Advances in technology have created heat pumps that can withstand an Arctic blast, at less operating cost than natural gas.
energy
Posted inOpinion Columns
Opinion: The West can plug into lower-cost electricity with regional energy markets
A fragmented electricity grid creates higher costs for all customers and inefficiencies for companies that want access to reliable, affordable, clean energy.
Posted inClimate, Energy, News
Utility gets nod to build 416-mile power line across U.S. West to connect wind farms to electric customers
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — U.S. land managers Thursday said they’ve given final permission for a 416-mile transmission line that would connect wind farms in eastern Wyoming with customers in Utah and elsewhere across the West. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management said it has notified Portland-based PacifiCorp it can proceed with its Energy Gateway South Transmission […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: No, natural gas should not be part of our energy mix
In their op-ed titled “Natural gas should remain a key option in Colorado’s clean-energy mix,” the authors would have us believe that, long-term, natural gas should be part of the mix for our state’s goals for ending the use of fossil fuels. Let’s be clear: When we have ended the use of fossil fuels, natural […]
Posted inBusiness, News
Colorado electric co-op abandons plan to raise rates for second-home owners after solar users protest
The Sangre de Cristo Electric Association board last week rescinded a plan to restructure its electric rates that raised protests from residents using solar panels. The rural co-op’s board canceled its plan that raised costs for members who used less electricity, raised its fixed monthly fees and increased electrical rates for owners with solar panels […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: COVID opened the door to new energy thinking. We haven’t stepped through it
Our energy production systems are vulnerable to shocks. Energy demand radically shifted early in the Covid-19 pandemic while global oil prices plummeted. The Texas super storm shut down much of the state’s electrical grid in 2021. These shocks, at least in theory, present opportunities to restructure current energy production systems, invest in energy transitions to […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Natural gas should remain a key option in Colorado’s clean-energy mix
Colorado is widely known as a state that is at the forefront of both energy innovation and environmental protection. As we continue the transition to a low-carbon economy, we’re presented with a tremendous opportunity to strengthen that reputation. At the center of that change are clean and natural energy sources that Colorado is abundantly blessed […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, News
Unaweep Canyon is central to Xcel Energy’s big plans for renewable energy production in Colorado
Xcel Energy has a low-tech plan for creating clean power in one of Colorado’s geologic wonders. As Colorado’s largest utility, with 1.5 million electricity customers, pushes toward its goal of delivering 100% carbon-free power by 2050, the company is seeking federal approval for the state’s largest hydropower project on the Western Slope in Unaweep Canyon […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News
Biden administration moves to expand solar power on public land in Colorado
By Matthew Brown, The Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. — U.S. officials announced approval Tuesday of two solar projects in California and moved to open up public lands in three other Western states to potential solar development, as part of the Biden administration’s effort to counter climate change by shifting from fossil fuels. The U.S. Bureau […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News
Power companies’ plans to expand wind, solar on Colorado’s Eastern Plains meet local headwinds
By Sam Brasch, CPR News For years, Lacie Harman has watched wind turbines inch closer to her home on Colorado’s Eastern Plains. The white towers now dot the prairie from Limon north to the Wyoming border but have skipped over Washington County, where her family has farmed and ranched for five generations. Harman is trying […]