Threats & Solutions

By Kent Singer, Executive Director, Colorado Rural Electric Association (CREA) Read more »

Colorado’s economy hit a rough patch, but we got through it. And now we’re moving forward again. But our economy can’t afford to take any more hits.

While the Colorado legislative session marked is half-way point last week, we aren’t quite ready to breathe a sigh of relief. We know that there are groups with extreme agendas who may still want to place expensive mandates on customers in rural Colorado.

So imagine our concern when we read veteran Colorado political journalist Peter Blake’s column describing a bill that could put a new burden on still-struggling families, farms and small businesses. Read more »

By Keven J. Groenewold

Consumers are adding more plugged-in devices daily, and are paying more for their convenience. The average annual residential electric bill has soared $263 since 2005, with electricity use outpacing efficiency efforts. Despite the rescent recession, U.S. homes on average used an additional 50 kilowatt-hours (kWh) every month between 2009 and 2010; retail electricity sales rose 4.4 percent.

Americans aren’t the only people using more power. As worldwide energy use grows, resource competition and prices shoot up. By 2035, global energy consumption, primairly in China and India, will jump 53 percent from 2008 levels. Read more »

As President Obama sets his second-term agenda, join us in sending a clear message about the importance of affordable electricity to the economy. 

As you and approximately 60,000 other supporters of Keep Electricity Affordable know, the cost of electricity impacts the budget of every home, farm, school and small business. While our national and local economies struggle to recover from the downturn, we don’t need misguided public policies unnecessarily driving up the price of power.

Here is what you can do: Sign this open letter to the President asking him to pursue a comprehensive “all of the above” energy policy and put a stop to mandates that unnecessarily drive up the price of electricity. Click here to add your name, and let the White House know how much you care about keeping electricity affordable.

Keeping electricity affordable is extra important for older Americans, an AARP report notes. Seniors 65 or older devote a significantly greater share of their spending to utilities than those under 50 years. And electricity accounts for the biggest chunk of the utility bills of those over 50. 

Seniors are not just vulnerable to price increases, they’re also limited in the steps they can take to save on their monthly utility costs. AARP advises them not to try to save money by turning the thermostat down in the winter or up in the summer because maintaining a comfortable temperature, especially in the sizzling heat of summer or the biting cold of winter, is critical to the health of older adults. Electricity isn’t a luxury to many people – it’s a lifeline.  Read more »