LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Colorado Senate advances renewable energy rollback 

Credit:  Senate advances renewable energy rollback | By Peter Marcus, Herald Denver Bureau | The Durango Herald | durangoherald.com ~~

DENVER – The Colorado Senate on Tuesday advanced a measure that would roll back a rural renewable energy standard backed by Democrats in 2013.

The bill could face its final vote in the Republican-controlled Senate as early as Wednesday, when the measure is likely to move to the House. But the legislation faces a bumpy road in the Democratic-controlled House.

Senate Bill 44, sponsored by Sen. Ray Scott, R-Grand Junction, addresses both larger and rural utilities.

For larger providers, the renewable-energy mandate would drop from 30 percent by 2020 to 15 percent by 2020; for rural electricity co-ops, the requirement would drop from 20 percent by 2020 to 15 percent by 2020.

“We want to make sure we’re not pushing the envelope so far that we’re hurting consumers,” Scott addressed his colleagues on the Senate floor. “Especially the rural consumers and the farm community that are really having to pay a huge price for these new standards that were passed a few years ago.”

The issue reached a tipping point in 2013 when Democrats pushed the rural standard. Republicans called it an over-reach.

The standards – established by voters in 2004 – have been strengthened over the years by Democratic governors and legislatures. Larger utilities said the mandates are attainable without much burden.

But rural co-ops spoke of cost barriers that are often passed on to ratepayers. Consumers in rural Western Colorado have reported spiked rates as a result.

But Democrats on Tuesday said the requirements are about lowering costs over time, pointing out that wind and solar can actually be cheaper than traditional energy sources.

“If you’re concerned about the middle class, and costs, and reliability, you should be voting ‘no’ on this bill,” said Sen. Matt Jones, D-Louisville, a long-time advocate of renewable energy. “We should be keeping the 30 percent renewable standard; the 20 percent renewable standard. That has made our state one of the centers in the country and in our world.”

The middle class theme continued for Democrats, with Rollie Heath of Boulder, the assistant Democratic leader, pointing to job growth, with more than 22,000 clean energy jobs at an average salary of about $78,000.

But Sen. Tim Neville, R-Littleton, challenged the notion that average Coloradans are benefiting from the mandates.

“When you talk about the middle class and what the middle class wants, the middle class wants clean, affordable and also abundant energy,” Neville said. “The middle class does not want the people in this Legislature trying to make decisions and picking winners and losers when it comes to energy.”

Source:  Senate advances renewable energy rollback | By Peter Marcus, Herald Denver Bureau | The Durango Herald | durangoherald.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon