This past August I posted a diary in which I described Boulder's bold and successful effort to take charge of its energy future by breaking free of the monopoly utility, Xcel Energy. That was when our City Council, on staff recommendation, backed by sustained citizen involvement, voted to NOT renew the 20 year contract (a franchise agreement) with Xcel.
This was a courageous and risky move because it put in jeopardy the franchise fee collected by Xcel for the City. The revenue to the City is about $4 million annually.
Last night citizens of Boulder stepped up big time and did their part voting strongly in favor of a replacement tax for the franchise fee. Now Boulder is no longer bound to Xcel AND we will have a replacement tax, still collected by Xcel, that ensures our city services are not negatively impacted.
Now Boulder can determine it's energy future without being held back by the conflicted powers that be.
Read More