Colorado Meets 30% Renewable Standard 8 Years Early

Some change is head turning.  And so I had to read and read again the news that Xcel, Colorado's largest electric utility, will meet that state's 30% renewables by 2020 requirement 8 years ahead of schedule.  Or by 2012.  The 30% requirement was passed by Colorado in 2010.  

Colorado had 1252 megawatts of wind power operating in 2010, with Xcel using nearly all of it.  Furthermore Xcel will purchase all the power from 2 big new wind farms under construction now that will begin operations this year.  Each wind farm is 250 megawatts and will boost Colorado wind capacity to over 1750 megawatts.

Xcel also has 75.9 megawatts of small, rooftop solar systems operating and 27.2 megawatts of utility scale solar running right now.  By 2012 Xcel will buy the output from two more big solar farms, each providing 30 MW.

And how much has this 2,000 megawatts of new, zero air pollution, zero fuel cost electric capacity cost Xcel ratepayers?  It is all paid for by a 2% monthly surcharge.