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The Lafayette Clean Energy Initiative
Also see "Reasons to Vote YES on 2D!" The cost is two percent of your energy bill, or $2 for every $100. This is about $2/month for the average resident and $12/month for the average business. However, the purpose of this initiative is to support programs that will make it easy to save much more than this on energy bills, so it is reasonable to view the cost as an investment. top Didn't we vote last year to spend the 3% Xcel franchise fee/tax on clean energy? Yes we did, but we also voted to renew the 20-year franchise agreement with Xcel. We voted to collect replacement revenue for the Xcel franchise fee (called a "Utility Occupation Tax") and dedicate it to clean energy programs in Lafayette, but renewal of the franchise trumped collecting the UOT. However, our City Council heard the messages that their constituents value a clean energy future, want it to be a City priority, and are willing to spend energy tax dollars to fund it. Please see more at The Background Story of Ballot Issue 2D. top Won't fixed or lower income households be hurt by even this small energy tax? Lower-income residences tend to be the least energy efficient, so they have the most to gain from the energy-saving opportunities this funding will bring. Consideration for lower-income households has always been a key factor in the planning behind this initiative (see Appendix I of Report and Recommendations of the Lafayette Clean Energy Stakeholders group). Targeted outreach to lower-income households will ensure that they can take advantage of income-qualified services such as free weatherization that are already available through the Boulder County Longs Peak Energy Conservation and EnergySmart programs. Some energy efficiency upgrades for tenants do not require the consent of property owners, such as LED lighting and efficient refrigerators, and subsidies for these items can be enhanced for income-qualified families. top Does energy efficiency really pays for itself? The true cost of anything that uses energy includes both the initial purchase price and the lifetime operating cost. The cheapest thing to buy is often the most expensive to operate. Investing up front in a more efficient product usually pays for the extra up front cost many times over in energy savings. This 4-minute National Public Radio story describes the many benefits of energy efficiency investments for a Vermont community, and we can have as good or better in Lafayette. This article explains why energy efficiency is a terrific investment. Here are two specific energy efficiency examples with numbers: 1. Replacing an older refrigerator (even if it's still working) can pay for itself in energy savings alone. In this instructive example a nice new refrigerator paid for itself in 6 years and thereafter saves $100 per year in energy costs. 2. Old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs convert more than 90% of the electricity they use into heat rather than light. Replacing them with energy efficient lighting (compact fluorescent lights, CFLs, or the newer and better light-emitting diodes, LEDs) saves a lot of energy and money even though they cost more up front. Here's the math for replacing a 60 Watt incandescent bulb with a 10 Watt LED that produces the same amount of light, assuming the light is on 6 hours per night (and our cost of electricity is 10¢ per kWh). The annual energy cost for the incandescent is $13.14, and for the LED is $2.19, an energy savings of $10.95 per year. So even if the LED costs $10.95 more than the incandescent to buy, it pays for itself in 1 year and then saves $10.95 per year for the rest of its 23 year life, or $240 total. For one bulb! LED prices are coming down quickly and City of Lafayette energy programs funded by this initiative could reduce the price further with bulk purchases, as well as offering on-bill payment where LEDs can be paid for over time on your water bill so that you get the bulbs and start saving money on monthly living expenses immediately. This example is especially appealing for renters who may not have control over other energy efficiency measures such as insulation. These are just two simple examples. Expert energy advisors will be available to all Lafayette residents and businesses for free or cheap if Issue 2D passes, and advisors can give accurate payback calculations for many, many energy efficiency measures such as insulation, A/C, windows, furnaces, other appliances, etc. top What is "on-bill payment" and why might I want it? On-bill payment means conveniently paying for certain energy efficiency products or services over time on your City water bill. The primary direct benefit is that the term of repayment can often be designed so that payments are equal to or less than the monthly energy savings, so that we get the LED light bulbs or geothermal heating and cooling system immediately while monthly living expenses actually go down, and then after repayment is complete the customer benefits from the full monthly energy savings thereafter. On-bill payment is also important for attracting third-party clean energy companies to bring their financing dollars to Lafayette because the on-bill payment lowers their billing costs and lets them bring us a better deal. top Why should I consider making energy efficiency upgrades to my home or business?
Also see "Reasons to Vote YES on 2D" and "The Need to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels". Why is this money needed? Can't I get insulation or efficient lighting or solar PV on my own? Some people do get some energy upgrades on their own, but most people have busy lives and very few have researched all the energy-saving opportunities that are available (especially the new ones), nor have the knowledge or time to calculate payback periods, find all available local, state, federal, and utility rebates, trusted contractors, and available financing options. The Lafayette Clean Energy Initiative will overcome these hurdles with programs that can bring expert energy advice directly to your home or business and further incentivize energy efficiency investments with well-designed rebate programs. Energy Advisors are third parties who are not trying to sell you anything, but they do know a great deal about how you can save energy and money. Consider which of these is the best investment: energy efficient windows, LED lighting, a new refrigerator (which refrigerator?), installing solar photovoltaic panels or solar thermal panels, upgrading attic insulation from R-13 to R-50, doing "air sealing" before adding insulation, etc., etc.? Wouldn't it be great to receive expert advice on the best options for your particular situation, prioritized by cost-effectiveness or whatever is most important to you, along with help on rebate forms, lists of vetted contractors with the experience you need, and available financing options including on-bill payment in some cases? All for free or cheap? top |