Today Governor Ritter is expected to sign into law a bill requiring that 30% of Colorado’s electricity needs be met with renewable energy sources. With the passage of HB 10-1001 Colorado joins California as the only state in the country committed to delivering close to a third of their electricity from clean, renewable resources (see House and Senate vote here). Vote Solar has been working on this bill from its inception, and can attest that the game-changing bill sitting before the Governor is thanks to the impressive negotiating and organizing skills of many of our in-state partners like Environment Colorado, COSEIA, and others.
Vote Solar focused our advocacy efforts on making the solar goal in the bill as strong as possible. What we got was a requirement that 3 percent of total electricity sales come from “distributed generation” (DG) systems such as solar. This requirement is expected to deploy 700 megawatts (MWs) of solar generation by 2020, enough to power 102,200 Colorado homes, and create 23,450 jobs over the next 10 years.
Right now only Xcel Energy and other smaller investor-owned utilities (IOUs) are required to meet the goals laid out in HB 10-1001. Extending the same requirement statewide, Colorado could expect to see 1000 MW of new solar power, and the full benefits we quantified in our recent report “Investing in the Sun.”
We’re looking forward to personally thanking Governor Ritter for his leadership during this year-long process. Next Tuesday we will honor the Governor as our “Solar Champion” of the year at our annual Equinox event in San Francisco. If you live in the Bay area think about joining us!
2010 is shaping up to be a year of big wins for state solar energy policies – with net metering victories in California and New York, and fending off hostile amendments to Arizona’s renewable energy goal. It’s nice to see such momentum, and it’s only March.
In partnership with our friends at Environment Colorado, we recently issued “Investing in the Sun,” a new report estimating the jobs and economic benefits that would result from an increased investment in solar in Colorado.
The response? We are going to need a bigger internet to hold it all:
Colorado expected to boost Renewable Energy Standard to 30%, Sustainable Business News, 03/08/10. Key Provisions in HB 1001 are expected to create 23,450 jobs in the state, according to a new report released by Vote Solar and Environment Colorado.
Renewable energy would create jobs, Pueblo Chieftain, 03/03/10. Colorado would create thousands of jobs with legislation requiring large utilities to increase their use of renewable energy, a study released Tuesday by Environment Colorado said. But Republicans are questioning how much the measure would impact the state’s economy, as well as the number of long-term jobs that have been created under previous renewable energy requirements.
Energy standard measure moves, Denver Daily News, 03/03/10. A Democrat-controlled Senate committee yesterday backed a bill that would increase the state’s renewable energy standard to 30 percent by 2020, over cries from Republicans that the measure would raise utility costs for business owners.
Backers of renewable-energy bill foresee 23477 new jobs, Denver Post, 03/03/10. Backers of a plan to require more Colorado energy to come from renewable sources said Tuesday that if their bill continues its progress in the state Senate, it could produce thousands of new jobs at small solar companies. But an analysis that shows 23,477 new short-term and permanent jobs installing, designing and maintaining rooftop solar panels leaves out the number of jobs that could be sacrificed in the coal industry as the state relies less on traditional energy sources.
Whitehead’s bill moves in Senate, The Durango Herald, 03/03/10. Sen. Bruce Whitehead’s renewable energy bill passed its first test in the state Senate on Tuesday. House Bill 1001 would require the state’s largest utilities to get 30 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020. That is triple what the standard was in 2007, when Gov. Bill Ritter took office.
Renewable energy bill passes another hurdle, Summit Daily News, 03/02/10. Colorado is one step closer to increasing requirements for electricity generation from renewable sources, like wind and solar energy.
As state Senate mulls renewable energy bill, report shows jobs potential, The Colorado Independent, 03/02/10. A report released ahead of state Senate debate on a bill that would up Colorado’s renewable energy standard (RES) to 30 percent by 2020 finds that HB 1001 would generate 23,450 new jobs over the next decade.
Study says renewable energy creating jobs in Colo., KRDO/Colorado Springs, 03/02/10. The Senate Local Government and Energy Committee has approved a bill that would require large utility companies to generate nearly one-third of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. An environmental group says Colorado has already created thousands of jobs with legislation requiring renewable energy, and the legislation approved Tuesday will add thousands more, but they can’t say how many.
Renewable Energy Bill Could Increase Colorado Jobs By 23,000. Huffington Post, 3/2/10, Environmental advocates supporting a bill in the state Legislature that would require Xcel Energy to get 30 percent of its power from renewable sources released a report Tuesday saying the higher mandate could create 23,000 jobs in the state’s solar industry over the next 10 years.
Colo renewable energy bill passes another hurdle, Summit Daily News, 3/2/10olorado is one step closer to increasing requirements for electricity generation from renewable sources, like wind and solar energy.
In hospital, Ritter overshadows his top legislative priority. KDVR Fox 31, 3/2/10Heading into his fourth and final legislative session, Gov. Bill Ritter decided to make House Bill 1001, a push to increase the state’s Renewable Energy Standard, his signature bill; and, last month, he even testified on its behalf, something he’d only done twice before in his first three years in office.
Study says renewable energy creating jobs in Colo. KJCT ABC 8, 3/2/10. (AP) – The Senate Local Government and Energy Committee has approved a bill that would require large utility companies to generate nearly one-third of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020.
State Representative Touts Benefits Of Green Energy Jobs. KRDO ABC, 3/1/10- State Representative Sal Pace (D-House District 46) spoke about green energy jobs in the Steel City Saturday.
Study: Renewable Energy Would Create Jobs In Colo. KMGH ABC 7, 3/2/10- Colorado would create thousands of jobs with legislation requiring large utilities to increase their use of renewable energy, a study released Tuesday by Environment Colorado said.
Study says renewable energy creating jobs in Colo. Vail Daily, 3/2/10- An environmental group says Colorado has created thousands of jobs with legislation requiring renewable energy, but Republicans are questioning the long-term impact on the state’s economy.
Study: Renewable-energy mandate bill could create 23,000 jobs in Colorado. Denver Business Journal, 3/2/10- Environmental advocates supporting a bill in the state Legislature that would require Xcel Energy to get 30 percent of its power from renewable sources released a report Tuesday saying the higher mandate could create 23,000 jobs in the state’s solar industry over the next 10 years.
