The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed rules to cut the nation’s carbon dioxide production 30 percent by 2030.
Compared to other states, Colorado is far ahead in this goal.
Colorado’s target emissions level for 2030 (under the EPA’s proposal) is 1,108 pounds of CO2 emissions per net megawatt-hour of electricity that’s produced.
By comparison, in 2005, Colorado emitted about 1,827 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour of power produced. That makes the end goal much more than 30 percent below the 2005 levels.
Helping this goal was Colorado’s Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act of 2010, a sweeping $1 billion effort to shut down or clean up 900 megawatts of coal-fired power production and replace it with natural gas. Xcel Energy participated in the Clean Air-Clean Jobs program, and remains among the nation’s leaders for its use of renewable energy.
“Carbon pollution is the main contributor to climate disruption, fueling wildfires and record drought that we’re already feeling in Colorado,” Susan Shepard, Denver City Councilwoman, said in a recent statement. “Climate disruption threatens our health, our families, and our communities. Until now, our nation has placed no limits on the amount of carbon pollution that power plants can dump into air. By reducing the amount of carbon pollution in our air, we can protect the health of our families, our communities, and our planet.”
Cleaner air means healthier communities, and we are grateful for a state that works toward these goals. Check out the Alaris Gratitude Corner and be sure to follow us on Twitter.
