A bipartisan bill this session would allow Coloradans to install storage systems to collect energy, connect it to the grid and cut their outside sources of juice.

Senate Bill 9, cosponsored by Sen. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, and Rep, Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder,

This bill would have the Public Utilities Commission to adopt rules for the use of distributed electricity storage systems by customers of Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy, the state’s two investor-owned utilities.

The bill is supported by a white paper put out last week by Environment Colorado. The organization noted that concerns over the variability and dependability of renewable sources been impeded use of unlimited energy resources such as solar and wind. Emerging energy storage technology is a “game-changer,” the report says.

“As renewable energy production rises, energy storage is increasingly becoming a ‘go-to’ option for utilities, businesses and homeowners. But many people are still unaware that it’s ready for prime time,” Garrett Garner-Wells, director of Environment Colorado, said in a statement. “We’re working with policy makers around the state to ensure that they know how the smart use of energy storage can make Colorado’s transition to clean, renewable energy possible”

Environment Colorado’s report, “Making Sense of Energy Storage: How Storage Technologies Can Support a Renewable Energy Future” can be read by clicking here.

“More than 300 new storage projects were added to the grid over the last decade, and at least 300 more are already being planned or built,” said Elizabeth Berg, a Frontier Group analyst and co-author of the report, stated. “Our report shows that these technologies cannot only aid our transition to a renewable energy system, but can provide many other benefits to the electric grid as well.”

The report calls for several policies that would advance renewable energy storage related to the grid, permitting, rates, transmission and distribution costs, as well as incentives for homes and businesses to store the power their systems generate.