CO-04 (Special Election) See Full Big Line

(R) Greg Lopez

(R) Trisha Calvarese

90%

10%

President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Biden*

(R) Donald Trump

80%

20%↓

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

90%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

90%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(D) Adam Frisch

(R) Jeff Hurd

(R) Ron Hanks

40%

30%

20%

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(R) Deborah Flora

(R) J. Sonnenberg

30%↑

15%↑

10%↓

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(R) Dave Williams

(R) Jeff Crank

50%↓

50%↑

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(D) Jason Crow*

90%

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(D) Brittany Pettersen

85%↑

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(R) Gabe Evans

(R) Janak Joshi

60%↑

35%↓

30%↑

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

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DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

May 29, 2014 01:27 PM UTC

Looks Like the Colorado Solar Battle is Heating Up

1 Comments
by: catpuzzle

We’ve all been hearing a lot of Xcel’s “Responsible by Nature” and “doing solar right” (I wrote about why I thought this was, well, wrong, at the time) ads over the past few months, and now we know why. Over the last year, Xcel has been quietly pushing to try and kill net-metering policies in Colorado (just like other big utilities – and the Koch brothers – have been trying to do all around the country). This fight is continuing, and it looks like it’s going to get bigger. I saw a great news piece with background on it on 9News:

Few may argue the benefits of solar. However, Xcel Energy may be changing the solar game in Colorado. It could mean a showdown between the utility and people who install rooftop solar panels.

You can watch the video of it here: http://www.9news.com/story/money/business/2014/05/27/showdown-looming-for-solar-energy-in-colorado/9615983/. (I still don't know how to embed video on here, so I won't try!)

Anyway, it looks like this is why Xcel is trying to greenwash it’s record: because it’s real plan is to take out consumer’s solar choices. Now, it seems people are pushing back on Xcel’s anti-competitive, anti-consumer behavior. Last year, Boulder finally won their political fight to start municipalizing, taking control of their electric system away from Xcel. Yesterday, according to this blog, solar advocates here in Colorado launched a campaign to help other towns and cities also municipal-ize their systems, or at least get them started on the process:

As Boulder prepares to set up its own power distribution system, local Coloradans and The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) are making sure that other municipalities are aware they can choose to break free of Xcel energy’s monopoly. Coloradans can choose where they obtain their electricity.

“As electricity users, we should have a say in how we source our electricity,” said Jamie Sarche, a proponent of the campaign. “Municipalization is a way for us to expand our choices and prevent Xcel from entrenching its monopoly.”

A number of communities whose franchise agreement is about to expire have received letters

http://www.theecoreport.com/green-blogs/technology/energy/utilities-energy-energy-articles/coloradans-can-choose-where-they-obtain-their-electricity/

This could be a real threat to Xcel: every community that decides it’s tired of Xcel’s bullying policies and starts to municipalize cuts off part of Xcel’s customer base. If even just a few other cities did this it would be a big deal for Xcel – giving communities and residents the chance to make more of their own choices and cutting Xcel out of the equation.

Per another blogger on this:

Citizens have banded together to create a group called Coloradans for Electricity Choices (CEC), a grassroots organization that provides important information about when communities are eligible to seize the means of sourcing electricity back from the regulated monopoly utility and return it to where it rightly belongs: with the electric consumers.

…

Despite mouthing public platitudes about how much it loves solar, Xcel has spent a surprising amount of energy fighting the fundament solar policy of net metering in Colorado. Xcel has been the poster child for something I’ve written about here before, namely this: Utilities across the country are saying they love solar so much, they want to kill it before it reaches maturity.

But despite utilities spending immeasurable money on lobbying efforts, but it’s not going to work —especially in Colorado.

Simply put, it’s a matter of choice. Municipally-owned utilities work for and are controlled by the citizens.

Such entities are living, breathing examples of true (small d) democracy at work, providing communities actual local control of their futures instead of depending on the kindness of corporations.

http://redgreenandblue.org/2014/05/29/coloradans-have-nothing-to-lose-but-their-chains/

It looks like Xcel is going to have a real fight on its hands here, especially if these efforts start to gain more momentum. And it's constant claims on the radio that it's interested in "doing solar right" or "responsible by nature" are definitely going to be put to the test…

One thought on “Looks Like the Colorado Solar Battle is Heating Up”

mamajama55 says:

May 31, 2014 at 3:36 pm

This is good news for Pueblo, wrestling with the Black Hills Energy Monopoly, which has spared no effort to punish businesses and nonprofits who install solar on rooftops.

There are people meeting here discussing municipalization and/or forming an energy cooperative. The present situation is untenable – Black Hills has the highest rates in Colorado, is callous towards its impoverished consumers, and purposely suppresses solar. Boulder may indeed light the path for the rest of the state to re-volt.

Thanks for the diary, cp.

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Looks Like the Colorado Solar Battle is Heating Up

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