[BoulderCouncilHotline] Ordinance to acquire Xcel's assets

[Grano, Jill]

Dear Council and Hotline Followers,


Tomorrow Council will consider an ordinance to approve of the acquisition of property interests and equipment of Xcel Energy.  I wanted to take the opportunity to share with you additional information that came from the Meeting of the Minds Summit as it pertains to municipal utilities.


At the Summit we got to hear from Arlen Orchard, CEO & General Manager, Sacramento Municipal Utility District as well as Aura Vasquez, Commissioner, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power and Debra Smith, General Manager & CEO, Seattle City Light.  These are three of the largest and most forward thinking municipal utilities in the country.


I have always supported Boulder's municipalization efforts because I believe that the opportunity to control our energy future is incredible and necessary as the destructive tentacles of climate change continue to wrap around us.  After this conference, I came away more inspired than ever by the possibilities that municipalization presents.


While Seattle has some innovative things going on, I found Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LAPWD) to be the most forward-thinking and inspiring. I thought that the Boulder community may find some of their actions interesting as we approach tomorrow's meeting...


  1.  SMUD has become a service provider for a couple of CCA's near them. They have done such a good job managing their own city that they are capitalizing on their intellectual property and benefiting financially from it. Here's more information: https://www.smud.org/en/Corporate/About-us/News-and-Media/2017/2017/Valley-Clean-Energy-Alliance-selects-SMUD-to-provide-energy-services  I know that CCAs are not an option in CO (yet), but it is interesting to think about the possibilities that running our own utility bring.
  2.  SMUD has gotten into the residential solar business and is able to offer a variety of financing mechanisms for customers to achieve their solar goals. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/how-sacramentos-public-utility-is-getting-in-the-residential-solar-busines/301840/<https://www.utilitydive.com/news/how-sacramentos-public-utility-is-getting-in-the-residential-solar-busines/301840/><https://www.utilitydive.com/news/how-sacramentos-public-utility-is-getting-in-the-residential-solar-busines/301840/>
  3.  LADWP instituted an Equality Metrics Program “to track, measure, and report on how its programs are provided to all customers and residents of Los Angeles.” This data will help ensure the utility’s programs are reaching everyone, even those in traditionally underserved areas. http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2017/03/10/nations-largest-city-owned-utility-uses-equity-metrics-to-ensure-all-residents-have-clean-energy/
  4.  LADWP is offering solar to low income individuals who otherwise could not get traditional loans and they are providing solar for renters! Given that more than half of Boulder's residents are renters, I thought this was really exciting news!
  5.  LADWP and SMUD have created user-friendly apps for customers that help them determine solar capacity, locate EV charging locations, choose from a variety of payment options, and communicate directly with their provider (the city).
  6.  SMUD is investing $2 billion in electrification of the city and another $800 million in energy storage.  LADWP also has incredibly aggressive electrification goals, though I did not get numbers.
  7.  SMUD is monetizing its expertise by partnering with Japanese companies NEC Corporation and SpaceTime Insight. "The collaboration will offer electric power companies in Japan an advanced asset management solution that will help them achieve higher levels of operational reliability, safety and efficiency."  https://www.smud.org/en/Corporate/About-us/News-and-Media/2017/2017/August-7-2017-News-release


SMUD and LADWP are obviously bigger than Boulder Light and Power will ever be, but their examples are a guiding light for our City.  We have an incredible opportunity here.  Onward!




Jill Adler Grano

Boulder City Council

granoj at bouldercolorado.gov

303-917-6810


"The trouble is that once you see it, you can't unsee it. And once you've seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as political an act as speaking out. There's no innocence. Either way, you're accountable."
-Arundhati Roy

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