Boulder County aims to reduce emissions
By Adrienne Saia Isaac

To see what’s been accomplished in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the COP15 conference, you don’t need to look farther than your own backyard.

Boulder County has committed to reducing its carbon footprint and energy use, as well as implementing sustainable forms of energy to run its daily operations. The plans implemented locally have made an impact on the international climate change community, serving as both an example and a living experiment of what is possible in small, but concerned, communities. Scientists from the University of Colorado and city workers attended the COP15 conference. David Driskell, Boulder’s deputy executive director of community planning, relayed his experience in Denmark to a group of Boulderites in late January.

“Local governments are where the rubber hits the road,” said Driskell. “We can’t do it on our own, but [national governments] can’t sign these global treaties unless they’re working with local residents and taking action.”

Driskell commented that the European media extensively covered Boulder’s sustainable energy efforts.

“Every French person I met knew about what we were doing,” he said.

An audience member quipped that Driskell probably gets more recognition across the pond than he does in his own city. Driskell demurred, downplaying his relative celebrity in Copenhagen, and explained that the popularity of Boulder’s initiatives went beyond the key players in the climate change movement.

“It wasn’t just people on the panels,” he said.

“It was the woman at the table where you find out what room your meeting is in.

“That was shocking to me.”

Boulder deserves this international recognition. The county has implemented its own aggressive plan for carbon reduction, something that the federal government has not been able to do.

The Sustainable Energy Plan (SEP), adopted in 2008 by every county municipality except for Erie, outlines 35 actions designed to cut energy usage and carbon emissions in residential, commercial and industrial sectors of the community.

The overall goals are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 11 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, which means reducing emissions by 3.6 million metric tons. That means that emissions will be reduced by 40 percent of 2005 levels, doubling the state Climate Action goal outlined by Gov. Bill Ritter. SEP estimates annual energy cost savings in 2020 of $445 million.

SEP also calls for community education about waste reduction and energy conservation, the refurbishment of buildings to become more energy-efficient and a holistic approach to improving economic conditions while focusing on sustainability.

“The real value is that we accomplish multiple goals at the same time,” said County Commissioner Ben Pearlman. “We’re really building local businesses.” Ann Livingston, sustainability coordinator for Boulder County, confirmed the holistic approach of the SEP plan, saying that she views the program as not only an environmental program, but an economic program, as well.

“A number of private companies see a real benefit to the program. They’ve been marketing the program as it relates to their individual trades,” Livingston said.

Driskell agreed on the importance of the economic platform of sustainability.

“There was a lot of discussion about the economic argument for climate action [in Copenhagen],” he said.

“Building a clean energy economy is going to create jobs, and I think that’s where Boulder is very strongly positioned,” Driskell said. He also noted that he has seen a lot of economic success locally from businesses that have embraced green principles.

“We can show that Boulder’s actually succeeding,” he said.

Pearlman and Livingston also believe that local governments lead the way for such energy programs.

“I was surprised for the most part how quickly it came together,” Pearlman said. He attributed the swift adoption of the SEP plan to local elected officials and their strong advocacy for environmental issues.

Driskell saw evidence of local government support at the COP15 conference, as well.

“The thing that was clear going in and much clearer coming out,” he said, “was that it’s going to be the cities that are leading the way in terms of making things happen.

“Local government officials are in touch with people,” Driskell continued. “They know this is a priority for their residents, and they’re willing to then take on the difficult task of doing something.”

In keeping with this trailblazing mentality, the county has adopted many of the provisions outlined in the SEP plan. The county generates nearly a kilowatt of energy through its solar panels.

Pearlman can see them from his office’s window.

“The money we’ll save every year will grow,” he said.

The county has also invested in hybrid vehicles. The fleet includes hybrid electric Priuses that will soon be able to return unused energy to the grid. Livingston said that the vehicles get about 100 miles to the gallon with this enhanced electric hybrid system.

The county has also turned an environmental scourge — the pine beetle epidemic — into a useful way of converting dead trees to energy sources at one of the county’s biomass facilities.

“Because of the state of our forests, we have a very large, long-term supply of biomass that if we don’t use, it just returns to the world,” Pearlman said. “There’s some real value in recognizing the kinds of resources you have and using them.”

All three officials emphasized the importance of coalition-building, not only with local businesses and community members, but with other communities implementing plans as well as the state and federal government.

“It was great to connect with the other early adopter cities [in Copenhagen],” Driskell said.

“I think in some ways it’s easier to get a smaller government to set concrete goals and make changes and implement programs necessary to meet the goals,” Pearlman said.

“And that’s what you’re seeing all across the country — local governments are all trying different things so we can figure out what works best,” he said.

Both the city and county have implemented changes that promote energy conservation and sustainability. Attending COP15 seems to have reinforced existing strategies and solidified the resolve of local officials to reach the aggressive goals set forth in the Sustainable Energy Plan.

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