The City of Rifle is developing its first-ever Energy and Resilience Action Plan, and it’s inviting residents to give their input. 

The purpose of the plan is to identify ways that the City and its partners can support energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy cost savings and emissions reductions while adapting to the impacts of a warming climate and creating a more diverse and vibrant economy.

The planning process is funded through a Climate Resilience Challenge grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The City has contracted with CLEER (Clean Energy Economy for the Region) to develop the plan.

When finalized next May, the plan will enable the City to apply for additional state grants to undertake the recommended measures.

Rifle residents can give their input through Dec. 12 via an online survey at CLEER's website. The webpage provides additional information about the plan’s goals and processes, as well as supplemental documents.

“Taking stock of energy use and climate resilience makes sense for communities like Rifle”, says CLEER Associate Director Morgan Hill.

“The plan will identify strategies to make buildings and landscapes more energy efficient, reducing energy expenses for residents and business owners and keeping more money in the local economy”, she notes.

As a major producer of solar energy, Rifle will be working to evaluate and optimize its solar arrays and ensure they are functioning properly. Strategies and action steps will also promote an increase in renewable energy for the community’s energy supply.

Finally, in conjunction with other energy-related topics in the plan, it will identify options for the community to reduce emissions. The project team has developed a greenhouse gas inventory to reveal the best opportunities for reducing those emissions.

As for resilience, Hill says the plan will help Rifle adapt to the impacts of extreme weather. Through the findings of a vulnerability assessment, the project team will focus on extreme heat events and how to safeguard the built environment against such events.