Over the past years, electricity – from generation to conservation – has emerged as one of our greatest global challenges and opportunities.
Federal legislators have taken interest the demand for energy supply options in our country. The U.S. administration is committed to clean, secure energy, and is already taking action as part of the New Energy Plan for America.
At the state level, the Governor’s Energy Office is working to advance energy efficiency and renewable resources in Colorado.
These are merely snapshots of what is developing into our nation’s energy landscape. How these initiatives play out remains to be seen, but at we're taking an active role in the discussion to ensure reliable services at the lowest cost possible, as well as customer options.
Colorado Renewable Energy Strategy
According to the Colorado Renewable Energy Standard, we are required to generate, or cause to be generated, electricity from eligible renewable energy resources (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydropower and hydrogen fuel cells) in the following minimum amounts during each calendar or compliance year.
- Calendar years 2008 through 2010: 1 percent of Springs Utilities’ retail electricity sales within the state of Colorado;
- Calendar years 2011 through 2014: 3 percent of Springs Utilities’ retail electricity sales within the state of Colorado; and
- Calendar year 2015 through 2019: 6 percent of Springs Utilities’ retail electricity sales within the state of Colorado.
- Calendar year 2020 and beyond: 10 percent of Springs Utilities’ retail electricity sales within the state of Colorado.
We are in compliance with the standard.
Colorado Climate Action Plan
Over the past several years, Colorado Springs Utilities has been engaged in such a partnership with the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office (GEO). In 2007, the GEO engaged Colorado’s municipal utilities for the purpose evaluating various supply-side and demand-side options which may allow utilities to achieve a 20 percent reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from 2005 levels by the year 2020, as called for in Governor Ritter’s Colorado Climate Action Plan.
This report represents an analysis of the potential CO2 reduction options available to Colorado Springs Utilities. Our analysis found that a 20 percent reduction in CO2 below 2005 levels by 2020 could be achieved by employing such options as additional investment in Demand-Side Management (DSM) resources, increased use of renewable energy, and by fuel switching from coal to natural gas. The precise mix of options ultimately employed would depend greatly on factors including growth in system load, changes in commodity prices and new legislation or mandates.
