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Introduction

 

Since 2002, CAMU has produced an Annual Report to highlight the organization’s accomplishments. The intended audience for the report is the policymakers within CAMU’s communities, CAMU representatives, CAMU’s Affiliated Members, legislators and other interested parties. This is CAMU’s sixth Annual Report.

 

Legislative and Regulatory Accomplishments

 

CAMU works closely with a network of organizations (e.g. the American Public Power Association, the Colorado Municipal League, the Large Public Power Council) and individuals (e.g. professional legislative staff of Colorado’s Congressional delegation, members of the General Assembly and Governor’s cabinet officers, other states’ municipal utilities) to effectively represent the interests of municipal utilities in Denver and Washington, D.C. CAMU also relies on the professional assistance of a representative in Denver who constantly monitors legislative activities and advises members on positions and courses of action to take.

 

In Colorado, CAMU worked very diligently at the Colorado Legislature in 2007 to ensure the interests of its members were protected. CAMU became involved in several bills that would have impacted municipal utilities’ operations or the jurisdiction responsible for overseeing their activities. For instance, while CAMU members lost the ability to opt-out of having to comply with the state’s renewable portfolio standard, CAMU held the line to ensure the standard only applies to the three largest munis, which were included in the original, initiated statute. CAMU also successfully amended a bill that requires utilities to submit transmission plans to accommodate renewable energy development to the Public Utilities Commission for review and approval. The original bill would have carried this requirement to munis, which are not jurisdictional to the PUC. CAMU worked with the bill sponsor, former Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, to amend the bill so it did not apply to munis. CAMU worked with the sponsors of a bill that created a task force to identify the best renewable resource areas in Colorado to ensure munis were represented on the task force. CAMU opposed two bills that would have proven onerous for its members. The first would have required voter approval before city enclaves could be annexed and the other would have unsatisfactorily changed the state’s One-Call program. Both bills were killed in committee. CAMU’s track record in the legislature continues to be a very strong one.

In Washington, D.C., CAMU worked very closely with Colorado’s Congressional delegation and various agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. CAMU and representatives from its various communities met face to face with Sen. Allard, Sen. Salazar, Rep. Musgrave, Rep. Udall, Rep. John Salazar and Rep. Lamborn in 2007, discussing a wide array of issues. These included captive rail, environmental matters (such as carbon dioxide, the development of clean coal technology and the creation of incentives to create more energy from renewable resources) and the implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Colorado continues to have a high Public Power profile. Mayor John Baudek of Estes Park and Mayor Jay

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 Suhler of Springfield served as members of the American Public Power Association’s Policymakers Council. Both mayors were enthusiastic participants in the Council’s activities and were nominated by CAMU to serve in their posts. Both mayors stepped down from the Council in 2007 but it is very likely another Colorado elected official will assume a position on the Council in 2008. CAMU’s Executive Director serves as chairman of the APPA Advisory Committee, which is comprised of the state association directors from around the country. He also serves on APPA’s Board of Directors, as does Platte River Power Authority’s General Manager Brian Moeck, whom was appointed to the board in late 2006 to represent the Rocky Mountain Region. CAMU’s executive director also was appointed to serve on APPA’s Climate Change Task Force.

Special Projects

 

CAMU again helped to finance and actively participated in the Colorado Energy Forum. The consortium, which includes all of the electricity providers in Colorado, published several major, independent studies to assess the state’s electric energy needs during the next 20 years. Reports completed in 2007 include: “Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard;” and “Colorado’s Electric Transmission System and Why in Needs Expanding.” CAMU’s executive director serves on the CEF board of directors and executive committee as treasurer. CAMU will continue to participate in the Forum in 2008 as its members work to develop policy solutions to assist the state in constructing the billions of dollars in investments needed in generation and transmission facilities during the next 20 years. John Bleem, Platte River Power Authority Division Manager for Customer Services and CAMU representative, served on a 16-member task force charged with mapping renewable energy sources in Colorado.

Membership and Meetings

 

CAMU continues to enjoy strong support from its member communities. All of Colorado’s 29 municipally owned electric systems are CAMU members. Some of these communities also own natural gas systems and CAMU provides limited representation for these members in the natural gas arena.

 

CAMU conducts four full membership meetings each year. Beginning in 2008, CAMU’s Annual Meeting, which had been held in January, will be merged with the Annual Conference, held each July. In 2008, CAMU’s quarterly meetings will be in Loveland in February, May in Springfield, during the Annual Conference in July in Glenwood Springs and in October in Colorado Springs.

 

In July, CAMU conducted its fifth Annual Conference in Oak Creek and Steamboat Springs. About 75 representatives of Municipal Members, Associate Members and Affiliated Members attended the two-day meeting. It was the highest-rated Annual Conference to date and brought in record revenues. CAMU awarded its fifth Darrell T. Davis Sheepherder’s Award for Meritorious Service to long-time CAMU member and past president Bill McEwan, who has enjoyed a long career at the Arkansas River Power Authority and represents other municipal utilities. A survey of attendees conducted after the meeting showed very high satisfaction. Some 93.8% of respondents graded the conference a “5” (highest possible) overall. The overall “5” ratings in 2003 were 59%; 2004, 69.2%; 2005, 75% and 2006 77.8%. 100% of respondents to the survey gave their overall conference ranking as a 4 or 5 on a 1-5 scale.

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In 2007, CAMU held its Winter Meeting in Longmont, its Spring Meeting in Burlington and its Fall Meeting in Colorado Springs. Four Legislative Committee meetings were conducted via teleconference during the Legislative Session (January, February, March and April).

 

Affiliated Membership (vendors, service providers, communities interested in municipalization, other utilities) remained strong. CAMU’s Affiliated Membership hovers around 35 annually.

 

Platte River partnership

 

Since 2001, CAMU and Platte River have shared the services of one employee – Dave Lock. Dave is a full-time Platte River employee. CAMU contracts with Platte River for half of Dave’s time and provides funds for travel and other expenses. This arrangement has served both organizations well and allows them to make efficient use of their resources. In the fall of 2003, Platte River and CAMU extended their agreement through 2006. The agreement was extended again in the fall of 2006 for another three years (through 2009). Dave has responsibility for Platte River’s federal and state legislative and regulatory affairs. CAMU and Platte River have an agreement that states Dave will not lobby on issues where the organizations have conflicts between their positions. During the seven years of the partnership, this situation has not arisen.

Services

 

CAMU provided the following services to its membership during 2007. Most of these services are ongoing and integral parts of CAMU:

 

•  Legislative representation at the Colorado Legislature and before the United States Congress
• Interaction with state and federal offices and agencies that impact municipal utility operations (e.g. Gov. Bill Ritter’s office, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, the Governor’s Energy Office, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency the Council on Environmental Quality)
• Board-level participation in the Colorado Energy Forum and the American Public Power Association, and the APPA Climate Change Task Force
• Semi-Annual Rate Survey
• Annual Salary Survey
• Membership Directory updates
• Annual Conference
• Annual Conference Survey
• Monthly newsletter
• Regular e-mail updates
• Support of Boulder and Berthoud, both considering municipal utility ownership
• Upgrade and maintenance of the CAMU Connections Website
• Updated Legislative and Policy Guidebook
• Interaction with and representation of municipal utility interests with the Western Area Power Administration
• Facilitation of CAMU committee work (Generation and Transmission, Legislative, Education and Nominating)
• Representation of CAMU at many state, regional and national meetings

 

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2008 Focus

 

For many years, CAMU completed an annual strategic plan. CAMU’s board in 2007 decided to instead incorporate the organization’s annual focus into the Annual Report. Areas of focus for CAMU in 2008 will include:

 

•  Working to ensure legislation and regulations enacted are in the best interest of CAMU’s members. CAMU will continue to meet with state and federal lawmakers and regulators to advocate for the interests of municipal electric utilities.
• Continuing to add value to CAMU membership. CAMU strives to constantly provide and increase value to its members. Upgrading the website to make more information available and to make it easier for members to provide information is an example. In 2007, CAMU revamped its newsletter and in 2008 will convene a focus group of municipal generators to address the myriad policy initiatives surrounding combating climate change.
• Producing CAMU’s Sixth Annual Conference. The Annual Conference has been a very popular event and CAMU will strive to continue to produce a high-quality conference in Glenwood Springs in 2008.
• Continuing to forge strong partnerships to assist members. CAMU has been and will remain active in key coalitions and organizations to leverage its strength on a state, regional and national basis.
• Adhering to revenue and budgetary policies to ensure the organization’s financial well being. CAMU has a goal to continually maintain six months’ of operating reserves. CAMU’s financial performance in 2007 was strong and this goal will be eclipsed in 2008. CAMU did not have to raise its assessments in 2008, due to its strong financial standing.

Conclusion

CAMU had an active, productive and successful year in 2007. We plan on applying those adjectives to our efforts in 2008 and beyond.