Press Release- Mar 27, 2007
OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
TUESDAY, MAR. 27, 2007
Contact:
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370
Megan Castle, 303.866.2262
GOV. RITTER SIGNS LANDMARK NEW ENERGY ECONOMY LEGISLATION AT WIND TEST CENTER TODAY
Gov. Bill Ritter today signed into law House Bill 1281 and Senate Bill 100 - two centerpieces of Colorado's New Energy Economy legislative agenda - at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Wind Technology Center south of Boulder.
Surrounded by 250 lawmakers, energy providers and renewable energy advocates, Gov. Ritter declared that the two new laws will shine a spotlight on Colorado's commitment to becoming the new energy capital of the nation.
"Voters set the stage in 2004 with the passage of Amendment 37," Gov. Ritter said. "Today, we amplify that commitment by doubling our renewable energy standard through House Bill 1281 and by making it easier to load wind power onto the electric grid through Senate Bill 100.
"These new laws will improve our economic security, our environmental security and our national security," the governor added. "They will breathe new economic life into rural Colorado. They will create new jobs, and they will say to the rest of the world, "Colorado is open for business in what will be one of the most important industries of the 21st Century."
Joining Ritter at today"s news conference were the sponsors of both bills. HB 1281 was co-sponsored by Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village; Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder; and Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Genesee. SB 100 was co-sponsored by Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Coal Creek Canyon, and Rep. Buffie McFadyen, D-Pueblo West.
Also speaking at today's news conference were representatives from Xcel Energy, Colorado Rural Electric Association, Environment Colorado, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and Environment Colorado.
Fact Sheet for House Bill 1281 and Senate Bill 100
House Bill 1281
- Sponsors: Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village; Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder; and Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Genesee.
- Doubles the renewable energy standard established by voters with the 2004 passage of Amendment 37.
- Large investor-owned utilities like Xcel must now provide 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2020.
- Requires municipal utilities and rural electric providers to achieve a renewable energy goal of 10 percent by 2020 (they had been excluded from the requirements of Amendment 37).
- Provides a 3-to-1 credit to rural electric associations for investment in solar energy.
- A recent study found HB 1281 would provide significant economic benefits, particularly to rural Colorado, by:
- Increasing Colorado¿s share of the GDP by $1.9 billion through 2020.
- Increasing total wages paid to workers by $570 million.
- Increasing the workforce by 4,100 person-years of employment.
- Providing farmers, ranchers and other landowners with $50 million in lease payments for wind farms, crops and solar parks.
- Generating $400 million in property tax revenue through 2020 to fund education and other services, particularly in rural Colorado.
- Sponsors: Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Coal Creek Canyon, and Rep. Buffie McFadyen, D-Pueblo West.
- Requires electric utilities subject to rate regulation to identify high-potential wind-energy locations by undertaking biennial reviews to designate "Energy Resource Zones" where transmission constraints hinder the delivery of electricity.
- These utilities are then required to develop construction plans to improve transmission capacity.
- The bill allows utilities to recover costs during construction.
- Allows us to break the "chicken and the egg" cycle whereby wind companies don't build turbines until there is adequate transmission capacity, and utilities don't build transmission capacity until there are turbines.