Increase in renewable energy portfolio standards (RPS) for investor-owned utilities
Boosts the RPS for investor-owned utilities (Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy) to achieve 30 percent renewable generation by 2020. Lowers the requirement for distributed renewable energy generation from the present 4 percent target to 3 percent. Sets a standard minimum rebate of $2 per watt. Requires customers with renewable energy ststems to continue to contribute a fair share to the utility's renewable energy program fund. Requires systems eligible for rebates to be installed by NABCEP-certified workers.

Passed by House
Passed by Senate

Signed by Gov. Ritter
March 22, 2010

Rep. Claire Levy, D-Boulder

Increased Transparency in Governance
of Rural Electric Co-ops
Requires rural electric cooperatives to allow public input at board meetings, post board meeting notice and packet 14 days in advance on website; post board meeting minutes on website, post board election policies 6 months in advance of election, give all candidates equal access to member lists, and randomly order candidate names on ballots. Prohibits candidates or employees from handling ballots without a neutral party present, prohibits a co-op from spending money to oppose a candidate.

Passed by House,

Passed by Senate

Signed by Gov. Ritter
June 11, 2010

Passed by House

Passed by Senate

Signed by Gov. Ritter
April 19, 2010

Passed by House

Passed by Senate

Signed by Gov. Ritter
June 11, 2010

New Energy Jobs Creation Act
Creates the Colorado New Energy Improvement District to administer and finance an statewide opt-in loan program for residential energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements, with debt repayments made on the home owner’s annual property tax bill over 20 years. Allows the district to issue up to $250 million in tax-exempt bonds. Requires county commissioners to authorize the program for residents. Establishes a nine-member governing board.

Passed by House

Passed by Senate

Signed by Gov. Ritter
June 11, 2010

Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village; Rep. Joe Miklosi, D-Denver

Greater Flexibility for Clean Energy Financing Districts
Current law prohibits local improvement districts for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements (energy LIDs) from crossing county boundaries. This bill allows energy LIDs to cross county boundaries and include properties in multiple counties, whether contiguous or non-contiguous, if county commissioners of the affected counties agree to share district costs.

The bill also expands the definition of renewable energy improvements for energy LIDs to include improvements located at a community location rather than directly on a residential or commercial building. It also exempts county energy LIDs from certain public notice and county treasurer debt authorization requirements.

Passed by Senate

Passed by House

Signed by Gov. Ritter May 5, 2010, in Aspen

Limited expansion of powers of the Colorado Clean Energy Development Authority
Expands the types of loans and financing agreements the Authority may make to facilitate electric power interconnection projects. Specifically authorizes commercial loan agreements for projects that connect clean energy generating facilities to the utility transmission grid.

Passed by House,

Passed by Senate

Signed by Gov. Ritter May 5, 2010

Property Tax Valuation of Residential Solar Electric System
Under current law, third-party owners of solar electric systems must pay business personal property tax on the facilities leased to residential households. This bill defines third-party owned residential facilities as household furnishings, thereby exempting them from property tax. To qualify for the exemption, systems may not be owned by the residential property owner, may not exceed 100 kilowatts, and may not produce income for the homeowner. Rebates, offsets, credits, and reimbursements for renewable energy projects are not considered income under this bill.

Passed by House

Passed by Senate

Signed by Gov. Ritter
June 11, 2010

Valuation of New Hydroelectric Facilities
This bill, recommended by the Water Resources Review Committee, specifies that for purposes of property taxation, new hydroelectric energy facilities will be valued using the income approach if (1) energy production begins on or after January 1, 2010, and (2) generation capacity is more than 5 megawatts. This means the actual value will be based on the projected gross revenue of such facilities, measured in nominal dollars. Under current law, assessors are allowed to use either the cost approach, the market approach, or the income approach, and traditionally have used the cost approach.

Passed by Senate

Passed by House

Signed by Gov. Ritter June 8, 2010

Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village; Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne

Promotion of Biomass Energy Development
Places biomass energy facilities under regulation of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, and specifies that biomass energy facilities must be valued in the same manner as wind and solar energy facilities, using the income approach, where the value is based on the projected gross revenue of these facilities.

House Co-sponsors: Rep. Christine Scanlan, D-Dillon;
Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Calhan

Passed by Senate

Passed by House

Signed by Gov. Ritter June 9, 2010

Scholarship Programs for Green Jobs
Establishes the Colorado Green Jobs Scholarship and requires the Colorado Department of Higher Education to award at least $500,000 in scholarships over the next four years.

Killed in House Appropriations Committee,
April 9, 2010

Rep. Edward Vigil, D-Alamosa; Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village; Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton

Passed by Senate

Passed by House

Signed by Gov. Ritter
June 11, 2010

Community Solar Gardens
Directs the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to adopt new rules by October 1 to apply rebates to solar generation facilities jointly owned by 10 or more utility customers at a shared location, defined as community solar gardens.

Passed by Senate

Passed by House

Signed by Gov. Ritter June 5, 2010

Inclusion of Conservation Standards in the State Plumbing Code
Adds conservation to the standards that must be addressed in the state plumbing code.

Passed House, passed Senate

Signed by Gov. Ritter,
April 5, 2010

Passed by House

Passed by Senate

Signed by Gov. Ritter,
June 9, 2010

Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village; Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs

Regulating Development of Geothermal Resources
SB10-174 makes 5 key changes to the regulation of geothermal resource development.

Geothermal Resource Leasing Fund. Authorizes federal mineral lease revenues from geothermal development on federal lands to be used to provide grants to state agencies, school districts, and local governments affected by geothermal development and production. Grants are to be awarded by the Department of Local Affairs primarily for planning and services necessitated by geothermal development and production, and secondarily to promote geothermal energy resource development.

Groundwater ownership. Specifies that the property rights to geothermal resources are part of surface ownership unless these rights are "severed" or separated from the land and sold or leased. In cases where geothermal resources are severed, the bill provides the geothermal resource owner the right to reasonably access these resources.

Permits. Clarifies that drilling and well permits must be obtained from the State Engineer in the Division of Water Resources prior to exploring or producing a geothermal resource and clarifies requirements that must be met to receive a permit. The bill also specifies that a well permit from the State Engineer is not required for the direct use of a horizontal, closed-loop geoexchange system that does not use a geothermal fluid.

Property taxation. Specifies that geothermal energy facilities must be valued in the same manner as wind and solar energy facilities, using the income approach, where the value is based on the projected gross revenue of these facilities.

Local government planning. Allows municipalities and counties to designate geothermal development as an activity of state interest under House Bill 74-1041.

Passed by Senate

Passed by House

Signed by Gov. Ritter April 30, 2010

Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen

Rep. Randy Fischer, D-Fort Collins; Rep. Sal Pace, D-Pueblo; Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village; Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo

Passed by House

Passed by Senate

Signed by Gov. Ritter June 8, 2010

Incentives to Produce Biogenic Gas
Expands the definition of “clean energy” to include landfill gas if the state increases its renewable energy portfolio standard beyond the current 20 percent.

Passed by House

Passed by Senate

Signed by Gov. Ritter June 9, 2010