Smart Grid Experience Leading City to Eject Utility

摘要

Have you been able to catch some of the ongoing drama in Boulder, Colorado, lately? I was able to catch the city council live webcast on July 23—compelling late-night reality TV. Just to recap (spoiler alert), Boulder, famous for becoming the first "Smart Grid city," is now proceeding with a plan to municipalize its electric system. In essence, the plan requires Boulder to purchase the current investor-owned utility's distribution system and meet certain performance objectives, including the following: 1. Charging rates that do not exceed those charged at the time of acquisition 2. Charging rates sufficient to pay the operating expenses and debt payments, plus an amount equal to 25 percent of the debt payments 3. Maintaining reliability comparable to that available from the old utility 4. Including a plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, and a plan for increasing the use of renewable energy