Energy Policy Center testimony on HB17-1116
Mr. Chairman, members of the committee thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Michael Sandoval. I am the senior energy policy analyst for the Independence Institute, a state-based, free market think tank, headquartered in Denver. The Independence Institute is opposed to HB17-1116 not in intent, but in process. We do think […]
Cozy relationship between Xcel and PUC?
In a surprising move to anyone who has watched the cozy relationship develop between Xcel Energy and the Public Utilities Commission, yesterday the PUC denied Xcel’s $142 million interim rate request. Colorado News Agency columnist Peter Blake (then with Face the State) initially exposed how the PUC, Xcel, and Governor Ritter’s administration colluded on the […]
Florida's 'fuel mix' a warning to Colorado
Florida has higher electric rates than those of neighboring states because of its reliance on natural gas to generate electric power according to a study released in September. In a September 27, 2011, press release the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) said it requested the study from the Public Utility Research Center (PURC) located at the […]
Fischer full of hot air when it comes to energy policy
The Colorado News Agency reported a gem of a quote from State Representative Randy Fischer (D-Fort Collins). While providing arguments against Representative Kathleen Conti’s (R-Littleton) bill to bring more accountability to the Public Utilities Commission, especially in the area of utility rate increases, Fischer: refuted Conti’s assertion and countered that cost increases can be attributed […]
Caldara grades Ritter on energy policy
Independence Institute president Jon Caldara tells Energy Now that out-going Governor Bill Ritter gets an “F” for energy policy. Needless to say, that’s not the same grade Ritter would give himself. In the Governor’s interview with Energy Now, he touted his “fuel-switching” bill designed to kill the coal industry and the renewable energy mandate which forces […]
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 […]
EPA’s Ozone Decision Means That HB 1365 Is Most Cost-Ineffective Environmental Policy, Ever
The putative mission of HB 1365 is for Colorado to address “reasonably foreseeable” federal air quality regulations in a holistic fashion, which is supposedly more cost-effective than a piece-meal approach. When it rolled out the legislation, the Ritter administration told the PUC that there were eleven “current and foreseeable air quality requirements (see slides 13 […]
Xcel Changes Tune on “Recommended” Plan
A Quick Review of HB 1365… HB 1365, the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act, mandates that Xcel file a plan by August 15 2010 that would: be implemented by December 31, 2017; meet “reasonably foreseeable” state and federal air quality regulations; achieve at least 70% reductions in nitrogen oxides emissions from at least 900 megawatts […]
Will Peabody’s Motion Scuttle HB 1365?
A Quick Review of HB 1365… HB 1365, the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act, mandates that Xcel file a plan by August 15 2010 that would: be implemented by December 31, 2017; meet “reasonably foreseeable” state and federal air quality regulations; achieve at least 70% reductions in nitrogen oxides emissions from at least 900 megawatts […]
Preview of November 2 PUC Hearing on HB 1365: Big Decisions Due
Primer on the Many Implementation Plans that the PUC Is Considering Primer on HB 1365 Timeline of Implementation Plans Study on the Dubious Foundations of HB 1365 Archive of HB 1365 Posts Oped Last Week in Denver Daily News: Ritter’s Phantom Carbon Tax As of this post [10:08 AM], the PUC has yet to post […]
Preview of November 1 PUC Hearing on HB 1365
HB 1365 Primer Timeline Archive of Posts on HB 1365 PUC Hearings Policy Paper on Dubious Foundations of HB 1365 Crash Course on Xcel’s New HB 1365 Implementation Plans [N.B. I am repeating this refresher on Xcel’s new plans because I think it’s a handy reference] Xcel last week proposed four alternative plans to comply […]
Update on PUC Hearings for HB 1365: Another Long Day of Cross Examinations
Today Will Be Another Long Day of Cross Examinations The Colorado electricity industry is regulated such that investor-owned utilities like Xcel cannot make any significant decisions without approval from the PUC. As a result, electricity businesses don’t compete with one another on the market, but rather in PUC hearings. For these companies, profits are dictated […]
