The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) recently signed the Energy Future Partnership with Xcel Energy that will help Denver meet climate and energy goals through clean and renewable technology, energy efficiency, electric vehicles and grid resilience.

Through July 18, Xcel Energy and DDPHE are encouraging residents to sign up for the Renewable Connect program to help Denver achieve its renewable energy goals. The program aims to deliver clean, affordable solar energy to Denver residents with no equipment necessary.
​
Renewable Connect Benefits

• Flexible - Choose your subscription length: month-to-month, 5-year or 10-year.
• Affordable - Low cost solar with the potential to save money.
• Choice - Choose your amount of renewable energy.
• Local - Clean energy from an additional 50 MW solar resource in Deer Trail, Colorado.

To learn more, email RenewableConnectCO@xcelenergy.com or call 800-895-4999.

Here's what this program provides:

• Thorough energy audit and safety inspection 
• New insulation in your attic, walls and crawlspace 
• Furnace replacement or repair
• Weatherstripping, air-sealing, and LED light bulbs 
• Refrigerator replacement

Renters and owners are eligible for this program. Learn more by downloading the PDF here. 
En espanol.

Today at the Climate Leadership Conference, Mayor Michael B. Hancock and Xcel Energy President - Colorado David Eves signed the Energy Future Partnership, taking a significant step toward building a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

The Energy Future Partnership will focus on advancing Denver’s renewable energy and emissions reduction goals through innovation, clean energy, economic development and technology.

Working together, local governments and energy companies can achieve greater progress toward key outcomes, including climate action, economic development and technological innovation. Denver and Xcel Energy’s partnership will focus on scaling up clean and local energy that comes from the sun, wind or other renewable technologies, as well as innovative approaches to pilot and demonstration projects. Denver and Xcel Energy have agreed to a set of values and guiding principles including community and stakeholder engagement, regional collaboration, and supporting public policy in alignment with Denver’s renewable energy goals.

“Climate change is real, and it’s increasingly up to cities like Denver, with partners like Xcel Energy, to do what we can to stem the tide of climate change and make our communities more resilient to its affects,” Mayor Hancock said. “We are excited that this new Energy Future Partnership agreement with Xcel will further enable us to collaboratively pursue innovations in technology, clean energy and energy efficiency, and to expand electric vehicle infrastructure access and more to reduce carbon emissions.”

“We are pleased to partner with Denver in this ‘Energy Future Collaboration’ to jointly advance its energy-related objectives by combining Denver’s vast expertise on many energy issues with our core business capabilities,” said Eves.  “Denver is the second community to take part in this new collaborative framework, which can be adopted by other Colorado communities to partner with Xcel Energy in achieving their local energy priorities – ranging from sustainability objectives to economic development and energy innovation goals. Denver and Xcel Energy have a 100-year tradition of working together — we’re excited to move forward with this comprehensive collaboration that can lead the way for communities and their energy providers to achieve local energy targets in a scalable fashion.”

Partnerships like this will help Denver reach the climate goal of reducing community greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050.

For more information about Denver’s efforts to address climate change, visit www.denvergov.org/climate.

Denver’s Department of Environmental Health today released the findings of a new study the city recently commissioned to measure the health and environmental benefits of electric vehicles (EV), and provide recommendations to guide the acceleration of the growing EV market in Denver. 
 
Opportunities for Vehicle Electrification in the Denver Metro area and Across the Front Range was funded by a grant from the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) and developed through a partnership with the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP). The report is intended to help guide infrastructure and related planning efforts, as the popularity of EVs increase. In 2016, registrations increased more than 43 percent in Colorado.
 
“To help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent, we must significantly expand the use of electric vehicles, and this report confirms that they’re a valuable investment in both air quality and as a tool for fighting climate change,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “Electric vehicles are an important component of Denver’s newly released Mobility Action Plan, and the market opportunities identified for charging infrastructure throughout Denver and Colorado shows consumers and businesses that choosing EVs is not just an environmentally-conscious choice, but an economical one.”

Among the key health and environmental benefits, the study concludes that plugging in an EV in Denver reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides by 63 percent and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent compared to the average vehicle. Nitrogen oxides are the primary contributor to ozone pollution, which has serious health and respiratory impacts, and greenhouse gas emissions cause climate change.

Those reductions are forecast to improve over time as Colorado’s renewable energy portfolio increases. By 2025 electric vehicles are expected to produce 84 percent fewer nitrogen oxides and 49 percent fewer greenhouse gases as compared to a new gasoline automobile meeting 2025 emissions standards. 
 
Transportation is the leading source of air pollution and the second leading source of greenhouse gases in Denver. Electric vehicles can help the City improve air quality and uphold Mayor Hancock’s ongoing commitment to the Paris Climate Accord.
 
The study also found that ensuring electric vehicle drivers have reliable, convenient access to charging is essential to continuing the growth of electric vehicles.
 
Key recommended actions include:

• Changing building codes to require charging preparation during construction or renovation of new commercial or multi-family properties
• Engaging utilities to help minimize demand charges at direct current fast charger (DCFC) locations
• Future-proofing charging locations to minimize costs and prepare for faster charging speeds
• Siting fast chargers at or near high-density multi-family dwellings
• Expanding fast charging access along highways throughout the state

In addition to a lifecycle emissions analysis, the study pinpoints options for accelerating the growth of electric mobility through deployment of more DCFCs, which can charge a vehicle battery in less than 30 minutes, and charging at multi-unit dwellings. The study identifies market conditions, charging costs, and deployment barriers to consider in planning a more comprehensive charging network.  

According to Will Toor, Director of Transportation at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), “Denver already has the fourth fastest growing electric vehicle market in the nation. Our research found that polices and public investment to get more fast charging and more charging in multifamily housing could further accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in the region.”
 
“The time to purchase an electric vehicle is now! Colorado is the most affordable state in the country to buy an electric vehicle, and there are grants available to assist in funding electric vehicle charging
stations across the state,” said Steve McCannon, mobile sources program director for the RAQC.
“Tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks account for almost a third of the air pollution in the United
States. The adoption of these zero-emissions electric vehicles can significantly reduce air pollution
caused by motor vehicle travel.”
 
A companion study on statewide priority EV charging locations conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), RAQC, Colorado Energy Office and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be released later in the month. The study evaluates hypothetical fast charging networks throughout the state to understand how fast charging could increase electric vehicle miles traveled and how often drivers would utilize the stations depending on the range of the vehicle, temperature, and other factors.
 
Findings from both studies will set a foundation to inform multiple electric vehicle opportunities in Colorado, including Governor Hickenlooper’s charging corridor partnership with Utah and Nevada, Electrify America’s commitment to invest in more than 300 chargers in the Denver area over the next two years, and the release of approximately $10 million in Volkswagen settlement funds by the State of Colorado for charging infrastructure.
 
For more information contact Tyler Svitak at Tyler.Svitak@DenverGov.org, 720-865-5426.

In anticipation of an announcement from the White House regarding the Paris climate accord, Mayor Michael B. Hancock today released the following statement committing Denver to the tenets of the agreement.

“Let’s talk facts. The U.S. is the among the top three largest emitters of greenhouse emissions who, combined, are responsible for more than half of global emissions. A decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement would threaten every American community’s health and safety, not to mention impact our global alliances. Disengagement and failure to act not only demonstrates a lack of leadership on climate change, but it forfeits substantial opportunities to boost GDP, create thousands of good paying clean energy jobs and improve health.

“Climate change is a serious threat to our economy and way of life in Colorado, as we see increasing wild fires, flooding, drought and decreasing snow cover.  Poor air quality and extreme heat impacts public health, especially our most vulnerable populations.

“Denver has been a leader in combating climate change and in growing the clean energy economy. We will not back down from our commitment to address this global threat and will continue the pledge to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement even in the absence of federal leadership.”
​
To see Denver’s complete Climate Action Plan, CLICK HERE.

The City and County of Denver’s Department of Environmental Health is progressing with the implementation of the new benchmarking ordinance and is providing the following update to all stakeholders. 

The Energize Denver website on denvergov.org is now up to date on all of the Department’s initiatives and resources that aim to improve the energy efficiency of large commercial and multi-family buildings.  See www.denvergov.org/energizedenver.

Trainings:  The new ordinance and how to comply
The first two trainings on the new ordinance and how to comply have now been scheduled.  We encourage attendance by all building owners and managers who will need to comply and all energy service companies who anticipate helping clients comply.  The first two trainings dates are the following.  Please RSVP.

• March 14th, 7am-10am
• March 22nd, 11am-2pm

Become a Benchmarking Trainer
We are seeking to assemble a pool of volunteers to provide training on how to benchmark a building using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. If you are interested and believe you are qualified to be in our pool of benchmarking trainers please email energizedenver@denvergov.org with your name and a summary of your qualifications.

Join the Advisory Group
We are forming an advisory group to make suggestions on how to improve implementation of the new benchmarking and transparency ordinance. Please email energizedenver@denvergov.org if you are interested in participating and we will share the meeting details. 

SWEEP is offering a free Zero Net Energy Commercial Buildings Training
FOR: Builders, energy raters, designers, architects, building official and sustainability managers.
FREE REGISTRATION: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/zero-energy-ready-training-for-commercial-buildings-tickets-31044615280https://www.eventbrite.com/e/zero-energy-ready-training-for-commercial-buildings-tickets-31044615280