Electricity Consumption

Date posted: 10/01/2008

Based on figures from United States Census 2000 and the 2007 data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), Colorado is the 21st most populated state in the United States, but ranks 28th for overall electricity consumption. Colorado's electric utilities generate most of their energy by burning coal. A number of electric utilities also provide wind-generated electricity. Click here to find out how to purchase wind energy through your utility company and whether additional alternative resources are available from the suppliers, such as hydro, biomass, and solar.

Electricity suppliers in Larimer County include the Platte River Power Authority which generates and delivers electricity to its owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, where it is distributed by each municipal utility to residents and businesses. The Platte River Power Authority generates with coal burning and natural gas generators, wind turbines, and hydro (water powered) facilities. Fort Collins Utilities provides electric service to more than 62,000 homes and businesses in the community. Loveland Utilities was formed in 1925 and serves 31,038 customers. Estes Park Light and Power serves about 9,300 customers, including more than 7,600 residential accounts and nearly 1,600 commercial accounts. This coverage area encompasses 280 square miles, reaching south to Allenspark and Ferncliff; to Glen Haven along the North Fork; Waltonia on Highway 34; and eight miles down Highway 36 and is bordered on the west by Rocky Mountain National Park. Other municipalities and rural areas in Larimer County are supplied electricity by the Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association (PVREA), and the Public Service Company of Colorado (a subsidiary of Xcel Energy). Poudre Valley REA was formed in 1939 and serves 35,731 customers in Larimer, Weld and Boulder Counties. The Public Service Company of Colorado serves approximately 1.3 million customers in Colorado (County data unavailable).

Colorado Quick Facts:

Seven of the Nation's 100 largest natural gas fields and two of its 100 largest oil fields are found in Colorado.

Colorado is responsible for more than one-fourth of all coalbed methane produced in the United States. Coalbed methane output accounts for about one-half of Colorado's natural gas production.

The Rockies Express Pipeline [began service in May 2008] will help move Colorado's rapidly increasing natural gas production to markets in the Midwest.

Colorado's oil shale deposits hold an estimated 1 trillion barrels of oil - nearly as much oil as the entire world's proven oil reserves.  However, oil production from those deposits remains speculative.

Source: Energy Information Administration - State Energy Profiles - State energy data, information, and maps

How Electricity is measured:

Electricity for individual customers is usually measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). One kWh represents the amount of energy needed by a 1000-Watt device (e.g. clothes iron, microwave oven) to operate for one hour. Leaving a 100-Watt light bulb on for 10 hours consumes 1 kWh of energy. Click here and scroll down to page 2 to find the wattages of many common appliances. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2006, the average monthly residential electricity consumption was 920 kilowatt-hours (kWh). The EIA reports appliances account for 64.7% of electricity consumption in the average American household (2001). Refrigerators consumed the most electricity (14%), followed by lighting (9%).

For larger entities, such as institutions or geographical areas (universities, hospital systems, or cities/states) measuring electricity in kWh results in large and unmanageable numbers. In these cases, the preferred unit of measure is the megawatt-hour (mWh). (1 megawatt-hour = 1,000 kilowatt-hours) The energy in 1 megawatt-hour is sufficient to power one thousand 100-Watt light bulbs for 10 hours, or to run a household-size dishwasher (1200-Watt) nonstop for approximately 34 days, 17 hours.

What this chart shows: Electricity Consumed in Colorado by Sector, 2001-2006

Data Source: Energy Information Administration - Electric Power Annual 2006

See data table

Note: Data for the 'Other' category was not collected after 2002 and is not displayed on the annual percentage chart above. The EIA redistributed the components of this category to existing categories. Electricity for public lighting and other governmental activities was included in the Commercial sector; agricultural and irrigation electricity sales were included in the Industrial sector. This redistribution resulted in an increase in both of these sectors. The EIA has also created a new sector, Transportation, which will include electricity used for powering electric light rail and other public transportation systems. Data in this sector is displayed for 2003 to 2006.

What this chart shows: Annual change in Electricity Consumed in Colorado by Sector, 2001-2006

Data Source: Energy Information Administration - Electric Power Annual 2006

See data table

What these data tell us:

Total annual consumption of electricity in Colorado is increasing with largest increases in residential and industrial sectors. According to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, the population of Colorado grew an estimated 8.2% from 2001 to 2006.

What this chart shows: Electricity Consumed Per Capita, Total & Residential Sector - Colorado, Fort Collins, 2006

Data Source:

• United States Census, Energy Information Administration - Electric Power Annual 2006
• Fort Collins Utilities Department - Light and Power
• City of Loveland Water and Power Department

See data table

What these data tell us:

Usage in Fort Collins and Loveland are nearly equal with each other and Colorado on a total per capita basis.

Additional Information:

2008 economy impact:

According to the Denver Post, July 16, 2008, energy suppliers are shutting off access to more customers in 2008 because of delinquent bills, mimicking a nationwide trend.

A National Energy Assistance Directors' Association survey found 8% of households nationwide earning $33,000 to $55,500 annually have had their electricity turned off, the newspaper said.

In Colorado, Delta-Montrose Electric, Poudre Valley Rural Electric and Intermountain Rural Electric have seen increases in disconnections of 8%, 16% and 25% respectively, the Post reported.

Utilities typically don't disconnect customers until they're at least two months behind on their bills, which are forecast to hit record levels this winter.

Natural-gas and electric bills from November through April will be 25 percent to 27 percent higher than the same period in 2007-08, according to Energy Outreach Colorado. On average, residents can expect to pay $1,250 for their gas and electric bills during that six-month period.

Public Service Company of Colorado (Xcel Energy) estimates that it will shut off 47,000 Colorado customers for delinquent bills during the second and third quarters of this year, a staggering 140 percent increase over the same period in 2005, according to regulatory filings.

With energy costs and customer shutoffs soaring, advocates for the poor are scrambling to find additional funding to assist low-income households with their electricity and heating bills this winter, click here for information on Low-Income Energy Assistance Program.

On Compass -

• Housing Units
• Population Size & Growth
• New Residential Units
• Wind Energy Use

Outside Compass -

• City of Fort Collins Utilities Department - Light and Power: Information on the department responsible for providing electricity in Fort Collins.
• City of Loveland Water and Power Department: Information on the department responsible for providing electricity in Loveland.
• Energy Foundation: A partnership of major foundations interested in sustainable energy.
• Energy Hawk: Tips for homes and small offices to cut utility bills with energy conservation.
• ENERGYGuide: Find a new energy supplier, analyze energy usage, or purchase highly energy efficient products that save money, energy, and the environment.
• Poudre Valley Rural Electricity Association (PVREA): Information on the electricity co-op responsible for providing electricity to Larimer County's rural areas.
• Town of Estes Park Light and Power Department: Information on the department responsible for providing electricity in Estes Park.
• United States Department of Energy - Energy Information Administration: Extensive data on United States energy generation, sales, and use.
• United States Department of Energy - Energy Use of Some Typical Home Appliances: This Consumer Energy Information brief includes a formula for calculating the daily energy usage of an electrical appliance, as well as wattage estimates for many common home appliances.
• Xcel Energy: Information on another provider of electricity and other energy in Larimer County.
• Platte River Power Authority: Information on the power generation facility for the municipalities of Fort Collins, Loveland, Estes Park and Longmont.

Standards or Targets:

Energy Star: A government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. The program sets energy efficient standards for construction, home appliances, and others. Included are strategies for more energy efficient homes and businesses.

Data Tables:

Electricity (mWh) Consumed in Colorado by Sector, 1995-2006

Year	Residential	Commercial	Industrial	Other	Transportation	Total
1995	11,306,705	13,419,623	9,706,459	884,032	*	35,316,819
1996	11,870,577	14,239,275	9,947,015	1,016,108	*	37,072,975
1997	12,260,908	14,600,180	10,297,368	910,778	*	38,069,234
1998	12,651,635	15,959,287	9,998,404	965,111	*	39,574,437
1999	13,130,575	17,006,132	9,520,928	913,288	*	40,570,923
2000	14,028,934	17,989,134	9,954,783	1,047,433	*	43,020,284
2001	14,470,251	17,889,638	10,918,384	957,765	*	44,236,038
2002	15,424,846	18,438,437	10,672,226	1,401,187	*	45,936,696
2003	15,724,839	19,656,729	11,075,619	*	37,458	46,494,645
2004	15,532,168	19,497,956	11,675,139	*	18,578	46,723,841
2005	16,436,381	19,845,958	12,051,510	*	19,387	48,353,236
2006	16,951,534	20,152,638	12,604,819	*	24,707	49,733,695

*See chart narrative for explanation.

See chart

Electricity (mWh) Consumed Per Capita, Total and Residential Sector - Colorado, Fort Collins, Loveland (2006)

Location	Total mWh Consumed	Total mWh Per Capita	Residential mWh Consumed	Residential mWh Per Capita	Population (2006)
Colorado	49,733,695	10.69	16,951,534	3.64	4,653,023
Fort Collins	1,404,784	10.85	453,822	3.50	129,511
Loveland	660,379	10.93	*	*	60,393

*Loveland residential figures unavailable. According to Loveland Power Average residential power use is 8705kWh/year or 795 kWh/month.

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