February 12, 2010
Colorado House Majority Communications
State Capitol

Rep. Tyler’s HB1, Increasing the "Renewable Energy Standard," Passes Final House Vote

(Denver) – Representative Max Tyler (D-Lakewood/Golden), lead sponsor of House Bill 1001, is one step closer to bringing thousands of New Energy jobs to Colorado by a vote in the House of X-X today.

 

The bill calls for an increase in the state’s Renewable Energy Standard from 20 percent to 30 percent by 2020, which means that nearly a third of the power generated from large utilities like Xcel and Black Hills Colorado’s must come from renewable sources, like solar and wind, in the next 10 years.

“I’m proud to have carried a bill that will lead to a cleaner, greener Colorado and bring thousands of more jobs to the state,” said Rep. Tyler.  “This bill represents a huge step forward into the future of renewable energy usage and sets a precedent for Colorado and other states to become less dependent on fossil fuels.  The benefit of renewable energy forms is that they occur naturally--Colorado is not lacking in sunshine, for instance.”

The bill is expected to diversify energy portfolios and create thousands of jobs in the New Energy Economy. An increased RES will give Colorado the highest 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 created 17,000 jobs in renewable energy and energy research since it began investing in the New Energy Economy, the fourth-highest concentration in the nation.  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. Some estimates predict that an increased RES could create tens of thousands of jobs.

 

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.

The bill will be sponsored in the Senate by Senators Gail Schwartz and Bruce Whitehead.

 

 

 

 

January 26, 2010
Colorado House Majority Communications
State Capitol

Rep. Tyler’s Bill on Property Tax Late Fees Passes Timely Floor Vote

(Denver) - Representative Max Tyler’s (D-Lakewood/Golden) House Bill 1046, which gives citizens paying their property taxes by mail some wiggle room for meeting their deadline if a postmark is not present, passed a floor vote today with no debate.

The bill gives clear legal guidance to county treasurers for determining whether property tax payments are sent on time if no postmark is present on the envelope.  The bill states that if payments are received within five days of the due date, the treasurer is to record the payment as being on time.  

“This bill represents a fair way to make paying property taxes a little less stressful,” said Rep. Tyler.