March 30, 2007 - Climate Action Tax goes into effect April 1

Contact:
Yael Gichon, Environmental Affairs, (303) 441-3878
Mary Huron Hunter, Media Relations, (303) 441-4959www.bouldercolorado.gov

The City of Boulder's Climate Action Plan (CAP) tax will be collected beginning Sunday,

April 1 through Xcel Energy's monthly billing process. The tax will be levied based on electricity usage (per kilowatt-hour) for city residents and businesses. Billed as a line item entitled "CAP tax," the average household will pay $1.33 per month, and an average business will pay $3.80 per month.  Xcel customers who subscribe to Windsource will be exempt from the tax for the portion of their electricity that is supplied through wind power.

In November 2006, Boulder voters passed ballot measure 202, the CAP tax, making Boulder the first municipality in the nation to tax energy use to pay for greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs.  Passage of this tax garnered worldwide attention as communities around the world research methods to combat climate change.

The collected revenues will allow the city to begin phasing in the comprehensive suite of programs and services described in the CAP.  The CAP is the guiding document to meet the Kyoto Protocol's greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals adopted by Boulder City Council in 2002. The primary strategies of the CAP are to increase energy efficiency, promote renewable energy and alternative fuels and reduce vehicle miles traveled.

"Through our residential and commercial energy efficiency programs we are actively working to bring down the cost of investing in a sustainable energy future," said Sarah Van Pelt, environmental sustainability coordinator for the city's Office of Environmental Affairs.

CAP programs promote energy services industries and support the city's economic vitality goals by lowering the cost of doing business in Boulder and supporting business cluster development for renewable energy, energy efficiency and green building services. 

Proposed efficiency improvements could reduce energy expenditures by up to 20 percent in commercial buildings and up to 15 percent for households where efficiency upgrades are made.

Social benefits also will be seen as the CAP allows the city to expand existing lower-income weatherization programs and offer new programs and services such as audits and technical assistance that benefit lower-income residents by helping reduce energy costs.

For more information, go to www.environmentalaffairs.com.  To sign up for Windsource call Xcel at 800-895-4999 or visit www.xcelenergy.com/windsource-co. 

For more information, contact Yael Gichon, (303) 441-3878 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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