Alternative-Energy Bill Heads to Ritter; Plan Would Make It Easier to Transmit Solar, Wind Power

Mar 5, 2007 - The Gazette

A key component of Gov. Bill Ritter's renewable-energy agenda moved closer to approval Friday, with the House voting to ease obstacles to building transmission lines needed to bring wind and solar power to market.

SB100 passed by voice vote on second reading. It already has passed the Senate and will head to Ritter's desk if it's approved on final reading by the House.

"This proposal invests in Colorado's infrastructure by connecting local communities to the grid to meet our energy needs for the future," said Rep. Liane "Buffie" McFadyen, D-Pueblo West.

"It is a critical piece of the puzzle to implement our renewable- energy agenda."

The bill allows investor-owned utilities such as Xcel and Aquila to recover the costs incurred in building transmission lines as construction proceeds instead of waiting until the project is done.

That will result in gradual rate increases to pay for infrastructure improvements instead of suddenly larger electricity bills when the public utilities commission approves cost recovery at the end of a project. "Ratepayer shock" will be avoided, McFadyen said.

The state will also be given authority to designate energy resource zones, which will help utilities determine where transmission capacity is needed.

Jake Meffley, a spokesman for Environment Colorado, said the designation of resource zones is critical if renewable energy is to be brought to consumers, because they will help determine where to build transmission lines and locate generation facilities.

"That's the fundamental Catch-22 of renewable-energy development," Meffley said. "You've got great resources, but they're not usually in the populated areas where you've got transmission capacity."

Legislators from the Pikes Peak region supported the measure, which does not affect cityowned Colorado Springs Utilities.

"If we're going to produce any forms of energy, renewable or otherwise, transmission is very important," Rep. Victor Mitchell, R- Castle Rock, said. "If we can't transport energy, then it doesn't do a lot of good to produce it. Anything we can do to produce more energy is a good thing."

In another energy-related development, the Senate gave final approval to a bill that will require Colorado to adopt requirements for energy-conservation standards for new renovated buildings.

SB51 says the state architect must designate an energy- efficiency certification program that will guide construction on those projects.

Two principal sets of energy-conservation standards are in use in the U.S.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System has been used in more than 5,000 buildings nationwide, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, while the Green Building Initiative's Green Globes system is a newer program that has not yet achieved as high a degree of market presence.

Melanie Smith, public policy director for Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, which has lobbied in support of the bill, said she thinks it was wise that the bill avoided designating one program or the other but that the LEED program is likely to be applied to new buildings.

"It has to consider the reduction in energy and water use, it has to be quantifiable and measurable, it has to consider air quality," Smith said. "Currently, there's only one that guarantees these standards. That's LEED."

Majority Leader Ken Gordon, D-Denver and the bill's sponsor, said legislators are concerned that the costs of complying with the certification requirements be recoverable in a reasonable amount of time.

"Any upfront costs required by the program have to be recovered within 15 years by lower energy and water costs," Gordon said.

The bill now heads to the House of Representatives.

CONTACT THE WRITER: hank.lacey@gazette.com or (303) 837-0697. (c) 2007 Gazette, The; Colorado Springs, Colo.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.