The Colorado Public Utilities Commission has completed a series of workshops on rules for implementing the Community Solar Gardens Act. The upcoming schedule is as follows:
Until February 18, the PUC is accepting initial written comments - at this point, we will receive a initial version of the proposed rules.
Until March 4, the PUC is accepting responsive written comments - responding to the initial proposed rules.
The hearing on the proposed rule making will be held March 18, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. at the Commission Hearing Room, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250 in Denver.
Solar Gardens Institute will be filing both initial and responsive comments - we will be happy to include your comments with our submission.
Stay tuned for more!
Joy
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Local Food, Local Power
Community Supported Agriculture meets Community Supported Energy...
A movement has sprung up in America- farmer's markets, community gardens, slow food clubs, and box-a-week subscription farms. Not a moment too soon, it would seem, as the second world food crisis in three years breaks upon us- with climate change as a major factor. The cost of conventional food is intimately linked to the cost of oil, both from oil's use in agriculture and from grain diverted to produce biofuels. The beauty of renewable energy is that it addresses the climate crisis, the energy crisis, and the food crisis at the same time. The beauty of solar panels is that they can be owned by individuals or community groups, they are getting cheaper fast, and with batteries can provide energy independent of the grid.
Let's look at just one city...
A movement has sprung up in America- farmer's markets, community gardens, slow food clubs, and box-a-week subscription farms. Not a moment too soon, it would seem, as the second world food crisis in three years breaks upon us- with climate change as a major factor. The cost of conventional food is intimately linked to the cost of oil, both from oil's use in agriculture and from grain diverted to produce biofuels. The beauty of renewable energy is that it addresses the climate crisis, the energy crisis, and the food crisis at the same time. The beauty of solar panels is that they can be owned by individuals or community groups, they are getting cheaper fast, and with batteries can provide energy independent of the grid.
Let's look at just one city...
Monday, January 17, 2011
Community Solar, Community Service
Today is Martin Luther King Day, which has been declared a day of community service. Today I want to honor those who are dedicating much of their working lives, often without pay, to the cause of renewing the way we use energy, to the cause of community building through local, distributed power. I want to encourage everyone to do what they can – the tools are falling into place to relocalize our food and energy systems, while re-weaving the web of neighborhood interactions.
Like MLK, we have a dream. We have a dream, together, that we will all be able to turn on our lights without damaging the atmosphere, that we will be able to drive and fly and use our computers without emitting one gram of carbon.
We have a dream that distributed energy will let us shut down the coal plants and mountaintop removal, while our deserts and mountain valleys are protected. We have a dream that everyone, everywhere will own their own solar panels and batteries, on their roof or in a solar garden. We have a dream that the icecaps remain, that our great coastal cities remain, that the forests live and the tundra stays tundra and the dust bowl never comes again.
How do we make this dream real? We do it by working together, meeting our neighbors and strengthening our communities, taking up a shovel and growing our own food, investing in solar panels, batteries and electric transport. As the old system reaches its limits, the new renaissance is being birthed amongst us, a community of communities joining in service. Making our own energy locally means we keep money local- we are building the technological, legislative, financial, and organizational tools we need to transform from the exuberant growth of our civilization’s adolescence to a sustainable, responsible adulthood.
Let’s make a commitment together that we can rise to the challenge, that we can see the new world, that we can put our time and energy towards that vision. You know what your skills are- whether you have marketing skills or can edit video, write code or mount a local campaign, transcribe audio or video, write grants, tell your story. Most important, create those local organizations for community owned solar arrays, that can benefit all income levels. If you are part of a local food group, consider becoming a local food and energy group!
Please volunteer- be a solar superhero, have an event or booth in your town, organize a solar garden for your school, library, or house of worship. Help us build our national network of solar superheroes – if you offer to help, we can work together and find something amazing you can do. Just contact us at info@solargardens.org !
Like MLK, we have a dream. We have a dream, together, that we will all be able to turn on our lights without damaging the atmosphere, that we will be able to drive and fly and use our computers without emitting one gram of carbon.
We have a dream that distributed energy will let us shut down the coal plants and mountaintop removal, while our deserts and mountain valleys are protected. We have a dream that everyone, everywhere will own their own solar panels and batteries, on their roof or in a solar garden. We have a dream that the icecaps remain, that our great coastal cities remain, that the forests live and the tundra stays tundra and the dust bowl never comes again.
How do we make this dream real? We do it by working together, meeting our neighbors and strengthening our communities, taking up a shovel and growing our own food, investing in solar panels, batteries and electric transport. As the old system reaches its limits, the new renaissance is being birthed amongst us, a community of communities joining in service. Making our own energy locally means we keep money local- we are building the technological, legislative, financial, and organizational tools we need to transform from the exuberant growth of our civilization’s adolescence to a sustainable, responsible adulthood.
Let’s make a commitment together that we can rise to the challenge, that we can see the new world, that we can put our time and energy towards that vision. You know what your skills are- whether you have marketing skills or can edit video, write code or mount a local campaign, transcribe audio or video, write grants, tell your story. Most important, create those local organizations for community owned solar arrays, that can benefit all income levels. If you are part of a local food group, consider becoming a local food and energy group!
Please volunteer- be a solar superhero, have an event or booth in your town, organize a solar garden for your school, library, or house of worship. Help us build our national network of solar superheroes – if you offer to help, we can work together and find something amazing you can do. Just contact us at info@solargardens.org !
Monday, January 10, 2011
Community Solar Gardens for Renters, “Low-Income”, and Agricultural Producers
Colorado’s Community Solar Gardens Act (HR1342), signed in June, allows for the cooperative ownership of solar arrays. Customers including those shaded by trees, living in apartments or rentals, or with historic designation will soon be able to receive a credit on their electric bill for their panels. Customers of XCEL and Black Hills Energy will be eligible for this program.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is currently engaging in a rule-making process to establish the policies under which the solar gardens program will be implemented. A series of four workshops has been convened to allow public input on the proposed rules. (These are not formal hearings- comments should be submitted in writing or delivered at future hearings.) On January 20, 2011, the fourth of four workshops will cover the inclusion or renters, “low-income” customers, and agricultural producers.
According to the Act, the Commission shall formulate policies that encourage: “OWNERSHIP IN COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDENS BY RESIDENTIAL RETAIL CUSTOMERS, AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS, INCLUDING LOW-INCOME CUSTOMERS, TO THE EXTENT THE COMMISSION FINDS THERE TO BE DEMAND FOR SUCH OWNERSHIP.”
Furthermore, the Act directs XCEL energy and Black Hills Energy as follows: “EACH QUALIFYING RETAIL UTILITY SHALL SET FORTH IN ITS PLAN FOR ACQUISITION OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES A PROPOSAL FOR INCLUDING LOW-INCOME CUSTOMERS AS SUBSCRIBERS TO A COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDEN. THE UTILITY MAY GIVE PREFERENCE TO COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDENS THAT HAVE LOW-INCOME SUBSCRIBERS.”
(The commission needs to define what exactly is meant by “low-income”. To avoid having to create excessive paperwork, it would make sense to include anyone who qualifies for programs such as LEAP, TANF, etc.)
It would be really, really great if we could get anyone interested in a solar garden project that fits this description to attend the meeting – January 20 from 9 AM to 12 Noon at the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) conference room, first floor, 1560 Broadway across from the Denver Post and the Civic Center.
Or, send images of yourselves or your project to info@solargardens.org - we will display them at the meeting. Any written descriptions of your project and its needs would be helpful as well, and we will incorporate these in our official Solar Gardens Institute comments.
Many thanks,
Joy
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is currently engaging in a rule-making process to establish the policies under which the solar gardens program will be implemented. A series of four workshops has been convened to allow public input on the proposed rules. (These are not formal hearings- comments should be submitted in writing or delivered at future hearings.) On January 20, 2011, the fourth of four workshops will cover the inclusion or renters, “low-income” customers, and agricultural producers.
According to the Act, the Commission shall formulate policies that encourage: “OWNERSHIP IN COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDENS BY RESIDENTIAL RETAIL CUSTOMERS, AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS, INCLUDING LOW-INCOME CUSTOMERS, TO THE EXTENT THE COMMISSION FINDS THERE TO BE DEMAND FOR SUCH OWNERSHIP.”
Furthermore, the Act directs XCEL energy and Black Hills Energy as follows: “EACH QUALIFYING RETAIL UTILITY SHALL SET FORTH IN ITS PLAN FOR ACQUISITION OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES A PROPOSAL FOR INCLUDING LOW-INCOME CUSTOMERS AS SUBSCRIBERS TO A COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDEN. THE UTILITY MAY GIVE PREFERENCE TO COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDENS THAT HAVE LOW-INCOME SUBSCRIBERS.”
(The commission needs to define what exactly is meant by “low-income”. To avoid having to create excessive paperwork, it would make sense to include anyone who qualifies for programs such as LEAP, TANF, etc.)
It would be really, really great if we could get anyone interested in a solar garden project that fits this description to attend the meeting – January 20 from 9 AM to 12 Noon at the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) conference room, first floor, 1560 Broadway across from the Denver Post and the Civic Center.
Or, send images of yourselves or your project to info@solargardens.org - we will display them at the meeting. Any written descriptions of your project and its needs would be helpful as well, and we will incorporate these in our official Solar Gardens Institute comments.
Many thanks,
Joy
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