Aspen is one of three U.S. cities to run on 100 percent renewable energy, according to members of the city’s environmental and project departments.
The shift to energy that is generated from natural resources — including wind power, solar power and geothermal heat — follows a “decade-plus” city goal, city Utilities and Environmental Initiatives Director David Hornbacher said.
“It was a very forward-thinking goal and truly remarkable achievement,” Hornbacher said. “This means we are powered by the forces of nature, predominately water and wind with a touch of solar and landfill gas.”
The first two U.S. cities to reach the goal were Burlington, Vt., followed by the southwest Kansas town of Greensburg, which rebuilt itself as a sustainable community after a devastating 2007 tornado.
The City of Aspen Electric Utility’s transition to 100 percent renewable occurred Aug. 27, after the city signed a contract with wholesale electric energy provider Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, in order “to achieve this final leg of our goal,” Hornbacher said.
The city utility is one of two electric providers in Aspen. It powers about 50 percent of homes and businesses in the community, Hornbacher said.
The city had been using about 75 to 80 percent renewable energy beforehand, former city project coordinator Will Dolan said.
Aspen eliminated coal and added to its wind power to replace the remaining 20 to 25 percent of non-renewable energy and reach its 100 percent goal, Dolan said.
Aspen receives its wind energy from about four wind farms in Nebraska and South Dakota, Dolan said, adding that the city also uses energy from Ruedi Reservoir, Maroon Creek and Ridgway Reservoir, which is a hydropower facility near Montrose. Aspen Electric Utility serves about half the community, while Holy Cross Energy powers the other half, Hornbacher said.