Washington (Platts)--22Feb2008

The Colorado Governor's Energy Office on Friday said it expects its
voluntary carbon offset program to be up and running by late spring.

The office recently issued a request for proposals for third party
administration of the so-called Colorado Carbon Fund. Bids are due by March
17. A yet-to-be-named advisory board will decide which standards will be
used to certify worthy carbon-cutting projects.

The CCF aims to develop a funding source for renewable energy and climate
mitigation projects, direct investment monies towards Colorado-based projects,
and provide high-quality, credible offsets for individuals, businesses and
government agencies interested in mitigating their carbon footprint, the
energy office said.

The CCF is open to working with communities interested in supporting
local clean energy and climate mitigation projects, individuals and
organizations interested in purchasing offsets, developers and financiers of
offset projects, and brokers and aggregators of offsets, according to its web
site.

Late last month, the University of Colorado at Boulder became the first
customer of the new program, putting $50,000 into the fund. The university has
been buying renewable energy credits with since 2000 as a way to mitigate its
greenhouse gas emissions.

CCF is part of a broader effort by Democrat Governor Bill Ritter to
reduce Colorado's GHG emissions. Last November he issued the state's first
climate action plan to reduce GHG emissions 20% below 2005 levels by 2020 and
80% below 2005 levels by 2050.

In an October 2007 report by the Center for Climate Strategies,
Colorado's GHG emissions were found to have been rising more than the national
average, up 35% compared to the national average of 16% from 1990 to 2005.

--Christine Cordner, christine_cordner@platts.com