EnergyTag Testimony on Colorado’s Hourly-matched Data Centers Bill

EnergyTag testified in favor of this bill, highlighting the feasibility and necessity of the clean electricity matching requirements. The bill has been “held over” for further consideration and amendment. EnergyTag looks forward to working with Senator Kipp and other stakeholders to shape and pass this nation-leading bill to protect ratepayers and Colorado’s clean energy goals while enabling responsible growth in the state. 

See EnergyTag’s oral testimony from Alex Piper and Karl Koesser below:

CO SB26-102 Testimony at Mar. 18, 2026 Senate Transportation & Energy Committee Hearing

Alex Piper’s Testimony (6:56:55 pm in video): 

“Madam Chair, members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to present to you today. My name is Alex Piper, Head of US Policy for EnergyTag, a global non-profit with technical expertise in hourly clean energy matching, hourly energy tracking infrastructure, and corporate energy purchasing. We support this bill and its important, feasible clean energy matching requirements. 

While 100% annual matching of clean energy production to consumption is good, it is actually quite achievable with today’s clean energy costs, especially for the richest companies in the world. And for these companies with outsized impacts on grid reliability, electricity costs, and emissions, more should be required. That is why the hourly matching element of this legislation is so important. 

Ensuring hour-by-hour matching of clean energy to the energy usage of data centers is critical. According to the International Energy Agency, 100% annually matched power – using only solar – can equate to as low as 40% hourly matching across the year. The other 60% of hours could still be powered with gas and other expensive electricity and be considered “clean” under an annual matching structure.

This is bad for emissions and affordability. A US data center that is instead 80% hourly matched can be three times cleaner and would cover more of its true electricity demand, reducing the data center “freeloader effect” that often drives up costs for ratepayers. And here’s the kicker: the IEA finds that 80% hourly matching is cost-competitive with 100% annual matching today.

Hourly matching ensures investment in innovative new energy technologies like storage and geothermal. It’s an economic boon to the state. Hourly matching is already the goal for companies like Google and may soon be required by international emissions reporting standards. Google’s announcement in Michigan yesterday brings 2.7 GW of new clean energy, storage, and demand flexibility, and that’s the kind of development that can be achieved when hourly matching is the goal. Thank you so much for your time. I’m happy to answer your questions.”

Karl Koesser’s Testimony (6:59:01 pm in video): 

“Thank you Madam Chair Cutter, members of the committee. My name is Karl Koesser, representing myself. I’m a constituent of Senator Ball, and I’ve worked in the electric power industry for six years. I’m testifying in support of this bill. 

100% annual matching of clean energy by 2031 is very reasonable and necessary. All four big tech companies already meet this standard today. At minimum, they should not be allowed to backtrack, so this requirement should arguably be immediate. 

However, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the authority on corporate clean energy buying, 100% annual matching equals only 50-60% hourly matching day to day. That’s why this bill’s hourly matching requirement from the PUC is critical. It makes data centers secure reliable clean power and storage all day, not just 100% clean “on paper” via annual matching alone – think “storage and geothermal”. 

Bloomberg also reports that data center companies especially are already thinking hourly. Google and Meta have calculated they’re around 83-88% hourly matched today in nearby grid regions like Wyoming, Utah, and the plains to our east.

Sophisticated and well-resourced tech companies can absolutely track clean energy hourly – not just annually – and they are already putting their money where their mouth is by buying these clean resources, like others have said. Hourly matching requirements ensure reliable clean power gets built to support, not harm, Colorado’s clean energy targets and ratepayer protection goals.

Soon, Colorado should consider hourly matching for its own clean power targets, in my opinion. For now, though, I ask a “yes” vote on this bill. We must act. And given the feasibility and importance of hourly matching, the requirements should be effective as soon as possible. Thank you, and I’m available to answer any questions.”