Fast Facts – Colorado Municipal Systems and Renewable Energy
* All initiated by local efforts by the citizen-owners of the systems; not mandated from the state or federal government. *
- All 29 municipal electric systems in Colorado receive hydroelectric power from the Western Area Power Administration. Collectively, 20% of all municipal electric power comes from hydro resources.
- Several municipal systems are pursuing their own renewable programs.
o Fort Collins, Longmont, Loveland, Estes Park and Colorado Springs make wind energy available to their customers on a premium basis.
o Other utilities, such as Aspen and Glenwood Springs, count a significant amount of renewable power in their resource mix, which they include in their base rates so all consumers pay for it. Aspen receives more than 50% of its power from wind and hydro resources. Glenwood Springs is the third-largest provider of wind power, per capita, in the United States.
o Fort Collins has initiated plans to reduce its per capita electric consumption 10 percent and per capita peak day electric demand 15 percent by the year 2012. Renewable energy use is targeted to increase to 15 percent by 2017.
o Lamar, Springfield and their power provider, the Arkansas River Power Authority, have built five wind turbines in southeastern Colorado, which provide six munis with wind power.
o Lyons customers receive 3% of their power from wind resources – in addition to their hydropower
o All three municipal power generators in Colorado – Platte River Power Authority, the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska and the Arkansas River Power Authority – own wind resources that deliver wind energy to the city utilities they serve.
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Fast Facts 
