Stand Up for Colorado Wind Power and SB 252
SB 252 has been approved by the Colorado legislature and now moves to Governor Hickenlooper for signature. SB 252 builds upon recent efforts to diversify Colorado’s energy portfolio by expanding and improving our state’s renewable energy standard (RES). Our RES calls on our utility companies to secure a growing percentage of their electricity from renewable resources, and has a proven track record of driving clean energy investment, jobs, and wind project development in rural Colorado.
What SB 252 Does:
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Increases the RES to 20% (from 10%) by 2020 for transmission cooperative electric associations that provide wholesale electricity in Colorado and large cooperative electric associations that provide service to 100,000 meters or more. The allowable retail rate impact for co-ops is limited to 2%.
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Keeps in statute the 10% by 2020 RES for smaller electric cooperatives and municipally owned utilities and the 30% by 2020 RES for investor-owned utilities.
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Provides for 1% of cooperatives’ retail sales to come from distributed generation. A few smaller cooperatives will have a lesser .75% distributed generation requirement.
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Expands the definition of “eligible energy resources” to include coal mine methane and synthetic gas produced by pyrolysis of municipal solid waste, so long as the Public Utility Commission (PUC) deems the projects greenhouse gas neutral.
- Eliminates unnecessary “extra-credit” preferences for new electricity generation resources built in Colorado after January 1, 2015.
If you would like to read a copy of the bill, you can do so here.
Please contact Governor Hickenlooper today. Start by entering your zip code below. Let him know that SB 252 should be signed into law as it will support wind energy development in Colorado. We have created a template email for you, but encourage you to personalize it, as your unique words will have a greater impact on the Governor as he deliberates this bill.
