An Analysis of Colorado’s Landmark Energy Efficiency Bill 5 Years Later

Prepared by Southwest Energy Efficiency Project

Report

CoPIRG

The landmark energy efficiency policy, HB07-1037, passed the General Assembly in 2007 and directed the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to develop energy efficiency goals and incentives for the state’s investor-owned utilities, Xcel Energy Inc. and Black Hills Energy Corporation.  Since then, these utilities have developed robust energy savings programs that thousands of Colorado customers and businesses have taken advantage of resulting in the following:

  • Households and businesses are expected to save about $640 million net as a result of Xcel’s and Black Hill’s electric efficiency programs in 2009-2011, an overall benefit-cost ratio of more than three-to-one
  • Households and businesses reduced their electricity use in 2011 by over 800 million kWh per year, equivalent to the electricity use of 100,000 typical households.
  • Xcel Energy and Black Hills avoided over one million tons of carbon dioxide emissions during 2009-2011 as a result of their energy efficiency programs, the equivalent to taking 110,000 cars off the road.
  • Energy efficiency programs reduced water consumption by around 1.5 billion gallons in 2011, equivalent to the water use of 11,500 typical households in the metro Denver area.
  • Households and businesses cut their natural gas use by about 1.4 billion cubic feet in 2011, equivalent to the natural gas use of 25,000 typical households.