Renewable Energy

Governor Bill Ritter signed two renewable energy bills into law last week. House Bill 1281 requires large utility companies to provide 20 percent of their electricity from renewable resources. Rural and municipal providers must achieve a renewable energy goal of 10 percent before 2020. Senate Bill 100 requires electric utilities to identify high-potential wind-energy locations and develop construction plans to improve transmission capacity. More information on the Governor’s “New Energy Economy” agenda is available in “The Colorado Promise.”

The Governor’s Office of Energy Management and Conservation provides a wealth of information on current renewable energy programs, and their publications section has fact sheets on sun, wind and biofuel energy. Another good source is ColoradoENERGY.org , a portal of energy facts and information put together by a coalition of Colorado energy organizations.