Boulder makes the GoEV City commitment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2020

Contacts:
Matt Frommer, Senior Transportation Associate
mfrommer@swenergy.org l 908-432-1556

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[BOULDER, CO] – Last Tuesday night, Boulder City Council adopted a GoEV Resolution — a set of ambitious targets to electrify the city fleet, public transportation, taxis and ride-share companies, micro-mobility vehicles, and all passenger vehicles in the community.

Transportation is the number one source of climate-changing pollution in Colorado, and one of the largest contributors of local air pollution like ground-level Ozone (smog), which is exacerbating respiratory illnesses and putting our children’s health at risk.

These GoEV City targets set the foundation for electric vehicle (EV)-supportive policies and programs to accelerate transportation electrification in the community, and are critical to achieving Boulder’s climate goals to cut community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80% by 2050 and reduce GHG emissions from city operations and facilities 80% by 2030.

In becoming a “GoEV City,” Boulder joins Boulder County and Denver in committing to 100% electric transportation and giving residents the opportunity to reduce GHG emissions, breathe cleaner air, save money, and lead the way for greater EV adoption nationwide.

Boulder has demonstrated leadership and a commitment to transportation electrification by installing 46 public EV charging stations, completing a Fleet Electrification Assessment and purchasing 23 electric fleet vehicles, installing solar panels and charging stations at city facilities to charge EVs with clean energy, and working with Via Mobility, Boulder Valley School District, and the University of Colorado to electrify their bus fleets. Boulder County has the highest rate of EV adoption in the state and about 2% of all registered vehicles in the County are electric — four times higher than the statewide average.

Boulder’s GoEV commitments:

  • Improve transportation and social equity and extend the benefits of transportation electrification to low-income households and communities disproportionately affected by the harmful effects of air pollution.
  • Ensure that new light duty vehicles purchased by the city are EVs when the technology accommodates the needs of the vehicle use and departmental budgets can accommodate both vehicle acquisition and the associated charging infrastructure. The City will include the total cost of vehicle ownership, including fuel and maintenance costs, and the social cost of carbon in its vehicle procurement calculations.
  • Support the EV charging station infrastructure needed to accommodate the transition to EVs considering the availability and sustainability of resources, council priorities, and budget constraints.
  • Transition to medium and heavy duty zero emission vehicles and off-road equipment as these vehicles become available in Colorado, and if they can fully support the needs of the departments operations and departmental budgets can accommodate both vehicle acquisition and the associated charging infrastructure.
  • Work with Via Mobility Services, Boulder Valley School District, and the University of Colorado to develop a roadmap to zero-emissions electrification of all new transit and school buses by 2030.
  • Work with municipal partners and with shared fleets such as taxis, rideshare, and carshare companies to transition these shared fleet vehicles to full electric fleets by 2030.
  • Work with the community on programs, policies, incentives, and regulatory approaches to transition 30% of all vehicles within the city to zero emissions by 2030, and 100% of all vehicles by 2050.
  • Develop partnerships with micro-mobility companies to promote the use of electric assisted bicycles.

The GoEV Cities and Counties campaign is a joint effort of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), the Clean Energy Economy for the Region , the Colorado Public Interest Research Group , Conservation Colorado, and the Sierra Club. The effort modeled after the Ready for 100 campaign, which has led more than 75 local governments in the U.S. to committing themselves to obtaining 100% renewable energy no later than 2050.

Refer to the GoEV City policy toolkit: https://www.goevcity.org/policy-toolkit

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The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is a public-interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency and clean transportation in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. For more information about our programs and other work, please visit swenergy.org