Archive for the 'Energy Efficiency' Category

Japanese utility officials check out DMEA’s solar project

Published on May 8, 2012 in Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, General and Public Outreach. 0 Comments Tags: .

Following one of the biggest disasters involving nuclear energy in the world at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, two representatives of Japanese power utilities traveled to Montrose, Colo., recently to learn more about Tri-State member co-op Delta-Montrose Electric Association’s Community Solar Array program.

DMEA spokesman Tom Polikalas said the Japanese utilities are looking for ways to accelerate the rate at which they are integrating more renewable energy resources into their nation’s power grid.

Small solar project powers about 30 homes for Empire Electric

Published on February 28, 2012 in Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, General and Renewable Energy. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

In early February Empire Electric added the 72-kilowatt Red Wagon solar project to its renewable portfolio.

A new small solar plant recently began generating enough electricity to meet the power requirements of about 30 homes on the lines of Tri-State member co-op Empire Electric Association (Cortez, Colo.).  The 72-kilowatt Red Wagon Energy project was constructed on a 1-acre site, within the town limits of Mancos, Colo., with the support of Tri-State board policies 115 and 117 for a 10-year contract term.

This new distributed generation facility is owned and operated by Red Wagon Energy. Its estimated annual output of 138,000 kilowatt-hours is being sold to Empire Electric through a power purchase agreement and is fed directly onto the local power grid.

“The power from this solar plant won’t go to any specific homes and it won’t alter anyone’s electric bill,” explained Doug Sparks, Empire’s member services manager. “However, this break-the-mold project introduces a shift, allowing a small renewable power plant to provide power to the grid, bolstering Empire’s capacity and renewable energy portfolio,” he added.

The Red Wagon project is the third renewable project that Empire has contracted with Tri-State under the G&T’s board policy 115/117 agreements.  The southwest Colorado co-op also receives 20 kilowatts of output from a small community solar garden in which its consumers can subscribe for small blocks of renewable power, and it has a power purchase agreement for a 240-kilowatt hydroelectric plant located at a water treatment facility in Cortez.

Taos Eco-Park goes renewable

Published on February 14, 2012 in Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, General and Renewable Energy. 0 Comments Tags: .

The Taos (N.M.) Eco-Park is earning its name. Tri-State member Kit Carson Electric Cooperative celebrated the completion of a 60-kilowatt solar canopy installed in the parking lot at the sports facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony earlier this month. The array was designed to generate enough electricity to power stadium lights for three fields at the Eco-Park. The town has completed the first field, with other phases pending.

Empire Electric helps support MLK Day of Service

Published on January 23, 2012 in Energy Efficiency and Public Outreach. 0 Comments Tags: , , .
Crystal Curtsinger and her daughter receive an energy efficiency kit donated by Empire Electric.

Tri-State member co-op Empire Electric Association (Cortez, Colo.) teamed with the Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency, Southwest Conservation Corps and AmeriCorps to enhance energy efficiency at the Por Dia daycare facility in Cortez on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day last week.

The organizations participated in a well-attended day of service in honor of the holiday, providing free weatherization services to increase safety and comfort for school children, while decreasing energy bills at the daycare facility.

Empire Electric donated 35 energy efficiency kits that were given out to the parents of the preschoolers for use in their homes. “This is a wonderful project coordinated by 4CORE to install energy saving measures at Por Dia Preschool and provide some energy education for parents and preschoolers,” said Bobbe Jones, Empire’s assistant member services manager. “EEA is pleased to be part of it.”

Many energy efficient updates were made at Por Dia Daycare facility on MLK Day.

4CORE administers the Weatherization Assistance Program, which is a 34-year-old Department of Energy program that strives to increase the quality, safety and energy efficiency of residential, low-income housing through improving energy performance.

“This is a great opportunity for our school,” said Amy Long, owner of Por Dia Preschool. “With rising utility costs and several heating sources in our preschool, I think weatherization will really make a difference in keeping our children warm, safe and comfortable, at an affordable rate for us.”

Chevy Volt debuts at Tri-State

Published on January 4, 2012 in Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency and General. 0 Comments Tags: .

After many months on a General Motors waiting list, Tri-State’s fleet department finally took delivery on Dec. 30, 2011, of the highly touted Chevy Volt, the first American production hybrid vehicle designed to travel extended distances in the electric vehicle mode. “After it is showcased and demonstrated at some of our member annual meetings and other events, the Volt will be deployed in the Westminster-based motor pool fleet,” said Rick Dell, senior manager of supply services.

The Volt is part of Tri-State’s continuing efforts to test and promote new electric technologies in its vehicle fleet.  This new four-passenger auto has been available for some time on the nation’s East and West Coasts, but has only recently become available in the Rocky Mountain region.

At Tri-State, the Volt is joined by four other hybrid vehicles that are currently used in its fleet, as well as a half-dozen plug-in hybrid electric Chrysler pickup trucks that are being demonstrated as part of a three-year research and development partnership program sponsored by Tri-State, Chrysler and the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Volt is a full-performance and full-speed electric vehicle with extended range. In its simplest form, the Volt operates two ways – in EV mode (battery power) and extended-range (gasoline powered) mode. With a fully charged battery this vehicle offers an initial electric range of 35 miles totally emissions free. After that, the gas engine works with the electric motors to keep you going for up to 375 miles of extended range until you can plug it in or fill it up again.

Planned and existing member renewable projects add up to 38 MWs

Published on September 21, 2011 in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .
Williams Four Corners generating facility

With the help of Tri-State’s board policies 115 and 117 that offer member incentives, the association’s co-ops are ramping up their renewable portfolios. Tri-State’s members have planned or already built a wide range of local renewable projects that are helping to fulfill both Colorado’s and New Mexico’s renewable portfolio requirements, as well as satisfy their member consumers’ interest in purchasing green power.

As of late August, a total of 10 Tri-State member systems have energized or are planning local renewable projects that qualify for Policy 115 generation contracts with Tri-State. If all goes as planned, the combined total capacity of these 25 projects will reach 38 megawatts by the second quarter of 2013.

Two of the largest member distributed generation projects currently in operation are the Williams Four Corners generating facility located in La Plata Electric’s (Durango, Colo.) service area producing 5.8 megawatts from an industrial waste heat recovery system and Highline Electric’s (Holyoke, Colo.) Trailblazer unit, which cranks out up to 4 megawatts utilizing a similar heat recovery system.

Another two sizeable hydroelectric facilities are currently in the works that will provide generation to Delta-Montrose Electric (Montrose, Colo.) and Poudre Valley REA (Fort Collins, Colo.). “We are projecting that our South Canal Hydro Project will be producing a little more than 6 megawatts of capacity by the second quarter of 2013,” said Jim Heneghan, DMEA’s renewable energy engineer.

The Carter Lake Hydroelectric Project, now under construction by the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, will be producing up to 2.6 megawatts of capacity for Poudre Valley by the summer of 2012.

The Humphreys Dam hydro project began commercial service earlier this summer. It produces power for Tri-State member San Luis Valley REC.

The first ever member-sponsored wind project to gain Tri-State board approval under Policy 115 is also slated for completion by spring 2012. The 9-megawatt Huerfano River Wind Project, which will be owned and operated by New Centennial Power, will sell its output to Tri-State’s members San Isabel Electric (Pueblo West, Colo.) and Sangre De Cristo Electric (Buena Vista, Colo.). The wind site is located in San Isabel’s service territory, 10 miles north of Walsenburg, Colo.

Cimmaron Solar Facility, Kit Carson Electric shine in Electric Co-op Today article

Published on August 23, 2011 in Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, General and Public Outreach. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

An article by Keven Groenewold, executive vice president of the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperative Association, is featured this week on ECT.coop, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s flagship news site dedicated to coverage of the electric cooperative industry.

In it, Groenewold mentions the recent release of the nonprofit Solar Electric Power Association’s annual utility solar rankings report and the prominent placement of Tri-State G&T and member system Kit Carson Electric Cooperative.

Tri-State’s Cimmaron Solar Facility in New Mexico is the second largest operational facility of its kind in the country. The integration of 30 megawatts of solar power into the generation mix ranks Tri-State number six overall, but it also makes it the nation’s top electric cooperative in that category.

DMEA expands community solar project

Published on July 19, 2011 in Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, General and Renewable Energy. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Consumers of Tri-State member co-op Delta-Montrose Electric Association (Montrose, Colo.) will soon be able to “plug into the sun” using solar photovoltaic panels without having to install them on their own property.  Under contract to DMEA, Atlasta Solar recently installed two additional 10-kilowatt community solar arrays – one at DMEA’s Montrose headquarters, the other at its Read service center in Delta County. The expansion doubles the capacity of the two sites to 20 kilowatts each. DMEA members were able to start leasing portions of the new arrays beginning July 14.

“Our first two arrays were fully leased in under two months,” noted Jim Heneghan, DMEA’s renewable energy engineer. “There were some members who wanted to lease part of the first solar arrays, but were unable to do so until now. We’re pleased to have this additional capacity to provide more members with the opportunity to receive the benefits of solar power through our local power partnership.”

Through DMEA’s solar tariff approved by the co-op’s board of directors in March, members can lease part of the community solar array for as a little as $10, making the DMEA solar lease program very affordable.

Free commercial lighting workshop for members

Published on May 5, 2011 in Energy Efficiency, General and Public Meetings. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The Western Area Power Administration publishes a monthly e-newsletter called the Energy Services Bulletin.  The April issue features an upcoming free commercial lighting workshop that Tri-State and Western will host on May 25th.

Keeping in mind that not all low-hanging fruit is created equal, Tri-State G&T and Western have teamed up to show utilities how to take a bite out of the “watermelon” with a Commercial Lighting Workshop, May 25.

Utility employees, key account representatives and member services managers can bring their questions about lighting programs and technologies to this one-day workshop at Tri-State’s Westminster, Colo., headquarters. Western customers and Tri-State member systems don’t need to break their training budgets, either – the workshop is being offered free of charge.

Opportunities abound

Tri-State is shifting its focus from residential to commercial lighting efficiency, partly due to the success of residential programs. Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are now mainstream technology, readily available to consumers at an affordable price. However, the G&T’s recently released energy-efficiency potential study indicated that there was still plenty of room for improvement on the commercial side. “There is a lot of innovation going on in lighting, and it has the potential to make a big difference in businesses’ operating costs,” said Tri-State Energy Marketing Coordinator Keith Emerson.

DMEA’s community solar arrays sell out

Published on May 4, 2011 in Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, General and Public Outreach. 0 Comments Tags: .

With its first 10,000-watt community solar arrays sold out, the board of Tri-State member co-op Delta-Montrose Electric Association has approved the construction of two more arrays.  The two additional arrays will be stationed along side the current arrays, which are at DMEA’s headquarters in Montrose, Colo., and at the co-op’s Read facility in Delta County.

“We are excited by the members’ enthusiastic response to this program and pleased that our board has swiftly expanded our local power partnership and funded two additional solar arrays,” said Jim Heneghan, DMEA’s renewable energy engineer and community solar array manger. The co-op hopes to have the additional arrays installed by early this summer.

Eighty-four DMEA member-consumers pioneered the local power partnership, leasing portions of the first two arrays in $10 increments. In sum, co-op members invested $75,000 to receive the benefits of solar generated electricity without having to install panels on their own homes or businesses.