Clean Renewables and Efficiency, not Coal, are the Key

The authors oppose a proposal by Colorado State Representative Carl Miller to increase coal use, arguing that coal plants are expensive, polluting, and slow to implement. They propose a transition toward energy efficiency, which could save up to 70% of current electricity use, and distributed energy resources including wind, solar, bio-fuels, and fuel cells. The text highlights the success of wind energy programs in Colorado, such as those by Holy Cross Energy and Public Service Company, as evidence of the viability of a free-market approach to clean energy.

• Energy efficiency measures are presented as a more immediate and cost-effective solution than coal plants, with the potential to save up to 70% of current electricity use at a cost lower than current electricity prices.
• The authors argue that distributed energy resources—including efficiency, energy management, and distributed generation—offer over 50 distinct advantages over central station power plants, with cumulative benefits exceeding costs by a factor of ten or more.
• Wind energy is cited as a successful renewable resource in Colorado, with modern turbines producing electricity at prices competitive with coal and serving thousands of customers through programs like Public Service Company's WindSource.
• The document contends that relying on large central station plants increases economic risk by tying up investment capital and hindering free market innovation, citing similar issues with nuclear plant investments in California and New England.

APA

Wicker, K., & Rábago, K. R. (2000). Clean Renewables and Efficiency, not Coal, are the Key. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E00-34_CleanRenewEffic.pdf

Chicago

Wicker, Ken, and Karl R. Rábago. Clean Renewables and Efficiency, not Coal, are the Key. RMI, 2000. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E00-34_CleanRenewEffic.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Wicker |first1=Ken |last2=Rábago |first2=Karl R. |title=Clean Renewables and Efficiency, not Coal, are the Key |publisher=RMI |date=2 December 2000 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E00-34_CleanRenewEffic.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{wicker2000clean, author = {Wicker, Ken and Rábago, Karl R.}, title = {{Clean Renewables and Efficiency, not Coal, are the Key}}, publisher = {RMI}, year = {2000}, month = dec, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E00-34_CleanRenewEffic.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }