Tri-State Charts Own Course: Angers Democrats and Delta-Montrose
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association released a statement on Tuesday indicating its move to become regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This decision has drawn harsh criticism from Colorado legislators and Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA). Democrat state legislators are urging Tri-State to slow down and reconsider the decision, since it was only two months […]
Becker, Winter to Give Xcel a Blank Check
Representative K.C. Becker and Senator Faith Winter have introduced legislation that would give Xcel Energy a green light and blank check to prematurely close existing power plants, replace them with expensive, intermittent resources, and then force captive electric ratepayers to pick up the tab with interest for the massive fuel switching scheme and workforce transition plans. […]
The Coalition of Ratepayers Supports the Right of Self-Determination
The Coalition of Ratepayers submitted the following letter to the Public Utilities Commission in support of the Delta-Montrose Electric Association’s decision to withdraw from the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. The link to the PDF version of the letter can be found at the bottom of the page. Commissioners, The Coalition of Ratepayers submits this letter of support for […]
Ratepayers need a voice; elect PUC commissioners
The following article was written by Amy Cooke in response to the Public Utilities Commission’s ruling regarding the Coalition of Ratepayers’ request for attorney and expert witness fees. While disappointed, the Coalition of Ratepayers isn’t surprised that the commissioners at the Colorado Public Utilities Commission denied us any and all financial relief even though the […]
Imagine 1500 feet of (electrical) freedom…
By Brit Naas and Amy Cooke What if we could break free from the massive transmission lines and power plants and the utility-scale wind farms that are hundreds of miles away? It’s not impossible. From cryptocurrency to ride and home sharing companies, decentralized and sharing economy platforms are altering sectors in a way that was […]
The Coalition of Ratepayers Case Study
The Coalition of Ratepayers is a Colorado non-profit composed of small businesses and individuals. It has been an active party in two electric utility regulatory proceedings: the Rush Creek Wind Farm and the Colorado Energy Plan (CEP). The Coalition first intervened against the Rush Creek Wind Farm, and although the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved […]
Uber for energy: Is electricity the next sharing economy?
Second article in our series about microgrids The United States’ traditional electric grid is an engineering marvel with nearly 160,000 miles of transmission lines, millions of miles of distribution lines, and over 73,000 power plants. It delivers power throughout all of America, and it allows us to use air conditioners in the summer and heaters in […]
Don’t be dull, embrace microgrids
By Casey Freeman First article in our series about microgrids Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy are Colorado’s two regulated electric monopolies. Xcel is the larger of the two and provides retail service to the greater Denver Metro Area, Greeley, and Grand Junction, while Black Hills services Pueblo and the surrounding area. These utilities operate […]
Club 20 and its due diligence
After a little due diligence, Club 20, the long-time “Voice of the Western Slope,” revised its position on Xcel Energy’s Colorado Energy Plan from “support” to “neutral” on Xcel Energy’s Colorado Energy Plan (CEP) according to a letter it sent to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission last November. Originally, the Western Slope’s premiere “coalition of counties, communities, […]
Pueblo beware of Xcel’s promise of economic development
Xcel Energy continues to make absurd claims about its Colorado Energy Plan Corporate Enrichment Plan (CEP). The Coalition and others have debunked the cost-savings scam, but what about the economic development claims? One of our favorites is that the CEP, which will destroy 80 to 90, maybe more, good-paying jobs in Pueblo, is good economics for […]