By Susan Nedell

Many hundreds of Coloradans are beginning the process of rebuilding the homes they lost to the Marshall Fire last December. I’m one of them.

None of us imagined that just before the New Year we’d lose everything to an unprecedented wildfire. It is heartbreaking, exhausting, and at times overwhelming.

I’m also deeply troubled the industry is backing an effort that publicly encourages Coloradans to continue pumping methane gas into our houses, through Coloradans for Energy Access, a coalition that defends access to gas stoves and water heaters.

The industry peddles misinformation about the costs of rebuilding in a healthier, more climate-friendly way, adding to the frustration and confusion for all of us who want to rebuild our homes in a manner that is both better for the climate and for our wallets.

The Marshall Fire was fueled by extreme weather — we have a climate crisis caused in large part because of the oil and gas industry and its unrelenting pressure to keep us hooked on fossil fuels. Enough is enough.

Louisville and Superior city councils have decided to allow Marshall Fire victims to build back according to 2018 building codes that are less climate friendly.

To do my part to address the climate crisis, I am choosing to build back to the 2021 codes and will not use methane gas to heat my home or cook my family’s meals. Instead, I will install modern electric heat pump water heating and combined space heating and cooling equipment that is three to five times more efficient than the fossil fuel alternative.

I will also install an induction stove that will keep our indoor air quality more breathable. With these advanced technologies in place, I look forward to living in a home that is safer, healthier and more efficient … and my utility bills will be greatly reduced.

Another crucial benefit: The sooner we can get off gas, the less we will depend on volatile global energy markets and wildly fluctuating energy prices, which we are experiencing right now. I wish this freedom for all my neighbors.

With all the rebates, incentives and grants available to Marshall Fire victims, I’m confident I can rebuild to the latest codes and with the newest electric appliances and equipment without any additional increased expenses.

A Colorado Energy Office analysis found that constructing an all-electric new home costs about $2,000 to $3,000 less and saves the homeowner on their monthly energy bills.

I strongly encourage others to build an all-electric home following the 2021 building codes — or at the very least explore the variety of options, rebates and incentives available to build a better-performing, resilient home. Here are some of them: Xcel Energy is offering a number of rebates, from  $7,500 for homeowners choosing to build to the 2021 code, to $37,500 for meeting Passive House standards, with three levels in between.

There are numerous equipment discounts, solar energy support and a new donor-advised fund called the Marshall Fire Resilient Rebuild Assistance Fund. These rebates, programs and more can be found on Boulder County’s newly launched Rebuilding Better website (RebuildingBetter.org).

The website hosts resources for both builders and homeowners. Boulder County has also staffed up to provide one-on-one advisory services where a homeowner can speak to an expert to help navigate the many options available.

Another source of funds for resilient rebuilding is a new bill Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, introduced in the State Legislature — SB22-206, Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Resources. If this bill becomes law, it will create a sustainable rebuilding program in the form of loans and grants for wildfire or other natural disaster victims.

HB22-1362, Building Greenhouse Gas Emissions, is another bill that will ensure new buildings across the state will be constructed according to standards that are more energy efficient and resilient. We need both these bills to become law to help folks now and in the future and to ensure climate-friendly progress for Colorado’s built environment.

We now have the resources to not only imagine, but to actually build for a better future. I encourage those rebuilding post-Marshall Fire to seriously look at a resilient rebuild — and I am eager to watch other communities do the same.

Susan Nedell, of Louisville, lost her home in the Marshall Fire.