Tri-State Lawsuit, COGCC Update, What We Are Reading, and More! |
|
United Power Files New Lawsuit Against Tri-State
The United Power electric co-op in Brighton, Colorado, sued Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association on November 23, to go with its May lawsuit protesting the $1.2 billion exit fee Tri-State is demanding. This time it is over Tri-State's suspicious bid to be regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) instead of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which would likely make it harder for member co-ops to leave. Tri-State's members had previously consisted only of rural electric co-ops, but it added a ranch, a greenhouse, and a natural gas supplier in order to fall under FERC jurisdiction. The PUC ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to consider the case, forcing United Power to take it to court. Read a statement from United Power HERE.
|
|
Future of Coal Supply for Colorado's Largest Coal Plants Uncertain
Peabody Energy and Arch Resources are the largest coal producers in the Powder River Basin (PRB) in Wyoming, and are both major suppliers of Xcel's biggest Colorado coal plants - the 500 MW Brush coal plant and 750 MW Pueblo Unit 3, of which Xcel owns 500 MW.
This should play out in the next several years and should help Colorado move beyond coal, hopefully in the 2020s.
|
|
AQCC Update
In order to meet Colorado greenhouse gas reduction targets, Colorado's Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) has decided to close three coal plants - Tri-State's Craig Unit 3, Platte River Power Authority's Rawhide, and Colorado Springs Utility's Ray D. Nixon - by the end of 2028 rather than the utility's voluntary plans for 2030. The final vote will take place later this month. Read more HERE.
|
|
PUC Updates
On November 24, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) issued an order which generally accepted Tri-State’s Electric Resource Plan, the first ERP in the state to include the social cost of carbon in its modeling. The PUC directed Tri-State to file information on the costs and finances of their coal plants and to apply the social cost of carbon in its analysis of all resources in their portfolio, including those outside of Colorado. Tri-State will file a full ERP in December 2020.
You can read Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action's review HERE.
|
|
COGCC Update
While it is a watershed moment for environmental protection in Colorado, it doesn't go as far as we hoped it would. 350 Colorado has outlined several outstanding issues, including adequate bonding for well reclamation and reducing exemptions. The action link is no longer current, but the issues are still valid and will hopefully be addressed in rule-makings early next year.
|
|
What We Are Reading
CO Latino Voters Want Climate Action to Fuel Economic Rebound
A new poll of Colorado Latino voters shows a strong support for government action to combat the climate crisis. The poll contradicts long-held assumptions that working-class communities of color aren't interested in environmental issues. Read an analysis of the findings HERE.
Bringing Low and Middle Income Consumers into the Market
A prototype community southeast of Los Angeles, California, aims to demonstrate the advantages of having prosumers in a disadvantaged community selling into electricity market, and reaping a cleaner environment, added income, and boosted energy resilience.
Study Shows 90% Carbon-Free Electricity at No Extra Cost Possible by 2035
San Francisco Bans Gas in New Residential and Commercial Buildings
|
|
Meet Board Member Charlie Haimbaugh |
|
Charlie slowly made his way into the CEA network after looking for further involvement in the clean energy sector. After graduating from Regis University in May of 2020, he since joined Sunrun’s team as a solar advisor. He works hard to give local residents an accurate depiction of their home’s solar potential, and to walk them through the complex process that is going solar. By collaborating with the customer, the utility, and Sunrun’s design team, he has been responsible for 30+ installations thus far and only plans to continue!
Acknowledging an environmental justice component excites him when reaching out to a diverse base of potential customers. This is particularly true when conversing with Spanish-speaking individuals. Through his experiences abroad and as a Spanish major, engaging with those who may otherwise remain on the outskirts of the renewables space due to language barriers ensures a more equitable transition to a decarbonized world.
Charlie also volunteers at a zero-waste grocery delivery store in his free time. You can often find him riding his mountain bike along the Front Range, snowboarding (sorry skiers), or attempting to teach himself anything and everything. The current project is learning to code for data analysis purposes. He’s motivated to continue fueling his passion for sustainability and the environment through CEA, and plans to do everything in his power to advance clean and democratized energy models for our local communities. Pushing for grassroots involvement surrounding our right to clean air, alternative solutions, and creative policies is how he plans to encourage ideas into words, and most importantly, those words into actions.
|
|
Connect with CEA on social media |
|
|
|
|
|
|
