Ritter's Performance 'Miserable,' Says Think Tank Chief

John Caldara, President of the Colorado think tank the Independence Institute, says Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter has turned in a "miserable" performance on energy issues over the past four years.

Caldara says Ritter has put the state at a competitive disadvantage and set off a time bomb for higher energy prices in the future by pushing for a 30 percent renewable energy standard. He calls the previous mandate of 10 percent "modest" and says Ritter gave the state just 10 years to meet a standard of 30 percent, a goal he calls unreasonable. He says the state should not have a renewable energy standard at all because that means playing favorites with some energy industries. He believes they all should be on a level playing field. He says Ritter used corporate welfare and subsidies so people he calls "politically connected" can sell their power.

Caldara says rather than moving the state toward renewables, Ritter has forced it. He says Colorado has some of the nation's most abundant natural gas, coal and oil resources. But he says Ritter's policies favoring renewable energy have crippled those industries and will force working people to pay higher prices for electricity. He also laments that hydro electric power, much of which emanates from the snowfall on Colorado high peaks, is not considered renewable energy under state policy.

Caldara says he's agnostic when it comes to how energy should be produced, but he believes that the market should determine that, not what he calls corporate welfare to some companies. While he acknowledges that all types of energy are subsidized, he says that renewables like wind and solar energy receive more money per kilowatt than traditional fossil fuels. He also believes that wind and solar are not sources of strong, consistent power.

The state's rate caps that hold rate increases to just 2 percent, despite the 30 percent RES, are unsustainable, Caldara says. He says eventually, either the rate cap or the mandate will need to be changed.

Caldara also argues that natural gas-fired backup generators, which are needed to supplement wind power when the wind isn't blowing, emit more carbon dioxide while they are warming up and cycling on and off than if they are just sitting.

Overall, Caldara gives Ritter an energy grade of "F." He says the governor has taken what was a thriving economy, especially in the oil and natural gas industries, and put it near the bottom of the country. He says four years ago, the state was ranked first in the nation for the speed of issuing permits to drill for natural gas. It took less than a week. Now it takes months, and companies are pulling their rigs out of the state as a result. He also does not believe arguments that the new process has made the industry safer. He says state residents will feel the pain of those regulations in about 10 years.

Caldara says Ritter has packed the state's Public Utilities Commission with environmentalists, who he says are waging a war on coal. He says the former leader of Environment Colorado swore when he was put on the commission that there would never be another coal-fired power plant built in the state.

Caldara says his organization does not receive funding from the coal industry or any other energy interest. He says most of its funding comes from private grants and individuals.