Ambitious Climate Targets In Boulder Clash With Energy Realities

By Kevin Killough | Just the News

When it comes to anti-fossil fuel policies, few cities have pursued them with as much gusto as Boulder, Colorado. In 2006, Boulder became one of the first local governments in the nation to adopt emission reduction targets. Then in 2019, the city went into a full-blown panic over emissions, declared a “climate emergency,” and exponentially increased its targets.

While progressive cities feel good setting targets to eliminate the use of fossil fuels, achieving those targets is another thing entirely. Just the News analyzed Boulder’s progress toward its goal of being at net-zero emissions by 2035. Based on its current rate of emissions reductions, the city would need to nearly double the pace that it is reducing emissions to meet that goal. 

The town is going to find it much harder to achieve reductions going forward. Much of its progress so far has been from reducing emissions associated with electricity generation. The U.S. as a whole has seen a drop in emissions, largely due to a transition from coal to natural gas. 

Yet, the grid still needs those coal plants. A new report by Xcel Energy, the utility that supplies Boulder’s electricity, warns that if it shuts down its coal plants as scheduled, there will likely be blackouts in Colorado. 

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