Editor Outpost
Assessing Oil and Gas Influence on State Politics – Two Views
A left-leaning watchdog group released a report late last week that contends the oil and gas industry exerts an outsized influence on Colorado politics, and generous political spending might be the reason. Colorado Ethics Watch does not accuse the oil and gas industry of wrongdoing, but does suggest it benefits from spending so freely to influence politicians.
3Jun2013 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Survey: Global Warming, Clean Energy Should be Priorities
Six in 10 Americans want the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions regardless of other countries’ emissions efforts, according to the survey. Only 6% say the U.S. should not reduce its greenhouse emissions. The study also shows only half of Americans have heard of the Keystone XL pipeline. Among those who have heard of the pipeline, 63% support the project.
23May2013 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Tri-State’s Expanding Wind Footprint
The electric cooperative’s 67-megawatt Colorado Highlands Wind project is expanding to 91 megawatts. Construction, using 14 GE turbines, is expected to commence in July and be completed this fall.
30Apr2013 | admin | 4 comments | Continued
NRG Doubles Down on Distributed Generation
What’s a good way to get someone’s attention? If you’re David Crane, president and CEO of NRG Energy, you threaten to upend an entire industry. In recent weeks, Crane has done just that, outlining a vision for the future where consumers disconnect from their electric utility—with NRG’s help.
12Apr2013 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Policy Stymies Billions in Renewable Energy Investment
Misguided public policy and inconsistent government support are hampering private financial investment in renewable energy projects, according to new analysis by the Climate Policy Initiative.
20Mar2013 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Smart Grid Can Outlast Extreme Weather Effects
The Obama administration is linking improvements in the electrical grid with the increasing occurrence of aberrant weather patterns, all associated with climate change. To that end, it has just released its “progress report” detailing the steps that it has made and will continue to make to achieve its goals.
4Mar2013 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Environmental Scorecard for Ski Resorts
Park City Mountain Resort came in first by getting 93 percent of the possible points. Aspen Highlands and Aspen Mountain were among the top 10 resorts nationally for environmental performance, coming in sixth and seventh. Snowmass, however, dropped, primarily because of terrain expansion.
19Feb2013 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
The ‘Promised Land’ Problem for Activists
A flop at the box office and with most critics, the real losers in the “Promised Land” debacle, are the environmental activists who pinned their hopes on a Hollywood movie to make the case against hydraulic fracturing. By promoting a work of fiction as “real life,” the activists proved just how little they care about the facts.
31Jan2013 | admin | 10 comments | Continued
One Reaction to New COGCC Proposals
Until there is resolution — likely in the form of a court ruling — regarding who has the ultimate jurisdiction to regulate the energy industry and its oil and gas exploration projects in counties and cities across Colorado, the new rules approved by the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will be of debatable consequence.
18Jan2013 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
Seventeen Percent of Xcel’s Electricity From Wind, But Future Cloudy
The future of wind power in Colorado is uncertain because although the Fiscal Cliff deal extended the Production Tax Credit for 2013 projects, Xcel Energy recently noted that it has all the renewable energy it needs to meet state requirements.
2Jan2013 | admin | 2 comments | Continued
This is What Recovery Looks Like
President Obama’s Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently offered an interesting assessment of the state of the U.S. economy – one worth remembering as we debate the future of energy policy in Colorado. “The economy now is actually looking quite resilient,” Geithner told NBC News, before adding that two of the biggest reasons are domestic oil and gas production and domestic manufacturing
6Dec2012 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
With Election’s Over, What’s in the Cards for the Smart Grid?
Our friends at Smart Grid News offer an interesting and timely take on the future of Smart Grid during a second Obama term. They set the stage by highlighting the good and bad of the past four years. “We don’t claim the background we’re providing is comprehensive. It’s more like a quick jog down memory lane, a reminder of what we were most likely reading and talking about over the past few years.”
16Nov2012 | admin | 0 comments | Continued
What’s in the Water?
A new database of water quality information assembled by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is designed to help tell us — at least as far as water quality and its relationship to oil and gas development in the state.
16Nov2012 | admin | 0 comments | Continued-
Assessing Oil and Gas Influence on State Politics – Two Views
A left-leaning watchdog group released a report late last week that contends the oil and gas industry exerts an outsized influence on Colorado politics, and generous political spending might be the reason. Colorado Ethics Watch does not accuse the oil and gas industry of wrongdoing, but does suggest it benefits from spending so freely to influence politicians.
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Clean Energy Collective is now based in Boulder Colorado. 
Though a small step and almost over 16 years into the die-off of our forests, this effort should be applauded ...
The best ballot initiative is one that will ban initiatives. Otherwise what is the point of electing legislators. 
Thanks for the info Fred! 
Tri-State Board Policy 117 limits member co-op generation to 5%.
LPEA has asked them to lift that for community solar gardens.
https://www.lpea.coop/pdf/board_meeting/resolutions/2012/201213_tristate_policy_117.pdf 
To see this exciting change as "scary" seems incredibly short-sited to me. Between the increasing power demands caused by ...