Carbon credit where credit is due

January 4, 2010 · Posted by in Energy 

 

Did you even know that Boulder had a 73-year-old hydroelectric turbine?

Did you even know that Boulder had a 73-year-old hydroelectric turbine?

 

Boulder’s looking at upgrading its aging hydroelectric turbine in Boulder Canyon, but even with a federal discount, it would cost the city about $4 million. That debate breaks down into a pretty easy-to-understand $4-ish million now or probably $5.2-ish million later — and City Council will address that tomorrow (Tuesday) night at 6 p.m.

But if the city upgrades (and scores the additional projected 30 percent in energy production), it would still have to navigate the murky waters of carbon credits. Right now, the city forks over its carbon credits to Xcel, (which allows the city to sell its energy to Xcel at higher rates). In the future, the city could keep the credits and count them against its own carbon footprint, which is of special interest because the city has committed to meeting Kyoto goals. (Remember Kyoto?)

From the Camera:

Boulder Mayor Susan Osborne said she recognizes the practical benefits of allowing Xcel to keep the carbon credits, but the council needs to have a more in-depth conversation about how to deal with renewable energy credits, whether it’s from hydroelectric projects or community “solar gardens.”

“If we’re going to talk to our residents about meeting our Kyoto goals, we ought to have some way of counting these credits that Boulder taxpayers have paid for,” she said. “It’s important to remember that this infrastructure has been bought and paid for by the citizens of Boulder.”

Read more about Boulder’s carbon credit conundrum, or check out the meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Boulder Municipal Building, council chambers, 1777 Broadway.

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One Response to “Carbon credit where credit is due”

  1. Update: Boulder takes stimulus money for hydro turbine | BigGreenBoulder Boulder, CO : BigGreenBoulder on January 6th, 2010 11:09 am

    [...] Boulder City Council decided last night to make a big buy — they’ll put up about $4 million, in addition to $1.18 million in federal stimulus money, to replace the 73-year-old hydroelectric turbine in Boulder Canyon. [...]