Longmont Commits to 100% Renewable Energy by 2030

Earlier this month the Longmont city council voted to approve a resolution committing the community in a shift away from fossil fuels and to transition to 100 percent clean, renewable electricity by 2030. This makes it the 7th Colorado city to aim for all renewable energy.

Prior to the city council resolution, Longmont Mayor Brian Bagley’s signed a Proclamation on December 5th establishing a vision for powering the community entirely with clean and renewable sources of energy like wind and solar.

Sustainable Resilient Longmont had been instrumental in getting city leaders to adopt the resolution. SRL Board Chair Abby Driscoll says the city is at an advantage in having a municipal operated utility company. She says this has given them an opportunity to be able to work directly with the Longmont Power and Communications and the Platte River Power Authority. In the city council’s resolution, benchmarks were identified. The council set a goal of having 50 percent of its residents’ and businesses’ electricity generated from carbon-free sources by the year 2022, on its way to having100 percent energy generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar by the year 2030.

Driscoll says having a pathway identified is important, as is ongoing community support.

“I do think it is a long term goal and I do think it is feasible, I think it’s going to take a lot of continued community activism and grass roots support to try to make sure that it’s happening essentially and that we don’t back away with this goal and a change in leadership that is inevitable in local politics. “

Longmont’s renewable energy commitment follows a recent PACE Global report by the Platte River Power Authority (PRPA) which studied the feasibility of moving to zero net carbon.

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