strike a new agreement with our current provider, Xcel Energy,” Bailey said.
One of the questions the city would like to resolve is how to encourage continued participation in solar installations during the ongoing deliberation about – and possible transition to – a local electric utility. Xcel Energy recently sent the city a letter requesting that the city agree to take over contracts it has with customers if Boulder forms an electric retail utility.
The City of Boulder is committed to protecting those who have made investments in solar energy in our community from any adverse impact related to the creation of a municipal utility. The city is also interested in working with Xcel on this important issue, not only to protect those who have already made investments, but to encourage growth in this area of renewable energy.
Boulder has no way, however, of evaluating the estimates that Xcel has made about these costs.
“Before we can agree to any arrangement, we need more information from Xcel Energy,” City Attorney Tom Carr said. “The company so far has declined most of the requests for data the city has made. Without detailed information about these contracts, we have no way of verifying Xcel’s assertions and perhaps more importantly, of making sure we are doing the right thing to protect our forward-thinking customers and other ratepayers.”
The city’s Energy Future team anticipates holding the first meeting of the solar working group shortly after the Nov. 5 election. Members of the community and industry who are interested in participating are encouraged to contact Heather Bailey at 33-441-1923 or baileyh@bouldercolorado.gov.
More information about the Energy Future project is available at www.BoulderEnergyFuture.com.
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Input sought on electric-assisted bikes on multi-use paths
Aug 29th
The public is invited to attend a public meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4, to learn more about options being considered for a proposed electric-assisted bicycle (e-bikes) pilot project. The meeting will be held at the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder building located at 1750 33rd St., in the Houston Room on the first floor. For those interested, e-bike users and retailers will offer the opportunity to test ride e-bikes and learn more about the technology from 4 to 5 p.m. prior the meeting.
This effort is part of the ‘Complete Streets’ focus area of the current process to update to the city’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP).
This meeting is a follow-up to an initial e-bikes public meeting held in early August. That meeting introduced the potential pilot project to the community and initiated discussions about e-bike use on multi-use paths. At the Sept. 4 meeting, transportation staff will present options under consideration for amending the definition of an e-bike and for testing e-bike use on multi-use paths. If residents are not able to attend the public meeting, the city is also collecting feedback on e-bikes with a survey available here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/E-bikesurvey. City staff will also be performing in-person surveys on multi-use paths around Boulder.
Currently, e-bikes are only allowed in on roadways and on-street bicycle lanes. The potential pilot program would allow e-bikes on off-street multi-use paths, not including open space trails.
Comments from the public meeting and other outreach events will be used to inform the final pilot proposal.
The Transportation Advisory Board will hold a public hearing on e-bikes on Sept. 23 and make a formal recommendation to City Council. Council will consider the pilot ordinance at a first reading on Oct. 1; a second reading and public hearing will be held on Oct. 22. If approved by council, the pilot project would be launched in November 2013. Based on community feedback and results from the pilot project, council would evaluate whether to continue to allow the use of e-bikes on multi-use paths.
E-bikes are part of the city’s bicycle innovations under review as part of the TMP update’s “living laboratory” concept. Throughout the summer/fall, test facilities and pilot program will be launched to better understand transportation choices and identify strategies that encourage more people in our community to walk and bike.
For more information about the TMP update and to sign up for the ‘Community Feedback Panel’ for bicycle innovations, visit www.BoulderTMP.net. To participate in the online community conversation, visitwww.inspireboulder.com.
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Puppies get the pool for 10 days
Aug 26th
Dog Dayz dog swim offered at Scott Carpenter Pool Sept. 16 to Sept. 29
The City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department will host Dog Dayz (dog swimming) from Sept. 16 through Sept. 29 at Scott Carpenter Pool, 1505 30th St.
Scott Carpenter Pool will close for public swimming on Sunday, Sept. 15. From Sept. 16 through Sept. 29, the pool will be open for dogs to swim and play. The cost is $5 per dog, per session, or $35 for unlimited entries for up to two dogs during the 2013 Dog Dayz season. Additional unlimited entries after two dogs will be $10 per dog.
A Dog Expo featuring dog-friendly products, vendors and organizations will also be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the pool. The pool will be open for dog swimming, and organizations from around the county will be on hand with samples, prizes and information.
Spruce Pool remains open for public (human) swimming through Labor Day, Sept. 2.
Dog Dayz dog swimming is open daily; for a complete listing of hours and rules, please visit www.BoulderParks-Rec.org.
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