Clinging to yesterday.

That’s what we saw in the committee testimony yesterday on HB 1001, the bill to increase Colorado’s renewable energy standard to 30% by the year 2020. According to the coal people, we should let the marketplace and individual consumers dictate how we produce energy in Colorado. That may sound reasonable until we take a closer look at that assertion. Right now, there is no price on carbon emitted when we burn coal. The problem is that there are HUGE costs associated with these carbon emissions – ranging from severe health impacts to dangerous consequences to our climate. Not to mention that old, polluting sources of energy such as coal have received staggeringly large government subsidies over the last many decades.

It is time to change the terms of the game. HB 1001 will continue to create the opportunity for renewable sources of energy like wind and solar so they can fairly compete, and eventually displace, polluting sources of power such as coal.

The committee ran out of time to vote on the bill yesterday. They are picking debate back up today at 1:30 and will vote on the bill by the end of the day. Stay tuned for more details.

Here’s to looking forward to tomorrow instead of hanging on to the outdated ways of the past.

Pete