Bill > HB1225

This bill, titled the "Advancing Grid Resilience Using Distributed Energy Resources Act," aims to foster the growth of distributed energy resources (DERs) in Colorado, which are technologies like community solar gardens and energy storage systems that generate electricity close to where it's used. The bill addresses concerns about increasing electricity demand, the need for grid reliability, and the impact of changing federal tax incentives on DER deployment. Key provisions include ensuring that bill credits for community solar subscribers, especially those with low incomes, maintain their value over time by adjusting them annually to keep pace with electricity rates, and establishing a working group by August 15, 2026, for utilities with over 500,000 customers to develop strategies for accelerating the interconnection process for DERs. This working group will explore options like cluster and batch studies for interconnection, accepting surety bonds instead of cash for upgrades, and allowing third-party contractors to perform interconnection studies and upgrades under specific conditions, with the goal of making the process more timely and cost-effective while maintaining safety and reliability standards. The bill also clarifies the definition of "dispatchable distributed generation" to include standalone energy storage systems and makes adjustments to rules regarding the size limitations and installation requirements for renewable distributed generation and storage facilities.