3 Fall 2023 Community Update Newsletter

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SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT As seasons change again, the City's Sustainability Division would like to share some opportunities and updates with the community. Ecotoberfest The cities of Louisville and Lafayette and the towns of Superior and Erie are hosting a regional sustainability event called Ecotoberfest on Saturday, October 7 from 2-6 p.m. at Louisville Community Park (955 Bella Vista Drive). Ecotoberfest will feature 60+ vendors and exhibitors, an EV and e-bike showcase, no -cost small electronics recycling, a Halloween costume exchange, a pumpkin patch, food trucks, a beer garden and live music including the Guerilla Fanfare Brass Band as well as cover band Ninety Percent 90s. Join this event to envision and create healthy, resilient, and sustainable communities in Boulder County! For more information, visit LouisvilleCO.gov/Ecotoberfest OR scan this OR code. Fresh Food Connect The City of Louisville, Community Food Share and Fresh Food Connect are partnering to tackle food insecurity by linking home gardeners with hunger relief organizations. This happens through Fresh Food Connect's phone application; the app aims to connect gardeners with community —based hunger relief and food access organizations or operators. Once gardeners are connected, they can schedule produce donations directly through the app. The app will also track donations and individual impacts over the season! This program is a meaningful, engaging and easy way for gardeners to share homegrown produce in Louisville, rather than allowing it to go to waste. Visit FreshFoodConnect.org to sign-up today! Renewable Energy (RE) Portfolio The City has assembled a renewable energy portfolio to inform residents and businesses of the many ways to support and increase renewable energy in Louisville. Use this resource to explore renewable energy opportunities including community solar, bill assistance, rebates, and more! Solar United Neighbors This fall, Boulder County residents can join the new solar co-op through Solar United Neighbors (SUN). A solar co-op refers to a group of property owners using their combined buying power to save money installing rooftop solar. Co-op members leverage bulk purchasing power to receive discounted pricing and a quality installation, while still signing individual contracts that ensure the right system for their home. The Boulder County Solar Co-op will help Louisville homeowners and small business owners learn about solar together and purchase solar panels at a group rate from a single installer. Together, co-op members will learn about solar energy and leverage their numbers to get competitive pricing and quality solar installations. After a competitive bidding process facilitated by SUN, the co- op will select a solar company to complete the rooftop solar installations. Those interested are encouraged to join the waitlist at SolarUnitedNeighbors.org/Waitlist for more details and updated communications. Solar United Neighbors and City staff will be hosting a launch event on Monday, September 18 from 6-8 p.m. at the Lafayette Public Library (755 West Baseline Road). Additional Sustainability Updates In July, Louisville's Community Decarbonization Plan planning process launched in partnership with Xcel's Partners in Energy team. This project includes several stakeholder workshops and community engagement opportunities. The Plan will cover topics such as energy supply, building efficiency and electrification, and transportation electrification. To stay up to date with the project, please visit bit.ly/CommunityDecarbPlan. Al Organics has changed their policies regarding compost collection and acceptable materials. Only food scraps and yard trimmings are accepted in compost bins. For details, visit bit.ly/CompostGuidelines. Visit LouisvilleCO.gov/Sustainability for the most up- to-date information and progress towards Louisville's sustainability goals. Fall 2023 • Page 5