2021 GoEV City and County Highlights Showcase Colorado’s Local Leaders in Electric Vehicle Policy

2021 was a pivotal year for electric vehicles, with more funding, policies, and programs active than ever before.  As the year comes to a close, highlights from Colorado’s GoEV Cities and Counties feature new technologies, innovative partnerships, and strategic visions that are placing Colorado’s local municipalities at the forefront of zero-emission transportation future. 

Alexandra Simon

Former Public Health Advocate, CoPIRG

Momentum has been building around electric vehicles for years and 2021 was another big step forward.   

 

Both the Colorado state legislature and Congress passed bills providing unprecedented funding for electric vehicles.

 

Local utilities, like Xcel Energy, are also implementing electrification programs helping to incentivize businesses, local governments, and residents to make the switch to electric vehicles.  

 

And in this tide of increased funding and media attention, local governments across Colorado are stepping up to commit to  a zero-emission transportation future.

 

I’m proud nine of these cities and counties have earned the distinction as a GoEV City and County: Boulder County, City of Boulder, Fort Collins, Denver, Golden, Town of Avon, Town of Vail, and Longmont.   

Colorado’s 9 GoEV Cities and Counties in 2021

The GoEV City and County campaign is working to get Colorado cities and counties to commit to 100% zero-emissions transportation including municipal fleets, buses, taxis, rideshares, and all vehicles in the community.  In passing a resolution to meet these goals, local governments are demonstrating that they are serious in their commitment to transportation electrification and helping citizens, businesses, and municipal agencies start developing strategic plans that align with those goals.    

 

Our campaign, in partnership with Conservation Colorado, Clean Energy Economy for the Region, Southwest Energy Efficiency Partnership, and the Sierra Club, had an exciting year in 2021, announcing three new GoEV Cities:

  • In March, the Town of Avon passed a resolution becoming the 7th GoEV City in Colorado. Read more about that commitment and 2 new town chargers HERE
  • In September, the City Council of Longmont passed a resolution, becoming the 8th GoEV City in Colorado.  Read more about the details of their resolution HERE.  
  • In October, the Town of Vail became the 9th GoEV City when the Vail Town Council passed the resolution.  Read more about their commitment and the expansion of electric vehicles in the Vail Valley HERE.  

 

Additionally, we celebrated Summit County’s release of an EV Readiness Roadmap, a strategic plan for achieving their zero-emission transportation goals. This built off their GoEV County resolution, passed in 2020, and outlines specific strategies and policies for meeting those goals. Several cities in Summit County have signed on to meet the goals in the plan. 

 

I also had the pleasure, as part of National Drive Electric Week in September, to host a webinar featuring highlights from five GoEV Cities and Counties. Each city is moving toward a 100% zero-emission vehicles using a variety of strategies including:

  • Denver is expanding their electric car share program targeted towards under-resourced communities. 
  • Golden added  EV charging requirements in local parking codes and future plans for expanding requirements into building codes.  
  • Summit County is leveraging partnerships with a local utility to share the costs of EV infrastructure development.  
  • The City of Boulder is working on an innovative vehicle-to-building charging pilot program currently underway at a local rec center.  
  • Fort Collins created an Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap, a comprehensive strategic plan to achieve their ambitious EV targets.  

 

Cutting-edge electric vehicle policy and projects from the September 2021 GoEV City and County Webinar

 

The full webinar is available HERE to view, and you can read a summary of the presentations on my blog HERE.  

 

For many of us, enjoying being outside is why we live in this amazing state.  After 2021’s “summer of smog” along the front range, Coloradans can no longer afford to do nothing.  Long term air pollution impacts not only our access and ability to enjoy outdoor recreation, but can even lead to long-term health problems.  

 

In Colorado, transportation is the leading source of pollutants that fuel climate change and create ozone pollution. Electric-powered vehicles are a critical solution.

With more funding, better technology, and blossoming public support, I can’t wait to see what our GoEV Cities and Counties accomplish in 2022. 

 

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Alexandra Simon

Former Public Health Advocate, CoPIRG