Increase Colorado's Renewable Energy Standard to 30% by 2020
Sponsors: Reps. Tyler/Pommer & Sens. Whitehead/Schwartz

In five short years, Colorado has gone from zero to sixty on clean energy.  We've built a national model for a New Energy Economy. HB1001 keeps Colorado on top with one of the best standards in the country.

HB 1001

• Increases the Renewable Energy Standard to 30% of retail electric sales (from 20%) by 2020 for Investor-Owned Utilities (Xcel Energy and Black Hills Corp.)
  
• Creates a minimum requirement for renewable distributed generation of at least 3% of total retail electric sales by 2020.
  
• Sets a standard for solar photovoltaic system installations.
  
• Keeps in statute the existing standard for rural electric associations (REAs).

Building Colorado's New Energy Economy

• Recharge the economy. A strong RES is the signal that Colorado is open for business. Already over 230 solar companies have set up shop here. Colorado is attracting multi-national companies such as Vestas, a global leader in wind energy, which brought $65 million into the local economy and created 650 new jobs. Billions in investment capital have flowed into the state.
  
• Create good, new jobs.  Colorado's New Energy Economy is paying off. Tens of thousands of Coloradans across the state are already working in good clean energy jobs. With an expanded commitment to clean energy, this sector will continue to boom.
  
• Stabilize utility bills. Investments in clean energy help hedge against future price spikes and instability in fossil fuel prices — and the expanded standard won't increase utility bills since it works within the existing 2% cap on retail electric rates.
  
• The New Energy Economy Works. Colorado can grow jobs, diversify our economy, increase energy security, clean up our air & water, and reduce global warming pollution. The long-term predictability of a strong RES is the driver. 

Increasing Energy Security

• Bring homegrown power to Colorado. With more than 300 sunny days a year and some of the best wind resources in the country, we can produce power where we need it—on homes, businesses and ranches.
  
• Reduce the need for expensive transmission lines by creating a new requirement for renewable distributed generation, power generated locally rather than at a faraway central power plant. 
  
• More rooftop solar, community wind farms and other distributed resources such as small hydro, biomass, and geothermal will enhance the stability of the electric grid and create predictability in the renewable market, allowing us to bring more clean resources onto the system.

Good Green Jobs for Colorado

• Sets a standard for work on solar PV installations by requiring supervision by an individual with the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certification.
  
• Makes Colorado employment a priority by ensuring that the PUC consider employment and economic "best value" metrics when evaluating proposals to build new electricity resources.

Renewable Energy Standard - HB1001 (pdf)

For more information: Charlie Montgomery, CEC, 303.717.3657, charlie@cecenviro.org