Reports

Senate Bill 100

Senate Bill 100 was passed by the Colorado legislature and signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter in 2007 to expand Colorado’s electric transmission system and promote the use of renewable resources. It established requirements for utilities to continually evaluate and, if necessary, improve electric transmission facilities to meet the state’s existing and future energy needs. Five energy resource zones with significant renewable energy potential were also created. As a result of SB100, Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo) must be filed a biennial resource plan every October 31. Each plan must designate energy resource zones; develop plans for transmission construction or expansion necessary to deliver energy from within or near those zones; consider how transmission availability can encourage ownership of renewable energy facilities; and submit proposed plans to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission for review.

10-year Transmission Plan

Rule 3627 established a process to coordinate the planning for additional electric transmission in Colorado. It also requires the preparation and biennial submission of 10-year transmission plans and conceptual long-range scenarios that consider a 20-year transmission planning horizon. The plan must include facilities 100 kV or greater. The first plan, submitted on February 1, 2012, was jointly prepared by Black Hills Energy, Tri-State Generation and Transmission, and Xcel Energy. SB100 project information can be found in Appendix C. Information on the San Luis Valley-Calumet-Comanche project can also be found in Appendix B.

The report and appendixes can be found on the Xcel Energy website under “Project Descriptions.”

REDI Report

The Renewable Energy Development Infrastructure (REDI) report, released by Governor Bill Ritter on December 2, 2009, maps out how Colorado's electricity sector can reduce carbon dioxide emissions 20 percent over the next decade by expanding investments in new high-voltage transmission and utility-scale renewable energy, increasing emphasis on energy efficiency, and developing a greater role for natural gas. It concludes that expansion of the high-voltage transmission infrastructure will improve the reliability of the state's electricity delivery system and accommodate greater renewable energy development from rural Colorado to electric customers across the state.