At a time when new breakthrough technologies, plummeting renewables costs, increased renewables access and investment, and growing citizen demands for cleaner, homegrown energy are transforming our landscape, Western Colorado Alliance is proud to be at the forefront of a dedicated grassroots organizing program to meet the West Slope’s growing energy needs – our CLEAN & RENEWABLE ENERGY program.
Winning a Clean Energy Future
Whether it be through their municipal government or a member-owned rural electrical cooperative, virtually every citizen of Colorado has some democratic control over where their energy comes from, how it's produced, and where tomorrow’s investments are made. By building region-wide grassroots power to engage decision-makers, we are revitalizing an energy democracy capable of bringing cleaner, locally produced power and new economic opportunity to our communities on our own terms. Western Colorado Alliance is engaging in rural electrical cooperative elections to ensure we have leaders on these boards who will champion this clean energy future, and working with board members to advance clean energy priorities across the Western Slope.
Rural Electric Associations
Citizens living outside of city limits on the Western Slope are served by member-owned rural electric co-ops, with boards of directors elected by ratepayers. These directors have wide-ranging authority over the electricity sold to tens of thousands of consumers, yet few citizens are even aware that these elections exist.
Western Colorado Alliance is working with a team of passionate residents across the region to get our neighbors engaged in co-op elections — and in working with elected co-op directors to build community dialogues about our future. In recent years, we have seen a host of new, utility-scale clean and renewable energy projects pop up on the Western Slope and this is no accident; our work to elect board members with a vision towards a clean and renewable energy future have made this possible but our work is not done yet.
State and Federal Legislation and Rulemaking
New Colorado legislation has set ambitious carbon emissions reductions goals for our state that were implemented by state rulemakings in 2020 and further legislation being passed right up to today. Western Colorado Alliance is working to ensure that Western Slope voices are front and center in rulemaking processes so that our communities have access to the opportunities that a clean energy transition offers – and that workers and communities from legacy fossil fuels industries have the opportunity to author their own transitions to the future. Western Colorado Alliance will also continue its robust engagement at the state and federal levels on new policies to create homegrown prosperity through the development of the clean technology and renewables sectors. Western Colorado Alliance is paying close attention to the new and record-breaking federal investments being made through legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and working to ensure communities across the Western Slope have access to those funds and an eye to important projects this funding can open up.