The City of Aspen’s Canary Initiative was created in 2005 to address the climate challenge and provide leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions locally. The Canary Initiative is helping Aspen transform itself from a carbon-intensive community to one that is sustainable and environmentally responsible.
The City of Aspen’s Climate Action Plan calls for the Aspen community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 30% below 2004 levels by 2020, and to 80% below 2004 levels by 2050. The Action Plan seeks to accomplish this through: increasing building efficiency, reducing air and vehicle travel, and continuing to develop our renewable energy portfolio and education and awareness programs.
To help meet the Climate Action Plan emissions reduction targets,
Aspen Electric has a goal of making its energy portfolio 100% renewable by 2015.
Why?
True to our history as innovators and stewards of our remarkable natural environment, the City of Aspen believes it should take responsibility for its own energy production - lowering global carbon emissions, increasing our community's energy security, and fulfilling our role as a global leader in municipal environmental responsibility.
The proposed Castle Creek Energy Center (CCEC) would produce approximately 8% of Aspen's annual electricity demand while reducing our CO2 emissions by about 5,000 tons a year (equivalent to taking 908 vehicles off the road each year).
Thanks to past decisions by previous City Councils to invest in hydro energy production,
Aspen now enjoys the 6th lowest electricity rates in the state.
For questions and comments, please send us an email at ccec@ci.aspen.co.us or call 970-920-5110.