Electric Edict: Boulder County Commits To Transportation Plan

BOULDER, CO -- Boulder has become the first Colorado county to commit to a plan for electrifying its transportation through the GoEV movement, joining a host of concerned cities across the state. Commissioners Elise Jones and Deb Gardner signed a pledge Tuesday, with outgoing commissioner Cindy Domenico excused.

GoEV is spearheaded by the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, the Sierra Club, Conservation Colorado, Clean Energy Economy for the Region, and Colorado Public Interest Research Group, and it encourages and helps facilitate transition for local governments committing to electric vehicle action plans.

Boulder County's goals include working to electrify the county fleet and choosing 100 percent electric for of new, light duty vehicle purchases when possible, supporting electric vehicle charging station infrastructure needed to accommodate the transition, and working with the community on a variety approaches to transition 30 percent of all residential, business, and municipal vehicles within the county to zero emissions by 2030, and 100 percent of all vehicles by 2050.

"We have been working to electrify our county fleet because it saves taxpayer money over the life of the vehicle," said George Gerstle, Boulder County Transportation Director in a statement. "Electric vehicles require less maintenance, use less fuel, and are better for the environment...We’ll also be advocating that RTD and other transportation providers, like Lyft and Uber, use electric vehicles."

A press release from the county noted that Boulder will not be able to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction goals without electrifying its transportation sector.

"It is clear that our transportation system needs to not only be cleaner and more environmentally friendly but also less costly in regards to maintenance costs," said Commissioner Elise Jones. "Electrifying our vehicles is a solution that solves these needs and Boulder County is committed to leading this change."

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