The 2011 legislative session began in earnest last week in Colorado.  Below are several bills we are watching.

SB11-058 Electric Utilities Employ Least-Cost Planning for New Resource Acquisition

• Senator Scott Renfroe (R-SD13) is the prime sponsor.
• The Public Utilities Commission must consider “cost” when deciding on new energy facilities and resource acquisition.
• Cost to ratepayers comes before the PUC commissioners’ environmental values.
• “Costs that are not identified as those that will be actually incurred by the electric utility may no be included in the revenue requirement analyses.”
• No $20 per ton phantom carbon tax.

SB11-030 Concerning a Requirement that Energy Utilities Disclose Costs Associated with Customers’ Utility Bills

• Senator Scott Renfroe and Representative Brian DelGrosso (R-HD51) are prime sponsors.
• Investor-owned utilities (such as Xcel Energy) would be required to include information in billing statements four times each year about the cost of types of fuel used in electricity generation and transmission.
• Investor-owned utilities (such as Xcel Energy) would be required to included information in billing statement four times each year about the ancillary costs of providing gas and electric  service including storage, pipelines and infrastructure.

SB11-071 Concerning Measures to Reduce Energy Costs for Colorado Consumers

• Senator Shawn Mitchell (R-SD13) is the prime sponsor.
• Restores renewable energy standards (RES) to the 2004 voter approved level of 10 percent.
• RES is applicable only to utilities with 40,000 or more customers.
• No tiered pricing allowed.

These bills are good news for Colorado energy consumers.