City sets a goal to be carbon-neutral by 2050
The Louisville City Council Tuesday set a goal to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
In addition, the goal to reduce energy use calls for the city to cut its municipal, residential, commercial and industrial energyrelated emissions 60% below a 2016 baseline level by 2030. By comparison, other communities around the Front Range have set carbon-reduction goals. The United Nations also has set a goal for the entire globe to be carbon-neutral by 2050. In general, being “carbon neutral” generally means that the same amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is the same amount being removed with the idea of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
As part of the new goal, Louisville paid $265,840 to Mckinstry Essention, a national facilities and energy company with offices in Golden, to complete a plan on how to electrify and decarbonize municipal buildings, according to August 2023 city government materials.
During a public comment period at Tuesday’s meeting, some residents said the goal was too timid and encouraged the city to strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions even more than the goal amounts.
Josh Cooperman, a Louisville resident who ran for mayor in 2023, said that the goals are in line with the Paris Climate Accords, a 2016 international treaty on climate change.
Plans for the new goal came as part of city officials’ plan to update Louisville’s existing decarbonization plan, which was presented by Kayla Betzold,
Louisville’s sustainability manager, Tuesday.
Betzold also asked the council to approve a memorandum of understanding with Xcel Energy to help implement the decarbonization plan.
The city government already has met its goal for all of its electricity to come from carbon-free sources through onsite solar panels and Xcel Energy subscription programs.
After Tuesday’s unanimous vote, city officials plan to work with Xcel Energy in the future to hold outreach programs and electrification workshops with residents to explain what they can do to help meet the goal.
Betzold said the city’s decarbonization plan focuses on four areas: building efficiency, electrification, transportation electrification and energy supply.
Betzold said city officials also plan to talk to renters and property management owners to learn about barriers they might face related to using electricity as an energy source. Officials also plan to work with the Parco Dello Zingaro mobile home park community to learn about barriers people living there might face to switching solely to electricity use.
City officials also are working with the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Public Health students to analyze existing fossil fuel equipment in commercial buildings and find ways to help businesses transition away from fossil fuels.
Results from the study will be presented to Louisville’s city staff in late April. City officials also will offer resources to local businesses interested in electrification.