Green Dream Put to the Test

Boulder Colorado has tried peer pressure, free weatherization services, and intense publicity, but so far, voluntary efforts to increase energy efficiency have yielded mediocre results.

1 minute read

February 16, 2010, 9:00 AM PST

By Cathy Duchamp


Boulder residents were the first in the nation to approve a "carbon-tax" to fund energy conservation programs. But the eco-city's carbon footprint dropped just 1% between 2006 and 2008.

Paul Sheldon, a consultant who advises the city on conservation, tells the Wall Street Journal's Stephanie Simon, "residents should be driving high-efficiency vehicles, and they're not. They should be carpooling, and they're not." And he says, they should be changing their own light bulbs-and they're not. Instead, a tax-payer funded team called "Techs in a Truck" is fanning out across Boulder to unscrew lightbulbs and replace them with energy-efficient models.

Climate change policy analysts wonder whether Boulder should be used as a blueprint for other municipalities. A city report published last fall calls for stepped-up regulation because voluntary actions have been slow to show results. In the short term, Boulder will shift its advertising strategy to focus on the financial benefits of saving energy, instead of environmental ones.

Saturday, February 13, 2010 in Wall Street Journal

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3 - Governing