Jared Polis, the governor of Colorado, has demanded that state regulators and his administration do all in their power to lower utility rates for residents. That being said, bringing down the price of natural gas and electricity is easier said than done.
The majority of Polis’s recommendations, outlined in an 8-page letter, will take at least a year to implement. The Democrat also noted that the only way to make a significant dent in the problem is to wean Colorado off power generated by fossil fuels, a process that will take decades.
The next high demand season will be next winter, so we’re trying to time the actions we need to do to minimize or lessen future price spikes with that,” Polis said at a news conference in his office at the Colorado Capitol in Denver.
Now, though, Coloradans are feeling the utility squeeze.
As of January 31, 91,105 people had sought for assistance with power bills under the state’s Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), and 59,506 have received grants averaging $442. In recent weeks, interest in the program has been 15% ahead of this time last year.
Many Coloradans are unaware of the federally-funded LEAP program, which is the principal short-term remedy proposed by Polis to address growing energy costs. To qualify for LEAP benefits, Coloradans must earn no more than 60% of the state’s median income, or $66,468 for a family of four. The organization anticipates spending $65 million in Colorado this heating season.
Energy Outreach Colorado is a non-profit program that helps people whose income is no more than 80% of the area’s median income meet their power bills. The organization said on Monday that it got 15,409 requests for assistance during the week ending January 29 — a 50 percent increase over the same week last year. By February 5, EOC had distributed $528,660 in utility bill assistance.
Long-term, Polis demanded on Monday that his administration:
- As soon as feasible, implement federally sponsored home energy rebate programs, which won’t begin until at least the end of 2023. “While federal funding for these initiatives won’t be available until the end of the year, we’re committed to working with stakeholders to be ready to go when that time comes,” said Will Toor, director of the Colorado Energy Office.
- Find solutions to “match customer conservation incentives with utility conservation incentives.”
- Adopt new building energy codes statewide
- Fund microgrid programs using state and federal dollars.
Several of the proposals may necessitate the assistance of the cash-strapped legislature.
