Colorado's 2010 legislative session just wrapped up, and while it hasn't been easy, there is little doubt that our state boosted its role as a national leader in renewable energy. Together with our members we made remarkable progress. While no industry gets everything it wants, few industries played a more prominent role at the Capitol than solar. CoSEIA continues to build the legislative framework to continue to support solar business and improve the implementation of laws at the Public Utilities Commission and elsewhere. Here's a quick recap of noteworthy legislation:
HB-1001: 30% Renewable Energy Standard by 2020 - Increases the renewable energy standard (2nd only to California), requiring investor-owned utilities to generate at least 30% of their electricity from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, new hydro, or recycled energy by 2020; at least 3% from "distributed generation" with half from onsite renewables. Incrementally implements certification standards to participate in utility and state incentive programs. (Signed into law by Governor Ritter).
HB-1342: Community Solar Gardens - Develops one of the nation's first community solar programs; allows homeowners and businesses and others to purchase a proportional share of a solar electric facility and to have their utility bill credited accordingly through virtual net-metering; minimum of ten subscribers; investor-owned utility territory only. (Passed House & Senate; expected to be signed into law soon).
HB-1328: Colorado PACE Financing Program (New Energy Jobs Creation Act) - creates a 'property-assessed clean energy' (PACE) program across Colorado to finance up to $800 million in solar thermal, solar electric, and other renewable energy & energy efficiency improvements; for residential properties located in participating counties in which the new energy improvement district has been authorized. (Passed House & Senate; expected to be signed into law soon).
SB-100: Cross-Boundary PACE Improvement Districts - allows greater flexibility for counties and others in local energy improvement districts / PACE programs (such as the ClimateSmart program) to jointly issue bonds to finance solar thermal, solar electric and other renewable energy & energy efficiency improvements; expected to lead to lower interest rates. (Signed into law by Governor Ritter).
HB-1267: Property Tax of Independent Residential Solar - Independently owned (3rd-party) residential solar electric systems up to 100 KW are exempt from property tax; facilities cannot be used for the production of income. (Passed House & Senate; expected to be signed into law soon).
HB-1182: Clean Energy Development Authority Financing - The bill expands the types of loans and financing agreements the Colorado Clean Energy Development Authority may make to facilitate electric interconnection projects connecting clean energy resources to the transmission grid. (Signed into law by Governor Ritter).
HB-1333: Green Jobs Training Pilot Program - Creates a green jobs training program and advisory council to offer grants to develop training for occupations in solar and other renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. (Passed House & Senate; expected to be signed into law soon).
HB-1349: Renewable Energy for State Parks - Initiates the 'Re-energize Colorado' program to increase the use of solar and other renewable energy & energy efficiency technologies in the Department of Natural Resources to achieve energy self-sufficiency by 2020; also provides renewable energy mapping to determine the best potential locations. (Passed House & Senate; expected to be signed into law soon).
HB-1365: Clean Air, Clean Jobs Act - Retires 900 MW of coal-fired power plants to reduce emissions in Colorado; replaces them with natural gas, energy efficiency and other lower-emitting resources. (Signed into law by Governor Ritter).
HB-1418: Community-Based Renewable Energy Projects - To stimulate renewable energy development in rural communities, allows a 2x multiplier for community-based renewable energy projects that interconnect to a cooperative electric association or municipally owned utility by the end of 2014; can't be used by utilities to meet distributed generation requirements under HB-1001. (Passed House & Senate; expected to be signed into law soon).
HB-1431: Renewable Energy Facility Property Tax Valuation - clarifies the methodology used to value large renewable energy facilities (2 MW of greater) for the purposes of property taxation. (Passed House & Senate; expected to be signed into law soon).
SB-180: Colorado Smart Grid Task Force - Convenes an eleven-member smart grid task force to recommend legislative and administrative measures to encourage the implementation of smart grid technology in Colorado. (Passed House & Senate; expected to be signed into law soon).
Not finding what you want? Visit the Colorado General Assembly's bill search engine for a comprehensive listing of current and past legislation | Bill Search
Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC)
Xcel Energy's Compliance Plan 2010 (filed 10/28/09) | Compliance Plan
Xcel Energy's Electric Rate Case (filed 5/1/09) | Rate Case
CoSEIA's Answer Testimony filed 10/2/09 | Testimony
Hearings on Phase II Issues are set for January 11-22, 2010 | Decision No. C09-0858
