Encourage Geothermal Energy Use

The act:

• Requires the Colorado energy office (office) to develop basic consumer education and guidance about purchased or, if available, leased installation of a system that uses geothermal energy for water heating or space heating or cooling in a single building or for space heating for more than one building through a pipeline network;
• Permits the office to update the greenhouse gas pollution reduction roadmap to expressly include geothermal energy as a renewable energy resource that qualifying retail utilities may use to achieve the electric utility sector greenhouse gas pollution reduction goals set forth in the roadmap;
• Limits the aggregate of all charges or other related or associated fees the state, a county, or a municipality may impose or assess to install a geothermal energy system, which means a system that uses geothermal energy for water heating or space heating or cooling in a single building, for space heating for more than one building through a pipeline network, or for electricity generation;
• Specifies that the division of administration in the department of public health and environment may certify geothermal equipment as pollution control equipment;
• Specifies that a "project" for purposes of the "County and Municipality Development Revenue Bond Act" includes capital improvements to existing single-family residential, multi-family residential, commercial, or industrial structures, to retrofit such structures for installation of a system that uses geothermal energy for water heating or space heating or cooling in a single structure;
• Permits a county board of commissioners or a regional planning commission, and a municipal development commission, to include methods for assuring access to appropriate conditions for geothermal energy sources in a master plan for development;
• Specifies that the addition of a device used as part of a system that uses geothermal energy for water heating or space heating or cooling to a building is not necessarily considered a structural alteration for purposes of continuing a nonconforming use of a building, structure, or land under a county zoning resolution;
• Specifies that a geothermal energy device is a renewable energy generation device that cannot be prohibited in legal instruments related to the transfer or sale of, or interest in, real property; and
• Creates community geothermal gardens, which are analogous to community solar gardens; except that a qualifying retail utility is permitted and not required to purchase electricity and renewable energy credits generated from one or more community geothermal gardens.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)