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The Colorado Green wind farm in Prowers County,
Colorado.
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After Colorado’s precedent-setting vote in favor of Amendment 37, the Renewable Energy Standard, new challenges lie ahead for Environment Colorado and other supporters of the law.
On November 2nd, the people of Colorado went to the polls and voted to generate more clean energy in the state. Voters approved Amendment 37, 54-46 percent. The victory makes Colorado the 18th state in the country to set a minimum standard for the amount of renewable energy provided to consumers.
“Amendment 37 marked the first opportunity for the people of a state to directly vote on the issue of clean energy, and the message sent by Colorado’s voters set a positive precedent for other states considering the issue,” said Matt Baker, Environment Colorado’s executive director. Environment Colorado has worked to build support for clean energy for the past three years, and led the team that ran the “Yes on Amendment 37” campaign.
The measure requires the state’s largest electric utilities to get 10 percent of their electricity from clean sources like wind and solar by the year 2015. Colorado currently gets less than 2 percent of its electricity from these clean sources.
“In some states with renewable energy standards, industry lobbyists have succeeded in sneaking dirty energy sources into the laws. In Maine, for example, burning tires to generate electricity qualifies as a clean energy source,” noted Stephanie Bonin, Environment Colorado’s Energy Advocate. “Our measure sets clear definitions of what counts as clean energy- wind, solar, geothermal, small hydro, and a specified range of biomass fuels. Sources such as nuclear, coal, natural gas, and trash incinerators do not qualify.”
“We’re excited about the passage of Amendment 37, and while we expect that there will be many challenges to implementing the measure, we are determined to see the process through to continued success,” added Baker.
Among the challenges the measure might face, the first is that lawmakers could try to water down or delay the initiative. Environment Colorado’s advocates worked collaboratively with the utilities this past legislative session to ensure that such steps were not taken.
Similarly, attempts to undermine the measure could be made when the PUC writes the regulations that will guide implementation of the law. One key area that Environment Colorado is working to defend is Amendment 37’s solar provision. In addition to the overall 10 percent standard, the measure specifies that 4 percent of the clean energy (0.4 percent of all electricity) be generated by solar technologies. This solar set-aside may create as much as 50 megawatts of clean solar energy for the state, enough to power 50,000 average homes.
By greatly increasing the usage of solar power in the state, Colorado will help to stimulate investment and innovation in the solar industrybringing down the cost of solar power for consumers everywhere. Keep an eye on the Environment Colorado Web site (www.EnvironmentColorado.org) for more information on solar rebates and other programs spurred by A37.
Unfortunately, there is potential for the PUC or utilities to impose burdensome requirements on homeowners who seek to install solar, and Environment Colorado’s task will be to guard against any such impositions. As part of this process, Environment Colorado recently held a member meeting, at which over 75 of the organization’s members joined teams to contribute to successful implementation of A37.
“Environment Colorado is working diligently to defend Amendment 37 against efforts to undermine it, and to ensure that it is implemented just as voters intended,” commented Bonin.
“As Amendment 37 is implemented, we will continue to contact our members about ways to get involved,” added Matt Garrington, Environment Colorado field organizer. “Public support created the Colorado Renewable Energy Initiative, and public support will be required to see it fully implemented.” |
