PPM Energy, ScottishPower's competitive U.S. energy business, will begin construction this fall on the 75-megawatt (MW) Twin Buttes Wind Power Project in southeastern Colorado. And in Oregon, PPM just announced construction of the 100 MW Leaning Juniper Wind Project near Arlington, which is expected to be commercially operational later this year.

Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2007.

The increase is necessary because the Windsource program was designed for customers who want to pay premium rates in order to promote green energy, Stutz said.

The governor also notified lawmakers Monday he was letting a bill aimed at boosting wind-energy production in Colorado become law without his signature. House Bill 1275, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, changes the method of taxing wind farms from a business tax based on the value of equipment that depreciates over time to a production tax that levelizes the revenue stream to counties over a 20-year period.

A new coal-burning electricity plant is under construction in Pueblo. To the north, in Frederick, work is under way on another electricity plant, this one fired by natural gas. Solar and wind farms are cropping up in Lamar, Peetz, Grover and the San Luis Valley.

DENVER - A bill changing the method of taxing wind turbines in an attempt to lure more windfarm companies to northeastern Colorado is expected to reach the governor's desk in the next few days.

Prowers County Assessor, Andy Wyatt, got an unpleasant surprise on Thursday, March 30, when he read the Pueblo Chieftain story headlined, "Lawmaker challenges wind farm legislation." According to the story, an amendment tacked onto House Bill 1275, "at the behest of Prowers County Assessor Andy Wyatt" would potentially make the bill unconstitutional.

DENVER -- Concerns about the constitutionality of a bill aimed at luring wind farms to northeast Colorado forced Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, to postpone a final Senate vote Thursday.

PEETZ - The blades of 40 enormous new turbines are now turning steadily in the winds east of here.

DENVER - A Grand Junction lawmaker is raising constitutionality questions about a bill that would change the way wind farms are taxed because it includes an exemption for existing ones.

DENVER - Renewable-energy advocates accused the state of doing the bare minimum to promote wind and solar power in its new rules.

Two bills key to Colorado's economic development continued to move through the House of Representatives on March 15, according to the Legislature.

DENVER - A House committee unanimously approved a measure that requires county assessors to tax wind farms based on how much income they generate, rather than the equipment they use.

DENVER -- The state property tax administrator annually would determine the amount of a production tax to be paid by new wind farms under a bill that won unanimous approval Thursday in the Colorado House Finance Committee.

Western Colorado is poised to make a significant contribution to the nation's energy independence, said Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, who spoke to a capacity crowd at the Energy Forum and Expo Friday in Grand Junction.

DENVER - Peetz could have more wind turbines than people if state lawmakers can settle a dispute over how to tax them.

Washington - President Bush plans to visit the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden on Feb. 21 to highlight the administration's efforts to develop alternatives to oil, sources say.

CU has always been a university that has been very supportive of environmental causes with its numerous programs promoting conservation like RecycleMania ’06 and the Generation Green-Energy Education Campaign.

PEETZ — Xcel Energy and Invenergy Wind LLC have reached agreement on a power purchase contract for 200 megawatts of wind energy to be constructed in 2006-2007 by Logan Energy LLC, an affiliate of Invenergy Wind.

"These studies will provide rural communities with the necessary tools to utilize this emerging industry and build a diverse economic base," said Brian Vogt, director of the OEDIT and acting secretary of technology.