Residential and small-business customer bills are expected to rise about 8 percent, the utility said.

The increase comes in the utility’s quarterly “Electric Commodity Adjustment” (ECA), which is filed with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. If approved, the new rates would take effect April 1.

Costs associated with increases or decreases through the ECA are passed along to customers on a dollar-per-dollar basis, the utility said.

If approved, the ECA portion of customers’ bills will increase to 3.7 cents per kilowatt-hour for the second quarter, compared to 2.9 cents per kilowatt-hour for the first quarter of this year. For typical residential customers using 632 kilowatt-hours a month, current bills are expected to increase by $5.18 a month to $71.53.

Typical small-business customer using 1,123 kilowatt-hours a month would see current bills rise by $9.21 a month to $122.41, the utility said.

Congratulations to the Oceanic Preservation Society and Louie Psihoyos for winning the Oscar for Best Documentary last night!

Psihoyos was honored for his work on The Cove.

The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) presents its first documentary film, The Cove, an examination of our oceans and our hearts. An annual dolphin massacre in a secret cove in Taiji, Japan suggests a microcosm of a larger picture, man’s disregard for life. The theme broadens – coal-burning facilities multiply across the planet, leading to high mercury levels in seafood, man’s primary source of protein.

Bella Energy installed a 22.8kW solar energy system that was used to power the building where the film was edited.

Learn more about the film at http://www.opsociety.org/the-cove.htm

Every so often we like to post interesting tid bits from the world of renewable energy to our twitter page. Here are a few of the more interesting stories of the past month in case you missed it. Enjoy!

• 4 Tips on Buying CFLs for Your Business | GreenerBuildings.com http://bit.ly/cAQtgR
• Banks Should Finance Energy Efficiency Loans, Not Subprime Mortgages | GreenBiz.com http://bit.ly/9T7pHJ
• Images from our Denver solar jobs rally | Demotix.com http://bit.ly/c45RxJ
• The Age of Sustainability: Why ‘Less’ Should Be More of Your Business Strategy | GreenBiz.com http://bit.ly/aqqD5H
• GOV. RITTER ANNOUNCES MAJOR BOOST TO RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD – Environment Colorado http://bit.ly/dDmWn0

“For years, consumers have advocated ‘the more you use, the more you pay’ for electricity,” PUC Chairman Ron Binz said. “Today, we’re making that slogan a reality.”

A typical residential customer uses about 687 kilowatt-hours (kwh) per month during the four-month summer period and about 605 kwh per month the rest of the year. Under the new tiered rates, residential customers with average usage will pay about 2 percent more in summer and about 5 percent less during the rest of the year. Customers who are able to reduce their electricity usage during the peak months will be able to see larger savings on their bills.
“The largest customers will pay more, and customers will realize greater rewards for their efforts to use electricity wisely,” Binz said.

The changes are part of the PUC’s decision in Xcel Energy’s phase II rate case, which sets the rate design for the company’s various customer classes. The company receives no additional revenue from the changes. The new rates are expected to go into effect on June 1.
Source: Department of Regulatory Agencies

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Photo Credit: Colorado Governor's Office

New Energy Economy legislation will require nearly one-third of electricity come from
clean energy sources and will create thousands of good-paying jobs

Denver – Gov. Bill Ritter and lawmakers today announced legislation to significantly increase Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard, which will give Colorado the best clean-energy requirement in the Rocky Mountain West, create thousands of new jobs and lead to 100,000 solar rooftops over the next decade.

“Colorado has proven that clean energy works,” said Pam Kiely, program director for Environment Colorado. “We’ve gone from zero to 60, all fueled by clean energy, to strengthen our economy, stabilize energy prices and put Coloradans to work on solar rooftops and wind farms. Our air is cleaner, our water healthier, and we’ve cut global warming pollution. Today, it’s time to take the next big step forward.”

House Bill 10-1001 will raise the state’s renewable energy requirement for large utility companies from 20 percent by 2020 to 30 percent by 2020. The legislation is co-sponsored by Reps. Max Tyler and Jack Pommer and Sens. Gail Schwartz and Bruce Whitehead. A 30 percent Renewable Energy Standard would be the highest in the Rocky Mountain West and among the highest nationally.

“Colorado’s New Energy Economy is leading America’s clean-energy revolution,” Gov. Ritter said. “We are well ahead of the current goal of 20 percent renewables by 2020 goal. By requiring utility companies to generate nearly one-third of their electricity from renewable sources, we will continue to improve our energy, environmental and economic security. We will create thousands of new jobs and help bring clean, affordable and reliable clean energy into homes and businesses throughout Colorado.”

Colorado became the first state with a voter-approved Renewable Energy Standard in 2004 with the passage of Amendment 37, which set a 10 percent by 2015 goal. Gov. Ritter and lawmakers doubled the RES to 20 percent by 2020 in 2007.

“Renewable energy is Colorado’s fastest growing economic sector,” Rep. Tyler said. “We want to keep it growing and glowing brightly. That’s why we’re proud to present our number one bill. House Bill 1001 will increase the Renewable Energy Standard by 50 percent and will spur development of small, local power projects from a wide array of sources.”

“You can’t ignore the numbers,” Sen. Schwartz said. “By increasing Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard, 100,000 more homes statewide will have renewable energy and lower energy bills, 30 percent of our electricity will come from clean-energy sources, and thousands more Coloradans will have an opportunity to obtain good-paying jobs in the New Energy Economy.”

Colorado currently has 17,000 jobs in renewable energy and energy research, the fourth-highest concentration in the nation, and 230 solar companies. With more than 300 sunny days a year in Colorado and some of the best wind resources in the country, HB 1001 will recharge the economy by incentivizing more residential, commercial and community solar projects.

“Jobs, jobs, jobs. That is our primary focus for this session and this bill,” Sen. Whitehead said. “The Renewable Energy Standard will cement our position as the premier location for New Energy Economy companies to come and create new jobs.”

“HB 1001 has been a strong collaborative effort and it makes great strides in making sure that jobs in the New Energy Economy are good jobs with training, standards, better wages and benefits for Colorado’s workers. We support this bill and look forward to it becoming law,” said Mike Cerbo, executive director, Colorado AFL-CIO.

Every so often we like to post interesting tid bits from the world of renewable energy to our twitter page. Here are a few of the more interesting stories of the past month in case you missed it. Enjoy!

• FabLab House: Solar Decathlon Europe Entry | Inhabitat http://bit.ly/aD80Ph
• Timelapse Coal Fired Power on Vimeo http://bit.ly/aLj4Nn
• DIY Hyper Modified Honda Motorcycle hits 214MPG http://bit.ly/bayfIA
• The First American Sportbike to go All Electric | Inhabitat http://bit.ly/bdwrFd
• Colorado May Consider ‘Community Solar Gardens’ Law | ecopolitology http://bit.ly/4PIW7g

Transcript for Ask a Solar Expert: The Solar Installation Process

Hi, my name is Aaron Hesterman and I am a Technical Sales Specialist for Bella Energy. Today I’m going to talk about the process of installing solar on your home. Now I can’t speak for every solar company but the overall process of installing solar with Bella Energy starts with a free solar consultation. During which we assess your solar potential and locate any shading concerns that could affect your production. After you’ve received your project bid and signed a service agreement, our NABCEP certified system auditor will remeasure your roof and finalize your system layout. Next, your system’s construction plans are assembled by a second NABCEP certified designer, providing an extra level of solar construction expertise. During this time, our team will collect any necessary permits for your jurisdiction and work with you to file all the necessary Xcel Energy rebate paperwork. After your panels, racking and inverters arrive, your project will be scheduled and the actual installation usually only takes place in a couple of days. To ensure consistent quality…all of our installations are performed by Bella Energy solar installers, who on average have about a megawatt of solar energy installation experience. In short Bella Energy has solar energy experts to help you along every step of the way to ensure that you are getting the best system possible from a team you can trust.

What are Xcel Energy Solar Rebates? from Bella Energy on Vimeo.

Visit Xcel Energy’s Rebate Level Tracker here…

Hello, my name is Marty Gilligan and I’m with Bella Energy as a solar advisor. Today we are going to talk about the Xcel Energy Solar Rebate and more specifically the rebate drop schedule that was announced this last fall. (Fall of 2009) First the Xcel Rebate is composed of two different elements. One of them is the rebate which is 2 dollars (a watt) and the second one is the REC payment. The REC payment specifically is the part set to keep declining as Xcel Energy reaches their goals as set by the government.

So as you can see on the webpage which you can find on the link next to this video . Alternatively, you could go to Xcel Energy’s website, find Colorado, Residential, Solar Rewards and finally you will find the link that has all these price drops outlined.

What you’ll see is that over time, the overall rebate will continue to drop as each landmark is hit. To the right you’ll see what is in step, meaning how many or what portion of the rebate at that level has been approved (allocated). Now it is important to note that there is a lag time between when an application is submitted and when it is approved. So as you are tracking this, when the REC payment gets closer to filling a particular level, chances are you are already going to be looking at the next REC payment drop. As you’ll notice there are many more Megawatts of REC payments available at the lower payment rates, but this will only add to your out of pocket expense. So the name of the game here is to be able to get your rebate in as soon as possible so you can lock in. From there, we’ll have 9 months to install the system.