Ritter Signs Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act Into Law

It's a good day for Colorado's people, environment, and economy. Governor Ritter signed the Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act into law today. If you remember this bill was designed to retrofit some of Colorado's older coal-fired electricity plants to be able to burn cleaner natural gas. These retrofits will help create jobs, support Colorado's natural gas industry, and reduce carbon emissions and toxins in our air and water.

Another thing to keep in mind when trying to understand why this law is such a good idea is that a natural gas power plant makes it easier to supplement our power production with renewable sources such as wind and solar. This is because it is easier to bring a natural gas-fired power plant rather than a coal-fired plant when the wind ceases to blow and the sun stops shining. There was also an unusual accord among all parties (Xcel, environmentalists, Dems and Repubs) with the obvious exception being the coal industry. Finally, for all of those folks concerned about the cost of this law (rather than with the health of their neighbors or the environment first), it is cheaper to retrofit an old coal plant with natural gas than it is to decommission that plant and build a new coal-fired (albeit less emitting) power plant.

I don't know about you but I like the direction Colorado is taking with respect to the clean energy economy.