They have approved a bill that will require Tri-State Generation and Transmission that supplies Colorado’s electrical cooperatives, like La Plata Electric Association, to increase the percentage of electricity derived from renewable sources. Renewable resources are energy from wind, solar, hydroelectric and biomass like methanol.

This is called the renewable-energy standard. It was 10 percent and with this bill, it will be increased to 20 percent. Sarah Propst of the Interwest Energy Alliance said, “With its world class wind and solar resources, Colorado is a leader on clean energy development. … Many Colorado utility customers are already benefitting from affordable, predictably priced renewable energy, and Colorado communities and families are benefitting from clean energy jobs. This legislation will bring more of these good things to the state.” Baloney.

The only reason electricity might be affordable is because of the many billions of dollars of subsidies paid to suppliers of renewable energy. Congress has, however, considered doing away with those subsidies which will cause the costs to soar. And supply is not predictable. There is no electricity if the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow.

Even with the subsidies, Tri-State predicts it will cost its customers $3 billion. Now why would they do something so stupid? All for “clean energy.” And what is clean energy? It’s energy that is produced without carbon-dioxide emissions. All in the name of a discredited theory of global warming. But the Democrats don’t care what it costs us as long as they gain even more control of our lives and make their enviro-freak friends happy. I hope the McLachlan recall is successful but if not, we must defeat him in 2014.

George Thompson

Durango