Holy Cross Energy speeds up plan to be 100% clean energy

Holy Cross Energy on Monday announced it will speed up its efforts to convert to 100% renewable sources.

The electric cooperative unveiled its 100×30 initiative — providing 100% carbonfree electricity by

2030.

Its previous goal was to achieve 70% clean energy by 2030.

“Make no mistake, this is an ambitious goal,” HCE president and CEO Bryan Hannegan said Monday during a video conference. “It’s one of the most aggressive renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions goals anywhere in the country.”

Holy Cross serves 44,000 members in the Roaring Fork Valley and along the Interstate 70 corridor in western Colorado. For residents and businesses that want to offset their carbon emissions, Holy Cross’ direction will be a major step in achieving the goal.

Dave Munk, chairman of the Holy Cross board of directors, said the cooperative’s actions reflect its members’ demands.

“There are many voices calling for bold action on climate,” Munk said on the video conference. “Many of our members are among those voices.”

The move was hailed from outside the organization as placing Holy Cross at the forefront of battling climate change. Gov. Jared Polis said when he was campaigning for his position two years ago, he announced a goal of the state achieving 100% clean energy by 2040. Holy Cross is “setting the bar,” he said.

“Today’s announcement shows that even though at the time my ideas were bold, apparently they weren’t bold enough for Holy Cross,” Polis said during the conference.