Colorado committee on energy bill reverses decision to close meeting

An advisory committee charged with looking at a controversial renewable energy bill will hold its first meeting Wednesday in the open after protests about it being closed to the public.

Colorado Energy Office spokeswoman Denise Steptosaid the original intent to close the meeting was not to be "secretive" but for members of the committee to get to know each other.

She said after a protest from The Associated Press, she consulted the governor's office, which said the meeting should be open.

Gov. John Hickenlooper established the advisory committee with an executive order after signing Senate Bill 252 into law in June. The Democratic-sponsored bill requires Colorado's rural cooperative electric associations to get 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020, up from 10 percent.

The governor admitted the bill was "imperfect" and charged an advisory committee with reviewing the most contentious issues, the compliance deadline and cost.

The measure was one of the most hotly contested of the legislative session, pitting environmental groups and renewable energy companies against rural cooperatives and Republican lawmakers.

The advisory committee is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. at the Colorado Energy Office, 1580 Logan St.

Members of the advisory committee include representatives of rural co-ops, agriculture and renewable energy.

Source: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_23630292/colorado-committee-energy-bill-reverses-decision-close-meeting?source=rss

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