Seven states, 7,000 miles and 10,000 signatures. That’s the planned itinerary of the Energy for America bus tour that stopped in Craig, Colo., earlier this week at the approximate half-way point of its cross-country trek. The campaign promotes the use of domestic natural resources and illustrates the value to the communities that benefit from their use. Situated in a resource-rich part of northwest Colorado, Craig is a great example of what energy development and electricity production means to a community.
The Energy for America initiative was launched earlier this month by the American Energy Alliance (AEA), in conjunction with the Institute for Energy Research and Americans for Prosperity, in an effort to “educate Americans about the extent of the nation’s natural resource base and the perversity of federal energy policies that avoid reliable, affordable, proven domestic energy sources and embrace unreliable, expensive and unproven energy sources.”
AEA president Tom Pyle spoke to the Craig City Council on Oct. 25 and offered a resolution in support of domestic energy production and job creation. “The United States has the largest energy reserves on Earth,” he said. “Our supplies of natural gas, oil, coal and hydropower can supply this nation with all the energy we need for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, anti-energy activists, both inside and outside the government want to make energy scarce and more expensive by limiting our access, increasing energy taxes and regulating America’s energy producers.” Continue reading ‘Energy for America rally rolls into Craig, Colorado’
Tri-State issued a request for proposals for renewable energy supply on Oct. 21, which is aimed at taking advantage of current competitive market prices, while continuing to assist its member co-ops in Colorado and New Mexico in meeting their renewable portfolio standard requirements.
Tri-State is seeking renewable energy deliveries of up to 300,000 megawatt-hours per year, which is roughly equivalent to the output of a 100-megawatt wind farm with an annual capacity factor of 35 percent. Proposals must include deliveries of at least 15,000 megawatt-hours per year. Power purchase agreements with a minimum term of 15 years and a maximum term of 25 years will be considered.
“The boom of cooperative organizations and the key role they play in both our national and global economy, is clearly evidenced in the growth and expansion highlighted in this year’s report,” said Charles E. Snyder, NCB’s president and CEO. “As a cooperative business ourselves, we are proud to support these efforts and participate in the United Nations General Assembly declaration of 2012 as the International Year of the Cooperative, to educate the public on the benefits of cooperatives. Our report is just one of the many ways we work to inform the public on the advantages of cooperatives in all fields of enterprise.”
America’s electric cooperatives have been built on their own unique historical events. In a relatively short period of time, electric cooperatives have become a significant part of the American landscape: today 841 distribution and 65 G&T cooperatives serve 42 million people in 47 states, which accounts for 12 percent of the nation’s population. Electric cooperatives own assets worth $112 billion, they own and maintain 2.5 million miles, or 42 percent, of the nation’s electric distribution lines. And they employ 70,000 Americans, pay $1.4 billion in state and local taxes and retire $545 million in capital credits annually.
A catchy, three-minute video illustrating the cooperative difference in a fast-forward format has been a big hit at this year’s NRECA regional meetings. “The Electric Cooperative Story” shows an artist’s hand sketching a series of cartoon-like images in black, red and green markers against a whiteboard. The action is sped up so that the history of electric co-ops and their seven principles is explained in 3 minutes, 28 seconds flat.
