Mar 2 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Patrick Malone The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.



A bill promoting renewable energy generated close to home will be heard by a state Senate committee today, and its supporters say it will bring jobs and lower energy bills to Colorado residents.

Vestas, which is bringing an estimated 500 jobs to Pueblo for its wind-tower manufacturing plant, was touted by supporters as a harbinger of how new energy options can supercharge the state's economy under the bill.

The proposals contained in HB1001 would take the next step toward keeping Colorado at the forefront of the renewable energy race, while boosting its economy through job creation, according to one of its sponsors, Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village.

The bill seeks for utility companies to generate 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. That's a 10 percent hike from the renewable energy standard of 20 percent adopted by the state earlier this decade with the same 2020 target date.

 The new standard would not apply to rural energy associations or local utilities, which still bear a 10 percent renewable energy standard goal, but it would impact investor-owned utilities, such as Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy. The 30 percent standard Colorado is eyeing would rank behind only California, which is at 35 percent renewable energy standard, but also takes into account hydroelectric power, which Colorado does not.

The bill would "move Colorado to the top when it comes to Western states and renewable energy standards," Schwartz said.

Her cosponsor, Sen. Bruce Whitehead, D-Hesperus, said, "It helps close the gap for some of our energy needs in the future."

Schwartz said the standard would make for lower, more consistent utility bills and create jobs.

She cited the 17,000 jobs in the new energy field that have benefitted the state to date as an example of the difference a commitment to renewable energy can make during the present economic downturn. She said it creates the type of diversified work force that can overcome trying economic conditions.

Already more than 230 solar companies are operating in Colorado.

Jobs, and more specifically who would benefit from them, have been a sticking point among opponents of the bill as it passed through the House.

A component of the bill sets a standard for solar photovoltaic installation, some Republicans have said, would be a gift to union labor. Schwartz countered that training toward certification in appropriate installation would be available to workers in the field and outside of it from nonunion sources, such as community colleges.

Another bill involving jobs and the new-energy economy, HB1333, sponsored by Rep. Ed Vigil, D-Alamosa, was debated in the House on Monday and likely faces a final vote there this week. It would devote federal stimulus money to training for "green jobs" and retraining in that field for displaced workers.

Schwartz said these two bills and others show the state is committed to growing the economy through clean energy. Among the legislation that speaks to renewable energy jobs are Schwartz's SB100, which makes loans accessible for conversion to renewable energy options and other bills that speak to geothermal, hydroelectric and solar energy standards. She also said the virtues of natural gas as a clean energy option should not be overlooked.

Public entities such as Colorado State University-Pueblo, the school district in Alamosa and others are buying into the clean energy movement by using solar power on some buildings, Schwartz said.

Through the "renewable distributed generation" component of her proposal, Schwartz hopes HB1001 will enable more users -- particularly in rural areas -- to join the movement.

It would create a minimum requirement by 2020 of 3 percent of total retail electric sales to be generated locally, rather than at faraway power plants.

"We're responding to the residents of the state that want to be on board," she said.

With partners in the private sector, such as US Bank, offering low-interest loans for renewable energy installation, Schwartz said she's confident that the cost of residential conversion is not out of reach for the average Coloradan, when tax incentives and other factors are considered.

And, she said, "Costs are dropping" for solar and other renewable energy options for residences and businesses, both of which are targeted as consumers of the green energy alternatives addressed in HB1001.

Schwartz said loans carrying interest rates of 6-7 percent over 30-50 years are available, depending on the type of green energy one chooses.

After the initial investment of installation, energy consumers realize the true benefit, Whitehead said.

"Once those systems are in place, the energy is basically free," he said.

pmalone@chieftain.com

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