Press Room

CRES BLOGGERS

by Susan Innis,
Green Power Marketing Director, Western Resource Advocates

November, 2005

More than 40,000 Coloradoans have signed up to buy wind power through their local utility, but did you know there’s another option for supporting new wind farms right here in Colorado?

Community Energy’s Rural Colorado Wind Tags Community Energy, Inc. (CEI) is now offering renewable energy credits, often called “green tags,” from Colorado wind farms. Founded in 1999 by Eric Blank, who is the former energy project director of the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, now Western Resource Advocates; and Brent Alderfer, who is former commissioner at the Colorado PUC; CEI has become one of the country’s leading wind power developers and marketers of renewable energy credits. CEI’s rural Colorado wind product is a great option for consumers who want to support wind energy right here in our state.

Community Energy’s program supports 7 megawatts (MW) of wind power owned by Lamar Light & Power and Arkansas River Power Authority in southeastern Colorado. Consumers who purchase renewable energy credits can be assured their money is going to a locally owned wind farm. Green-e has also certified CEI’s renewable energy credits because they meet important environmental and consumer protection standards.

Wind Power for Schools
In addition to purchasing renewable energy credits to help Lamar Light & Power finance a wind farm, CEI is working with NREL and Western Resource Advocates to install wind turbines at schools in windy rural areas. By generating electricity from wind, schools can save money on their energy bills and provide educational opportunities for students. The team hopes to have turbines installed at several schools by late spring 2006.

The first school that CEI has committed to help is in Wray. Led by teacher Jay Clapper, the local community raised over $1 million to pay for a large utility-scale turbine (1.5 MW or larger). Additional revenue from the sale of renewable energy credits will help them install the turbine and produce roughly 25% of the city’s power from wind. Between the value of the electricity and the green tags, the Wray school district expects to gross about $300,000 per year. This money will help the district enormously.

Sign up to buy renewable energy credits today at www.NewWindEnergy.com  or by calling 1-800-123-WIND. The cost is as low as $4 per month for 200 kWh of renewable energy credits. CEI recognizes each purchase with a thank you letter and window decal.

Don’t pay your own utility bill? You can still support wind power through this program because it is billed separately from any utility bill.

Interested in wind power for your business? Join CU-Boulder, NREL and Revolution Cleaners. Please call Susan Innis at 303-444-1188 ext. 221 or Mona Newton at mona.newton@newwindenergy.com

Interested in more information?
Susan and Mona are available to speak to community groups or others interested in supporting this effort by purchasing renewable energy credits.