Clean Heat Resources

(a)Clean heat resources include any one or a combination of the following resources:#

(I)demand side management programs in accordance with the demand side management provisions in these rules and as defined in § 40-1-102(6), C.R.S.;#

(A)the Commission shall collaborate with the Air Pollution Control Division to ensure that any emissions reductions achieved through gas demand side management programs are appropriately accounted for in accordance with § 25-7-102(2)(g), C.R.S.#

(II)recovered methane;#

(A)All recovered methane shall be represented by a recovered methane credit, issued subject to a recovered methane protocol approved by the Air Quality Control Commission.#

(B)All recovered methane projects shall be located in Colorado and shall be delivered within Colorado through a dedicated recovered methane pipeline or through a common carrier pipeline.#

(C)Any recovered methane credit or other tradable and severable mechanism representing the emission reduction attributes of a clean heat resource shall be retired in the year generated and may not be sold by the utility or the utility's customer.#

(D)A utility may count emissions reductions represented by the retirement of a recovered methane credit only if the credit was retired in its clean heat target year. A utility may only count emissions reductions represented by a methane credit one time toward achieving any clean heat target.#

(E)Repairs to the utility's distribution system shall be reviewed in accordance with the gas infrastructure planning rules 4550 through 4555. In order to qualify as a clean heat resource, recovered methane from such repairs must meet a recovered methane protocol approved by the Air Quality Control Commission and be determined cost-effective by the Commission based on actual reductions in methane achieved.#

(III)green hydrogen;#

(IV)beneficial electrification programs, as defined in § 40-1-102(1.2), C.R.S.;#

(V)pyrolysis of tires that meets a recovered methane protocol approved by Air Quality Control Commission; and#

(VI)any other technology approved by the Commission that the Commission finds is cost-effective and that the Air Pollution Control Division finds results in a reduction in carbon emissions from the combustion of gas in customer end uses or meets a recovered methane protocol approved by the Air Quality Control Commission.#

(b)A clean heat resource shall not include a change in service by a customer from sales service to transportation service. The Commission shall address changes from sales service to transportation service by the utility's customers as such changes relate to baseline emissions, projected emissions, and clean heat targets in evaluating whether a clean heat plan is in the public interest.#