Net Metering Bill on Way to Senate

The House gave final approval Wednesday to a bill that would require rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities to grant credit on electric bills to customers that generate renewable energy.

HB 1160 passed with only one "no" vote, which came from Rep. Douglas Bruce, R-Colorado Springs.

The bill requires municipal utilities that serve at least 5,000 customers and all rural electric cooperatives to offset customers' electricity use by the amount of power that customer generates, subject to certain caps.

The bill also sets standards by which rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities must decide whether to allow generators of "home-grown" energy to interconnect to the grid. It also requires residential and business generators to meet certain insurance requirements in order to interconnect.

HB 1160 is sponsored in the House by Rep. Judy Solano, D-Thornton, and in the Senate by Sens. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, and Jim Isgar, D-Hesperus.