Colorado Lawmakers Kill Bill to Roll Back RPS Law

In Colorado, Democrats killed a bill that would have reversed a new law that requires large cooperative utilities to get 20% of their power from renewable resources by 2020. Last year’s bill doubling the renewable requirement for cooperatives was strongly opposed by some cooperatives and rural Republicans, who argued that it would drive up electric prices. Investor owned utilities (Black Hills and Xcel Energy) face a 30% by 2020 renewable mandate. Democrats said they may be willing to tweak the renewable requirements for cooperatives, but not overturn the law. Read the article.

GEO continues to support efforts by geothermal heat pump advocates in Colorado to amend the state’s new RPS requirement for electric cooperatives.  Their proposal is to allow them to promote, finance and/or own GHP installations, and claim the thermal energy they produce to earn Renewable Energy Credits and comply with the mandate.