{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/110431"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/110431","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Path Dependence in Colorado's Renewable Portfolio Standards","abstract":"Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) have been a staple energy policy in the state of Colorado since 2004. While there has been a steady increase to the RPS percentages over the years, there have been several points where this policy has been significantly contested. This paper explores the political decision making of the two largest electricity producers in the state, Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, to determine at what points that the costs of legislation exceeded the costs of opposition for those two organizations. Using this information, the paper explores the implications these political battles have on characterizing Colorado as a state with renewable path dependency and renewable policy feedback.","abstract_html":"Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) have been a staple energy policy in the state of Colorado since 2004. While there has been a steady increase to the RPS percentages over the years, there have been several points where this policy has been significantly contested. This paper explores the political decision making of the two largest electricity producers in the state, Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, to determine at what points that the costs of legislation exceeded the costs of opposition for those two organizations. Using this information, the paper explores the implications these political battles have on characterizing Colorado as a state with renewable path dependency and renewable policy feedback.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Rivera, Alex M."],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Political Science","degree_department":"Political Science","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Scerri, Andrew J."],"committee_members":["Binev, Binio S.","Schenk, Todd"],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-06-03","date_published":"2022-06-03","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:52Z","subjects":["Colorado","Renewable Portfolio Standards","RPS","Path Dependency"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International"],"rights_urls":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:35182"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:35182","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/110431","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Scerri, Andrew J."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Binev, Binio S.","Schenk, Todd"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Political Science"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Rivera, Alex M."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2022-06-04T08:00:50Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2022-06-04T08:00:50Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2022-06-03"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Political Science"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Colorado","Renewable Portfolio Standards","RPS","Path Dependency"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:35182"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/110431"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) have been a staple energy policy in the state of Colorado since 2004. While there has been a steady increase to the RPS percentages over the years, there have been several points where this policy has been significantly contested. This paper explores the political decision making of the two largest electricity producers in the state, Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, to determine at what points that the costs of legislation exceeded the costs of opposition for those two organizations. Using this information, the paper explores the implications these political battles have on characterizing Colorado as a state with renewable path dependency and renewable policy feedback."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["Since 2004, Colorado has enacted several successful laws to increase renewable energy use within the state. However, in recent years these laws have failed to achieve their goals. By analyzing the two largest producers of electricity in the state, Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, this paper tries to answer what parts of the policies were too costly for the organizations to accept. Using this information, this project concludes that the current renewable energy policies are unlikely to be repealed in the future, but there is some evidence to suggest that the rate of renewable energy policy enactment may decrease."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Path Dependence in Colorado's Renewable Portfolio Standards"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Scerri, Andrew J."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Binev, Binio S.","Schenk, Todd"],"dc:contributor.department":["Political Science"],"dc:creator":["Rivera, Alex M."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2022-06-04T08:00:50Z"],"dc:date.available":["2022-06-04T08:00:50Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2022-06-03"],"dc:description.abstract":["Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) have been a staple energy policy in the state of Colorado since 2004. While there has been a steady increase to the RPS percentages over the years, there have been several points where this policy has been significantly contested. This paper explores the political decision making of the two largest electricity producers in the state, Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, to determine at what points that the costs of legislation exceeded the costs of opposition for those two organizations. Using this information, the paper explores the implications these political battles have on characterizing Colorado as a state with renewable path dependency and renewable policy feedback."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["Since 2004, Colorado has enacted several successful laws to increase renewable energy use within the state. However, in recent years these laws have failed to achieve their goals. By analyzing the two largest producers of electricity in the state, Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, this paper tries to answer what parts of the policies were too costly for the organizations to accept. Using this information, this project concludes that the current renewable energy policies are unlikely to be repealed in the future, but there is some evidence to suggest that the rate of renewable energy policy enactment may decrease."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Arts"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:35182"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/110431"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"],"dc:subject":["Colorado","Renewable Portfolio Standards","RPS","Path Dependency"],"dc:title":["Path Dependence in Colorado's Renewable Portfolio Standards"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Political Science"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:52Z"}