Archive for August, 2009
Coal ‘Elephant’ Stalks Policy Debate
What they didn’t talk about at the Fort Collins forum, at least according to news accounts, was eliminating carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. That’s a big omission: no amount of renewable-energy subsidies, replacement of gas-guzzlers with hybrid vehicles, or R&D on solar power technology is going to mitigate global climate change unless we do something about coal plants, existing and future.
31Aug2009 | admin | 2 comments | Continued
Obama’s Energy Policy Finds Broad Support in Poll — But Cap-and-Trade Bill is Harder Sell
Most Americans approve of the way the President is handling energy issues and support efforts by him and Democrats in Congress to overhaul energy policy — including the controversial cap-and-trade approach, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
31Aug2009 | admin | 1 comment | Continued
State Grant Program a Boon to Solar Installers
on West Slope
A state grant program has provided a ray of light for local solar installers. The program, run by Gov. Ritter’s office, distributed $155,193 in rebates in La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan and Montezuma counties for homeowners to get rebates to install solar water-heating systems in their homes.
31Aug2009 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
News From the Mountain Bureau –
>> Garfield County in Talks About Drill Pit Liners
>> Aspen’s St. Regis Resort Gets Solar Thermal System
>> XCEL Partners on West Slope Solar Power Plant Project
>> Gas Production in Colorado and Rockies Finally Declines
>> Hydro Power in Roaring Fork Valley Closer to Reality
GOP Leaders Call on State to Extend
Energy-Exploration Permits for Bolstering Economy
Penry and Gardner are asking the Ritter administration to extend the shelf life of the Application for Permit to Drill to two years — a move that may already be under consideration, based on comments made last week by COGCC Executive Director Dave Neslin.
27Aug2009 | admin | 5 comments | Continued
CASE STUDY: Denver’s Anschutz Medical Campus –
Energy Efficiency From the Ground Up
The university administration was committed to overall efficiency from the start. But fast growth presented both an opportunity and a problem. “We needed so many buildings that it afforded us an opportunity to build green - except on the first building,” says Dave Turnquist, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities Operations.
27Aug2009 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
CRES Announces Winners of its 2009 Renewable Energy in Buildings Awards
An impressive list of energy-efficient, sustainable design features mark both winners in the institutional and residential categories. They, along with other CRES award recipients, will be honored at the 2009 Conference, August 28-30, at the Colorado School of Mines.
26Aug2009 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Feds Want More Time to Respond to
Oil Shale Lawsuits
The Obama administration said in its filing in federal court last week that recently appointed officials need additional time to review the issues concerning the opening of nearly 2 million acres of public land in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming for oil shale development.
25Aug2009 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Big Oil Lobbies for Status Quo
In more than 20 years of covering the oil industry I’ve found it to be like the military, in some ways: a vast, monolithic organization with pockets of very smart and progressive thinkers. The more forward-thinking oil companies know that the industry’s current mode of operation cannot stand.
25Aug2009 | admin | 1 comment | Continued
Wind Lags in Colorado for Small-Scale Power Generation
Vestas Wind Systems has garnered plenty of attention, but that’s big business according to Martin, who deals with small businesses, homes and farms. As hot as the idea of harvesting wind has been lately, the industry is far from eclipsing the popularity of solar power. “Solar is definitely more mature, more organized.”
24Aug2009 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
The U.S. Better Face Up to Its Water Shortage Crisis
Another problem comes in something that sounds relatively benign: renewable energy, at least in some forms. Refining one gallon of ethanol requires four gallons of water — a drop in the bucket compared with how much water it takes to grow enough corn to refine one gallon of ethanol: as much as 2,500 gallons.
24Aug2009 | admin | 1 comment | Continued
Solar Update –
Despite “Dog Days of August,” Deals Still Happening
>> New Belgium Getting Largest Private Solar Array in State
>> Solsource Partnering on Power Plant at Buckley
>> Solar Electricity to Boost DIA Fuel Farm
>> CSU Installing 2-MW System on Foothills Campus
Oil and Gas Drilling Permits on 2005 Pace –
Garfield County Still Leads
Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission staff expects to approve about 5,000 drilling permits this year –- way off the record 8,027 approved in 2008 and much closer to the 4,364 permits approved in 2005. But a March record 1,475 applications were filed this year to get in under the old regs.
21Aug2009 | admin | 1 comment | Continued
We need to promote export terminals to liquify and ship natural gas to markets in Asia and Euroupe. The US ...
Natural Gas can be consumed so efficiently that the WATER can even be recovered from the combusted exhaust gases.
Going ...
Lack of funding is a serious obstacle for implementation of audit recommendations. Even small rebates will have little impact ...
Re: Natural gas generation wasn’t included in the final analysis but is generally assumed to emit about half as much ...
Disclosure MIGHT prevent pollution if there was a watchdog agency that ruled yes or no on particular chemicals before they ...
Having just read Tom Gray's article 'Fred Udo's bogus numbers' I get the feeling I haven't understood whats going on. ...
I agree with you kirsch. I knew this article had the stench of industry money as soon add I read ...
Can someone explain how disclosure prevents pollution? They can still release air toxins and they are still not held ...