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CRES is successful because of the energy and
commitment of members, volunteers and donors. The scope and outreach
of CRES will be enhanced and expanded by further use of technology
and the expansion of paid staff to guide and coordinate the CRES
pool of dedicated volunteers.
Would you consider investing $100 in renewable energy in Colorado?
Mail your donation to P.O. Box 933, Golden, CO 80402.
Action Alert:
Tell Congress to Include Solar Tax Credit in the 2007 Energy Bill
The Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (CoSEIA),
Vote Solar, and Environment Colorado have issued a call to action to
their members to get behind tax credits for solar energy in the
federal energy bill that is being negotiated in Congress.
Currently, Congressional Democratic leaders have cut solar energy
tax credits out of the energy bill. Call your elected officials in
Washington and tell them to put the credits back in. Solar
investment tax credits will:
- Decrease long-term energy costs
- Increase energy independence
- Create jobs for Americans
If you don’t know your senators or Congressional
representatives, see the Vote Smart website at:
http://www.vote-smart.org/
Last CRES 2007 Public Meeting November 14 in Southeast Denver
CRES will hold its last public meeting in 2007 next Wednesday,
November 14, at the First Universalist Church in southeast Denver.
The church is located at 4101 E. Hampden Avenue on the northeast
corner of Hampden and Colorado.
At the meeting, Jeff Hart will present a slide
show and discussion on Al Gore’s Oscar winning documentary film, “An
Inconvenient Truth.” Jeff has 15 years experience managing
evaluations of government environmental programs and policies. For
details about the meeting, see the CRES website at:
http://www.cres-energy.org/events/#nextmtg
Governor Ritter Releases Colorado Action Plan for Climate Change
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter issued his climate
change action plan at a media event at Coors Field on November 5.
The plan includes a mix of required energy efficiency measures for
state agencies, voluntary measures for businesses, expanded use of
renewable energy, and some policy initiatives that will require
action by the Colorado Legislature.
The governor's policy initiatives include moving
toward clean-car standards for new cars and phasing in mandatory
emissions caps over time for major producers of greenhouse gases.
Ritter directed the Colorado Air Quality Control Division to propose
greenhouse gas emissions standards for new cars within two years.
Read the "Colorado Climate Change Action Plan: A Strategy to Address
Global Warming" on the Governor’s Energy Office website:
http://www.colorado.gov/energy/in/uploaded_pdf/
ColoradoClimateActionPlan_001.pdf
The plan also includes measures for the
agricultural sector. Although agriculture is a minor producer of
greenhouse gases statewide compared with electricity production
(36%) and transportation (23%), under the Ritter plan the
agricultural sector would create a market for carbon offsets.
In his remarks, Ritter said that climate change
threatens the way of life that Westerners have grown accustomed to.
Climate change is already causing longer drought cycles, reducing
winter snow-pack and summer river flows, encouraging pine beetle
infestations, and creating longer and more intense fire seasons.
However, Ritter said, "I strongly believe we can make a difference."
He explained this plan will support his New Energy Economy
initiative and increase energy security for the state's citizens and
businesses by reducing an over reliance on fossil fuels. For
details, see the governor's November 6 press release:
http://www.colorado.gov/energy/in/uploaded_pdf/
071105ColoradoClimateActionPlan.pdf
Energy Office Requests Your Input on Carbon Offset Program by
November 16
The Colorado Governor’s Energy Office wants your
input on how to structure carbon offset markets. The energy office
has issued a Request for Information about how a market could be
structured for voluntary carbon offsets and how consumer and
environmental protection standards would be maintained under such a
market regime.
The information request lists 12 specific questions that the energy
office is trying to answer. The deadline for responding is next
Friday, November 16. Read the request on the energy office website
at:
http://www.colorado.gov/energy/in/uploaded_pdf/CCFRFI.pdf
Kansas Denies Permit for Expansion of Coal Units in Holcomb
Citing the role of CO2 emissions from coal-fire
power plants in climate change, the Kansas Department of Health and
Environment (KDHE) denied a permit to Sunflower Electric Cooperative
to build two 700-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plants in Holcomb,
Kansas. It is the first time in that construction of a coal plant
has been stopped because of carbon emissions in the United States.
Sunflower Electric, a cooperative headquartered in
Amarillo, Texas, had partnered with Tri-State G&T in Westminster,
Colo., to build the $3.6 billion plants near the Colorado border.
The intent was to generate electricity for the Colorado market.
Tri-State immediately issued a press release criticizing the
KDHE decision.
In making the announcement, KDHE Secretary
Roderick Bremby said he was using authority granted to him by a
Supreme Court decision last year defining carbon dioxide as a
regulated pollutant. Bremby said, “Denying the Sunflower air quality
permit, combined with creating sound policy to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions can facilitate the development of clean and renewable
energy to protect the health and environment of Kansans.” For
details, see the KDHE October 18 press release:
http://www.kdheks.gov/news/web_archives/2007/10182007a.htm
The story has generated a large volume of press
coverage across the country, including editorials in newspapers on
the East Coast and West Coast through last weekend.
Last week, the coal industry struck back at Kansas
Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D), whom they hold responsible for the
KDHE decision. Sunflower Electric and Peabody Coal Company in St.
Louis, Missouri, took out full-page advertisements in Kansas papers
statewide and ran TV ads showing smiling faces of Vladamir Putin
(Russia), Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Iran)
and asserting that Sebelius was feeding into their plans.
On Tuesday, Governor Sebelius issued a press
release calling the ads "over-the-top nonsense." She said she felt
that Kansas could meet its load growth with wind power and other
renewable energy resources. She said, "It does a real disservice to
Kansans who are looking for an honest and constructive debate about
our state's energy future."
This week, Sebelius’ opponents in the Kansas
Legislature called Sunflower representatives to testify in hearings.
The Sunflower testimony focused on the benefits of increased carbon
dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. They even launched a new slogan:
“Carbon dioxide is life.”
Climate Change
Activists to Focus on Coal
You heard it first at the 2006 American Solar
Energy Conference in Denver: preventing climate change needs to
focus on the efficient use of coal. During his conference keynote
address, climate scientist James Hansen called on the United States
to suspend construction of coal-fired power plants.
In 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy recorded
more than 120 coal-fired power plants that were either under
construction or on the planning books. Today, the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) lists 76 of those plants as "iffy." The Associated
Press reported in mid-October that plans for 16 coal plants have
been scrapped since late summer and more than three dozen are
delayed. Some power companies, like Xcel Energy, have called on
Congress to establish national carbon emissions standards.
Earlier this week, the International Energy Agency
(IEA) released its energy predictions that underscore the problem
outlined by Hansen. By 2030, world energy consumption will increase
55%. And because coal is so widely available, IEA expects world coal
consumption to jump 73% in two decades. In making the announcement,
IEA Chief Economist Fatih Birol acknowledged this is bad news for
planet Earth. Birol said barring unprecedented and coordinated
action worldwide, annual greenhouse gas emissions will increase 25%
in the next 20 years.
CREC 2008 Call
for Abstracts and Workshops
CRES is requesting abstracts for presentations and
workshops for the Colorado Renewable Energy Conference (CREC) 2008
to be held in Pueblo June 6–8. The theme for the conference is
“Renewable Energy: Fueling Prosperity.”
If you are interested in presenting at the
conference or conducting a (more extensive) workshop, please send an
abstract up to 250 words to Mona Newton or Jane Fraser by December
20.
monalnewton@yahoo.com ;
jane.fraser@colostate-pueblo.edu
This year's conference has three tracks:
community, technology, and transportation, so please mention which
track you are interested in.
- Community
This track involves implementation of renewable energy projects,
sustainable
communities, covenants, case studies of small/rural community
success stories,
financing opportunities, legislative topics, etc.
- Technology
This track involves existing and emerging renewable energy and
energy
efficiency technologies, with an emphasis on technologies relevant
to Colo.
farmers and ranchers.
- Transportation
This track involves renewable fuels, including treatment of energy
balance and
water consumption issues; emerging transportation technologies;
connection to
the agricultural community, etc.
Presenters are not required to publish a final
paper, but CRES would like to collect all presentations (e.g. in
PowerPoint format) for distribution via CD-ROM and on the CRES
website. Please also let us know if you or your company is
interested in participating in a mini job fair. CRES has also set
the deadline of March 3, 2008, for nominations for the Colorado
Renewable Energy in Buildings Awards and April 4 for the CRES
Larson-Notari award.
Read about the awards on the CRES website at:
http://www.cres-energy.org/about_awards.htm
CRES Annual Meeting and Party February 23 at Cableland
Save the date Saturday, February 23 for the CRES
annual meeting and party at
Cableland (back by popular demand).
Finally, if you have a small copy machine that you
can donate or would like to purchase one for CRES, please contact
Sheila Townsend at
stownsend@wildblue.net
Volunteers
Needed for 2008 Tour of Solar Homes
The committee that is organizing for the 2008
Denver Tour of Solar and Green-Built Homes is meeting Tuesday,
November 20, at noon at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at Colorado
Mills. We welcome anyone who would like to volunteer and are looking
for people to join us.
We are also starting the search for homes for the next tour, so if
you are interested in having your home on the tour, or need more
information, please contact Pamm by phone at 303-443-4308 or via
email at: pgosun@aol.com
Upcoming Events
CoSEIA Sponsors Solar Thermal Workshops,
November 16–17, Golden
The Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (CoSEIA) is
sponsoring two all-day workshops next Friday and Saturday, November
16–17, at the American Mountaineering Center at 710 10th Street in
Golden. The workshops will be led by Rick Hubbart of Ferguson
Enterprises, Inc., and Jim Smith of Wheat Ridge
Solar. They will cover overviews and installation of solar thermal
systems, controls, interfacing with existing heating systems, and
troubleshooting. For details, see the CoSEIA website at:
http://www.coseia.org
High Performance Buildings Workshop, November
30, Grand Junction
Joe Lstiburek, principal of Building Science Corporation, and Sam
Raskin, national director of the EPA Energy Star Homes program will
present at a workshop on high performance buildings. Cost: $175.
Register online at:
http://www.SustainableConferences.com
For more information, please call John Gitchell at 970-389-4429 or
send him an email at:
John@SustainableConferences.com
Energy Star Summit, December 3 – 4, Denver
E-Star Colorado is sponsoring this series of workshops December 3 –
4 in Denver. Randy Udall will give the keynote address. See the
agenda online at:
http://www.e-star.com/summit/agenda.html
Colorado Renewable
Energy in the News
“Climate Plan Is Bold yet Flexible”
The Denver Post published this editorial on November 11.
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7417905
“Oil’s Run Shifts Fate of Nations”
The Denver Post published this story in its November 11 edition that
was
distributed by the Washington Post.
“Xcel May Expand Wind Power”
The Denver Post published this story in the Business Section of its
November 7 edition that was written by Greg Chang of Bloomberg News.
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7388919
“Windsor Wind-Turbine Plant May Employ 650”
The Denver Post published this story in the Business Section of its
November 7
edition that was written and distributed by the Associated Press.
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7389003
“Governor Touts Plan to Battle Global Warming”
The Denver Post published this article on November 6.
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7380011
“Forum Reflects State’s Stature in Clean
Energy”
The Denver Post published this article on November 6.
"Guv Says his 'Energy Economy' Taking Shape:
Sold-Out Meeting Listens to Ritter
at Final PUC Forum"
The Associated Press published and distributed this story on October
31 that was
written by AP Writer Judith Kohler.
“Pension Fund Urges More Climate Risk
Disclosure”
Reuters distributed this story on October 31:
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/24188
"Colorado's Severance Tax Rate Fair or Not?
For: State Isn't Getting Full Value From Energy Business"
The Rocky Mountain News published this op-ed piece in its October 27
edition
that was written by CRES member Randy Udall.
“Climate Change Testimony Was Edited by the
White House”
The New York Times published this article in its October 25 edition
that was written by Andrew Revkin.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/25/science/earth/25climate.html
“Xcel to Test Plug-In Hybrid Cars”
The Denver Business Journal published this story in its October 22
edition.
“National Renewable Energy Laboratory Building
'Solar Tree' to Give Plug-In Cars a Jolt”
The Denver Business Journal published this story in its October 19
edition that
was written by Cathy Proctor.
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2007/10/22/story17.html?f=et159&b=1193025600^1537087&ana=e_vert
“Coal Plants Rejected in Kansas”
The Associated Press published and distributed this story on October
19 that was written by John Hanna.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5228409.html
“U.S. Coal Plant Plans Scrapped, Delayed”
The Associated Pres published and distributed this story on October
17 that was written by Matthew Brown.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5223844.html
"Colorado Driving Up Emissions: Vehicle Exhaust
Drives Out Cuts in Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
The Rocky Mountain News published this article in its September 21
edition that
was written by April M. Washington.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/
article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5703539,00.html
"Enviro Groups Issue Climate Change Study"
The Denver Business Journal published this article in its September
20 edition.
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2007/09/17/daily41.html
Support CRES
There has never been a better time to support CRES!
Interest in renewable energy is at an all time high. Join CRES and
help mobilize this interest into real change. Become a member today
by visiting the membership page.
CRES is gearing up for the third annual giving
campaign. We have set an ambitious goal of raising $5000 more this
year. That means we need lots of new donors this year. The board of
directors has already made pledges, so start thinking about your
pledge now! Look for updates on our progress in future CRES Clips.
Are you wondering how to donate? Send donations to CRES at PO Box
933 Golden, CO 80402. You may also donate online
HERE
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