Dive Brief:
- Boulder, Colo., plans to double its number of electric vehicle charging facilities by this summer thanks to a $100,000 grant from the non-profit Regional Air Quality Council, the Daily Camera reports.
- With the grant in hand, Boulder would increase its its 22 charging stations to 46 in hopes of bolstering the number of electric vehicles in the city and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- However, the Daily Camera raises questions of the plan's viability, since the charging network will rely on Xcel Energy's power service. The city has been embroiled in a 7-year-long debate over splitting from the incumbent utility in order to form its own utility to reach sustainability goals.
Dive Insight:
Boulder Colo. is forging ahead with its plans to run on 100% renewable energy by 2030 while reducing emissions. One way to do so, the city council decided, is to incentivize residents to purchase electric vehicles by doubling charging stations.
The city committed to 100% renewable energy in September of last year in order to reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2050, following the example of fellow Colorado town Aspen. However, Boulder is currently embroiled in a heated debate to cut loose from Xcel Energy in order to form its own utility.
The city recently voted in favor of continuing litigation after Xcel offered two settlements to the city, including a partnership aimed at boosting green energy and an expensive buy-out of its distribution system. But the city rejected rejected those settlements, opting instead to continue the fight on its own terms.
Meanwhile, investing in electric vehicles can further cut down on emissions from the transportation system, which recently surpassed the electrical industry as the most carbon intensive sector. Colorado, as a whole, has been supportive of investing more in electric vehicle infrastructure, partnering with Utah and Nevada to link their states via an EV charging network.
