United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
vvEPA
State Incentives for Achieving Clean and Renewable
Energy Development on Contaminated Lands
The development of clean and renewable energy on formerly used land offers many economic and environmental benefits. Combining clean and renewable energy and
contaminated land cleanup incentives can allow investors and communities to create economically viable clean and renewable energy redevelopment projects. This
document provides information about incentives in your state that can be leveraged for clean and renewable energy and development of contaminated land.
Incentives for Clean and Renewable Energy
Funding (grants, loans, bonds, etc.)
Colorado Clean Energy Fund - New Energy Economic
Development (NEED) Program
www.colorado.gov/energy/resources/Hinding-opportunities.asp
Provides grants, loans, and other financial incentives to producers of
renewable energy, including solar thermal electric, photovoltaic (PV), wind,
biomass, hydroelectric, fuel cells, small hydroelectric, renewable fuels, and
other distributed generation technologies. Approximately $650,000 is
available through the Clean Energy Fund.
Tax Incentives (abatements, deductions, credits, etc.)
Renewable Energy Property Assessment Thresholds
www.dola.state.co.us/dpt/state_assessed/index.htm
Offers a valuation methodology for determining the value of a renewable
energy facility that primarily generates electricity from wind, solar thermal
electric, PV, landfill gas, wind, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal electric,
municipal solid waste, and anaerobic. When determining the value of a
renewable energy facility, the administrator shall consider the additional
incremental cost per kW of the construction of the renewable energy facility
over that of the construction of a comparable nonrenewable energy facility
that primarily generates electricity to be an investment cost and shall not
include such additional incremental cost in the valuation of the facility. The
incremental value of the renewable facilities above the nonrenewable
facilities is disregarded, thereby reducing the assessed value for taxation.
Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) are not assessed a property tax.
Local Option - Property Tax Exemption for Renewable
Energy Systems
www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/incentive2.cfm?lncentive_Code=C049F
&state=CO&CurrentPagelD= 1&RE= 1&EE= 1
Authorizes counties and municipalities to offer property or sales tax rebates
or credits to residential and commercial property owners who install
renewable energy systems on their property.
Technical Assistance and Other Incentives
Colorado Anemometer Loan Program
www. engr. colostate. edu/ALP
Loans qualified participants with anemometer, wind vane, tower, data
logger, and assistance and interpretation to assess their site for small scale
wind development.
Net Metering
www. dora.state. co. us/PUC/
Offers net metering for Investor Owned Utilities (lOUs) for systems up to 2
MW in capacity or for commercial and industrial systems up to 25 kW to be
credited monthly at the retail rate for any net excess generation their
systems produce; electric cooperatives and municipal utilities for systems
up to 25 kW for commercial and industrial that generate electricity using
qualifying renewable energy resources. For lOUs, customer net excess
generation in a given month is applied as a kWh credit to the customer's
next bill on a one-to-one basis. If in a calendar year, a customer's
generation exceeds consumption, the utility reimburses the customer for
the excess generation at the utility's average hourly incremental cost for
the prior 12-month period.
Quick Facts
Public Benefit Fund (PBF)
Available only in Boulder, CO Yes 0 No D
Renewable Portfolio Standard Yes 0 No D
Investor-owned utilities: 20% by 2020
Electric cooperatives: 10% by 2020
Municipal utilities serving more than 40,000 customers: 10% by 2020
Net Metering Yes 0 No D
Interconnection Standards Yes 0 No D
Electric Power Industry Generation by
Primary Energy Source (EIA, 2006)
Petroleum-Fired Nuclear
Natural Gas-Fired 23.4% Hydroelectric 3.5%
Coal-Fired 71.5% Other Renewables 1.8%
Points of Contact
Colorado Clean Energy Fund - NEED Program
Seth Portner, seth.portner@state.co.us, (303) 866-2100
Renewable Energy Property Assessment Thresholds
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Bill Hyde, dola.helpdesk@state.co.us, (303) 866-2371
Local Option - Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy
Systems
Contact the local municipality
Colorado Anemometer Loan Program
Michael Kostrzewa, michael@engr.colostate.edu, (970) 491-7709
Net Metering
Richard Mignogna, richard.mignogna@dora.state.co.us, (303) 894-2871
Information current as of November 2008; please refer to www.dsireusa.org and the state Web sites
provided, or contact the points of contact identified above for more up to date information.
Colorado Incentives for Clean and Renewable Energy - Page '
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Incentives for Development of Contaminated Land
Funding (grants, loans, bonds, etc.)
Colorado Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund
www.cdphe.state.co.us/hm/rpbrownfields.htm#
Offers financing with reduced interest rates, flexible loan terms, and
flexibility in acceptable forms of collateral. Some loans from the
Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund require a 20% match, which can be in-
kind. Loan funds may be used for the purchase of environmental
insurance. Total loan amounts are capped at $2 million. All cleanups
financed through the Fund must have previous approval under the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's (CDPHE)
Voluntary Cleanup Program.
Colorado Petroleum Storage Tank Fund
http://oil. cdle. state, co. us/OIL/Fund/fundindex. asp
Reimburses eligible applicants up to $2 million per release occurrence or
up to $3 million per fiscal year for allowable costs incurred in cleaning up
petroleum contamination from underground and above-ground petroleum
storage tanks, and for third-party liability expenses. Tank owners and
operators are responsible for the first $10,000 of remediation costs and the
first $25,000 of third-party liability expenses. After meeting the deductible,
an eligible tank owner or operator is eligible for reimbursement of all
allowable costs. Persons deemed to bear no responsibility for the release
are eligible for reimbursement without paying any deductible and without
penalty for prior non-compliance with storage tank regulations.
State Brownfields Cleanup Fund
www.cdphe.state.co.us/hm/rpbrownfields.htm#state
Provides limited state authority to clean up sites where there is no other
federal or state program that can accomplish the cleanup. It provides
$250,000 for such cleanup, which is designed first to protect human health
and the environment, and also to enhance the redevelopment potential of
these properties. Private parties are eligible for funding, but they must
demonstrate a clear public benefit.
Tax Incentives (abatements, credits, deductions, etc.)
Colorado Contaminated Land Redevelopment Tax Credit
www.cdphe.state.co.us/hm/rpbrownfields.htm#state
Provides an income tax credit for companies that redevelop contaminated
property (brownfields) up to $100,000—broken down as 50% of the first
$100,000 spent on cleanup, 30% of the next $100,000, and 20% of the
third $100,000 to offset cleanup costs and make the redevelopment of
such properties financially viable. The property must be located in a
municipality with a population of 10,000 or more and must be eligible for
inclusion under the state's Voluntary Cleanup and Redevelopment Act.
Technical Assistance and Other Incentives
Colorado Targeted Brownfields Assessments
www.cdphe.state.co.us/hm/rpbrownfields.htm#assessment
Performs targeted site assessments to characterize the nature and extent
of site contamination. This characterization is at no cost to the property
owner, and provides assistance in quantifying the need for and potential
cost of cleanup. Sites are eligible if they are not on the NPL or under
enforcement or other action by a government agency. For a private party to
be eligible there must be a clear public benefit.
Colorado Brownfields Foundation
www.coloradobrownHeldsfoundation.org/index.html
Supports an environmental resource hotline through the Colorado
Brownfields Foundation. The nonprofit Colorado Brownfields Foundation
provides assistance in four service areas: environmental strategy, gap
financing, information services, and property transfer assistance.
Limitations on Liability
Colorado Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP)
www.cdphe.state.co.us/hm/rpvoluntarycleanup.htm
Facilitates the timely redevelopment and transfer of contaminated
properties. Allows owners of contaminated properties to voluntarily propose
cleanup actions; provides timely (45 days) review of cleanup plans
submitted by property owners; offers No Further Action determinations
from the state upon completion and approval of cleanup; provides
protection from Superfund liability under a Memorandum of Agreement with
EPA; and offers an income tax credit.
Quick Facts
Limitations on Liability Yes 0 No D
Number of State-Tracked Contaminated Properties: 518
Includes Voluntary Remediation Program and Brownfields sites
Number of EPA CERCLIS Sites: 214
Sites identified for potential investigation under the federal Superfund Program
Number of EPA Brownfields Properties: 514
Properties being funded or addressed under the EPA Brownfields Program
There may be some o verlap among the categories listed and sites listed may not
represent all potentially contaminated sites in Colorado.
Points of Contact
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
www. cdphe. state, co. us
Colorado Revolving Loan Fund
Dan Scheppers, daniel.scheppers@state.co.us, (303) 692-3398
Colorado Petroleum Storage Tank Fund
Jane Bral, jane.bral@state.co.us, (303) 318-8510
State Brownfields Cleanup Fund
Barbara Nabors, Barbara.nabors@state.co.us, (303) 692-3402
Colorado Contaminated Land Redevelopment Tax Credit
Fonda Apostolopoulos, Fonda.Apostolopoulos@state.co.us,
(303)692-3411
Colorado Targeted Brownfields Assessments
Mark Rudolph, mark.rudolph@state.co.us, (303) 692-3311
Colorado VCP
Fonda Apostolopoulos, Fonda.Apostolopoulos@state.co.us,
(303)692-3411
Colorado Brownfields Foundation
www.coloradobrownfieldsfoundation.org/index.html
Jesse Silverstein, jesse@ColoradoBrownfieldsFoundation.org,
(303) 962-0942
Information current as of November 2008; please refer to
www.epa.gov/brownfields/pubs/st_res_prog_report.htm and the state Web sites provided,
or contact the points of contact identified above for more up to date information.
Colorado Incentives for Development of Contaminated Land - Page 2
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