The High Country Report, High Country Citizens’ Alliance’s newsletter is produced semi-annually. You may read the text from individual articles from the most current newsletter by using one of the program area selections on the left, or you may view the entire Autumn 2009 Newsletter. If you'd like to read past issues of our newsletter, you'll find an online archive of them at this link.

Three years after HCCA initiated efforts to encourage Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) and their power supplier Tri-State Transmission and Generation to transition investments from coal to energy efficiency and renewable generation, we are beginning to see tangible and encouraging progress. After years of pursuing predominantly fossil fuel generation, Tri-State has recently announced two renewable generation projects that will allow them to comply with state renewable portfolio standards in both Colorado and New Mexico through 2015.

Tri-State is the cooperative generation and transmission organization that provides electricity to GCEA and 43 other rural electric cooperatives, a majority of which are in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. Tri-State is the second-largest producer of electricity in Colorado after investor-owned utility Xcel Energy. In March of 2009, Tri-State announced the Cimarron I Solar Project, a 30 MW solar generating facility to be located in northeastern New Mexico. The photovoltaic project is to be built by Arizona's First Solar, Inc. and should be fully operational by the end of 2010. The 30 MW of electricity generated by this facility's half million photovoltaic panels will provide electricity for approximately 9000 homes.

In early June of 2009, Tri-State announced an agreement with Duke Energy to purchase 51 MW of wind-generated electricity for the next 20 years. The Kit Carson Windpower Project, to be built and operational by December 2010, will be located near Burlington, Colorado and produce 51 megawatts of electricity - enough to power approximately 13,000 homes. During the July 6 announcement, Governor Ritter praised the project saying that it would "be another part of Colorado's New Energy Economy, produce clean, reliable energy, create 150 clean energy jobs and provide long term economic opportunities." Tri-State's general manager Ken Anderson summarized the project, saying, "this is a small step in the right direction as we move forward to diversify our energy portfolio."

Currently, Tri-State only gets 1% of its electricity from wind and solar, so these are definitely positive steps of many that need to be taken. The Windpower Project is a great example of how clean-energy development is creating jobs and can help drive Colorado's economy while avoiding the creation of new greenhouse gas emissions. Wind farms help bring prosperity to rural areas and therefore all of Colorado.

In contrast to the 81 MW of renewable generation projects they have announced this year, Tri-State is still heavily invested in a proposed 895 MW old-style coal power plant in Holcomb, Kansas. To their credit, Tri-State is not sure whether or not they will continue their partnership with Sunflower -- the company that would build and operate the massive coal plant if it were finally approved. However, having already invested $50 million in this project, Tri-State is hesitant to fully abandon ties to this economically and environmentally risky coal plant. It is noteworthy that Tri-State has invested $50 million of their members' (our) money in a coal plant that may or may not come to fruition.

The position of HCCA's Climate and Clean Energy program has always been that Tri-State should be investing in energy efficiency and renewable generation rather than old-style, highly polluting coal facilities. We have been hard at work over the past year mobilizing support for and advocating this position, both to GCEA and Tri-State. A $50 million investment could have gone a long way in the right direction; if our goals are met Tri-State will abandon its plans for new coal generation and will instead aggressively peruse energy efficiency and renewable resources that will ensure stable rates and decreases in greenhouse gas emissions for years to come. While Tri-State is beginning to actively diversify their energy portfolio and examine energy efficiency, it is critical that their membership continue driving them in this direction, away from huge investments in new coal plants.

To learn more about how you can help guide Tri-State's future planning process, please contact HCCA's Climate and Clean Energy Coordinator Chris Menges at 970-349-7104 ext. 4 or chris@hccaonline.org.

HCCA's Climate and Clean Energy program recently received a grant to fund its efforts over the next year. To date, HCCA has been striving to effect positive change both locally and at Tri-State Generation and Transmission by working with Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) and its members. The excellent progress we've made has been noted throughout the region, including initiatives to implement local energy efficiency efforts and carry a message of the need for investments in renewable generation (versus new, old-style coal plants) to Tri-State. Now, the Climate and Clean Energy program will begin moving forward with similar efforts to work collaboratively with the memberships of three other cooperatives: Delta Montrose Electric Association (DMEA), San Miguel Power Association (SMPA) and Sangre de Cristo Electric Association (SDCEA). Of course, we will also continue working with GCEA and its membership. Each one of these electrical cooperatives holds one (of 44 total) vote with Tri-State, shaping its policy and direction. By working with the membership of four Western Colorado Tri-State member co-ops, we'll continue to pressure Tri-State to be an active participant, and perhaps even a leader in Colorado's New Energy Economy which is designed to "secure our energy, economic and

On January 30, 2009, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) issued a Notice of Inquiry asking for public comments on what level of oversight, if any, the Commission should have on Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association's resource planning process. During the comment period, the PUC received over 10,000 comments - the largest response they've ever received. For the most part, environmental groups favor and support the initiative while Tri-State and its 44 member cooperatives, including GCEA vehemently oppose it.

During the open comment period, both High Country Citizens' Alliance's Climate and Clean Energy Program and the Alliance for Clean Electricity submitted formal written comments to the PUC, created awareness about the issue through local media streams, and organized public action and comment letters favoring PUC oversight. Following the comment period, the PUC held a hearing in July, 2009 to consider expert opinions from 9 panelists representing interests on both sides of the issue. During the hearing, Crested Butte resident and HCCA/ACE member Bruce Driver represented a coalition of community and environmental groups, while GCEA director Chris Morgan was among the panelists representing cooperatives opposing regulation.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission is charged with the promotion of Colorado's new energy economy policy objectives and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals through its oversight of the electric utility resource planning process. According to the PUC, major changes in the energy landscape are motivating them to re-examine their previous decision to forgo regulation of Tri-State's resource planning process. There are concerns about "climate change, the increased availability of renewable energy, the higher costs of power generation and the need for more energy efficiency." Resource plans lay out electric utilities' projections for electricity demand from their customers, and ways they plan to meet that demand through energy generation and/or demand-side management and efficiency. The Commission is considering various levels of oversight of Tri-State's resource planning process - the status quo is virtually no oversight.

Colorado has some of the most abundant renewable energy resources in the nation. Making sure the infrastructure, planning and coordination are in place for projects to grow across the state, however, cannot and should not be a piecemeal endeavor. It's going to take a statewide, unified approach to energy planning to ensure Colorado reaches its full potential in the clean energy economy. As the state's second-largest electric utility, Tri-State holds many of the cards as to how far Colorado will advance toward a clean energy future. While Tri-State's recent clean energy developments are a step in the right direction, they pale in comparison to the renewable energy resources Xcel and other western utilities have developed over the last decade.

Rural Colorado, Tri-State's primary service area and the area where most of the state's renewable energy resources exist, is being left behind as the rest of the state moves forward. Only recently has Tri-State announced plans for its first wind farm in eastern Colorado, while other utilities have been harvesting wind from the plains for a decade. Tri-State can and should be doing more to help its members grow renewable energy locally, something that can bring greater prosperity and energy security to rural Colorado. Tri-State should be viewing its renewable energy development not as a ceiling simply to meet state requirements, but as a floor to start building an entire portfolio based on clean energy that will benefit its members across rural Colorado. As long as Tri-State continues to plan for large baseload coal resources and does not put clean energy at the core of its resource planning, it will serve as a barrier to rural Coloradans who want to cultivate clean energy and bring greater economic development to their communities.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission serves an important role by engaging utilities to make sure their plans are consistent with Colorado's energy policy. The Commission can help Tri-State move beyond coal and toward a 21st century mix of energy sources that will benefit its customers as well as the state's new energy economy. Without the Commission's involvement, Colorado will continue to try moving fully into the new energy economy, only to have one foot cemented in the past. Greater coordination between the Commission, Tri-State and other utilities will allow for greater shared resources that will translate to the best deal for all consumers.

As Tri-State re-evaluates its resource plan, it is more critical than ever that it work alongside the Public Utilities Commission to help Tri-State plan for more diverse and clean energy resources. HCCA and many other environmental groups will continue asking the Commission to work cooperatively with Tri-State on its resource planning to ensure that Tri-State's energy choices are in the best interests of its customers, don't leave rural Colorado behind in the new energy economy, and help move the state toward a clean energy future.

Please contact HCCA's Climate and Clean Energy Coordinator Chris Menges with any thoughts or questions on this complex topic. He can be reached at 970-349-7104 ext. 4 or chris@hccaonline.org.

Over the past year, Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) has made impressive strides in the realm of energy efficiency, sharing information with its members and examining renewable generation, both at the Tri-State and local levels.

Among GCEA's notable initiatives is the hiring of Energy Use and Communications Specialist Vicki Spencer to investigate practical energy efficiency options, design and implement programs, and inform the membership about how to take advantage of them, thereby reducing both their energy bills and carbon footprint. Vicki's position was successful enough that GCEA decided to expand its Member Services Department by hiring Scott LeFevre to assist with the energy efficiency programs and conduct energy audits to help members identify specific energy-saving measures they can take to save electricity.

GCEA has also reactivated its Technology Committee, a group of board members dedicated to developing energy efficiency strategies and investigating renewable generation options. This committee, working directly with GCEA staff, has developed, approved and implemented a number of programs. Available now, these programs can assist GCEA members, who are seeking to become more energy efficient, with lowering their electricity bills and reducing their carbon footprints.

It is commonly acknowledged that energy efficiency is the most critical, significant and easy-to-accomplish step that citizens can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If you are a GCEA member, High Country Citizens' Alliance encourages you to take advantage of available efficiency and rebate programs offered though GCEA.

For the first time, HCCA is partnering with GCEA on an article for our High Country Report. GCEA Energy Use and Communications Specialist Vicki Spencer describes the new programs in more detail below: "In starting up our energy efficiency programs, GCEA has focused on partnerships that enable us to offer financial incentives to our members at a minimal cost. Last fall, we partnered with the City of Gunnison and the Governor's Energy Office to launch the Insulate Colorado Program in our area. GCEA provides matching funds so that our members may receive a 25% rebate, up to a maximum of $375 for insulating attics and exterior walls in their homes."

Another partnership is with the local chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). The AAUW has provided funding for GCEA to offer a series of workshops to teach women do-it-yourself skills so that they can make energy efficiency improvements themselves. The workshops will begin in September 2009 and will run through February 2010. Members have been asked to volunteer their homes for the classes so that the participants will learn how to problem solve in real-life situations. "Everyone who participates will receive a 'tool kit' with all the supplies they will need to apply their newly acquired skills to making improvements in their own homes," states Spencer.

One of GCEA's most popular programs is the rebate program funded by GCEA and Tri-State Generation and Transmission. The rebates are as follows:

- Electric Ground Source Heat Pumps - $750 for minimum 3-ton Energy Star® rated unit with an additional $150/ton above the minimum and an additional $50 for load control by GCEA.
- Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) Units - $22/kW for ETS controlled by timer or master control system.
- Electric Water Heaters - $70 for a minimum 30-gallon capacity water heater with a 6-year warranty with an additional $25 for unit controlled by timer, low wattage element, or GCEA signal; $50 additional for primary heating by electric ground source heat pump.
- Marathon Lifetime Warranty Water Heater - $95 per unit with an additional $25 for unit controlled by timer, low wattage element, or GCEA signal; $50 additional for primary heating by electric ground source heat pump.
- Refrigerators and Freezers - $60 for an Energy Star® rated appliance with an additional $40 for proof of proper recycling of old appliance.
- Dishwashers - $45 for a new Energy Star® rated appliance.
- Clothes washers - $60 for a new Energy Star® rated appliance.

GCEA is also encouraging members to make the transition from high-energy use incandescent bulbs to compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs) and light emitting diode bulbs (LEDs). At the beginning of 2009, GCEA introduced the Buck-A-Bulb Program in which members may purchase 40-, 60-, 75-, and 100-watt equivalent CFL bulbs at the GCEA headquarters in Gunnison or the branch office in Crested Butte. Last year, during the holiday season, GCEA introduced the LED Holiday String Light Program in which members may purchase LED string lights from any store and apply for a credit of $2 or $4 from GCEA, depending upon the number of lights per string.

For more information about GCEA's programs, contact GCEA Member Services at 970-641-3250.