Gov. Ritter to sign clean CO energy finance bill

Gov. Ritter to sign clean energy finance bill
in Aspen on Wednesday afternoon

Gov. Bill Ritter will sign Senate Bill 100 on Wednesday afternoon in Aspen. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, allows multi-county clean energy finance districts.

The bill-signing event is set for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at The Little Nell Hotel, 675 E. Durant Ave., and everyone interested in clean energy is invited to attend.

SB 10-100 allows local improvement districts for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements to cross county boundaries and include properties in multiple counties, whether or not the counties are contiguous, if county commissioners of the affected counties agree to share district costs.

The bill also expands the definition of renewable energy improvements for clean energy districts to include solar arrays and other renewable energy systems at community locations, rather than limiting eligible systems to those installed directly on a residential or commercial building.

In related news, Gov. Ritter will be in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to share Colorado’s success at establishing a New Energy Economy. Colorado now ranks fourth in clean-energy employment, has the second-highest renewable energy standard for utilities in the nation, and has grown its clean-tech sector by double digits even in a recession.

In Washington, Gov. Ritter will deliver keynote remarks to open the Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference, provide the Environmental Defense Fund’s Board of Trustees with a blueprint of Colorado's New Energy Economy, and make a presentation at the Center for American Progress on the Colorado Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act. HB 10-1365 will convert 900 megawatts of Xcel Energy power production from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas.