Give Us the Facts?

The City of Boulder moves steadily forward with its plan to municipalize the electrical power grid in Boulder, buying our the Xcel infrastructure of wires, transformers, substations, poles, underground facilities, etc. The purchase cost to the City will run into hundreds of millions of dollars. The City will need to create a power commission and department to take over the duties of expansion and maintenance of the grid. They will need to respond to emergency power outages and other problems.

Some the funding for the purchase will be provided by selling bonds. Bonds require interest payments, and these payments will be borne by those who purchase power from the City (i.e., you and me.)

I continue to believe that Boulder's plan for municipalization of Xcel's franchise is a serious mistake. Part of that belief stems from the City's failure to provide any hard facts about the issue. We have been given nothing in the way of financial analysis, operating plans, staffing plans, or rate estimates. Does the Council have the data? It seems that if they do, and it supports justification of the municipalization project,they would tell us about it. We have many, many good thinkers in Boulder. Let us have facts.

The Boulder Daily Camera has frequent letters-to-the-editor, editorials or op-ed pieces. Some favor municipalization, others do not. It is an interesting, uninformed debate!

Give us the fact, Boulder City Council. We can think for ourselves.