In 2004, Coloradans approved Amendment 37 requiring that the state’s largest utilities get a rising percentage of their power from renewable energy sources. The goal was 3 percent of retail sales by 2007, 6 percent by 2011 and 10 percent by 2015. On Tuesday, Xcel announced that they met the renewable energy goals set out by voters eight years ahead of schedule.
As the Denver Business Journal reports,
In 2004, Coloradans approved Amendment 37 requiring that the state’s largest utilities get a rising percentage of their power from renewable energy sources. The goal was 3 percent of retail sales by 2007, 6 percent by 2011 and 10 percent by 2015. The amendment required Xcel produce 3.2 million megawatt hours of renewable energy by 2015. During the summer of this year, Xcel signed contracts with wind developers to bring online 775 megawatts of new wind-power electricity, bringing Xcel’s renewable energy usage to more than 10 percent of its sales — the goal set for 2015.
The wind farms are expected to be operational by the end of 2007.
"Xcel’s wind energy investment represents more than a billion dollars in rural economic development," said Tracee Bentley, the state coordinator of the 25×24 Coalition.
Via: (Denver Business Journal)