65 Northern Colorado Businesses and Institutions Petition PRPA to Transition Away from Coal to Renewables

Community Leaders Are Concerned About Climate Crisis
Contact

Sumer Shaikh, sumer.shaikh@sierraclub.org, 774-545-0128

 

Fort Collins, CO -- Yesterday, Sierra Club delivered a community letter to Platte River Power Authority (PRPA) to retire Rawhide coal plant by 2030 in its long-term energy planning. Every four years, PRPA conducts its Integrated Resource Plan, which develops the long-term plans for how PRPA will meet customers’ energy needs. PRPA says it’s committed to powering its service territory in Northern Colorado with 100% carbon-free power by 2030, but the utility remains heavily reliant on coal, projecting to meet half of its customers energy needs with coal by 2021.  

More than half of all signatories are local businesses that are concerned about the climate crisis and have petitioned their utility to prioritize the well-being of their communities by transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. 

“It's extremely important that Northern Colorado becomes a leader in renewable energy in order to stabilize our economy, create local jobs, and create a healthier environment for all of us,” said Ian Skor, Co-Founder of Sandbox Solar in Fort Collins.  

The letter, available to read below, states: “As northern Colorado community leaders, businesses, churches, and organizations, we thank you for committing PRPA to a goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030. Moving swiftly to a clean energy economy is an essential step to strengthening local economic development and improving the quality of life in northern Colorado for the benefit of current and future residents and businesses.”

“What is remarkable about this letter is that, despite the current global health crisis impacting local businesses, these community leaders are still concerned about climate change,” said Sarah Snead, Colorado Organizing Representative at the Sierra Club. “Businesses and institutions across Northern Colorado are looking ahead to the future of their families and communities, and asking PRPA to protect their health, environment, and the local economy by moving away from coal to renewable energy.” 

You can read more about some of the businesses that signed on to the letter and how to support them during the current pandemic, here. 

“When I think about a future that has been built on renewable energy filled with healthy and happy people, I am given all the energy I need to do what is right, now, this moment, needed to make that future happen,” said Samm White, Owner of Cheese Importers Warehouse in Longmont. 

Among the signatories are: 1 Fort Collins church, 13 northern Colorado community organizations, 24 Fort Collins businesses, and 19 Longmont businesses (full list below). The letter was delivered ahead of the next PRPA IRP meeting, which will take place virtually on Thursday, May 28th at 9AM MT. Originally scheduled to be completed in 2020, the IRP has now been pushed back until PRPA can safely host in-person public meetings. 

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To the Board of Directors of Platte River Power Authority:

As northern Colorado community leaders, businesses, churches, and organizations, we thank you for committing PRPA to a goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030. Moving swiftly to a clean energy economy is an essential step to strengthening local economic development and improving the quality of life in northern Colorado for the benefit of current and future residents and businesses.  

A well-planned transition from gas and coal-fired power to renewable wind and solar resources, combined with energy efficiency upgrades and emerging storage technologies, promises economic, health, and grid resilience benefits for our communities in the face of climate change.

As part of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), northern Colorado community leaders and business owners are asking PRPA to:

  1. Solidify commitment to PRPA and its member cities’ goals of 100% non-carbon electricity by 2030 by committing to retire the Rawhide coal plant before 2030.

  1. Invest in local renewable electricity generation that will stimulate local economic development in northern Colorado communities.

  1. Consult with impacted workers to make plans for a just transition off of PRPA’s fossil fuel power plants.

  1. Increase the amount of renewable electricity on the grid as quickly as possible to keep excess carbon out of the atmosphere and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change on Colorado communities.

  1. Utilize the Social Cost of Carbon in the IRP, as required by law for regulated utilities like Xcel, to account for the health and environmental impacts of carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, which cause climate change and negatively impact Colorado communities.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Signed,

HP Inc.

Mary Curtiss, Director of Energy and Sustainability

Robert Casey, HP Fort Collins Site Council Leader

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Sandeep Gupta, Global Energy Lead

Sandbox Solar, LLC

Ian J Skor, Co-Founder

G.J. Pierman, Director of Special Projects

Block One Events and Apartments

Leah Dunn, Venue Manager + Property Manager

Seven Generations, LLC

Susan McFaddin, President

SalesPEAK, Inc.

Renee Walkup , CEO

Natural Design Solutions Inc.

Neil McLane, President

One Construction & Design, Inc.

Michael Schnatzmeyer, President

Global Connection Facilitators

Mitzi A Nicoletti, Manager

Ft. Collins Mennonite Church

Steve Ramer, Lead Pastor

Community for Sustainable Energy

Fred Kirsch, Director

Renewables Now Loveland

Jane Clevenger, Co- Founder

FT Collins Sustainability Group

Kevin Cross, Convener

Elizabeth Hudetz, Member

2019-2020 Sustainability Leadership Fellows of Colorado State University

Jenna Parker, PhD Candidate

SAFY of Colorado

Erik Blank, Foster Parent Recruiter

Estes Valley Clean Energy Coalition

Gordon MacAlpine, Convener

Estes Valley Sierra Club

Barbara MacAlpine, Chair of Leadership Committee

Fort Collins Community Action Network

Shirley Man-Kin Coenen, Coordinator

Transition Fort Collins

Janice Lynne, Co-Host

Sustainable Resilient Longmont

Naomi Curland, Board Member

Emily Jacobson, Mechanical Engineer

Colorado State University Energy Club 

Shannon Foley, President

League of Women Voters of Larimer County

Anne C Thompson, Spokesperson (President)

Stand With Our St. Vrain Creek (SWOSVC)

Shari Malloy, Organizer/Member

I d'Eclair! Pastry

Elizabeth Meyers, CEO, Chef, and Owner

Bloom

Cindy Gilbert, Owner

Blush Flowers on Vine (a flower farm)

Susan Miller, Owner/Operator

Rainbow Ltd (dba Rainbow Restaurant)

Daniel Jones, General Manager

Global Accent

Geoff Norby, Owner

Flower Tribe

Jodi Kirsch, Owner/Designer

Berkana Rehabilitation, LLC

Nancy Quick, PT, PhD

Treehouse Montessori School

Crystal, Owner / Head of School

Fort Collins Shambhala Meditation Center

Keith Ela, Director

Turtle Mountain Fermentery

Natalie diSanto, Owner/Operator/Mother

Juli Y Juan’s Kitchen

Juliana Trujillo-Escobar, Co-Owner

aSIANA FOODS

Sam Aun, Owner

Momo Lolo Coffee Shop

September Gerety, Owner

Olive Tree Mediterranean Market

Mohamed Misurati, Manager

Happy Lucky's Teahouse

George Grossman, Chief Leafster

Fort Collins Food Co-op

Stephanie Bublitz, Management Team

Dr. Seth's Mustache Wax

Dr. Seth Stepleton, Head Mustache

Horse & Dragon Brewing Company

Carol Cochran , Co-owner

St. Vrain Cidery

Cindy Landi, CEO

Cheese Importers Warehouse

Lyman S White, Owner

The Peaceful Poppy Med Spa

Jessica Tingwald, Owner

Grossen Bart Brewery

Walter Bourque, Co-Owner

Colorado Aromatics

Cindy Jones, Owner

Nature's Casket

Luc Nadeau, Owner

Dry Land Distillers

Nels Wroe, President 

Colorado Crafted LLC

Sarah Welle, Owner

MMM-HQ Coworking and Fancynest LLC

Peter Adeney, Owner

Still Cellars

Jason R Houston, Co-Owner

Information Engineering Company

Mary Headley, Owner

Natural Design Solutions Inc.

Neil McLane, President

One Construction & Design, Inc.

Michael Schnatzmeyer, President

Global Connection Facilitators

Mitzi A Nicoletti, Manager

Wispy Greens, LLC

Alicia Beeson, Business Manager

CoSolve Inc

Kim Tucker, Co-Owner/Co-Founder

Full Circle Yoga

John Espinosa, Owner

Sunflower Farm

Liz Napp, Farm Manager

Green Ride Longmont

Ross Alexander, Owner

The Fry Law Firm LLC

Christopher Fry, Lawyer

The Enchanted Florist LTD

Meghan Rademacher, Owner

Small Planet EBikes

Tom Wilson, Owner

Longmont Food Rescue

Naomi Curland, Executive Director

Western Clean Energy Campaign

Eric Frankowski, Executive Director

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.