Energy Efficiency For All Coloradans
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REDUCING ENERGY COSTS—A new CoPIRG-supported bill would help more than 900,000 Coloradans save electricity and lower their monthly bills. |
Last year, the Colorado Legislature passed a CoPIRG-backed bill that required investor owned utilities to invest in efficiency programs. In February, CoPIRG worked to build support for a new bill, sponsored by Rep. Claire Levy, that would extend those requirements to rural electric cooperatives and municipally owned utilities. If passed, the bill would provide new energy efficiency programs to more than 900,000 customers in Colorado.
Colorado’s population is growing, and the state’s energy demand is expected to grow as well. Meeting our energy needs will cost Coloradans money—for new power plants and transmission lines—and could cause harm to the environment and public health. By using energy more wisely, we can save money for Colorado’s homes and businesses, while reducing dangerous pollution.
Consumers would realize $600 million in savings between 2008 and 2020, money that will likely be spent in the local economy. For every dollar spent on energy efficiency, $2.32 in economic activity is generated in local economies. This bill will add $32 million a year in investment in energy efficiency—generating more than $74 million in economic activity.
Gov. Ritter has asked Coloradans to join in combating global warming. Investing in efficiency is the easiest, cheapest way for ordinary Coloradans to contribute to this goal. Colorado’s homes and business would cut 1.4 million metric tons of global warming pollution from power plants per year by 2020.
CoPIRG is working with a coalition of environmental and public health organizations to pass this important bill and extend these benefits to the 900,000 consumers that do not have access to similar energy efficiency programs.
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Financial Privacy & Security
Credit Industry Defeats Bill To Prevent Abusive Lending
In January, CoPIRG applauded United States Rep. Mark Udall for fighting to add provisions to the economic-stimulus bill that would protect consumers from credit card abuses.
Rep. Udall’s proposal would have helped consumers struggling with debt, excessive credit card fees and high interest rates.
“These are common-sense steps to stop abusive practices, educate cardholders and increase penalties for unfair practices,” said Udall.
The bill was supported by an array of consumer advocate groups. Among other provisions, the bill would have required advance notice of any increase in a credit card’s interest rate. The bill also would have prohibited penalties for on-time payments, fees for non-use of credit cards and over-the-limit fees for creditor-approved transactions, and barred the use of information unrelated to a cardholder’s account to increase the interest rate.
Unfortunately, lobbyists for the credit industry convinced Congress to reject Rep. Udall's proposal. In the coming months, CoPIRG will continue to work with congressional leaders to protect consumers from unfair credit industry practices.
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