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CRES Accomplishments
The Colorado
Renewable Energy Society (CRES) annually holds the Colorado Renewable
Energy Conference since 1998 and the Colorado Tour of Solar Homes
since 1996. Several of the organization’s other accomplishments
include:
October 2008
In advance of the Denver Tour
of Solar Homes, CRES hosts VIP tours for numerous candidates for the
U.S. Congress and Colorado State Legislature (both incumbents and
challengers; both Democrats and Republicans).
July 2008
CRES presents its highest
award - the Larson-Notari Award (named after CRES co-founders Ron
Larson & Paul Notari, and awarded for significant contributions to the
fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency) to Governor Bill
Ritter for his tireless efforts to promote Colorado's New Energy
Economy.
January 2008
Began live and recorded webcasts of monthly meetings, thus
providing truly state-wide outreach to CRES regional groups in
Northern & Southeast Colorado, and to others who can't easily drive to
Golden for these meetings.
April
2007
Provided support to IREA Voices
(www.ireavoices.org), a grassroots group of concerned member-owners of
Intermountain Rural Electric Association (serving Denver's outer
suburbs), in electing NREL Solar Scientist Mike Kempe to the IREA
Board of Directors. IREA has long been a fierce opponent of Colorado's
New Energy Economy, and finally having a forward-thinking energy
expert like Kempe on the Board is unprecedented in IREA history.
January 2007
Created a Policy Committee to monitor and provide support to Governor
Bill Ritter's aggressive agenda for Colorado's "New Energy Economy."
The Policy Committee provided expert testimony to key decision makers,
and alerted CRES members to important action items at local, state,
and federal levels of government.
July 2006
Hosted SOLAR 2006, the
American Solar Energy Society’s annual conference, in downtown Denver
July 7th - 13th, 2006. With 1,897 registered attendees and over 100
exhibitors, it was the largest national solar energy conference in
over 25 years.
February 2005
Helped negotiate an agreement with Xcel Energy to reduce total
sulfur and nitrogen emissions from three coal-fired power plants in
Pueblo (Comanche) after the third one, rated at 750 megawatts (MW),
is built to a level below that of the first two plants combined;
increase the utility’s investment in renewable energy and
efficiency; work together with political leaders in the Colorado
Legislature to pass legislation to allow the utility to adopt
innovative electric technologies.
November 2004
Provided support to the successful campaign to pass Amendment 37 that
established a renewable energy standard for Colorado. Under this
standard, the state’s largest electricity providers must obtain 10% of
their power from renewable energy resources by 2015. CRES had set a
goal to establish a renewable standard for Colorado in its 2001
strategic plan.
October 2004
Organized the Colorado Tour of Solar Homes on a statewide basis by
publishing a single guidebook, which CRES distributed to more than
2,000 tour attendees.
April 2002 to 2005
Organized solar activities with eight partners across the state for
the U.S. Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roofs (MSR) initiative
under the MSR partnership for Colorado.
January 2001
Intervened in a case before the Colorado Public Utility Commission
(PUC) that led to building the Colorado Green wind power plant in
Lamar. Rated at 162 MW, the plant was fifth largest in the United
States when construction was completed in January 2003. It was also
the first wind power plant to be included in the utility’s rate base.
In the PUC case, CRES argued successfully that Xcel Energy had
neglected the lowest bid in its resource expansion competition because
it came from wind energy.
April 2000
Organized a coalition to celebrate Earth Day 2000 at the Colorado
Convention Center in Denver. Held on the thirtieth anniversary of the
founding of Earth Day, this was the largest renewable energy and
energy efficiency event in Colorado’s history.
September 1999 to 2005
Recognized Colorado building designers, architects, builders, and
homeowners for creative inclusion of energy efficient and renewable
energy features in commercial, institutional, and residential
buildings through the annual
Colorado Renewable Energy in Buildings Awards.
Finally, CRES also works
with Colorado utilities to expand their cost-effective use of
renewable energy and take full advantage of energy efficiency in
Colorado Springs, Durango, Fort Collins, Montrose, and the Roaring
Fork Valley. |
