Colorado Senate Passes HB 1270
Today the Colorado Senate passed an amended version of HB 1270. Since the version of HB 1270 that passed in the Senate differs from the language approved in the House, the bill will either be sent back to the House for concurrence or will go to a conference committee to hammer out the differences between the two versions of the bill. It is currently expected that the bill will be sent to the House for concurrence and will ultimately be signed into law by Governor Ritter with an effective date slated for sometime in August.
HB 1270 requires homeowners associations to permit residents to install Renewable Energy Generation Devices and Energy Efficiency Measures on their own property. The bill also permits associations to institute reasonable restrictions on aesthetics and placement. Associations must be prepared to handle submissions by homeowners to install these items and to act consistently with the provisions of the new law when it goes into effect. As soon as HB 1270 is sent to the Governor to be signed into law, HindmanSanchez will be providing guidance to associations on how to comply with the new law.
For more information about energy savings devices and associations, check out CAI's (Community Associations Institute) segment on KMGH Channel 7 News on April 12th at 8:10 a.m. In addition, the CAI Spring Showcase, Saving Green by Going Green, will focus on ways associations can help protect the environment. Loura Sanchez, Managing Partner of HindmanSanchez, will moderate a panel during the opening session of the Spring Showcase which will discuss in part the implications of the new law.
Just more micro-management by the legislature. The door is open. There will be no end to it.
I think the ability to lower one's bills by making a home more efficient will raise property values... just as it's done with green building.
If you don't like how it looks, look the other way.