The sheep — and the sprinklers and maybe the honeybees — carried the day as the Delta County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a once-spurned solar project on agricultural land. The 80-megawatt Garnet Mesa project, on 475 acres, had been rejected by the commission in March over concerns about the loss of farmland […]
Climate
Posted inWater
Southwest states given more time to agree on water cuts to prevent largest reservoirs from reaching critically low levels
Despite giving states more time to negotiate, federal officials said some cuts were coming to parts of the Colorado River Basin
Posted inClimate, News
Tuesday’s deadline looms for drought-stricken states to cut Colorado River water use
By Sam Metz and Felicia Fonseca, The Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY — Banks along parts of the Colorado River where water once streamed are now just caked mud and rock as climate change makes the Western U.S. hotter and drier. More than two decades of drought have done little to deter the region from […]
Posted inClimate, Energy, News
Delta County thought solar panels were a baaaaad idea. But what if there were 1,000 sheep grazing under them?
The question before the Delta County Commission this month is whether 1,000 sheep can forge a path for dozens of solar panels — after the commissioners rejected a solar project citing concerns about losing farmland. In March, the commission, on a 2-1 vote, rejected an 80-megawatt solar project covering 475 acres just outside of Delta, […]
Posted inClimate
VIDEO: The future of the Colorado River and what that means for our state
Colorado Sun water reporter Chris Outcalt talked to water experts about the challenges that exist for Colorado and managing the use of the river going forward and more. Panelists included: Rebecca Mitchell – Colorado River Commissioner Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board Andy Mueller – General Manager of the Colorado River District Paul Bruchez […]
Posted inWater
Where does the water in Glenwood Canyon’s iconic Hanging Lake come from?
The U.S. Forest Service and a Missouri water-tracing company are trying to find the water source of the popular hiking destination
Posted inClimate, Energy, News, Politics and Government
First comprehensive oil and gas drilling plan under Colorado’s new regulations gets go-ahead
Colorado’s first comprehensive oil and gas development plan — a new mechanism aimed at better assessing and managing the cumulative impacts of drilling — was approved by state regulators Wednesday, paving the way for more than 200 new wells in Weld County. Kerr-McGee, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corp., got a greenlight from Colorado Oil […]
Posted inClimate, Energy, News, Technology
Researchers in Colorado have figured out what makes air conditioners consume so much energy. It’s not the heat.
This just in from the laboratory: When it comes to the air conditioner chugging away in the window, it’s not the heat — but the humidity that’s causing it to work overtime. An analysis by researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden found that on average more than half of the energy used […]
Posted inClimate
Inflation/climate bill includes $4 billion for buying water to save the Colorado River Basin
Bennet, other Western senators applaud funds meant to rent, buy or save water to fill the 2 million to 4 million acre-foot gap amid historic drought.
Posted inClimate, Energy, News
Regional board to approve ozone action plan, but a Colorado coalition wants much more done
The northern Front Range’s newest plan to meet federal ozone-reduction mandates comes with a rare upfront admission that it won’t work. The Regional Air Quality Council, a nonprofit board of experts and local officials charged with writing the state’s ozone compliance plan, will decide Friday on the latest proposals for trimming the hazardous ground-level gas. […]