Monthly Archive for September, 2009

Clean coal technology advancing

Published on September 22, 2009 in Clean Energy. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Growing energy demands require a diverse portfolio of energy resources, including energy efficiency and renewable, natural gas, coal and nuclear power.

Coal is an important part of the nation’s energy mix, and clean coal technologies are critical to ensure the continued delivery of the reliable and affordable electricity you depend on and to manage greenhouse gas emissions.

Tri-State is a leader in advancing clean coal technologies.

Tri-State’s Greenhouse Gas Management Roadmap, which is focused on technology development, identifies how the association could manage the risks associated with possible constraints on greenhouse gas emissions.

As part of the Roadmap, a Tri-State-supported pilot project is successfully demonstrating the viability of capturing carbon dioxide emitted from a coal-based power plant utilizing a chilled ammonia process. The study is being conducted through the Electric Power Research Institute at the Pleasant Prairie Power Plant near Prairie, Wis.

About 35 utilities other from the United States, Germany, Australia and France have been helping to fund approximately $7 million toward the cost of the project.

Tri-State is also a partner in a $4.8 million research assessment of geologic formations in western Colorado for their ability to store carbon dioxide underground. With the University of Utah, Colorado Geological Survey, Shell Exploration and Production, Schlumberger Carbon Services and the Utah Geological Survey, the partnership was awarded a $3.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Tri-State, Shell and Schlumberger are providing the remainder of the funding.

A goal of the three-year project is to evaluate the potential of carbon dioxide storage at a site near Craig, Colo., where Tri-State operates the Craig Station coal-based power plant.

“A vital part of our New Energy Economy initiative is finding cleaner ways of producing and consuming traditional fuels,” said Colorado Governor Bill Ritter. “This grant award will enable us to expand our research into the viability of climate protection technologies such as carbon sequestration, which is not only important for northwest Colorado, but also for carbon sequestration potential throughout the Rocky Mountain Region.”

Ken Anderson, Tri-State’s executive vice president added, “This site specific carbon dioxide sequestration assessment complements Tri-State’s ongoing participation in collaborative demonstrations of carbon capture technology in power plants. Together, these research efforts can develop options to manage carbon dioxide at a significant scale.”

Widening the Highway for Colorado’s New Energy Economy

Published on September 17, 2009 in Renewable Energy and Transmission. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Over the past several years, Colorado’s “New Energy Economy” has been a primary focus for advancing the state both fiscally, as well as environmentally.

As a result, Colorado has become a nationwide hub for renewable energy, advancements in clean energy technology and gains in energy efficiency.

In order to keep this economic engine moving, the “highway” system it depends on needs to keep pace. This “highway” system is the state’s transmission infrastructure.
Without upgrades to the Colorado’s existing transmission infrastructure, as well as the development of new lines to address load constraints and reliability, the journey for Colorado’s “New Energy Economy” could face a number of road blocks.

Tri-State’s Board of Directors recently approved the association’s 2010 capital construction budget which includes $142 million in transmission investments to serve member loads and support system reliability. Tri-State’s 10-year capital outlook for transmission estimates $1.9 billion in investments to ensure it can meet needs across the four-state service territory.

Two projects currently being proposed in the state attempt to address growth in population and the state’s agriculture industry; reliability concerns; and the facilitation of renewable energy development.

Recently, a partnership involving San Isabel Electric, San Luis Valley Rural Electric, Tri-State and Xcel Energy completed public meetings to solicit input on a proposed transmission project important to reliability in Colorado.

The Southern Colorado Transmission Improvements Project would stretch from Alamosa to Walsenburg, then north to Pueblo. It’s needed to increase reliability, serve growing electricity needs and provide interconnection for renewable energy resources.

Currently, Tri-State is working with the Rural Utilities Service to conduct an environmental review required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Tri-State also is proposing a new project to construct a 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line from the Farmington area in northwest New Mexico to Ignacio, Colorado in La Plata County.

The transmission line will increase load serving capabilities for residential, small business and industrial electric consumers, resulting in a major improvement for the overall power delivery infrastructure in the four-million acre San Juan Basin. In addition, the line will relieve transmission constraints and provide a new gateway for renewable energy development in the region.

Tri-State recognizes the importance of a reliable and efficient transmission infrastructure to help facilitate the delivery of affordable and reliable power to its 1.2 million consumers; and will continue to invest in new transmission to support reliability and facilitate renewable energy development.

Energy Efficiency Campaign Gains Strides Nationwide

Published on September 17, 2009 in Energy Efficiency. 0 Comments Tags: .

We all hear about energy efficiency. Some people think it’s investing in compact fluorescent light bulbs, others may think its purchasing ENERGY STAR appliances. While some correlate energy efficiency with bumping up the thermostat in the summer or being mindful of turning off that light when leaving the room.

The fact is energy efficiency is all of the above and then some.

Recently, Tri-State joined nearly 700 other Touchstone Energy Cooperatives from across the country to launch a revolutionary national energy efficiency campaign designed to inspire consumers to save energy and money.

The “Together We Save” campaign features television and radio messages, print advertisements, brochures and more than a dozen energy efficiency interactive Web applications linked to a virtual home tour – all designed to encourage electric co-op member-consumers to take immediate energy saving actions.

“Touchstone Energy’s ‘Together We Save’ campaign illustrates numerous ways consumers can reduce their energy bills, in turn, saving themselves money by implementing a variety of changes around their homes and businesses.

Tri-State has long had in place a number of energy efficiency initiatives designed to encourage and reward energy-efficient purchases and practices. In 2008, for example, Tri-State’s Energy Efficiency Credits program, which has been greatly enhanced since it was created in 1985, returned nearly $2 million to residents and business for their smart energy choices.

Tri-State also continues to invest in new technologies that ultimately benefit end-use consumers and ensures the wise use of energy.

The ultimate goal in all of this is to help address challenges in electricity, which include reliability, efficiency, health and safety.

Tri-State Co-ops Bring Renewable Energy to Their Communities

Published on September 17, 2009 in Renewable Energy. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Recently, Tri-State announced two utility-scale renewable energy projects to further diversify its energy resource portfolio. One – a 51-megawatt wind project to be located just north of Burlington, Colorado; and a 30-megwatt photovoltaic solar project to be located in northern New Mexico.

Both will bring clean power to the 1.4 million consumers Tri-State serves through its 44 member cooperatives.

But many of Tri-State’s member cooperatives have taken the opportunity to invest in renewable energy a step further.

Just last year, Tri-State launched a “Member Local Renewable Project” program.

The program provides its member owners with financial assistance to facilitate the development of local renewable energy projects that ultimately qualify in meeting Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) that have been established in Colorado and New Mexico.

Under the program, Tri-State’s financial support of local renewable projects take form of performance payments based on the output of the project or attributes generated by the project for which the member can claim ownership.

Since its inception, the program has gotten off to a great start.

Recently, Durango, Colorado-based La Plata Electric Association launched a recovered heat project that captures heat generated from gas turbines to produce electricity. Holyoke, Colorado-based Highline Electric Association also launched a similar project in the northeast corner of the state. Now operation, Highline expects to save about $10 million in power costs over the 20-year life of the contract. The waste-heat generator will produce 27,600 megawatt-hours of energy annually.

In addition, three schools in New Mexico and Colorado have installed geothermal heating and cooling systems to help them use energy more efficiently and save money.

Last year alone, Tri-State distributed more than $1.8 million in 2008 to home owners and business operators for their installation of more efficient lighting, appliances, heating and cooling systems.

Moving forward, energy efficiency will play a key role in Tri-State’s continued effort to provide affordable and reliable electricity.