A bill to double Colorado’s mandatory renewable-energy standard sailed through a House committee Tuesday on a unanimous, bipartisan vote.
The legislation is considered a cornerstone of Gov. Bill Ritter’s call to make Colorado a national leader in alternative energy.
Supporters said the bill protects consumers from volatile coal and natural- gas prices, cleans the air and provides jobs from new renewable-energy projects.
“This bill challenges the old idea that the environment and the economy can’t prosper at the same time,” said Will Coyne of advocacy group Environment Colorado.
Most of the renewable energy is expected to come from wind farms, with smaller portions from solar generating stations and other renewable sources.
The legislation would require Colorado’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, to increase its renewable-power portfolio from 10 percent to 20 percent by 2020.
“We believe (this bill) will really be a big step in making Colorado a leader in renewable energy and the new energy economy,” said Pat Vincent, president and chief executive of Xcel Energy’s Public Service Co. of Colorado.
Xcel already was on track to meet the prior 10 percent mandate by the end of this year, eight years ahead of the 2015 mandate.
The new legislation also requires Colorado’s rural electric cooperatives to use 10 percent renewable energy.
Previously, under Amendment 37 passed by Colorado voters in 2004, co-ops could opt out of the 10 percent requirement on a vote of their members.
That was the course taken by members of the state’s two largest cooperatives, Sedalia-based Intermountain Rural Electric Association and United Power of Brighton.
While United Power and most of the state’s other co-ops back the new bill, Intermountain officials said they still oppose the idea of a mandate and the prospect of higher costs for renewables.
“Our members have voted (to opt out), and now we’re being forced to be pulled back into this,” said Bill Schroeder, an Intermountain spokesman.
Intermountain’s request to be exempted from the new mandate because of its members’ prior vote was rejected by the House Transportation and Energy Committee.
The bill now moves to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
The bill limits the cost increase to consumers for renewable energy to 2 percent for customers of investor-owned utilities, such as Xcel and Aquila, and a maximum 1 percent increase for customers of cooperatives.
Staff writer Steve Raabe can be reached at 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com.
