It's Your Money
Colorado GOP battles higher consumer utility bills
Posted: Feb 9, 2011 6:34 AM by Bea Karnes
Updated: Feb 9, 2011 6:35 AM
DENVER (AP) - Colorado Republicans are going after renewable energy requirements they say are hurting consumers.
The state Senate starts work Wednesday on a bill undoing a requirement that utilities get 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2020. Senate Bill 71 would roll that requirement back to 10 percent, a renewable energy standard utilities already exceed.
The higher renewable energy standard passed last year allows utilities to charge customers up front for the expense of switching to cleaner energy. Republicans say that it's driving up power bills and hurting consumers.
However, the Republicans' plan faces long odds in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Democrats approved the higher energy standards last year.
The energy hearing was originally scheduled last week, but it was canceled because of bad weather.
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