Energy Committee

Important Event!

• Hearing:
  Wednesday August 5, 2009 from 4-6 pm at the PUC, 1560 Broadway (corner of Broadway and Colfax, at the top of the 16th Street Mall in Denver and across the street from the State Capitol). Rocky Mountain Chapter EnergyComm members are meeting up outside 1560 Broadway -- on the 16th St Mall side -- at 3:30 pm.
  
  
  Background:
  Xcel is presently asking for back-to-back rate increases for your utility bill. These rate increases could total a 13% increase for residential bills and are almost entirely for the costs of investments in fossil fuel generation, new gas turbines at Fort St. Vrain (which will cost over 30 cents/kwh to run) and millions of extra $$ to pay for operating costs at coal plants and other fossil fuel infrastructure. Xcel is also proposing to charge a new fee to owners of solar systems that are tied to Xcel's system.

  
  

  You can also submit comments electronically to pucconsumer.complaints@dora.state.co.us. Refer to Docket # 09AL-299E.

Take Action!

• Committee to Encourage Early Retirement of Cherokee.
  Join chair Pete Barnes' committee pbarnes1014@hotmail.com, 303 963-6516. Already Pete has a meeting with top brass at Xcel Energy May 6th afternoon, you're welcome and encouraged to attend.
• "Safe Skies!" EnergyComm activist Joe Bartell has formed a subcommittee to promote turning off lights in Denver high-rise buildings at night. Other cities have discovered that Lights Out campaigns have reduced the use of electricity in buildings, which means that the energy saved does not need to be generated or transmitted. Energy efficiency -- "negawatts" -- are the most environmentally beneficial and most cost-effective way to reduce our carbon footprint. As a bonus, the cost of operating buildings goes down. But the main reason Joe is developing the campaign is because of birds. "Lit-up buildings confuse them. Their navigation systems get confused, and they die." Contact Joe Bartell to serve on this committee: 720-524-8622.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Be Sierra Club's "Cool Cities" representative in your city or town! Contact Becky English for more information.

Energy News

• Visit SierraClub.org for the latest information on the Waxman-Markey climate bill in Congress!
• The Colorado legislature has been working hard on energy issues this session. Please contact your representative and senator to get these important bills pushed over the top! HB 1323 (especially! so that IREA must perform some minimal energy efficiency programs), 1312, 1126, 1345, 1331, & 1346.
• EPA is back on the job! Under Administrator Jackson, EPA will likely be regulating CO2 as something that creates 'endangerment.'

RMC EnergyComm Blog

• I'm delighted to introduce the RMC EnergyComm blog. Please feel free to express your opinions on energy issues, especially the necessary transition to sustainables (renewable energy, energy efficiency, and conservation). Send your opinion pieces and news item posts to RMC Energy Committee Chair Becky English.

Did You Know?

• Solar panels are being installed at Colorado's Capitol Building - click Here
• Sierra Club is involved in Public Utility Commission rulemaking on Utility rates, Consumer rates, and Renewable Energy Standards. Please let Becky English know if your expertise lends itself to commenting in PUC dockets.
• You can access the presentations made at the recent "Colorado's New Energy Economy" conference - click Here