Who is Allen Best and Big Pivots?
Allen Best is a Colorado journalist with many years of experience following energy policy and politics. He publishes his own free e-journal at bigpivots.com. He has written these pieces of analysis for Empowering Colorado.
- The dance between utilities commission and energy providers changes faster than a do-si-do
The utility commissioners were engaging in an exercise of what-ifs. They regulate Xcel, which is responsible for more than 60% of the state’s electrical sales, and Black Hills Energy, also an investor-owned utility. Periodically, those utilities must submit plans to show how they intend to meet demands. Part of the dance between regulators and utilities is creation of models that seek to depict future trends. - State legislature hopes to tackle the next step to a cleaner climate by reducing natural gas emissions
A legislative bill that landed on the desk of Gov. Jared Polis last week may be just as important in Colorado’s energy journey as the first renewable energy standard approved by state voters in 2004. - Federal officials say the sky’s the limit in changing energy to solve climate crises
Top-level federal officials and representatives discussed the effort required to meet the challenge of climate change at the 21st Century Energy Transition Symposium held on May 4 and May 5. - Wyoming seeks to stall Colorado’s exit from coal-generated electricity
In 2009, Wyoming was riding high on coal. It supplied the coal that provided roughly half the nation’s power generation. The trains out of the Powder River Basin were almost non-stop, delivering the sub-bituminous low-sulphur coal from Wyoming’s subterranean to plants as far as Florida. The Sierra Club had mounted a campaign in which it […] - The top 10 Colorado energy stories to look out for in 2021
In 2020, the raft of bills passed by Colorado legislators the previous year began altering the state’s energy story. Then, the markets and economy were ravaged by the effects of COVID-19. 2021 will be a fascinating year in the Colorado energy sphere. Here are the stories to keep an eye on for the coming year: - Colorado Unusual In Climate Change Actions, But Not Attitudes
Consider that Colorado legislators last year adopted some of the deepest decarbonization goals in the country. A reflection of a rapid shift of Colorado’s electorate? Not at all, reported Joshua Low of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.