With one week to go to pass six green-energy bills in the current legislative session, eight Democratic state lawmakers are holding a rally on the west steps of the State Capitol Wednesday at 1 p.m. — a sort of Renewablepalooza for the New Energy Economy.
Coordinated by Environment Colorado, the rally is a platform for the suite of solar, wind and energy-efficiency bills still lingering on the Legislature’s docket. Lawmakers expected at the shindig are noted by italics.
• HB 1312 – creates opportunities for schools to invest in clean energy (Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass and Rep. Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood)
• HB 1126 – creates tax incentives for solar hot water (Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont and Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, D-Boulder)
• HB 1323 – ensures Coloradoans who get power from rural co-ops have access to the same cost-saving energy efficiency as larger utilities (Rep. Claire Levy, D- Boulder and Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver)
• HB 1345 – creates a transmission infrastructure to put clean, green electrons on the wires and make Colorado a net-clean energy exporter (Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass and Rep. Judy Solano, D-Brighton)
• HB 1331 – creates tax incentives for high technology motor vehicles already available to car buyers such as zero emission and low emission vehicles as well as cars reaching upwards of 70 miles per gallon. (Rep. Sara Gagliardi, D-Arvada and Sen. Betty Boyd, D-Denver)
• HB 1346 (Investment Recovery Act) – maximizes the opportunity to leverage federal support for clean energy projects in Colorado that create homegrown jobs (Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont and Rep. Terrance Carroll, D-Denver)
HB 1323 is one of the more controversial bills, given that the only co-op it would apply to is the Intermountain Rural Electric Association, whose membership just turned back three green candidates in a contentious board election.
If you plan to attend Wednesday’s rally, look for a solar station that will power the event, various solar panels on display and representatives of local renewable energy companies.
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