In the News...

Senate Passes Power Measure

Thursday, April 1 2010

The Durango Herald
By: Joe Hanel
April 1st, 2010

DENVER - The Legislature passed the bill by two local lawmakers favoring the use of natural gas over coal to clean Denver's air.

The Senate passed House Bill 1365 on a 20-13 vote Wednesday morning. Sen. Bruce Whitehead, D-Hesperus, is a Senate sponsor.

Later in the afternoon, the bill passed by a much wider margin in the House, where Rep. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango, is a sponsor.

The bill sets up a process for Xcel Energy to retrofit coal-burning power plants in Denver and Boulder to comply with future clean-air rules. The utility is likely to convert the plants to natural gas.

Xcel supports the bill.

Senate Republicans fought hard against the bill, even though their leader, Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, is a sponsor.

“It sounds like affirmative action for fuels," said Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield.

With only 17 “yes" votes from Democrats, GOP help was needed to secure enough votes for passage in the Senate. Because of changes made by the Senate, the House had to take another vote on the bill.

Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, said HB 1365 makes Colorado a national leader in choosing natural gas over coal, a relatively dirtier energy source.

“It's going to be a state solution that's going to be followed elsewhere," Romer said.

Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, voted against HB 1365.

The bill will become law when Gov. Bill Ritter signs it. Ritter's office led the negotiations that created the bill.