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 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The Sangre de Cristo Electric Association board last week rescinded a plan to restructure its electric rates that raised protests from residents using solar panels.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 […]