CO SB007

Establishes a 3-to-1 multiplier for kilowatt-hours of electricity generated from qualifying biomass sources to count toward Colorado's renewable energy standard for up to 30 years.

Qualifies biomass must use forest materials (wood waste, slash, brush, woody biomass) with preference for materials from hazardous fuel treatments, forest restoration, insect/disease mitigation, catastrophic weather events, or thinning overstocked stands.

Requires qualifying biomass materials to be located in geographic areas designated as "high" or "very high" wildfire risk on the Colorado State Forest Service Wildfire Threat Map and CO-WRAP online mapping tool.

Requires forest materials to be transformed into biochar (charcoal soil amendment) and certified by the International Biochar Initiative or its successor entity.

Allows qualifying wholesale utilities to use the biomass preference to meet their energy resource standards; takes effect August 10, 2016, unless subject to successful referendum petition requiring November 2016 voter approval.