In the coming months, Carbondale will begin a voluntary home energy assessment program.
That’s one of many initiatives that Clean Energy Economy for the Region has planned for 2026.
CLEER is a Carbondale-based nonprofit that works with local governments across western Colorado to reduce their climate impact, especially in the energy sector.
Carbondale has aggressive climate goals. By 2050, the town is aiming for all buildings to have net-zero emissions and all energy to come from renewable sources.
During its meeting on Tuesday, Carbondale’s Board of Trustees heard from its CLEER contract manager Emily Williams about the past year’s accomplishments.
“A huge lift for all of you was adopting the 2021 building and energy codes,” Williams said.
The board adopted the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code last spring, which will go a long way toward its emissions goals in new buildings.
But reducing the emissions from existing buildings is trickier.
“How do we get the teeth?” Jeff Dickinson, a contractor for CLEER, asked the board during a Sept. 23 meeting. “It’s a carrot and stick kind of thing. How do we get people to actually make these improvements and not make it onerous on them?”
Williams said on Tuesday that CLEER’s plan for this year is to ask residents to share basic information about their utilities.
“We are looking at a residential energy self-assessment program that asks folks when they create a new water account to take some pictures of their electric panel and their water heating, and hopefully make that a low lift,” Williams said. “But then we can provide outreach for folks who might be a good candidate to say, install a heat pump and other upgrades.”
Part of CLEER’s role is to connect residents with resources and programs that subsidize energy upgrades, providing coaching on the best ways to save money and emissions.
CLEER’s draft work plan notes that the voluntary self-assessments may become required next year.
Other goals for 2026 include completing a community-wide inventory of Carbondale’s greenhouse gas emissions, and exploring the potential of capturing heat from the town’s wastewater treatment plant as part of a future upgrade.
