April/May 2009
Energy Incentives
C O N T E N T S
Executive Director's Corner: Standing with Giants, by Deb Kleinman
Special: Remembering Greg Franta, by Annette Stelmack
LEED: Aardex Receives Second Platinum LEED Certification from the USGBC, by Mike Hehir
Energy Incentives: Xcel Announces New Incentives, by Erine Mathe
Sustainable Development: Grassroots Efforts Support a Sustainable Ethic, by Sarah Martinez
Government: Greening the Government: State Leads by Example, by Angie Fyfe
Case Study: Extracting Value From NAIOP's Highly Criticized Building Cost Report, by Courtney France
Go Green, Save Money: Rep. Perlmutter Legislation Promotes Going Green To Save Green, by Christopher Votoupal
Colorado Building Green is the official newsletter of the U.S. Green Building Council – Colorado Chapter, and is published bi-monthly. If you are interested in submiting a story, ideas or other information for publication, please contact the editor at sarah@usgbccolorado.org
Xcel Energy Helps The Environment While Helping Consumers Save Money
Xcel Energy Announces New Programs in Colorado Targeted to Residential Energy Efficiency
By Erin Mathe, Xcel Energy Media Relations, Xcel Energy
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The company is continuing its evaporative cooling program from previous years. Consumers can receive rebates of either $200 or $500 for the installation of qualifying units for the program.
In addition, the company will continue its residential Saver’s Switch program this year. Bill credits have increased to $40 for all residential customers in Colorado. The company provides these rebates to customers who allow the company to cycle air-conditioning units during periods of high electricity demand.
By 2015, Xcel Energy will reduce electricity demand on its system by nearly 700 megawatts. This effort would delay or preclude the construction of a traditional electric power generating station costing $1 billion or more. A power plant of this size serves the electricity needs of more than 525,000 homes in Colorado.
Over the next two years, the company will reduce electricity demand by the equivalent of nearly 94,000 homes in Colorado. In terms of natural gas savings, Xcel Energy expects to reduce demand for natural gas by more than 7.2 million therms in 2009-2010. This would be equivalent to the average annual natural gas needs of more than 9,000 typical residential homes in Colorado.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy’s new DSM program in October 2008. The programs are expected to add about $1.64 a month to typical residential bills and about $2.83 a month to typical small-business customer bills. Xcel Energy invested approximately $20 million in energy efficiency programs in 2008.
For more information on Xcel Energy’s new and existing residential DSM programs, go to www.xcelenergy.com. Select “Colorado” for the state site you wish to visit, then select “Programs and Resources” on the drop down menu under “Residential.” On the left column, select “Heating and Cooling Rebates” and then click on the specific program you wish to explore.