Don’t Let the PUC Hide the Cost of HB 1365
“I have a moderate proposal” was how PUC Chairman Ron Binz introduced his interpretation of cost recovery provisions in HB 1365, the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act, legislation that effectively mandates fuel switching from coal to natural gas for almost 1,000 megawatts of base-load electricity generation along the Front Range. It was a very important […]
HB 1365 Update: Xcel Remains Undecided; Coal Interests Begin To Litigate, Promise More
Regarding HB 1365 (a.k.a. the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act), the big news is that Xcel has yet to make up its mind. As I noted here, the Minneapolis-based utility has the authority under HB 1365 to veto the fuel switching implementation plan chosen by the PUC on December 10. So far, Xcel has kept […]
Does Indiana Have a Lower Tolerance for Corruption than Colorado?
The Hoosier State is roiling over inappropriately cozy relationships between state regulators and the utility they oversee. It started when a top lawyer for the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission took a job with Duke Energy shortly after acting as a judge in a major rate-case before the utility. That got Governor Mitch Daniels’ attention. Then […]
Petty Department of the Interior Snipes at Rocky Mountain Drillers
Evidently, the Department of the Interior (DOI) has thin skin. Last week, the Western Energy Alliance, a Denver-based trade association of oil and gas drillers in the Rocky Mountain region, accused the DOI of inhibiting oil and gas production with the soft statism of bureaucratic foot-dragging. To read the Western Energy Alliance’s complaint, click here. […]
Guess Which Governor Has the Worst Ideas on Energy Policy?
Today I posted the first annual “Energy Policy: Top 5 Worst Governors” list. Click here, to see for yourself who’s the worst. (Hint: He coined the term “New Energy Economy.”)
HB 1365 Update: Don’t Be Shocked If Xcel Ditches the PUC’s HB 1365 Plan
Despite media reports to the contrary, HB 1365 isn’t settled It has been widely reported that the book closed on the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act last Thursday, when the PUC selected an implementation plan after almost four months of deliberations, but this is untrue. In fact, there’s another chapter of this story, and the […]
Support for frac'ing fluid disclosure dries up
Having spent time on a hydraulic fracturing job site in Weld County, I can say that it is a completely underwhelming experience — just the way I want it. Hydraulic fracturing allows natural gas producers to recover natural gas from deep deposits. Frac’ing is both safe and cost effective. The fluid used is 99 percent […]
Regarding HB 1365, Here Are Two Numbers To Remember
$8 Doesn’t anyone remember the summer of 2008 when natural gas prices spiked to $8 dollar/mmbtu? Currently, coal supplies almost 70% of Xcel’s electricity portfolio; In 2018, thanks to the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act, coal will supply less than half, while natural gas’s share will increase to more than 40%. The upshot is that […]
2010 Ozone Data: More Evidence That CDPHE Is Cooking the Books
Twice I’ve provided evidence that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Energy (CDPHE) has inflated projections of ozone ambient air concentrations (see here and here). Those were critiques of ozone projections. This year is the first year that we have a data set against which to judge the accuracy of CDPHE ozone modeling during […]
The PUC Has Chosen a HB 1365 Plan…So What’s Next?
The PUC on Thursday decided on an implementation plan for the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act. Read about it here, here, and here. So what’s next? First, Xcel must decide if PUC’s chosen plan is acceptable. HB 1365 allows Xcel “to withdraw its application,” if it “disagrees with the Commission’s modifications to its proposed plan.” […]
Bad day for Colorado energy users
It’s a bad day for Colorado energy users, and that’s pretty much everyone. The ethically-challenged Public Utilities Commission just gave a final thumbs up to Xcel’s fuel switching plan as mandated by HB 1365. (See all previous posts from my colleague William Yeatman) Losers in this deal include consumers who will see their utilities costs […]
Review of December 8 PUC Hearing on HB 1365: PUC Punts
The PUC decided almost nothing during four hours of deliberations yesterday. The two major issues discussed were cost recovery and what to do with the 352 megawatt Cherokee 4 coal fired power plant in Adams county. Regarding cost-recovery, the debate focused on timing. Xcel wants to be paid up front for the investments required to […]
