Enviro groups seek to intervene in anti-RES lawsuit, get judge to throw it out

Four environmental groups hope a judge will allow them to intervene in a lawsuit filed by a Morrison businessman and the green-bashing American Tradition Partnership challenging Colorado’s aggressive renewable energy standard of 30 percent by 2020.

The Associated Press on Tuesday reported that Environment Colorado, the Colorado Environmental Coalition, the Sierra Club and the Wilderness Society filed a motion seeking to intervene in the lawsuit, in which case they will ask a judge to throw the suit out.

ATP, the American Tradition Institute and Rod Lueck of Morrison filed their lawsuit in early April seeking to overturn the state’s RES, which was upped to 30 percent from 20 percent in 2010. They argued the RES breaks interstate commerce laws by artificially jacking up consumer electricity costs.

ATP has a long history in Colorado and other western states of fighting so-called “radical environmentalism” and using questionable campaign tactics to take on Democrats and state regulators who support efforts to bolster clean energy. Xcel Energy officials say they are ahead of schedule to achieve the 30 percent renewable quota in the next decade.

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