Citizens for Sensible Energy Choices

<p><b>Citizens for Sensible Energy Choices</b>

(apparently now defunct) is a group - largely funded by power utilities

- that opposed a Colorado initiative to pass a Renewable Energy

Standard that would require 10% of the state's electricity to be sourced

from wind and solar. The initiative was on the ballot in November 2004.

Despite the opposition of CESC and the power utilities, the proposal

narrowly passed, 52% to 48%. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=17736">[1]</a>

The inititive - known as Proposition 37 - was promoted by <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.renewableenergyyes.com/">Coloradans for Clean Energy</a> and is the first such proposal in the country.

CSEC, in arguing against the proposal, described it as an unfunded

mandate and urged that the promotion of renewable energy should not be

mandated but should instead emerge in responses to market forces when it

becomes economic.</p>

<h2>Contents</h2>

<ul><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_Sensible_Energy_Choices#History"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">History</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_Sensible_Energy_Choices#Funding"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Funding</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_Sensible_Energy_Choices#Opponents_of_Proposition_37"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Opponents of Proposition 37</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_Sensible_Energy_Choices#Related_SourceWatch_Resources"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Related SourceWatch Resources</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_Sensible_Energy_Choices#Contact_details"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Contact details</span></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_Sensible_Energy_Choices#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a></li></ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2> <span class="mw-headline" id="History">History</span></h2>

<p>The Colorado Secretary of State received a registration from <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Michelle_Stermer&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Michelle Stermer (page does not exist)">Michelle Stermer</a> for CSEC as an issue committee on July 28, 2004. On August 3, 2004 <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mac_Mclennan&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Mac Mclennan (page does not exist)">Mac Mclennan</a>, from Tri-State Generation and Transmission, took over from Stermer as the registered agent for the group.

On August 31, 2004 Ken Bergquist from the Denver-based marketing/PR company <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Walt_Klein_%26_Associates" title="Walt Klein & Associates">Walt Klein & Associates</a> registered the www.voteno37.com domain name.</p>

<h2> <span class="mw-headline" id="Funding">Funding</span></h2>

<p>Returns filed with the Colorado Secretary of State's office reveale that CSEC funders to September 2004 are:</p>

<ul><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Xcel_Energy" title="Xcel Energy">Xcel Energy</a> $520,000</li><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rural_Electric_Association&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Rural Electric Association (page does not exist)">Rural Electric Association</a> $250,000</li><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tri-State_Generation_and_Transmission" title="Tri-State Generation and Transmission" class="mw-redirect">Tri-State Generation and Transmission</a> $250,000</li><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Colorado_Rural_Electric_Association&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Colorado Rural Electric Association (page does not exist)">Colorado Rural Electric Association</a> $20,000</li><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Arch_Western_Resources&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Arch Western Resources (page does not exist)">Arch Western Resources</a> LLC $10,000</li><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Michelle_Stermer&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Michelle Stermer (page does not exist)">Michelle Stermer</a> $100</li></ul>

<p>Xcel Energy, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and

the Colorado Rural Electric Association are the three major power supply

companies in Colorado. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.renewableenergyyes.com/News/8_12DenverPostColumn.htm">[2]</a>

By September 2, 2004 CSEC had spent $41,049 on the services of Texas-based opinion polling amd market research company, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Hill_Research_Consultants" title="Hill Research Consultants">Hill Research Consultants</a>. By the end of September CSEC had $498,527 on hand.</p>

<h2> <span class="mw-headline" id="Opponents_of_Proposition_37">Opponents of Proposition 37</span></h2>

<p>On its website CSEC does not disclose its funders but lists 'opponents of Proposition 37 as being:</p>

<ul><li>Aquila</li><li>Club 20</li><li>Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry</li><li>Colorado Association of Municipal Utilities</li><li>Colorado Mining Association</li><li>Colorado Rural Electric Association</li><li>Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce</li><li>Downtown Denver Partnership</li><li>Intermountain Rural Electric Association</li><li>International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 111</li><li>Metro North Chamber of Commerce</li><li>National Association of Industrial and Office Properties</li><li>Southeast Business Partnership</li><li>Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association</li><li>United Transportation Union</li><li>Xcel Energy</li></ul>

<h2> <span class="mw-headline" id="Related_SourceWatch_Resources">Related SourceWatch Resources</span></h2>

<ul><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Coloradans_for_Clean_Energy&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Coloradans for Clean Energy (page does not exist)">Coloradans for Clean Energy</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Renewable_energy" title="Renewable energy">renewable energy</a></li></ul>

<h2> <span class="mw-headline" id="Contact_details">Contact details</span></h2>

<p>Citizens for Sensible Energy Choices

P.O. Box 413

Denver, CO 80201

Phone:(720) 904-9197

Web:<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://voteno37.com">http://voteno37.com</a> (now defunct)</p>

<h2> <span class="mw-headline" id="External_links">External links</span></h2>

<ul><li>Diane Carman, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.renewableenergyyes.com/News/8_12DenverPostColumn.htm">Power play: Your cash is fighting renewable energy</a>", <i>Denver Post</i>, August 12, 2004.</li><li>Donetta Davidson, "letter to Michelle Stermer", State of Colorado Department of State, July 30, 2004.</li><li>Judith Kohler, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.coloradodaily.com/articles/2004/11/03/news/news07.txt">Energy measure leads statewide</a>", <i>Colorado Daily.com</i>, November 3, 2004. (This is an Associated Press story).</li><li>Jesse Broehl, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=17736">Colorado Voters Pass Renewable Energy Standard: Amendment Creates First Ever Voter-Approved Renewable Energy Standard</a>", <i>RenewableEnergyAccess.com</i>, November 3, 2004.</li></ul>

    
        
    
    
            
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Citizens for Sensible Energy Choices

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