$1 SCHOOL GUIDE SPORTS/OUTDOORS Mountain Peak offers Location, city’s efforts an exercise in basics draw ski-equipment firms 13A 17A Volume 32 Issue 18 | Aug. 16-29, 2013 Xcel, solar firms spar over net metering BY JOSHUA LINDENSTEIN [email protected] BOULDER – Xcel Energy Inc., believes its push to clarify the net- metering incentive to residential solar customers is a move to do what is fair for all of its customers. Those in the solar industry believe PETER WAYNE the move could set solar back in Colo- GoodApril founders Mitchell Fox, left, and Benny Joseph look on Aug. 8 at the Boulder Theater as TechStars Boulder’s rado by years and cost the state jobs. managing director Luke Beatty holds a shirt recognizing their startup as the 24th TechStars company to be acquired. “If their proposal goes through, GoodApril was purchased by Intuit, the makers of TurboTax. I think eventually it would mean either the end or a drastic reduction of our business operations in Colo- rado,” Blake Jones, co-owner and chief Acquisition of TechStars prodigy executive of Boulder-based Namaste Solar Inc., said recently. Net metering is the way customers with solar panels are credited by their highlights incubator’s Demo Day utility for the electricity their home systems produce. If a home produces BY JOSHUA LINDENSTEIN pitches to potential investors and the ers the next morning to tell them they more electricity for a given time than [email protected] public. The event at a packed Boul- were coming to Boulder. it uses, that customer is granted cred- der Theater capped three months of GoodApril became the 24th its on his bill for times when his home BOULDER — Who doesn’t like tweaking business plans, receiving TechStars company to get acquired is using more than it produces. sticking it to the tax man? No one. mentorship from successful entrepre- when it was purchased by Intuit, the For homes that produce more ener- Perhaps that’s why GoodApril neurs and meeting with investors. makers of TurboTax. gy than they consume over the long became the first company in Tech- San Francisco-based GoodApril’s GoodApril’s pitch is one that term, those customers might never Stars’ seven-year history to be story was a bit of a Cinderella story could get anyone excited. The com- pay an electric bill – and there lies the acquired before graduating from as it relates to TechStars. TechStars pany’s online tax-planning plat- rub for Xcel. Even if solar customers the startup incubator program that Boulder managing director Luke form eliminates tax-day surprises, are producing more energy than they started in Boulder and has since Beatty told the crowd that GoodApril thus ensuring a “Good April.” The consume, they still benefit from use branched out to cities such as Bos- was one of the hundreds of TechStars platform connects users’ financial of the transmission grid to bring them ton, Chicago and London. applicants to receive an email stating accounts to provide a real-time power at night or in the winter when The Aug. 8 announcement of that it had not been selected for the tax forecast and offer suggestions their solar panels are producing less. GoodApril’s “successful exit” high- program. But after a restless night of about how to find tax savings and In the daytime, when their panels are lighted TechStars Boulder 2013 Demo regret at not including GoodApril in reduce their bills on tax day. Need producing too much electricity for Day, at which 10 startups made their the program, Beatty called the found- ➤ See TechStars, 29A the home, those customers benefit by ➤ See Metering, 25A CONTENTS Serving Boulder & Broomfield Counties Awards ...........................................27A For the Record ...............................22A Boulder County’s Business Journal BCBRdaily ........................................2A Medical File ......................................8A Business Digest .............................26A Nonprofit Network ..........................26A Calendar .........................................27A On the Job .....................................27A Discoveries.....................................11A Product Update..............................26A Distinctive Homes ............................1B Publisher’s Notebook .....................30A Editorial ..........................................30A Real Estate .....................................28A Eye ...................................................3A Sales Smarts ..................................21A LISTS Private Schools ..............................14A Sports and Recreation Equipment Manufacturers..............18A 2A | Aug. 16-29, 2013 Boulder County Business Report | www.bcbr.com Cody leaving LAEC for job in Thornton Editor’s note: The following is a wrap- is conducted to find a permanent University of Mississippi. up of breaking local business stories replacement. Posted Aug. 1. BCBR Opinion Poll published daily on the Boulder County Cody’s annual salary for his new Our online question: Business Report’s website. Sign up job is $145,341, according to Todd Array lays off 50 Did the University of Colorado’s hiring for our free BCBRdaily, an all local of Rick George as athletic director Barnes, a Thornton spokesman. BOULDER – Array BioPharma 100 restore10 your faith20 in the30 direction40 of the50 60 70 80 90 e-news report sent to your email each Cody declined to say how much Inc. will cut its staff by 20 percent 0 athletic department? weekday. Just click on “Register for his LAEC salary is for 2013, but – about 50 workers – after Amgen E-Newsletters” at www.BCBR.com. according to IRS tax form 990 Inc. decided to end a collaboration Yes 32% filed annually by nonprofit groups, to develop a new drug to treat Type BY BUSINESS REPORT STAFF his annual salary was $119,080 2 diabetes. [email protected] in 2011, the most recent filing on After the staff reduction, Boul- No 33% record. The LAEC is a public- der-based Array (Nasdaq: ARRY) LONGMONT – John Cody is private partnership funded by area will have about 200 employees who leaving a 14-year stint as chief companies and the city of Long- are “tightly aligned with the compa- Never lost faith 5% executive and president of the mont and is a 501 c (6) nonprofit. ny’s strategy,” the drug-development Longmont Area Economic Council company said in its latest earnings to take a similar job in Thornton. report. Who is Rick George? 18% Cody will be director of eco- BCBR DAILY Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) is end- nomic development for the city of ing its partnership with Array on a Thornton, starting Aug. 30. LAEC Dave Humenik, vice chairman program to develop a drug to reduce Don’t care about sports 12% vice president Wendi Nafziger will of the LAEC’s board of directors, glucose levels in the human body, 93 responses from July 17 to Aug. 12 fill in as the interim chief execu- wished Cody well in his new job in according to the earnings statement. This poll is not scientific and reflects only the opinions of tive and president of the economic a press statement announcing his Amgen is based in Thousand Oaks, those Internet users who have chosen to participate. The development group while a search resignation from the LAEC. California, with operations in Boul- results cannot be assumed to represent the opinions of Before joining the LAEC in der and Longmont. Internet users in general, nor the public as a whole. 1999, Cody spent seven years as Posted Aug. 8. Take the BCBR Opinion Poll online at BCBR.com. the vice president/chief informa- tion officer of the Adams County Couple settles with AG Economic Development office. He BOULDER —Former bicycle The Boulder couple convinced has received several awards and racer Russell Dalbey and his wife, nearly 1 million customers to part served on several boards of indus- Catherine, have agreed to a $330 with thousands of dollars with the try economic development groups million settlement in connection “Winning in the Cash Flow Busi- during his career. Cody’s education with allegedly defrauding custom- ness” wealth-building scheme, John includes a master’s degree in urban ers, the state attorney general’s office Suthers, Colorado’s attorney gen- Cody Nafziger and regional planning from the said. ➤ See BCBRdaily, 31A Financing traditions for over 50 years. Guaranty Bank and Trust has helped C Lazy U Ranch, founded in 1919, to further expand western traditions for our future generations. We’re the financial partner that’s here to invest in you and our community. GuarantyBankCO.com | 303.293.5500 Don Bailey, President Ronnie Jones, Assistant Head Wrangler C Lazy U Ranch Operations Inc. 12GBT BCBR Ad_CLazyUFO.indd 1 7/9/12 2:19 PM Boulder County Business Report | www.bcbr.com Aug. 16-29, 2013 | 3A $214 million cap on Xcel assets proposed BY JOSHUA LINDENSTEIN hours later. [email protected] THE DEBT LIMIT IS PART OF AN ORDINANCE The debt limit is part of an ordi- nance proposed by city staff that BOULDER – The Boulder City proposed by city staff that will serve as a competing ballot will serve as a competing ballot mea- Council is keeping the municipal- measure to a citizen petition-initiated measure that proposes sure to a citizen petition-initiated ization train rolling while setting measure that proposes requiring a $214 million as the proposed debt requiring a vote for any and all debt issued by a potential city vote for any and all debt issued by a limit for acquiring Xcel Energy Inc.’s potential city electric utility, among distribution system that the city will electric utility, among other things. other things. The city-proposed ask voters to approve in November. measure would limit the amount With a few dozen Xcel employees of debt the city could issue related in attendance on Aug. 6 to show sup- city to move forward with acquir- packed when the meeting began only to the purchase of Xcel’s assets port for their employer, the council ing Xcel’s distribution system in at 6 p.m.