Trustees press for a renewable‑electricity goal as Partners in Energy outlines 2030 targets

Partners in Energy representatives shared results of a community survey and draft targets as the Town of Nederland updates its Energy Action Plan. The presenters said the Sustainability Advisory Board recommended a renewable electricity goal of 100% by 2030 with an interim target of 85% by 2028 and asked the board to indicate how ambitious it wanted the plan to be. "The goal of 100 renewable electricity by 2030 and then a goal of 85% by 2028," one presenter said, describing the recommendation and interim milestone.

Trustees broadly supported prioritizing renewable electricity in the short term while expressing caution about committing now to a specific natural‑gas reduction target. Staff and Partners emphasized that the natural‑gas carbon goal used Xcel‑provided data and that other fuel types (diesel backup generators, propane) were not included in the Partners in Energy data set unless the town supplied additional sources. Trustee questions focused on whether microgrids, rooftop solar opportunities, or partnerships (for example with local resorts) would meaningfully change the feasibility of a 2030 target. Staff asked for direction going into a May workshop; trustees agreed to bring the renewable electricity focus into upcoming strategic planning and to ask staff to identify the most promising local opportunities and the largest electricity users to prioritize.