Forums · Same question, every candidate
Empower Hour: Climate and Energy Forum with Boulder City Council Candidates
October 13, 2026 · Online (Zoom webinar)
Hosted by Empower Our Future, PLAN-Boulder County.
City Council candidates only. Moderator: Chris Hoffman; host: Mary (as transcribed). Twelve of the 13 council candidates took part; the host said Benita Duran was sorry not to attend and invited questions through her website. The same three questions as the Oct. 6 mayoral forum: climate hushing, Xcel Energy, and the Valmont coal ash cleanup. The automatic transcript writes 'Xcel' as 'Excel'; quotes keep the transcript text.
Recordings
- Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future) — Opening introductions from 1:55, Climate hushing from 15:00, Xcel Energy from 40:01, Valmont coal ash from 1:04:49
Date: Empower Our Future YouTube title 'Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate' (uploaded 2026-10-14); organizer's Zoom registration page (Oct 13, 2026, 6:00 PM Mountain, co-sponsored by EOF 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.
Council opening introduction, climate and energy forum (one minute)
Climate and wildfire resiliency are at the top of my website
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 2:30 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
today I want to highlight one of my favorite parts about being on council and that's being an advocate for eBiking.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 3:34 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
My mission is to make Boulder work for everyone now and in the future. I'm a long time climate advocate.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 4:37 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I fought hard phone banking and going door to door in support of the muni
Transcript note: 'The muni' is Boulder's past effort to form a city-owned electric utility.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 5:26 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I want to be able to facilitate more of these big ideas through a city government that works more efficiently.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 6:55 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
My platform is simple. A vote for me is a vote of no confidence in Boulder's road projects. I'm a single issue candidate.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 7:21 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I'm really committed to making sure that we have a sustainable future, whether it's climate preparedness, energy resilience,
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 8:20 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I want us to do micro grids transactive energy and batteries, and balancing the grid through that system.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 9:30 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I will always be an advocate for greenhouse gas emission reduction and staying the course in our climate work in this city,
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 10:59 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
if you manage your budgets well you have more money for the greater good, which of course includes climate activities.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 12:21 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I helped to found a program called eco Rangers and an affordable property in Boulder, where I have kids from five to 13 years old, who are stewarding the earth.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 13:20 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I'm running for Boulder City Council, because I want to strengthen our public confidence in our city government.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 14:47 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (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 come together and we push forward with climate advocacy through ordinances and climate action plans
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 16:37 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I think it's critical that we look at all our programs in the city and ask ourselves how do we measure success on programs,
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 18:19 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I think that it will be the responsibility of the next city council to continue to push for its climate goals.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 21:03 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I want to make sure that we are actually looking at how we are pricing carbon when we're making decisions around mitigation.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 22:58 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
there's times where I wonder if that money could be better spent on transportation on workforce housing.
Transcript note: Refers to spending to meet the city's energy code on city projects such as Alpine-Balsam.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 24:30 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
we might want to have ways to look at possibilities of RTD for that, for example, having electric vehicles that are very small vehicles,
Speaker identified from speaking order; the moderator did not name them.
Transcript note: The moderator's cue before this answer is transcribed as 'Robert.' Lee Gilbert is the only council candidate at this forum not otherwise named in this round, and the speaker describes getting around by bike and on foot, as Gilbert did in his opening.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 26:35 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
We need to stop the massive growth that does not make housing more affordable.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 27:33 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I'm pretty proud of where Boulder is on this issue. We are sticking with our climate initiatives
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 29:51 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I will continue to be a local advocate for climate action by ensuring that climate resilience is integrated into every decision that council makes rather than treated as a separate policy area.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 31:44 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
we need to electrify everything and get that electricity from carbon free sources, decarbonize our electric grid.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 33:43 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I want to approach this from the perspective, perhaps not as a climate leader, but as a good ancestor and a steward of the lands.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 35:51 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
we now have every memo packet for the council has the sustainability equity and resilience in it. So we now actually look at climate in each decision.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 38:26 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (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?
As far as finding out from other communities about switching to market things, I think that's a very good idea.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 42:03 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
So yes, I think we should go shopping. I think having communities like Fountain down here would be a great idea.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 43:37 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
Excel would own the power lines and the wires, but we would be free to to buy energy on the market
Transcript note: Describing community choice energy, which he says the state legislature would need to allow.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 45:15 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
We need to exit Excel yesterday.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 46:49 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I think that creating some level of local resilience within our community is really the only path forward.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 50:25 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
where we are today and reliability is unacceptable and it's time to look for other solutions.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 52:39 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
So we do have off-ramps in our franchise agreement with Excel. And that's really our point of leverage.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 52:49 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I think that we need to be moving beyond trusting Excel's projections,
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 54:40 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
the most important thing we should be talking about is creating a council level committee or task force
Speaker identified from speaking order; the moderator did not name them.
Transcript note: The moderator's cue is 'Ryan is next.' Ryan Jamieson had already answered this question, and the speaker describes council's own meetings, so this is Ryan Schuchard.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 57:07 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
we should be looking at the 10 year opt out as to whether there is an option that makes Excel energy recommit to its carbon reduction goals.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 58:57 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
If they want us to remain their customer, then they should work harder to do that.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:00:55 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I think that the CCE is really our best route forward if we can work with with our colleagues at the state level and get that passed
Speaker identified from speaking order; the moderator did not name them.
Transcript note: The moderator skipped him in the order; he answered after Jamillah Richmond, and the moderator then thanked 'David' for catching it. 'CCE' is community choice energy.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:03:58 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (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?
my goal is to make sure that when we come up with a strategy to monitor air is that we do it with the stakeholders that are impacted, including experts, scientists,
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:05:56 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
As a council member, I would strongly advocate for independent environmental monitoring, including publicly accessible groundwater and air quality data
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:07:16 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I liked what Rachel had to say. So I haven't looked into the issue, but it sounds like she's pretty much on top of it.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:07:52 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
So I do favor the independent monitoring. And I think that this is an area that we should work together with Excel Energy.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:08:09 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
Yeah, it needs to be cleaned up to the highest possible standards.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:09:10 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
I don't trust that they will without incredible community pressure
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:11:04 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
So yes, independent monitoring monitoring is essential. I think the city should kick in to make that happen.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:11:57 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
Our council subsequently issued new guidance in our policy statement and our direct communications with Excel, including language around making sure there's baseline setting, real time or continuous monitoring that is done by an independent monitor.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:12:50 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
we need a mechanism to make sure they're not passing the cost of cleanup and remediation onto consumers.
Speaker identified from speaking order; the moderator did not name them.
Transcript note: The moderator's cue is transcribed as 'Joe Granham'; Jill Grano is the only candidate at this forum with a similar name.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:14:25 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
the amount of work that we can do to provide independent monitoring is vital because these can be diagnoses that happen months or years later.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:15:11 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
So yes, I absolutely think that we should be leveraging our franchise agreement to ensure that they do this right.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:16:22 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)
And ideally we can get to start work sooner because the longer we wait, the greater the risk is to groundwater.
Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:17:25 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)