Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies Update

28 January 2004

Bipartisan Renewable Energy Legislation Introduced in Colorado Legislature

A bipartisan group of Colorado State Representatives and Senators introduced legislation on 28 January calling for a renewable energy standard of 500 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity by 2006, 900 MW by 2010 and 1,800 MW by 2020. This bill, HB 1273, includes a 150% “multiplier” for renewable energy generated in Colorado’s rural enterprise zones (meaning that 100MW of renewable power generated in a rural area would count as 150 MW toward meeting the bill’s goals). Only the two investor-owned utilities in Colorado (Xcel Energy and Aquila) are covered by this legislation: rural co-ops and municipal utilities are exempted.

In a press release, House Speaker Lola Spradley (R-Beulah) said that “renewable energy is smart for Colorado consumers and it’s smart for our rural communities…families are being faced with skyrocketing electricity bills while cheap sources of renewable energy go untapped. This bill changes that.”

Spradley’s press release notes that HB 1273 has been endorsed by a broad coalition of more than 20 cities and counties, over 120 business and agricultural interests and environmental groups, and that supporters include Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Oil & Gas Association, Xcel Energy, Environment Colorado and others.

HB 1273 is likely to be heard by the House Transportation & Energy Committee as early as next week. More details will be provided as this bill moves through the legislative process. To download a copy of the bill and follow its progress, visit

http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics2004a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont2/4B7F48918852C7B387256DE10069D7D2?Open

A statement issued by the Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies on HB 1273 is included below:

Statement issued on 28 January 2004 by Craig Cox, Executive Director of the Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies, on Colorado Renewable Energy Legislation, HB 04-1273

H.B. 04-1273, the renewable energy legislation introduced today in the Colorado House of Representatives, opens the door to tremendous new economic development opportunities throughout rural Colorado. It will provide affordable, fixed-cost electric power to all customers of Colorado's investor-owned utilities. This legislation will leverage our state's leadership in this dynamic industry of the future and will provide new economic opportunities statewide. I congratulate the bill's sponsors ---Reps. Lola Spradley and Alice Madden, and Senators Ken Kester and Terry Phillips--- for their leadership on this most important issue.

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