Sen Fenberg's Forced Electrification camel sticks its nose under the tent, an update on magic mushrooms, and know where the money is moving in the Assembly.
Raising the cost of houses, and make us one step closer to forced electrification?
As happens often with bills near the end of the Assembly session, this one has moved quickly. It is, in fact, up for its committee hearing today.
Short notice, but I hope you have a minute to join me in sending off an email to either your Senator or the Committee about this bill.
The bill itself seems pretty mundane and, to a layman, it's hard to see why this is important. I'll highlight the part I am concerned with, however.
Look at the attached screenshot from the bill's fiscal note. What you're looking at is the beginning of forced electrification via the back door.
As things stand right now, if a new development or home wants a natural gas line run to it, the utilities help defray the cost of that infrastructure.
Your house got such a benefit. Mine did. Others who are building now get such a benefit. It's true that current rate payers help subsidize the extension of gas lines and etc., but again, we are beneficiaries of others doing that for us.
This bill would prevent that. It's true that it won't remove anyone's ability to have natural gas lines run to their home, but it will make it drastically more expensive. Is there a substantive difference between forcing you to electrify your home vs. removing every other option or pricing you out? I say no.
I had a reader share a quote with me that I want to share with you.
"At the August 24, 2022 Colorado PUC hearing on Xcel's natural gas rate case (Proceeding 22AL-0046G), Jeff Lyng, Xcel Energy Area Vice President, Energy & Sustainability Policy, stated that 'We've incentivized through our [Xcel Energy] programs thus far this year about a dozen all electric homes.'"
A dozen homes. In the whole state, a dozen homes have electrified.
It is clear what people have chosen to both heat their homes, their water, and (sometimes) laundry and food: natural gas.
I urge you to speak up about this whether you're planning to move or not. Remember that if it doesn't bite you, that just means they haven't gotten around to you yet. The time to speak up is when the camel's nose first pokes under the tent.
If you are interested in more about the bill, I included something from a pro-business journal below. It's the first link.
https://tsscolorado.com/bill-seeks-to-rein-in-utility-rates-by-limiting-several-current-practices/
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb23-291
If you've been jazzed about magic mushrooms in this state, I've got an update for you.
Polis just appointed the (unelected and unaccountable) advisory board and they've all cleared the Senate confirmation and are on their way to, quoting the article, "...play a significant role in how the state’s psilocybin-assisted therapy industry takes shape, offering recommendations to the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) as it writes rules to govern the manufacturing, testing and application of psilocybin and psilocin — two psychoactive compounds in 'magic mushrooms.'"
Details about the appointees are in the article below if you're curious to know more.
https://www.denverpost.com/2023/04/12/colorado-natural-medicine-advisory-board-psilocybin-polis-appointees-meetings/
Know where the money is coming from and where it's going
I have my disagreements with the Sun and its reporters, but they do a good job with following (mostly) money in politics. The article below isn't an exception.
Worth a read: inform yourself of where the money is coming from in your legislature and to whom its going.
**Please feel free to add what stuck out to you in the comments if you would like. What stuck out to me? Big money from the health sector (Sage Theraputics--drug company, and COPIC--medical insurance/malpractice). I wonder what it is they're pushing so hard.
https://coloradosun.com/2023/04/14/colorado-legislature-lobbying-2023/