The Current State of Solar Energy for Low Income Consumers

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The Boulder County Chapter of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (BCRES) invites you to join us for our upcoming meeting where we will host Kathleen Coulter, from the University of Colorado Law School, as she and her colleagues present the policy implications of solar energy on the low-income consumers and their findings regarding the impacts of these policies.

More than 13% of Coloradans live below the federal poverty line. They pay a disproportionately higher amount of their income toward energy bills than more affluent residents. Consequently, they must give up other important goods and services in order to afford energy. It's no minor inconvenience. Between 750 and 3,200 Coloradans die prematurely each year, due to energy poverty. Clearly, low-income residents stand to gain the most from new, efficient and renewable energy technologies. But these technologies are often costly and inaccessible to low-income residents. How is our region attempting to reach these populations? Does current Colorado policy provide low-income communities access to renewable energy?

Kathleen Coulter is a third year student at the University of Colorado Law School pursing a Doctor of Law (JD), Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law Dual Degree with the University of Alberta Law School. She has also earned the Graduate Energy Certificate, Renewable & Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI).

This meeting is free for CRES members, $5 non-members.

Learn more about CRES (http://cres-energy.org/), and the benefits of membership (http://cres-energy.org/join/).

6:45 Arrive, Light refreshments
7:00 Announcements, followed by the Presentation
8:15 Questions, Networking, Wrap-up and Clean-up

During the Announcements portion of the evening, we certainly encourage you to share info on upcoming events and/or job openings related to your organization or other organizations. If you have something you want to share with the group, and if you want that info posted on our Announcement slides, just send the info to info.bcres@cres-energy.org .