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MINUTES
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
FUTURES COMMITTEE MEETING
Date: October 10, 2016
Location: CIC Room, City Hall, 300 Laporte Ave.
Time: 4:00–6:00pm
Committee Members Present:
Wade Troxell, Chair Gino Campana
Kristin Stephens
City Staff:
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jacqueline Kozak-Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
Lindsay Ex, Environmental Program Manager
Lucinda Smith, Environmental Services Director
Emily Wilmsen, Public Relations Coordinator
Invited Guests:
Bill Ritter, former Governor
Community Members:
Kevin Jones, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce
Dale Adamy, citizen
Wade Troxell called meeting to order at 4:00pm
Approval of Minutes:
Kristin moved to approve the September minutes as presented. Wade seconded. Motion passed
unanimously, 2-0-0.
Think Tank Item 10-2016: Energy Futures—Bill Ritter
• Energy Foundation: $45M each year to China to deal with energy issues.
• North American Forum
• China: co-benefit of addressing air quality; why they work on climate change.
• Overshot thinking we could get to 2° Celsius; may be too difficult given current carbon
trajectory.
o How far do we need to go? As a community?
• We are the biggest emitter by volume over time; other part is about opportunity.
o Roles: innovator, exporter, manufacturing
• We’ve filed our targets, but how will we meet them?
o What’s happening at the state/local level is less politicized
than what is happening at the federal level. “Subnationals.”
o Believe we can meet the 2025 targets with just what states
are doing.
• Clean Energy Coalition: 17 bipartisan states
o Gap analysis on what states can do on clean energy.
• How will they get there?
o Utilities: some level of regulating, volitional conduct on part of the municipality.
o Cities are critical; it may not happen without them.
• Colorado targets:
o Clean Power Plan
32% emissions reduction by 2030; gives states individual targets.
Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana will have most difficulty meeting
the target
Looking at a regional plan to get these 13 states there together; some will
surpass these targets.
o IOUs and Platte River
o Colorado is as far ahead as any other state.
o Denver has set goals; needs to orient the franchise agreement with Xcel to achieve
them. Already on the way to this.
• Two weeks ago transportation emissions were greater than electricity sector.
Discussion
• Do our states mirror others?
o American Legislative Exchange Council – Ohio
o 30 states have an RES
22% wind power from South Dakota but no RES.
Platte River is buying the wind power for us. Platte River was first to do
wind power purchase options (with direction from Fort Collins).
o Industrial coal built the middle class. We have burned more carbon in the US than
any other country.
1500 coal plants planned for construction in India and China.
• How do we get there besides regulation?
o How do we get folks there because they want to and not have to?
Tension between those who oppose regulators and those who love
markets.
It’s a combination of these things. We needed regulation, goals, etc. to
help stimulate the market.
• Have gone from $0.095/kWH to less than $0.03/kWH.
• Cost has gone down and so this is a market opportunity.
o Market and regulation can work together; electricity sector has been regulated
since 1905.
DO: Next Steps
• Continue to leverage the role of cities in meeting international goals from Paris
agreement.
• Will need to focus on fulfilling social equity goals as we transition energy and try to
engage all.
• Innovation will be key and Fort Collins could have an export economy of technology
developed here.
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ACTION ITEMS: None.
Future Agenda Items
• November: Community Architecture
• December: Resilient Infrastructure
• January: Innovation Community
Meeting adjourned at 6:00pm.
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