During the public comment period of Basalt Town Council’s most recent meeting, June 11, two citizens representing Ceasefire Now RFV stood at the podium to urge Basalt Town Council to draft a ceasefire resolution for the ongoing conflict in Gaza. One member of the group stated that Ceasefire Now RFV has collected 75 signatures from Basalt citizens petitioning for the Town to adopt a ceasefire resolution. The same organization has been communicating with the Town of Carbondale for eight weeks asking for the same.
At the previous Basalt Town Council meeting, three citizens also came to the podium with this request. During this meeting, Mayor David Knight chose to respond on behalf of the council, stating that the council feels the conflict in Gaza is “out of scope” for their responsibilities and not an issue they feel capable of properly addressing.
“We are all aware, we all feel for the situation and the people impacted in the region, but the amount of expertise needed to address the issues going on there … that’s just not something at this point we’re interested in weighing in on,” Knight said. He thanked the group for their time and willingness to speak up.
During his regular report, Town Manager Ryan Mahoney acknowledged the new sculpture raised on the corner of the Midland Spur. The sculpture, a large steel rendition of a caddis fly, was crafted by the artist Paul Reimer whose work is currently being exhibited at the Ann Korologos Gallery just a block away. Notably, the sculpture is mounted on a block of marble. Colorado Stone Quarries recently donated 10 of these blocks to Basalt to serve as the bases for future art installations around town, just like those seen throughout Carbondale.
Holy Cross Energy
President and CEO of Holy Cross Energy (HCE) Bryan Hannegan sat before the council to provide an update on the company’s progress in shifting toward cleaner, renewable energy.
At the end of 2023, HCE had a power supply portfolio that was approximately 50% carbon-free. To meet energy demand, HCE also contracts coal and gas power from Public Service Company of Colorado (Xcel Energy) as well as wind power from Front Range wholesaler Guzman Energy.
Currently, HCE uses a mix of wind, hydroelectric, solar and biomass to form the basis of its renewable power supply. However, because power sources like wind and solar can fluctuate during the day, the system experiences periods of oversupply during midday (when the sun is at its highest) but undersupply during peak demand hours in the morning and afternoon.
In order to address the fluctuations between over and undersupply because of its solar energy system, HCE is pushing for the installation of energy storage units in homes and businesses, so that the excess energy generated during peak daylight hours can be used at night, when the grid normally shifts to rely on gas.
Through incorporating cleaner wholesale power into its system, supporting local clean energy resources (such as the solar arrays at Basalt’s public schools) and focusing on energy efficiency, HCE reached a 75% carbon-free power grid for the month of May.
HCE forecasts that by 2025, approximately 90% of its grid will be renewable, and the remaining 10% will be fueled by non-renewable sources contracted from Xcel. By 2030, HCE hopes to achieve a 100% carbon-free power supply, and by 2035 be completely carbon-neutral or better across the enterprise.
HCE’s efforts will go a long way towards realizing the Town of Basalt’s own Climate Action Plan to fully decarbonize its grid by 2030. However, Hannegan emphasized that while having clean energy is important, it is equally important for that energy to be reliable and affordable, and that the decisions HCE makes in its path towards clean energy will be made in consideration of its clients.
“How can we continue to keep it affordable when everything else is skyrocketing … and simultaneously push the throttle forward on decarbonization? That is the challenge of our time,” Hannegan said. “Part of what animates the board and the staff at Holy Cross is trying to take that on in a way that provides an example to other jurisdictions.”