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 inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News

United Power should be able to leave Tri-State for less than a tenth of a proposed $1.6B exit fee, federal report says

In the running battle over how much a suburban Denver electric cooperative must pay to leave the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the co-op picked up some ammunition in a report by a federal energy economist that calls the association’s exit fee calculations flawed and unreasonable. The exit fee for Brighton-based United Power should be […]

Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News

Western Slope county rejects solar project over fear of losing a sliver of farmland

A plan to provide solar power to a Western Slope rural electric cooperative ran aground last week when the Delta County Board of Commissioners rejected a zoning change for the 472-acre project, citing concerns over the loss of farmland in the county. The 80-megawatt solar project proposed by Guzman Energy would have supplied the Delta-Montrose […]

Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News

Tri-State must tell members seeking cleaner, cheaper energy how much it would cost to break up, regulators say

Western rural electric cooperatives that have repeatedly asked how much it will cost for them to leave the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association are facing “unjust and unreasonable or unduly discriminatory” hurdles in getting those numbers, according to federal energy regulators. “The lack of clear and transparent exit provisions has allowed Tri-State to impose substantial […]