18 minute read
A RESPONSIBLE ENERGY PLAN
A RESPONSIBLE ENERGY PLAN Transition to greener power underway for co-op power supplier
BY KENT SINGER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
In January, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (a member of the Colorado Rural Electric Association) announced that over the next 10 years it will retire its coal-fired power plants in Colorado and replace those sources of electricity generation with wind and solar power. By the end of 2030, Tri-State will no longer operate any coal-fired plants in Colorado, thus reducing the company’s carbon emissions from its Colorado plants by 90% and reducing carbon emissions from all electric sales in Colorado by 70%. (Tri-State will continue to import some coal-fired power from sources outside of Colorado.)
This is an historic decision by Tri-State, which provides wholesale power supply to every Colorado electric distribution co-op except Grand Valley Power, Yampa Valley Electric Association, Holy Cross Energy and Intermountain Rural Electric Association. Along with the announcement of the coal plant retirements, Tri-State announced the addition of nearly 1 gigawatt (1,000 megawatts) of new renewable energy capacity to its generation resources. These new wind and solar projects will be located across Colorado, creating temporary construction jobs as well as permanent maintenance positions. After its Responsible Energy Plan is completed, Tri-State will have more than 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity on its 3,000 megawatt system.
Tri-State’s new direction regarding its power portfolio is driven by several factors. In 2019, the Colorado General Assembly adopted legislation (H.B. 19-1261) that requires significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from all industries operating in the state. Although the rules for the implementation of this legislation have not been finalized, it’s clear that electric utilities will be required to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels in the near future. Tri-State’s need to comply with the Colorado law is an important factor in its recent announcements.
But even absent a legislative mandate, the rapidly decreasing costs of renewable energy make those resources more attractive today than they were just a few short years ago. You may recall that, in 2013, Tri-State, along with CREA, opposed Senate Bill 13-252 that increased the renewable energy requirements for Colorado’s electric co-ops. As recently as seven years ago, the cost of renewable energy was significantly higher than it is today and, at that time, we were concerned that a requirement for more renewables would increase rates to co-op consumer-members. With improved technology and economies of scale, wind and solar generating plants today can provide cost-effective energy while at the same time reducing carbon emissions.
Perhaps the most important driver in Tri-State’s course change, however, is the desire by many of Tri-State’s members for the co-op to diversify its power supply and include more renewable energy. Tri-State is owned by its 43 distribution co-op and public power district members who are in turn owned by their consumer-members. One of the key principles of the cooperative business model is “democratic member control” and that means the members at the end of the line have input into Tri-State’s resource decisions. In making these adjustments to its power supply portfolio, Tri-State is also honoring this core co-op principle.
KENT SINGER
This new path for Tri-State does not come without challenges. On the operations side, Tri-State will have to figure out how to best balance its members’ power needs with an ever-increasing array of intermittent generating resources. This may require the deployment of new technologies and operating procedures in order for Tri-State to maintain the same level of reliable power supply that Colorado’s electric co-ops have enjoyed for decades.
More important than the reliability challenges, however, is the impact of Tri-State’s new direction on current Tri-State employees. Several hundred men and women who currently work at the Tri-State coal plants and coal mines that are being retired will be affected by this decision. These are folks who, in many cases, have spent their careers and much of their adult lives serving you, the citizens of rural Colorado. They have done this difficult and sometimes dangerous work so you could have light and power. They did it without asking for recognition or praise, but simply for the satisfaction of helping their communities.
They deserve to be thanked and supported in this time of transition.
Kent Singer is the executive director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association and offers a statewide perspective on issues affecting electric cooperatives. CREA is the trade association for your electric co-op, the 21 other electric co-ops in Colorado and its power supply co-op.
The legacy of Colorado electric co-op heroes FROM THE EDITOR
BY MONA NEELEY EDITOR
This is the Colorado Rural Electric Association’s 75th year of representing Colorado’s electric cooperatives as their statewide trade association. CREA and the co-ops are excited for the next 75 years, but before we move ahead, let’s take a quick look back.
When I was hired back in 1994, there were still CREA board members who remembered the lights coming on, including the late Mick Geesen from Mountain View Electric and the late Ray Macht from La Plata Electric.
Mick was only 21 when he arrived in Colorado in 1941 to start ranching on family land. He moved from an area with electricity and knew what a difference it would make for his home outside of Agate. So, he went to work to sign up enough members that the fledgling local co-op could qualify for a Rural Electrification Administration loan to build its system. And he stayed for
MONA NEELEY 50 years, guiding the local co-op.
R a y w a s another young rancher who saw the benefits of electricity. Pagosa Springs, only 4 miles from his place, had power and when the nearby La Plata Electric bought the city system and started expanding, Ray was ready. He rented equipment and began digging holes for power poles along his driveway and toward town, even using dynamite in the rocky spots.
Ray believed in the rural electric program so much that he immediately got elected to the board and spent the next 50 years helping guide the growing co-op.
These men are just two of so many heroic co-op pioneers. Their legacy is now carried into the future by the dedicated directors serving your electric co-op today.
Mona Neeley is the statewide editor of Colorado Country Life, which is published in coordination with your local electric cooperative.
RULES: Colorado Country Life is looking for pet stories explaining what makes your pet special or what amazing things your pet has done. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place and runners up published in the magazine will be awarded cash. Stories will be published in the September magazine. Rules for the contest are as follows: 1. Story must be told in no more than 300 words. 2. Deadline to enter is May 22. Entry must be received in the office by 4:30 p.m. 3. Entries may be typed or handwritten. 4. Photo of the pet must be included with the entry. If the photo is sent digitally, it must be at least 4X5 inches in size at 300 dpi. 5. Digital entries must be sent to info@coloradocountrylife.org. 6. Mailed entries must be sent to Pet Story Contest, Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216.
Questions may be sent to info@coloradocountrylife.org. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Compassion Via a Lightbulb I can’t thank you enough for the inspirational and heartwarming piece about the Colorado and Oklahoma linemen who performed philanthropic work last summer in Guatemala (“Bringing Light, Finding Joy” December ’19). Citizens of Central America and poor nations around the world are often casti gated as being unworthy of the compassion and generosity we take for granted in America. And many Americans have never experienced firsthand the extreme poverty and injustices evident in poor countries around the world.
The article correctly notes that, in spite of unimaginable economic conditions, these citizens are able to find joy and hope in something as simple as a single lightbulb brought into their homes. The 20 lineworkers who participated undoubtedly also discovered joy and hope in their mission, and I’ll bet their lives will forever be changed for the better. Jim Little, Wetmore San Isabel Electric consumer-member
A Lower Carbon Footprint Reading the December issue, [I saw] a picture of former Gov. Bill Ritter and Tri-State Generation and Transmission CEO Duane Highley at the CREA Energy Innovations Summit. I noticed about six plastic bottles of water on a table in front of them. On the next page is an article on co-ops working to lower carbon energy use. Let’s try to use glass or reusable water containers as much as possible and we will work to lower carbon energy use together. M. Cary, Kremmling Mountain Parks Electric consumer-member
More Energy Efficiency The coal plant retirements and new renewable energy projects announced by Tri-State Generation and Transmission are big steps in the right direction. But more should be done if Tri-State is to truly respond to the threat of catastrophic climate change in a responsible manner. In particular, Tri-State should expand the energy efficiency programs it implements together with its member cooperatives. Howard Geller, executive director Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
SEND US YOUR LETTERS
Editor Mona Neeley at 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or at mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org. Include full name and contact information.
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Energy-Saving Landscaping Tips
The decisions you make about your home’s landscaping can help you stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. With summer around the corner, take a look at how strategic planting can help cool your home. Direct sunlight hitting windows is a major contributor to overheating the home during summer months. By planting trees that block sunlight, you can improve comfort and reduce air-conditioning energy use. If the trees eventually grow tall enough to shield the roof, that’s even better.
The most important windows to shade are the ones facing west, followed by windows that face east. Morning and evening sunlight hits the home more directly than midday sunlight. Also, an eave on the south side of the home can help shade windows during midday sun.
If you live in one of Colorado’s cooler areas, planting deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the fall will shield your windows in summer and allow sunlight in during winter to help warm your home. A simple approach that can deliver some shade the first year is to plant a “living wall” of vines grown on a trellis next to the home.
There are two other important factors to consider in some areas of Colorado: 1. Water is becoming more precious and expensive. When you pay your water bill, much of that cost is for the energy required to pump water to your home, or perhaps you have your own well. Either way, reducing water use saves money and reduces energy use. 2. If you live in an area that has wildfires, definitely take it into consideration as you develop a landscaping plan. What and where you plant on your property can either increase or decrease the risk of fire reaching your home. Planting a row of shrubs a foot from the home can provide more efficiency in cooler climates. By stopping air movement, it can form a dead air space around the home that acts as “bonus” insulation.
These are just a few ideas to help you get started. Also remember that, as with any landscaping projects that require digging, it’s important to call 811 to ensure all underground utility lines are properly marked and flagged before you start the work. Happy planting! BY PAT KEEGAN AND BRAD THIESSEN
EMPIRE ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION
Echoes of the Empire
MARCH 2020
MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box K Cortez, CO 81321-0676
STREET ADDRESS 801 North Broadway Cortez, CO 81321
ph tf fax web 970-565-4444 800-709-3726 970-564-4401 www.eea.coop
facebook.com/EEACortez
EEA 2020 ANNUAL MEETING INFORMATION BY JOSH DELLINGER, GENERAL MANAGER
Empire Electric Association’s 2020 annual member meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 18 at EEA’s Calvin Denton Room, which is located in our main office at 801 N. Broadway, Cortez, Colorado. Registration will begin at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. This will be a business meeting only. Members who attend will get a $10 credit on their electric bill.
The EEA board considered present board district composition at its December 2019 meeting and determined no changes to board district boundaries are needed at this time. As of December 2019, the district with the most members had 1,902; the district with the least members had 1,751; and the average number of members per district was 1,838.
There are two board seats up for election this year: District 4 (Bill Mollenkopf, incumbent) and District 7 (John Porter, incumbent). The winning candidates will serve four-year terms. In order to serve on EEA’s seven-member board of directors, our bylaws require the following qualifications. The director shall: • Be a member of the cooperative for at least one (1) year immediately prior to becoming a director. • Be a bona fide resident of the district represented for at least one hundred twenty (120) days prior to becoming a director, which means that the person must be a permanent occupant receiving electric service from the cooperative at his or her primary residential abode. • Be a citizen of the United States of America and a registered voter in the person’s director district. • Be at least eighteen (18) years of age. • Not be an employee of the cooperative.
JOSH DELLINGER
• Complete a campaign contributions report in accordance with Policy 31 – Campaign Contributions Reporting. Districts 4 and 7 are generally described as follows: DISTRICT 4 Generally, the northeastern portion of the service area including the town of Dolores. The eastern boundary is the eastern boundary of the service area. The northern boundary is the northern boundary of the service area. The western boundary is generally the mid-section lines beginning at T40N R15W S05 and continuing south (coincident with Road 28) until the mid-point of T36N R15W S17. From there the district boundary generally follows section mid-lines east (coincident with Road L) to the point of beginning. DISTRICT 7 Generally, this is the eastern and southern portions of the city of Cortez and the Montezuma County area south of Cortez and north of County Road H. The eastern boundary begins at the intersection of County Road 27 and County Road H and runs north along section lines (generally coincident with County Road 27) until it reaches Empire St. The boundary then travels west along Empire St. to its intersection with Washington St., then south along Washington St. to Main St./Highway 160, and then west along Main St./Highway 160 to its intersection with S. Maple St. The [continued on page 10]
Sunset Over Ute Mountain by Carla Fox
Co-op Calendar March 8 Daylight-saving time begins; set clocks one hour ahead.
March 13 EEA’s board meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. at its headquarters in Cortez. The agenda is posted 10 days in advance of the meeting at eea.coop. Members are reminded that public comment is heard at the beginning of the meeting.
March 19 First day of spring.
March 19–21 EEA will have a booth at the Four States Ag Expo. Come and see what’s new in the energy industry.
Meegan Markham was hired as EEA’s new energy management advisor on January 20, 2020. Meegan came to EEA from Tri-State Generation and Transmission’s Nucla generating station, where she worked as the support services assistant. While at Tri-State, Meegan gained valuable energy industry experience while working on specialty projects for transmission and communications and also working alongside the member relations department at different functions. Prior to working for Tri-State, Meegan was an insurance claims adjuster. Member engagement manager Andy Carter said, “Meegan is a great addition to the EEA member engagement team and her enthusiasm and problem-solving skills will prove an asset to our co-op.” Meegan is originally from upstate New York and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing management from Siena College. Welcome to EEA!
In Colorado, spring storms can be sloppy, slushy and precarious. Stay tuned to the National Weather Service for severe storm watches and w a r n i n g s , and be sure to have an emergency kit assembled in the event of a prolonged power outage.
boundary then travels south along S. Maple St., continues along S. Oak St., and then continues along Road 25 to the intersection with Road H. The boundary then follows Road H east to the point of beginning.
Candidates may be nominated by petition only and such petitions must include the signatures of at least 15 members of the cooperative whose bona fide residences are within the candidate’s district. Qualifying candidates may pick up a nominating petition from our main office during normal business hours. Petitions will be available beginning on March 20, 2020, and must be
EmpireElectricAssociationBoardDistrictsMap
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Monticello 191
DISTRICT2
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S a n J u a n C o u n t y , U T S a n M i g u e l C o u n t y
DoveCreek
£ ¤ 491
DISTRICT1
DISTRICT3
Towaoc
DISTRICT5
£ ¤ 160 McPhee Reservoir
M o n t e z u m a C o u n t y D o l o r e s C o u n t y
£ ¤ 145
DISTRICT4
Cortez
£ ¤ 160
£ ¤ 491
£ ¤ Dolores
184
Totten Lake
£ ¤ 160 Jackson Gulch Reservoir
Mancos
DISTRICT7
DISTRICT6
£ ¤ 491
DISTRICT1
£ ¤ 145
DISTRICT3
DISTRICT7
£ ¤ 160
£ ¤ 491
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submitted to EEA by May 4, 2020. The secretary will post a list of qualifying nominees in our main office at the end of the workday on May 5, 2020.
Each member of the cooperative is entitled to one vote on all issues properly brought before the membership, including the election of directors. Members may vote either in person at the annual meeting or through mail-in ballots provided by the cooperative. Mail-in ballots will be mailed to members on or before June 3, 2020. In order to be counted, mail-in ballots shall be received by EEA no later than 5 p.m. on June 12, 2020. All members are strongly encouraged to vote.
If you have additional questions about this year’s election, annual meeting or any other cooperative business, please visit our website at www.eea.coop, give us a call at 970-565-4444 or stop by our main office at 801 N. Broadway in Cortez. We hope to see you at the meeting!
MONTEZUMACOUNTS.com BRING YOUR TAX DOLLARS BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES!
by responding to the 2020 Census online starting March 15th at 2020Census.gov
for ROADS | for EDUCATION | for VETERANS | FOR SENIORS | for HEALTHCARE | for REPRESENTATION!
As a cooperative we are taking bold steps to change how your energy is produced. That means fewer emissions and 50 percent of your electricity coming from renewable energy by 2024. Because whatever the future holds, we’ll power it.
