‘Rate payer revolt’ demands end to dependence on gas-fired energy

BY ERIC GALATAS PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE

Consumer advocates held a “Rate Payer Revolt” at the Colorado State Capitol to urge lawmakers to address what they see as the root cause of the recent extreme spikes in utility bills: the state’s reliance on natural gas.

Danny Katz, executive director of the Colorado Public Interest Research Group, said at the April protest lawmakers and utilities should take steps to protect ratepayers by tapping new federal funds to speed up the transition to sources such as wind and solar, which are produced locally and are not commodities traded on a global market.

“And if we want to make sure was thrown away. at means the city can’t know for sure if the items were held for the required amount of time, according to the audit. that we are not getting ripped o as consumers into the future,” said Katz, “we need to do more to reduce our reliance on gas to heat and power our homes and businesses.”

Accurate documentation is important, human service providers said, because belongings — such as tents, bedding, clothing and medications — are needed for survival. If they are thrown away, a person may not have as much time for other activities, such as receiving mental health treatment.

Xcel Energy has blamed spikes in heating bills on rising wholesale gas prices and market forces beyond its control. It has launched a cost-adjustment plan to give consumers some relief.

CoPIRG and other groups are urging the Legislature to take steps to lower the state’s dependence on gas - including maximizing eciency and ending ratepayer subsidies for new gas infrastructure, lobbying and legal expenses.

Xcel and other utilities have added clean-energy capacity, but e city’s property storage and removal webpage also did not include all required information, such as a phone number, location and hours of operation for the facility to help people retrieve their property, according to the audit.

While the city identi ed the webpage as the best way to communicate information about stored personal property to people who are homelessness, 311 call records showed people still may not know who to call.

For example, the audit team found that Denver 311 received only 63 calls where people inquired about personal property between Jan. 1, 2019, and continue to see natural gas as an important source for meeting peak energy demand and keeping the grid working at night and when the wind isn’t blowing.

Katz said we now have roadmaps and technologies - including increased storage capacity, and regulating peak demand via smart appliances - to wean ourselves o of natural gas.

“Twenty years ago, maybe we didn’t have the technology, and maybe we needed to have a much more diverse portfolio,” said Katz. “But I think we’ve seen the price of renewables have come down, the capacity that we have to put more energy from renewables has gone up.”

Methane, the primary compo- e city also wasn’t always in compliance with the part of the Lyall settlement that requires sensitivity training for all city employees who regularly interact with people who are homeless. e Department of Transportation and Infrastructure was not able to provide attendance records to show employees had taken required training related to hazardous materials or trauma. us, employees from those nent of natural gas, is more than 85 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2 and is a major source of climate pollution.

June 30, 2022. Of the 346 calls that Denver 311 provided to auditors that included inquiries about property storage or belongings, 179 calls were relevant to homelessness personal property.

Katz said he believes now is the time for utilities across the state to move away from a fuel source subject to global supply chains and disruptive geo-political events. “ ere’s a lot of federal infrastructure money coming in as well,” said Katz. “So there’s never been a better time for utilities to step up and say, ‘OK, we can start to reduce this reliance and move away from gas.’” is Public News Service via e Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member. departments may not have the knowledge or skills to interact with people who are homeless, or the ability to manage personal stress and exhaustion, according to the audit. is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

“ ese instances of noncompliance expose the city to potential future liabilities and lawsuits,” the audit states.