On Sept. 2, supporters of 1Sky, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Colorado Interfaith Power and Light, Earth Guardians and others showed up in force at the Denver coal ash hearing to tell EPA to protect our groundwater. The E.P.A. and the media heard us loud and clear. Thanks for your support!

Earlier this year, climate and clean energy supporters helped Colorado pass the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act (HB 1365) to retire two old, dirty coal plants and clean up the air in Denver and Boulder. Now, thanks to your help, Xcel Energy has proposed a plan to do exactly that. Before it goes in effect, that plan has to be approved by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). 
 

Join us for a rally and public hearing at the PUC headquarters in Denver on Thursday, Sept. 23, to show your support for clean air and clean energy!

Here are the details:
What: Public Hearing on Xcel’s Plan to Move Colorado Beyond Coal

When: Thursday, September 23: 3 p.m. Rally and 4 p.m. Hearing

Where: Public Hearing: Public Utilities Commission, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202 (find a map here)
Rally: Civic Center Plaza, next door to the public hearing

Please R.S.V.P. or forward questions to: [email protected], 504-258-1247

The coal industry will try very hard to stop this community plan to clean up our air quality and move beyond coal. The PUC commissioners need to see our support for converting these coal plants to other energy sources, so they can approve Xcel’s plan.

So please join us at the rally at the nearby Civic Center Plaza at 3:00PM! We’ll then walk together to the PUC hearing site and testify in support of the plan or just show your support in the crowd.

Thanks again for your help with the coal ash hearing and passage of the bill that makes these coal plant retirements and conversions possible. Your presence next Thursday will help us on our path to clean air and clean energy in Colorado!

The Sierra Club is organizing a bus from Boulder. Let them know when you sign up if you’re interested in riding down in a bus with us!

Some background

In May, the state legislature passed the bi-partisan Colorado Clean Air – Clean Jobs law. THIS WAS A TOP TIER ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITY. It is the first law in the nation to provide for the retirement of aging coal-fired power plants to protect human health and the environment from air pollution, is one of the most critically important steps necessary for Colorado to substantially cut global warming pollution, and IS A HUGE STEP TOWARDS A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE. To adhere to the law, Xcel Energy has put forward a plan to actually retire FIVE metro-area coal fired units – at the Valmont plant in Boulder, and all of the Cherokee Plant in Denver. This plan needs to be approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and they are holding a public comment hearing Thursday the 23rd from 4-6pm.

We want to make sure the commission hears loud and clear that it is high time to get rid of coal, cut down our air pollution, and build a new, clean energy economy. Unfortunately, we expect coal interests to be out in large numbers and making a lot of noise–so we need to make sure that both in the hearing and outside in the streets it is clear that Coloradans want Clean Air and a Clean Energy Future.