New Colorado Electric Transmission Authority modeled on agency in New Mexico
The new Colorado Electric Transmission Authority is advertising for an executive director. The pay scale is $160,000 to $210,000 annually. The application deadline is Dec. 15.
The agency was established by the Legislature in 2021 and given the task of planning, financing, building and operating new electric transmission lines and storage facilities.
Legislators gave the agency broad powers. It may provide revenue bonding authority to finance projects, which could involve owning or leasing the facilities, and charge participating entities fees to service the bond debt and recover administrative costs.
For the full job description, see the listing at the Colorado Energy Office.
Kathleen Staks, the interim director of the board of directors, said that Colorado has studied closely what New Mexico did in creating its parallel agency 11 years ago. “They’ve had some pretty significant transmission lines built in New Mexico,” she says.
In addition to creating a website, perhaps by the end of the year, the board at its future meetings will go about adopting policies.
Still to be decided is to what extent, if any, the new CETA will get involved in cases before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, such as the case about transmission in the San Luis Valley. Staks says it will be up to the new executive director to decide that question.
This story was published in Big Pivots 63 (Nov. 30, 2022). Please consider subscribing.
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