One of three renewable-energy advocates running for the board of directors of Intermountain Rural Electric Association has been elected.
Mike Kempe defeated incumbent IREA director Tom Phillips to serve on the board of the state’s largest electric cooperative.
Kempe tallied 2,160 votes to 1,368 for Phillips, who had served for six years on the board in a district that includes parts of Douglas, Jefferson, Park and Clear Creek counties.
In the other two contested elections, renewable-energy advocates Mike Daniels and Jake Meffley were defeated by incumbents James Dozier and Sid Hanks, respectively.
IREA, under its current board, has been among the most vocal opponents of two renewable-energy initiatives. Amendment 37, passed by Colorado voters in 2004, set a 10 percent renewable-energy mandate for the state’s largest power companies. A legislative bill this year, signed by Gov. Bill Ritter, doubles the standard to 20 percent for investor-owned utilities and would set a 10 percent minimum for co-ops such as IREA.
The IREA board also opposes a bill in the legislature requiring co-ops to offer credit to customers who generate electricity from small wind turbines and solar arrays. The concept is known as “net metering.”
The board is concerned that renewable-energy mandates will raise electricity costs for members, said Stan Lewandowski, IREA’s executive director. It opposes net metering because it means a majority of members will be subsidizing payments to the handful who install wind turbines or solar panels.
In addition to his advocacy for renewable energy, Kempe campaigned on a platform seeking more member input in board meetings and an easier way for members to contact directors.
Regarding Kempe’s impact on IREA policies, the board “will take into consideration all the discussions that any board member wants to have,” IREA spokesman Bill Schroeder said.
Staff writer Steve Raabe can be reached at 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com.
