2008 Legislative Session

For information on the current year's legislative session, visit the Colorado General Assembly web site.

2008 House Legislation

• 1025 “Governor’s Energy Office” (Weissmann/Tupa) (PDF 51KB)
  Establishes the duties and powers of the Governor’s Energy Office within the Office of the Governor.
• 1160 “Net Meter Mun & Rural Electric Utilities” (Solano/Shaffer & Isgar) (PDF 30KB)
  Requires municipally-owned utilities and cooperative electric associations to provide net metering for residential and commercial or industrial customers, with system size limits.
• 1164 “New Solar Energy Technologies” (Solano/Schwartz) ( PDF21KB)
  Encourages the Public Utility Commission to fully consider new solar technologies when they are evaluating new power generation construction projects.
• 1207 “Procure Envtl Preferable Products” (Kefalas/Bacon) (PDF23KB)
  Clarifies that the analysis of increased cost for state agencies to purchase environmentally friendly products includes the cost of ownership and a life-cycle analysis. Requires the Governor's Energy Office to maintain a list of nationally recognized entities that certify products as environmentally preferable.
• 1227 “Sunset Continue Public Utilities Commn” (Madden/Tapia) (PDF 185KB)
  Extends the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) until 2019. Matters included in this legislation related to GEO and energy policy:-Adds eligibility requirements for Low-Income Energy Assistance (including 185% Federal Poverty Level and citizenship or legal resident requirements). Any utility considering a gas or electric tariff is required to notify GEO. In the matter of hearings over rates disputes, the PUC is instructed to “consider whether to adopt retail rates structures that enable the use of solar or other renewable energy resources in agricultural applications, including, but not limited to, irrigation pumping.”
• 1270 “CICs Allow Energy Efficiency Measures” (A. Kerr/Tupa) (PDF 27KB)
  Extends existing prohibitions on covenants and deed restrictions that limit the use of solar energy devices to include other renewable energy generation devices and energy efficiency measures: wind-electric generators, shade structures, shutters, garage or attic fans, evaporative coolers, energy-efficient outdoor lighting devices, and retractable clothes lines.
• 1335 “Building Excellent Schools Today” (Romanoff/Groff & Schwartz) ( PDF141KB)
  This comprehensive bill restructures the funds and funding processes for public school capital construction projects. The green building standards and energy efficiency guidelines shall be based on “Greening of State Government” Executive Order, as well as additional Executive Orders and GEO policy directives.
• 1350 “Financing Renewable Energy” (Madden/Romer) (PDF 79KB)
  Local governments and the Colorado Clean Energy Development Authority (CEDA) may issue bonds to finance capital improvements for energy efficiency retrofits and the installation of renewable energy fixtures for private residences and commercial property.
• 1368 “Tax Prop Used to Prod Renewable Energy” (Buescher/Brophy) (PDF 71KB)
  Directs counties to use the same procedures as the State assessor to exclude renewable energy systems from property tax assessments. Offers local governments the option to exempt components used in renewable energy systems from their sales and use tax.
• 1375 “Long Appropriations Bill” Office of the Governor’s Budget Request “$2 Million Solar General Fund Appropriation” (JBC Committee)
  Allocates $2 Million to the Clean Energy Fund, managed by the Governor’s Energy Office, to support investment in new energy technologies.
• 1387 “Low-Income Energy Assistance Funding” (Buescher/Veiga) (PDF 120KB)
  Continues funding for energy-related assistance to low-income households through fiscal year 2011-12.

2008 Senate Legislation

• 078 “Energy Efficiency Hist Preserv Grant” (Renfroe/Sonnenberg) (PDF 18KB)
  Requires the State Historical Fund to allow the use of energy efficient materials and technologies (specifically, energy efficient windows, window assemblies, insulating materials, and heating and cooling systems) by grant recipients, as long the appearance the historic property is not affected.
• 081 “Renewable Energy Authority” (Schwartz/Madden) (PDF 21KB)
  Removes the requirement that the Colorado Renewable Energy Authority return to the State 50% of revenues from licensing of any patent, trademark, or copyright, which was in conflict with Federal laws, so that the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory can receive Federal grants.
• 117 “Limit Local Bldg Permit Fee Solar Panels” (S. Mitchell/McNulty) (PDF 21KB)
  Limits building permit fees for solar energy devices in cities and counties statewide to “the lesser of $500 or actual costs in issuing permits” for residential applications and $1000 for nonresidential application.
• 147 “Increase Energy Efficiency State Bldgs” (Gordon/Hodge & Levy) (PDF 20KB)
  Adds low-income housing projects and facilities constructed with severance tax revenue to existing energy efficiency requirements for state-assisted facilities.
• 184 “Colorado Clean Energy Finance Program” (Romer/Levy) (PDF 53KB)
  Creates the Colorado Clean Energy Finance Program within GEO to provide loans to home owners for “clean energy improvements: any repair of or addition or improvement to residential real property…that improves the energy efficiency of the property or replaces all or a portion of the energy from nonrenewable sources…with energy from renewable sources.”
• 186 “Colorado Carbon Fund Special License Plates” (Johnson/Levy) (PDF 22KB)
  Creates a Colorado Carbon Fund special license plate for drivers who make a donation to the Colorado Carbon Fund to offset a minimum percent of their vehicle’s annual carbon dioxide emissions.
• 221 “Bonds Forest Health Watershed Projects” (Romer & Gibbs/Scanlan & White) (PDF 59KB)
  Authorizes the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority (CWRPDA) to issue up to $50 million in bonds for the purposes of funding watershed protection and forest health projects.