Bill Tracker

To facilitate resilience of rural communities when faced with severe weather or natural disasters by supporting sources of emergency electric power for the community, the bill proposes to create a grant program in the Dept of Local Affairs for eligible rural communities to develop alternative sources of electricity and to build microgrids that are independent of the centralized electric grid managed by the large electric utilities.  Cooperative electric associations or municipally owned utilities will be eligible to apply for the grants.

Microgrid is defined in the bill as group of interconnected electric and distributed energy resources; it functions as a single, controllable entity that can connect or disconnect from the centralized grid.

According to National Renewable Energy Laboratories, “advanced microgrids enable local power generation assets—including traditional generators, renewables, and storage—to keep the local grid running even when the larger grid experiences interruptions or, for remote areas, where there is no connection to the larger grid.“   The bill further defines a distributed energy resource as electric generation resources, including renewable energy or renewable energy storage, located within the service area that is interconnected to the central electric grid.

Although the bill includes renewable energy as alternative sources, there are no limitations with respect to the nature of the alternative energy sources.  According to the sponsors, specifics of the power sources will be left up to the communities applying for the grants.  Many microgrids will likely utilize a battery storage capacity within their system as a means of emergency power.

While the League supports predominant reliance on renewable energy resources and we also support action by appropriate levels of government to encourage the use of renewable resources and energy conservation through funding for research and development, we also recognize the need to be proactive in addressing the availability of emergency electric power. We encourage the sponsors to make renewable energy a top priority when discussing the types of microgrid that might be installed using the funding available. 

LWVCO is committed to equity in access to necessary services and facilities for all communities in the state.  We see this program as supporting health, safety, and disaster preparedness for communities that may be smaller and more isolated than those near urban centers.

Update: On Feb. 3 the bill was amended in Committee 1) to include an appropriation of $5 million for the grant program and; 2)  to prioritize microgrids with higher reliance on non-fossil-fuel based generation.  The bill Passed 11-1 and is referred to Appropriations committee. 

This bill was introduced in the House on Jan. 12 and assigned to Energy and Environment Committee.

The bill prohibits a state agency, local governments, and common interest community from limiting or prohibiting the use of natural gas, propane, solar photovoltaic, micro-wind turbines, or small hydroelectric power for electricity generation.

Colorado needs a clean and safe environment made possible by moving to clean energy. Last year, HB 1034, Right to Use Natural Gas and Propane, was a similar bill that we opposed and was postponed indefinitely. This year solar, wind, and hydro were included to the current bill to protect fossil fuel use. This bill would violate the rights of the home rule authority and lock Colorado communities into continued use of fossil fuels that emit climate change pollution emissions. It would also negate the adoption of clean energy alone.  As a result, LWVCO opposes this bill. 

The League believes in promoting renewable energy.

Objective:  Colorado Energy Office and the Colorado Resiliency Office (in Department of Local Affairs) to produce a grid resilience and reliability roadmap by Mar 2025.  The Roadmap will identify potential threats to grid resilience and reliability; potential benefits of developing microgrids; and critical facilities and infrastructure that should be priority projects.  The Roadmap will make recommendations for legislative and administrative changes, such as rulemaking and metrics for evaluating microgrids.

The Electric Grid (or grid) is defined in the bill as an interconnected network of facilities for a utility’s delivery of electricity to consumers.

Microgrids are often defined as self-contained power systems, confined to a small geographic area, such as such as a college campus, hospital complex, business center, or neighborhood.  They might also have some means to store energy, such as batteries.  National Renewable Energy Laboratories note that “Advanced microgrids enable local power generation assets—including traditional generators, renewables, and storage—to keep the local grid running even when the larger grid experiences interruptions or, for remote areas, where there is no connection to the larger grid. “

Major elements

The Offices will engage stakeholders in developing the Roadmap.  The priorities are clearly aimed at development and deployment of microgrids for the goals of adding resilience and reliability to the electric grid.  The Roadmap will identify critical infrastructure needs for serving e.g., emergency services, health-care services, public works, communication.   Communities at highest risk from power outages or interruptions will be identified and engaged in the decision-making process.  Barriers to deploying microgrids and the need for financial and technical investments will be identified and recommendations will be made for legislative and administrative changes needed, such as rulemaking and setting metrics for evaluating the cost-benefits of microgrids.

League Position

The League supports predominant reliance on renewable energy resources and we support action by appropriate levels of government to encourage the use of renewable resources and energy conservation through funding for research and development.  We also recognize the need to be proactive in addressing the availability of emergency electric power.

The LWVCO is committed to justice and inclusion for vulnerable groups including residents of disproportionately impacted communities.  In the bill, communities at highest risk from power outages or interruptions will be identified and engaged in the decision-making process. 

We are supporting HB22-1013  Microgrids for Community Resilience.  – with a request that RE be given top priority as a resource for microgrids.  The bill was amended in committee to prioritize microgrids with higher reliance on non-fossil-fuel based generation and was Passed.

In 2021 we supported SB21-072 Public Utilities Commission Modernize Electric Transmission Infrastructure because it will facilitate expansion of renewable energy and contribute to our transition away from dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation.  Similarly, the current bill has potential to support greater use of renewable energy. 

This bill is coming from the Joint Budget Committee and would change the calculation of the ad valorem credit allowed against state severance tax on oil and gas.  Beginning on or after January 1, 2024, the credit for ad valorem taxes is calculated on a per well basis for wells that are not exempt from taxation by applying the prior year’s mill levy to the current year’s gross income multiplied by an assessment rate of 87.5% and taking 87.5% of that amount for the credit. The calculation is simplified to multiplying 76.56% of the gross income of the well by the mill levy fixed in the prior calendar year.  Working group will develop an implementation Plan for making additional changes to the state severance tax on oil and gas.  This is an area that is sorely needed to be updated to ensure there is enough money from severing natural resources to help impacted communities.  The bill is assigned to finance and heard 4/28.

Concerning the state severance tax on oil and gas, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

The bill was introduced on Jan. 19 and assigned to State, Veterans and Military Affairs.

The bill requires a $500,000 feasibility study for the use of small nuclear reactors in Colorado as a carbon free energy source. (which it is not)

Nuclear power is a costly source of energy. The waste produced is toxic and hazardous. The need for waste storage sites endanger vulnerable communities. In Colorado we do not need the high health cost of building nuclear reactors.

Time is of the essence to limit climate change impacts. The complete process of government procedures for approval with construction of these projects would be time wasted.  As a result, LWVCO opposes this bill. 

The League calls for immediate climate change solutions and actions that do not require the burning of fossil fuels to operate, which nuclear plants need to do.

The League of Women Voters of the United States joined 600 organizations urging Congress to exclude nuclear by shifting to 100% renewable power generation and to end their subsidies domestically and overseas.