Have you ever thought about what more electricity can do for you? For the planet? As it turns out, it’s a lot more than you might expect. When it’s beneficial electrification — yes, we know, this is the kind of terminology that might make your eyes glaze over — it has the potential to move us firmly toward a cleaner, more efficient, and safer energy future.
The electrification part is easy to understand — using electric power sources for appliances, buildings, and vehicles instead of natural gas, propane, or other fossil fuels — but it’s only considered beneficial if it meets one or more of three criteria:
How does beneficial electrification apply to you? CORE is committed to helping individuals and communities reach their climate action goals, and beneficial electrification is key to getting there. In the Roaring Fork Valley, electric utilities are well on their way to powering their customers with 100% renewable energy: The City of Aspen system reached that milestone in 2015, and regional provider Holy Cross Energy now has its sights set on 2030 for that goal. Meanwhile, the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the area are buildings (58%) and transportation (29%) — which also represent the biggest opportunities for beneficial electrification.
So, what can you do to get some beneficial electrification in your life and support your community’s climate action goals? Here’s a potential three-step journey.
Beneficial electrification is the process of switching from dirty fossil fuels to clean electricity in ways that benefit consumers, the environment, and the utility grid.
Have you ever thought about what more electricity can do for you? For the planet? As it turns out, it’s a lot more than you might expect. When it’s beneficial electrification — yes, we know, this is the kind of terminology that might make your eyes glaze over — it has the potential to move us firmly toward a cleaner, more efficient, and safer energy future.
Plenty more can be done, and you can count on CORE to be there with guidance and rebates on clean appliances, renewable energy systems, EV chargers, battery storage, and more. It takes a village to get to net zero, and every effort — big or small — toward more beneficial electrification will move us one step closer to our climate goals, together.
Catherine Lutz is a freelance writer based in Aspen. As a former newspaper reporter who has written about everything from entertainment to skiing to climate change for a wide variety of publications, nonprofits, and businesses, she understands the power of words to help connect us more closely with an idea, issue, or other people. An avid skier and biker raising two children to appreciate how lucky they are to grow up in the Roaring Fork Valley, she also hopes she and her family can make a positive impact on the community and the environment that sustains us.