Clean Energy Economy News | Online edition
Sept. 8, 2008 | Vol. 1, No. 9
In this issue
Greetings,
The Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative Work Group is entering the final lap to submit its grant application to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the Governor’s Energy Office.
Pulling a countywide proposal together is a big challenge, but we are already seeing the benefits. Folks from Parachute to Carbondale are working together, sharing their ideas for clean energy projects and building a unified vision for a clean energy future.
The edition features a story about a longstanding clean energy program that’s been quietly at work in northwest Colorado for the past 35 years, weatherizing homes for low-income renters and homeowners. Hundreds of families have benefited with lower energy bills and more comfortable homes. The story offers an inside look at the Northwest Council of Governments program, with photos of one recent weatherization job in Rifle by Ed Kosmicki.
Heather McGregor, Editor
Clean Energy Economy News
P.S. Remember that this and all past issues of the Clean Energy Economy News are available in full on the CLEER website, www.CleanEnergyEconomy.net
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Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative
garners strong local response
“Sign us up!” say towns, library district and county commissioners
The proposal for a wide range of clean energy projects in Garfield County is winning endorsements from local government boards and councils, which are making commitments to participate and offering pledges for local match.
The Garfield County Commissioners, Rifle City Council, New Castle Town Council, Glenwood Springs City Council and the Garfield Public Library District Board have all voted unanimously to formally be part of the grant application.
Presentations in the coming week to Silt, Carbondale, Parachute and RFTA, and additional work on the proposal and budget, will wrap up the effort aimed at winning a $2 million state grant to move our region toward a clean energy future.
The grant request is due Sept. 19 to the Department of Local Affairs. State officials have indicated that a decision on grant awards could come as soon as Oct. 14, when state agencies host the Colorado’s New Energy Economy Conference.
Projects in 11 areas would be funded by a mix of state grant money, GEO program funds, local match, third party financing and a proposed clean energy investment fund.
The Garfield County Commissioners have pledged at least $200,000. The City of Glenwood Springs has pledged $200,000, plus $250,000 in energy efficiency upgrades to its city buildings.
Holy Cross Energy has pledged $135,000 in 2009 and $148,500 in 2010 for its Garfield County customers through its existing WE CARE program, which offers rebates for appliance upgrades and solar energy installations.
The Garfield County Public Library District is pledging an estimated $20,000 for clean energy design work and a solar PV installation for new library facilities to be built in 2009 and 2010. In addition, library board member Michael Weertz suggested that the library could create a repository of books, periodicals and other media as a resource on clean energy information for county residents.
In the news
Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Sept. 3, 2008
Garfield County offers $200K toward grant match;
Energy efficiency group trying to get $2 million from state
Aspen Public Radio,
Sept. 2, 2008
"A local non-profit group is working to secure funds for cities and towns
from Basalt to Parachute to pay for potential new energy projects."
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NW COG weatherization program
shrinks heating and power bills for low-income residents
Northwest COG
Weatherization
Assistance Program
2008-09 budget: $1.3 million
Employees: 12
Counties served: 13
2008-09 targets
Comprehensive weatherizations: 200
Refrigerator or
furnace replacements: 100
Introductory audits: 300 to 400
CFL sample boxes: 500
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Week in and week out, Tom Dunlap and his two-man weatherization crew are busy making the homes of low-income families more energy efficient. The immediate results are lower utility bills and a more comfortable living space.
Dunlap’s New Castle-based crew is one of two managed by the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments (NW COG) Weatherization Assistance Program. Funding for the program comes from the U.S. Department of Energy, Xcel Energy, the Governor’s Energy Office and Council of Governments members.
Home base for the 35-year-old program is Silverthorne, where manager Steve Getz fields calls from clients and lines up weatherization work in 13 counties.
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Above, Weatherization supervisor Tom Dunlap, front, and installer Mike Bugielski unload insulation for a recent weatherization job at a home in Rifle.
Below, an installer finishes up the job of blowing insulation into the home's attic.
Photos by Ed Kosmicki |
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The NW COG crews add insulation to attics, walls and crawlspaces, replace windows, doors, furnaces and refrigerators, install water-saving showerheads and toilets, wrap hot water heaters, trade out incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents, and top off their work with a generous dollop of caulk.
Residents of homes that get the full treatment can expect to see a 40 to 45 percent drop in utility bills for heating and electricity. That’s a big savings for low-income residents, who spend about 12 percent of their income on basic household utilities.
“We had higher energy savings than any other weatherization agency in Colorado,” said Getz.
A big breakthrough came in 2006, when an analysis of the agency’s work done in 2002, 2003 and 2004 showed dramatically higher gains in homes where crews replaced furnaces. Prior to the analysis, NW COG crews gave every furnace a tune-up, but only replaced faulty furnaces that posed risks to health or safety.
Now, by routinely replacing older furnaces that typically burn at 70 percent efficiency with new furnaces that burn at 92 percent or higher, the agency can boost overall weatherization efficiency gains by 20 percent.
Other new programs show promising gains as well.
From January to March 2008, the agency mailed out 500 sample kits containing three compact fluorescent bulbs. The kit contained a flyer debunking the myths about mercury in CFLs, and an invitation to call and request more bulbs. More than 50 people called back, and the agency sent out another 800 energy-saving light bulbs.
Meanwhile, in partnership with the Governor’s Energy Office, Colorado Mountain College and the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Steamboat Springs, the agency has trained CMC students to do very basic energy audits. The team will start this fall, and are expected to hit 300 to 400 homes in Craig, Steamboat Springs and Walden by next spring.
The students will install up to 15 CF bulbs, automatic setback thermostats and water-saving showerheads. On the same visit, they’ll check the home’s attic and wall insulation and note the age of the furnace and refrigerator. If these checks indicate potential for further energy savings, residents will have the opportunity to sign up for comprehensive weatherization service.
“These different levels of service allow us to get into way more homes,” said Getz. “And we are exposing these kids to a green job.” Getz said if the program is successful, he may launch a similar effort in Garfield County next year.
The sample kits and basic audits expand what used to be a one-size-fits-all approach to weatherization services, Getz said. “Two years ago we did 240 comprehensive weatherizations, period. Now we are ramping up and trying to reach as many households as possible,” he said.
Households can qualify for the NW COG weatherization services in two ways.
- Any residents who qualify for LEAP, the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, can request weatherization services. Residents can also apply directly to the NW COG to see if they meet the family size income limits to qualify. Income limits range from $18,900 for a single person to $51,000 for a family of six.
- The agency works on rental and owner-occupied homes. The only difference is that landlords are asked to pay for half the costs of a furnace or refrigerator replacement.
For information on LEAP, call 1-800-HEAT-HELP. The program runs from November to April.
To reach the NW COG Weatherization program, call 1-800-332-3669, extension 103.
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Solid waste officials from three counties
to discuss regional waste diversion
Garfield County is hosting a three-county meeting of solid waste officials to explore ways the region can work together on recycling, composting and managing electronic and hazardous waste.
The meeting builds on an effort launched this summer by Garfield County to step up efforts to divert waste from its landfill, which is filling up at three times the expected rate.
Officials from Eagle and Pitkin counties are invited to attend the Sept. 17 meeting, according to Laurie Batchelder Adams, a solid waste consultant hired by Garfield County to identify waste diversion options and gauge the opportunity to cooperate with Pitkin and Eagle counties. (See story in the Aug. 18 issue of Clean Energy Economy News.)
“We all face obstacles associated with waste diversion – primarily the escalating costs of collection and transportation,” Adams said. “At the same time, the public has an increasing interest in recycling and composting. There is the potential to respond to public interest and manage costs by working together on a regional level.”
The Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin officials are expected to identify waste diversion opportunities that could be jointly pursued by the three counties and to discuss strategies for recycling containers and paper, managing electronic waste and household hazardous waste, and composting organic materials.
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Garfield County offers household hazardous waste collection on Sept. 20
Reservations are now being accepted for household hazardous waste collection, to be held on Saturday, Sept. 20, at the West Garfield County Landfill, 0075 County Road 246, the Anvil Points Road, west of Rifle.
Appointments are being scheduled for every five minutes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the collection day. The make an appointment, call 625-8601 weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wastes accepted at the cleanup are paint, varnish, stain, thinner and solvents, antifreeze, used motor oil, transmission fluid, petroleum products, pesticides and herbicides, poisons, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs and questionable materials.
This collection is for households only, not for commercial-sized loads. Please bring wastes in a sturdy box, preferable in their original labeled containers. Do not mix products together.
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Renewable energy meets 7 percent
of U.S. energy needs
The U.S. Energy Information Administration says 7 percent of the total 2007 energy use in the United States came from renewable energy. Half of that renewable energy was used to produce electricity.
Although we may think of solar and wind as the main forms of renewable energy, it’s actually biomass and hydroelectricity that account for most renewable energy.
The EIA reports on renewable energy trends in a new online Energy Brief. It also explains the primary barriers to renewable energy: high costs and geographically remote resources. And it identifies three policies that could boost renewable energy development: tax credits, renewable energy portfolio standards for utilities, and creating markets for renewable energy credits.
The world’s largest producers of renewable energy are China, the United States, Canada and Brazil.
The EIA also released a similar report on biofuels and ethanol.
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Xcel Energy installs SmartGridCity™
technology in CU chancellor’s house
Xcel Energy unveiled its first fully integrated SmartGridCity home at the University of Colorado chancellor’s residence in Boulder on Aug. 27.
SmartGridCity is designed to improve grid performance, delivery of electricity to meet customer’s needs, and reliability. It will also give customers real-time information about their energy usage and how to manage their energy consumption.
An energy management system will allow the chancellor’s family to automatically reduce energy consumption according to their preferences and track solar production. For instance, four thermostats in the home are controlled by an online energy management system, so the family can easily change temperature settings.
The system will ultimately allow Xcel Energy to respond to energy demand loads and relieve stress on the system automatically.
Xcel press release, Aug. 27, 2008
Boulder Daily Camera, August 27, 2008
Xcel debuts first ‘smart’ home in Boulder
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Training
LEED for new construction workshop
set for Sept. 19 in Glenwood Springs
The Colorado Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council is hosting a “LEED for New Construction Technical Review Workshop in Glenwood Springs. The workshop is set for 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hotel Colorado.
The workshop is aimed at construction industry professionals who want a better understanding of the LEED new construction rating system, and green building strategies, benefits and resources.
Led by Brian Dunbar and Victor Olgyay, the workshop offers information on the technical requirements and certification process for LEED as applied to new construction and major renovations, compares the costs and benefits of green building, and presents project case studies. It will also include a brief review of the LEED accreditation exam.
Registration by Thursday, Sept. 11, for the lowest rates: $345 for USGBC members, $445 for non-members. Late registration is $375 for members, $495 for non-members. Full-time students may attend for $150.
For information and to register, call (202) 742-3820 or send an e-mail to workshop@usgbc.org
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Events
Michael Klare speaks on "Geopolitics of Energy"
Date: Monday, Sept. 15
Time: Reception 5:30 to 6 p.m., Lecture 6 to 7:15 p.m.
Place: Cordillera Valley Club, Edwards
Admission: $25
 Michael Klare is a regular contributor to Harper's, Foreign Affairs, and the Los Angeles Times. He is the defense analyst for The Nation and director of the Five College Program in Peace and World Security Studies.
Klare teaches at Amherst, Smith, and Mount Holyoke Colleges and University of Massachusetts. His latest book, Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet, is an account of how the world's diminishing sources of energy are radically changing the international balance of power.
Hosted by the Vail Symposium
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In the news
Aspen Times, Sept. 4, 2008
RFTA hopes feds will help with major expansion
Agency seeks combination of federal grants and local taxes to fund project
By Scott Condon
ASPEN — The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority hopes to score funds from the federal government as well as local taxpayers to fund a major expansion of the valley’s bus system.
RFTA will submit a grant application Friday seeking $21.3 million from the Federal Transit Administration, according to RFTA Chief Operating Officer Dan Blankenship. RFTA is seeking funds through a program called Very Small Starts, which is dedicated to mass transit.
“We feel we’ve got a good project. We’ve got a ton of ridership,” Blankenship said.
Washington Post, Aug. 18, 2008
Renewable Power's Growth in Colorado Presages National Debate
By Peter Slevin
DENVER - In Colorado - a state historically known for natural gas and fights over drilling - wind and solar power are fast becoming prominent parts of the energy mix. Wind capacity has quadrupled in the past 18 months, according to Gov. Bill Ritter (D), and Xcel Energy has become the largest provider of wind power in the nation.
The politics and economics of energy are shifting here in ways that foretell debates across the country as states create renewable-energy mandates and the federal government moves toward limiting carbon emissions.
One advocate calls Colorado "ground zero" for the looming battle over energy.
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Clean Energy Bits ‘n Bobs
Jaime Adkins, engineering supervisor and Western Slope inspector of gas drilling operations for the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, is retiring after 14 years with the state regulatory agency . . . Rifle Mayor Keith Lambert will be a speaker at the Governor’s New Energy Economy Conference on Oct. 14th in Denver . . . CORE is financing a pre-feasibility assessment on the potential of installing a hydroelectric facility in at least two spots on the gravity-fed Glenwood Springs raw water system. Community Hydropower Consulting of Fort Collins is conducting the study, and should have a report by October . . . The Sonoran Institute is opening an office in Glenwood Springs. Watch for an announcement on the new hire.
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