The document summarizes information from the CARE (Colorado Advocates for Rural Electrification) annual meeting including: elections for CARE committee members and employee representatives, an auction to benefit CARE on October 25-27, and renewal of CARE/ACRE memberships. It also provides details on the EPA's Clean Power Plan, competitive state legislature races in 2016, and encourages following CARE on social media.

1. Fall 2015
CARE MEETING OFFICIAL NOTICE
CARE Annual Membership Meeting
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Westin Hotel, Denver
1672 Lawrence St. Denver, Colorado
CARE Committee Member from Districts II and III is up for election.
CARE Employee Representative for Districts IV and V is up for election.
If you are a CARE member, in an eligible district & interested in running for election,
contact Heather Williams at hwilliams@coloradorea.org
CARE/ACRE members registered for the 2016 fiscal year are eligible to
participate in the CARE annual meeting, October 27.
CARE Auction: Sunday, October 25
The annual CARE Auction will be held on Sunday, October 25 at the Westin
Hotel in downtown Denver.
4:00 PM Silent Auction begins
5:15 - 6:15 PM Reception hosted by Federated Insurance
6:30 PM Live Auction
We already have some great packages and items collected. We continue to encourage
participation from all the co-ops and donations are still being accepted until September 21

2. for the event. If your co-op has not spoken to Heather about a package, please contact
her as soon as possible. Proceeds from the silent and live auction go to the CARE 527-
membership account.
Email Heather at hwilliams@coloradorea.org
CARE/ACRE 2016 Membership Renewal
Do not forget to renew your CARE/ACRE Membership for the 2016 Fiscal Year
The CARE/ACRE year begins September 1 for the 2015-16 year. Renewal letters have
gone out to current CARE/ACRE members and all the co-op have managers received a
package with informational brochures and contribution envelops.
ACRE announced a new $250 Vice President's club level that members can contribute
to, or upgrade to if they wish.
CARE/ACRE membership levels:
CARE Only $30
CARE plus spouse $40
ACRE Only $25
CARE/ACRE $55
ACRE Century $100
ACRE Vice President $250
ACRE President $500
If you would like to move up to the ACRE Vice President Level, email
hwilliams@coloradorea.org
CARE 527-Membership Account
Solicitation letters to the CARE 527-membership account were sent out to all the
cooperatives in July asking for a contribution to the account. Last year, the membership
account raised over $100,000 and 14 co-ops donated to the effort. The money was spent
to help elect state legislative candidates the CARE committee believed would advocate
for rural electric cooperatives at the Colorado statehouse. Through the generous
donations from the participating co-ops, our organization was able to be a major player in
the 2014 Election.

3. Since the fundraising letter went out, CARE has received contributions from seven co-
ops and has raised $37,000. It is important that there are members of the Colorado
General Assembly who will advocate for the state's rural co-ops. We hope that this
fundraising effort will continue and be as successful in the 2016 Election.
NEWS & INFORMATION
EPA Releases Final Rules for the Clean
Power Plan
On August 3, 2015, final rules for the Clean Power
Plan were issued for existing power plants as well
as new and modified plants. The rule is designed in
such a way that it will likely push states to adopt more stringent renewable portfolio
standards, energy efficiency requirements, and carbon trading programs to reduce the
cost of complying with the rule (compared to the option of simply forcing power plants to
reduce emissions by running less or shutting down). NRECA remains concerned that
the rule will cost consumers more, will likely challenge the reliability of the electric grid,
may result in plant closures, and significantly exceeds the authority granted to the EPA
under the Clean Air Act.
The basic objective of the Clean Power Plan is a 32% reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions from power plants across the U.S. below 2005 levels by 2030. States are able
to choose plans that would either implement federally enforceable emission rates or an
approach that includes measures enforceable under state laws (state Renewable
Energy/Energy Efficiency requirements).
The final rules for the Clean Power Plan were different from the proposed rules:
The timetable was shifted - compliance begins in 2022, not 2020
State specific emission rate reductions were different from proposed rules. Some
states were higher, some states were lower.

4. The original "building blocks" were modified:
Building Block 1 (power plant heat rate improvements) -- Heat rate
improvement reduced from 6% to 2.1%
Building Block 2 (using more existing natural gas generation) -- EPA calls for
phased-in increase of existing natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) to 75%
net summer capacity (vs. 70% nameplate capacity as proposed)
Building Block 3 (using renewables and nuclear power) - EPA calls for
greater use of renewables based on historical capacity deployment (2010-
2014) and assumes the pace of development of renewables will continue
Building Block 4 (energy efficiency) -- EPA did not use energy efficiency to
calculate the emissions performance rate and will allow states flexibility to
use energy efficiency as a compliance tool. The decision to remove energy
efficiency was in part due to the Administration's concerns over the legal
viability of this approach.
The overall structure of the final rule was unchanged from the proposed rule. The final
rule continues the approach of going "outside the fence line" of fossil fuel-based power
plants to achieve the majority of the emissions reductions. The plan continues to be very
prescriptive in setting specific, numeric state emission reduction requirements.
Election 2016: Competitive Races in Colorado
With the 2016 Election approaching, we are anticipating the following General Assembly

5. seats to be targeted by both political parties and interested groups. Many of the districts
listed have voter registration numbers evenly divided between registered Democrats,
Republicans and Unaffiliated voters.
In a presidential year with Senator Bennet up for re-election, there will be a great deal of
focus on Jefferson, Arapahoe, and Adams counties for get out the vote efforts. Many of
the highly targeted seats in the state legislature will come from these counties.
We anticipate the following state senate seats to be targeted:
Senate District 16; Arapahoe County
Currently held by Linda Newell-D - term limited
Registered Voters: 29% Democratic, 33% Republican, 37% Unaffiliated
Senate District 19; Jefferson County
Currently held by Laura Woods-R
Registered Voters: 30% Democratic, 31% Republican, 37% Unaffiliated
Senate District 25; Adams County
Currently held by Mary Hodge-D - term limited
Registered Voters: 34% Democratic, 27% Republican, 38% Unaffiliated
Senate District 35; Alamosa, Baca, Bent, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Huerfano,
Kiowa, Las Animas, Mineral, Otero, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache
Counties
Currently held by Larry Crowder-R
Registered Voters: 37% Democratic, 36% Republican, 26% Unaffiliated
We anticipate the following state house seats to be targeted:
House District 3; Arapahoe County
Currently held by Daniel Kagan-D -- Rep. Kagan announced for SD-16, open
seat
Registered Voters: 31% Democratic, 32% Republican, 36% Unaffiliated
House District 17; El Paso County
Currently held by Catherine Roupe-R
Registered Voters: 32% Democratic, 27% Republican, 40% Unaffiliated
House District 30; Adams County
Currently held by Joann Windholz-R
Registered Voters: 36% Democratic, 25% Republican, 38% Unaffiliated
House District 33; Boulder, Broomfield counties
Currently held by Diane Primavera-D - term limited
Registered Voters: 30% Democratic, 30% Republican, 39% Unaffiliated

6. House District 59; Archuleta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Ouray, San Juan
Counties
Currently held by J. Paul Brown-R
Registered Voters: 29% Democratic, 35% Republican, 34% Unaffiliated
Colorado Advocates for Rural Electrification
Follow CARE on Facebook or Twitter: