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Saturday April 1st 2023

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Vote No on 310


By

Rail cars loaded with coal

Why is Xcel fighting so hard to stop Boulder’s effort to start a municipal utility?  Make no mistake, Xcel is behind the wording of Question 310, and is behind the many mailings and full-page ads in support of the Question.  If successful, 310 would put an end to development of our municipal utility and, not incidentally, it would also destroy any bargaining power Boulder might have in negotiating a better franchise as an alternative to a municipal utility.  $35 million a year in profits is a big part of the explanation, but one should also look to Xcel’s headquarter city, Minneapolis, where some groups have advocated against renewing Xcel’s franchise as a first step toward developing a municipal utility there.

Xcel is fighting the very idea of municipalization.  If 310 succeeds, the message will be clear everywhere and for a long time: don’t mess with Xcel.  Vote no on 310.

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