LUB supports opposition to renewable energy initiative

[phantom power]

(This strikes me as an example of how the right idea (a renewable energy standard) gets defeated by idiotic implementation. I can't fault these people for opposing this bill. They're saying that each residential customer only has to pay $6/year to pay for the investment in renewables. Get real.)


The Lamar Utilities Board yesterday voted unanimously to support the Colorado Association of Municipal Utilities (CAMU) opposition to a proposed renewable energy standard for the state.

Backers of Amendment 37 want to see a standard enacted that requires all electrical utilities in the state with over 40,000 customers to produce at least ten percent of their power from renewable sources by the year 2015.

Ordinarily, utilities like Lamar, or even the Arkansas River Power Authority, would not be affected by the standard because they do not have enough customers to reach the 40,000 minimum. However, the measure allows utilities to recover no more than 50 cents per residential customer per month to help pay for the renewable energy investments, and the rest of the burden would be shifted to wholesale, commercial, and industrial customers, according to the CAMU position.

http://www.lamardaily.com/Stories/0,1413,121%257E7979%257E2406240,00.html