Ritter takes aim at greenhouse gases

Jerd Smith and Alan Gathright

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Coloradans will have to drive cleaner cars, use less electricity and recycle more in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent below 2005 levels in the next 13 years, under a climate action plan unveiled Monday by Gov. Bill Ritter.

The goal means C02 emissions would reach just 92.9 million metric tons by 2020, down 37 percent from what would be produced if the state did nothing, according to the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization.

Ritter's plan calls for dramatically reducing electricity use, slashing the miles commuters drive to work each year, beefing up energy codes for new buildings and requiring that large emitters of CO2, begin phased-in mandatory reporting of their emissions.

His plan stops short of mandating tough clean-air standards for cars, but it does direct the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission to begin examining use of such standards.

The plan also gives large electric utilities, such as Xcel Energy, latitude to decide how they will meet the 20 percent goal.

"It's up to us to adapt and to set Colorado down the right path," Ritter said.

Coloradans, he said, were up to the challenge. "The people in this state get it," he said. "There is greater and greater consensus and understanding of the dangers of global warming and the need to address it."

Industry concern

But Ritter declined to expand even further the state's renewable energy portfolio standard, which requires utilities to derive 10 percent of their power from such sources as the wind and the sun by 2015, and to derive 20 percent from renewable sources by 2020.

"That standard was just doubled last year," said Heidi VanGenderen, Ritter's climate change adviser. "We would like to see how it does before we change it."

Xcel Energy, Colorado's largest electric utility, has declined to say how it will meet Ritter's goals, but spokeswoman Ethnie Groves said the utility will outline a CO2 reduction plan as part of a special report to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission due Nov. 16.

Other industries have expressed concern about Ritter's climate action proposals, with car dealers concerned that tough, California-style emission standards would increase car prices and reduce the variety of cars for sale.

Mining groups are worried that forcing utilities to use less coal will cut jobs in coal mining communities.

"It seems to us that he has already decided (to adopt the vehicle emission standards)," said Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Auto Dealers Association. "I anticipate that we will continue to fight any decision that cedes regulatory authority to some air quality board in California. Hooking onto that bus isn't logical for Colorado."

Jackson said his group would prefer incentives to take older cars off the road, such as buy-back programs. "That would cost the state some money," he said, "but it costs to go green ... and it's probably worth the cost if the climate is as important as people say it is."

'This is a start'

Ritter's climate plan comes as other western states, such as Arizona and California, are already at work. Acknowledging that Colorado lags some states, he said it was nonetheless important to take a deliberate approach to programs that are likely to cost consumers and industry money.

This year, a statewide blue-ribbon led by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, finalized its own action plan, which set a goal to reduce CO2 20 percent below 2005 levels. But it recommended expanding the renewable energy standard, and suggested that utilities start charging customers more as their electricity use rises.

Still, Stephen Saunders, head of the climate group, said Ritter's plan marks an important point in the state's efforts to combat global warming.

"This is a start," Saunders said. "It's the first time we've had leadership from a governor in Colorado on how we're going to protect the state from global warming."

Western states' CO2 reduction

In Colorado, reducing emissions 20 percent below 2005 levels would mean the state would produce about 92.9 million metric tons by 2020, or 37 percent less than the 147.5 million metric tons projected if no changes are made.

Arizona has a slightly more ambitious plan that would result in 45 percent less CO2 being produced.

Oregon plans to slash CO2 by 44 percent; New Mexico 33 percent, California 28 percent, and Washington 28 percent.

Source: Rocky Mountain Climate Organization.