Forums · Same question, every candidate
Empower Hour: Climate and Energy Forum with Boulder Mayoral Candidates
October 6, 2026 · Online (Zoom webinar)
Hosted by Empower Our Future, PLAN-Boulder County.
Mayoral candidates only. Moderator: Chris Hoffman; host: Mary (as transcribed). All six mayoral candidates took part. Three questions: climate hushing, Xcel Energy, and the Valmont coal ash cleanup. Fred Smith had audio trouble on the Xcel question and answered after Aquiles La Grave. The automatic transcript writes 'Xcel' as 'Excel'; quotes keep the transcript text.
Recordings
- Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future) — Opening introductions from 2:40, Climate hushing from 10:08, Xcel Energy from 23:18, Valmont coal ash from 37:34
Date: Empower Our Future YouTube title 'Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates.' (uploaded 2026-10-07); Colorado Coalition for a Livable Climate event listing (Oct 6, 6:00-7:00 pm, virtual, hosted by Empower Our Future and PLAN-Boulder).
Questions and answers, in speaking order
Each question, then the candidates we quote, in the order they spoke. These are short passages. Use the watch link to hear the whole answer. Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. If a candidate isn't listed under a question, we didn't quote them on it.
Mayoral opening introduction, climate and energy forum (one minute)
I'm running because I believe we are in a poly crisis and we need to have leadership that is able to both mitigate the challenges, whether that be wildfire or energy shutoffs or water
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 3:12 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
We're the only Western state that doesn't get the full amount of severance tax,
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 5:05 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
We have constantly updated our energy codes, which are some of the most efficient in the nation, including an all electric requirement that I helped get across the finish line last year
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 5:38 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I think it's important that we incentivize homeowners to install natural foliage as opposed to lawns in order to conserve about 2 billion gallons of water per year.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 7:21 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I spoke with the county attorney today, and my understanding is Boulder never should have sued.
Transcript note: Refers to the Boulder County/City climate lawsuit against Exxon and Suncor.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 8:40 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
Boulder that doesn't need less ambition. I think we need more capacity.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 9:53 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
Climate hushing: political leaders now seem reluctant to connect negative everyday experiences to climate change and its driver, carbon pollution. How do you plan to be vocal and lead on climate?
we need to make gasoline pay its way and fossil fuel companies to pay their own way.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 11:42 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
how do we accelerate on the implementation and to Achilles comments do so in a way that holds people accountable, make sure that our budget and resource allocation are sufficient.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 13:34 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I think it's important that we bring awareness to this issue, but we don't bring awareness to it in a way where people are fearful of what's to come.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 15:26 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
If we want cleaner buildings, we have to make permits easier.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 18:12 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
We need to continue to increase our investments in wildfire preparedness, but not at the expense of our incredibly important climate work.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 20:30 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
Boulder needs to legislate that new construction is only allowed to have heat pumps, no gas or oil infrastructure.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 21:42 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
Xcel says it will deliver 100% clean electricity by 2050, not Boulder's 2030 goal, and has presented no concrete plan under the 2020 franchise agreement. What remedies would you propose for Xcel's failures to deliver, at the city level, at the PUC, or at the state level? And would you be open to inviting cities that have gone to market for their electricity to come to Boulder to educate us about life after Xcel?
the interactions with Excel over the last few years have been extremely disappointing.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 24:55 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I would be absolutely interested in sitting down and talking to other cities
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 26:19 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I do not expect that Excel will do better. Cities can own their own sources of power, which residents love,
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 27:45 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I think there needs to be a much stronger partnership and advocacy with our state representatives and the Public Utility Commission.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 29:27 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
six years of disappointing meetings should absolutely change your strategy.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 31:46 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
So I believe one of those options is us absolutely going to market for energy.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 31:52 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
But I think you need to find benchmarks with Excel and say by 2033, you need to do this and this, or you get fined millions of dollars
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 35:11 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I think it's very important that we take this issue to the state level.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 36:59 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
Xcel is preparing a decade-long remediation of nearly 2 million tons of coal ash at the Valmont power station. Should Boulder use its franchise and partnership agreements with Xcel to require strong, independent air quality monitoring throughout the cleanup? And if so, how specifically would you do this?
So overall, listen to the community and listen to the scientists on this one.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 39:03 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
So I would absolutely use the franchise agreement to the extent possible to push for written agreements and binding legal agreements with Excel to fund that monitoring
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 39:51 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
But I will say that our best opportunity here does lie with the state legislature.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 41:45 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
As of last year, all new construction has to be electric only with no fossil fuel usage
Transcript note: Said in his remaining time on this question, responding to Lisa Ann Jacobs's earlier call for an all-electric requirement.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 42:38 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
Given Excel's history of unfair deceptive business acts, then I would not trust their monitoring results.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 43:11 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
My point is it's going to be real short answer is to study hard, get many opinions and don't rush into it and do it the right way.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 46:27 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
And I would really love to see that model used for the coal ash.
Transcript note: 'That model' is the Rocky Flats Stewardship Council, which she described just before.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 47:17 · Empower Hour 2026-10-06 Climate & Energy Forum with Boulder Boulder Mayoral Candidates. (Empower Our Future, YouTube)