Colorado Voters Approve Renewable Energy on Ballot

Colorado voters have become the first in the nation to vote on and pass a renewable energy standard on the statewide ballot. A majority of voters approved Amendment 37 on the November 2nd ballot; which requires an increasing amount of the electricity in Colorado to come from renewables energy sources such as wind and solar.

"This is a victory for clean air and energy independence in Colorado," said Matt Baker, Executive Director of Environment Colorado, which led the coalition of groups pushing for the ballot measure. "By taking renewable energy policy to the people, we have begun to break the fossil fuel and utility industries' stranglehold on energy policy," he continued.

Colorado now joins 17 states with minimum clean energy standards as part of a growing trend of states taking the lead to fill the void of federal energy policy. In contrast to the flawed energy policies Congress and the Bush Administration defending the status quo, states have proven themselves willing to forge a new energy path. This year alone, three other states (New York, Maryland and Rhode Island) have adopted renewable energy standards. Many other states, including Arizona, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, are exploring similar renewable energy measures.

"Much of the power to decide our energy future lies outside the Beltway, in the states themselves," said Rob Sargent, Senior Energy Policy Analyst with the National Association of State PIRGs. "And, at the state and local level, people and policy makers recognize that in order to accommodate our short- and long-term energy needs, preserve irreplaceable natural resources and leave a healthy environment to future generations, we need a different approach".

The coalition promoting Amendment 37 was a broad bi-partisan coalition chaired by Colorado Speaker of the House Lola Spradley (R) and Colorado Congressman Mark Udall (D), and included farmers, ranchers, environmental groups, labor unions, business leaders, religious leaders, and broad statewide newspaper editorial support.

A coalition of coal, mining and energy interests opposed Amendment 37; including Peabody Coal, Phelps Dodge Mining, and Xcel Energy; which is Colorado's largest public utility.

"This landmark victory proves that voters demand more wind, solar and other clean renewable resources, even in the midst of a massive misleading ad campaign by the coal and industry in a coal dominated state," said Alan Nogee, Energy Program Director at UCS. "Our leaders in Washington need to start paying attention to voter support for renewable energy."

"Colorado voters tonight sent a clear message to the rest of the nation by choosing a future of clean, renewable energy technologies over dependence on dirty, conventional coal plants. We will all be winners with this first-in-the-nation ballot victory," said Sheryl Carter, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Amendment 37 requires Colorado's top electric utility companies to provide an increasing percentage of their retail electricity sales from renewable resources; such as wind, solar and biomass; starting at 3 percent in 2007, 6% by 2011 and increasing to 10 percent by 2015.

The state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) and their affiliated environmental organizations, including Environment California, Environment Colorado and PennEnvironment, and Environment Maine, are a national network of state-based, nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest advocacy organizations working on consumer, environmental and good government issues. The National Association of State PIRGs provides research and policy development assistance to state PIRGs and partner environmental groups nationwide.

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