Solar & Battery Regulation & Incentive Programs

City of Boulder - Climate Action Plan Fund

Program Overview


Category:
Regulatory Policy
Program Type:
Public Benefits Fund
Implementing Sector:
Local
State:
Colorado
Eligible Storage Technologies:
Yes; specific technologies not identified
Website:
https://bouldercolorado.gov/climate
Types:
Renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation
Total Fund:
Approximately $1.8 million in tax revenue yearly.
Charge:
Maximum tax rates for electricity customers:
Residential: $0.0049/kWh
Commercial: $0.0009/kWh
Industrial: $0.0003/kWh
Applicable Sectors:
Commercial, Industrial, Residential
Last Updated:
02/16/2016

Summary

Note: As of 2015, the Climate Action Plan is now referred to as the Climate Commitment. In November 2015, Boulder voters approved an extension of the  Climate Action Plan tax through 2020, with rates remaining the same.

In 2002, the Boulder City Council passed Resolution 906, committing the community to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to the target established by the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement adopted in 1997 to combat global climate change. In November 2006, citizens of Boulder, Colorado, voted to approve Ballot Issue No. 202, authorizing the city council to levy and collect an excise tax from residential, commercial, and industrial electricity customers for the purpose of funding a climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The plan outlines programs to increase energy efficiency, increase renewable energy use, reduce emissions from motor vehicles, and take other steps toward the goal of meeting the Kyoto Protocol.

Xcel Energy collects the tax for the city through its monthly customer utility billing. (Voluntary purchases of utility-provided wind power are exempt from the tax.) The tax rate, expiring March 31, 2018, is as follows:

  • $0.0049 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for residential customers,
  • $0.0009 per kWh for commercial customers, and
  • $0.0003 per kWh for industrial customers. 

Authorities

NameEnacted DateEffective DateExpired Date
Ballot Issue 202 (Climate Action Plan Tax)11/7/2006
Boulder Revised Code 3-124/1/20073/31/2018