Clean Energy Economy News | Online edition
May 20, 2009 | Vol. 2, No. 5
Greetings,
The clean energy economy is surging forward locally and at the state and national level, driven by willpower and enhanced by federal stimulus money. In Garfield County, the New Energy Communities Initiative is moving on energy efficiency, renewable energy and transportation projects. At the state and federal level, officials are laying plans for effective spending of millions of stimulus dollars that will grow green jobs and the clean energy economy.
For those who want to break into the green workforce, Colorado Mountain College is offering classes this summer in Rifle and Aspen — and this is just the start of a bigger training effort that you will be hearing more about.
Read on for details on these stories, and don’t miss the list of events, at right, a selection of relevant news stories, and Clean Energy Bits ‘n Bobs.
— Heather McGregor, Editor
Clean Energy Economy News
In this issue
Garfield 100% Rebate Contest winners selected
 One dozen Garfield County homeowners have won the Garfield 100% Rebate Home Energy Audit and Insulation Contest. The contest attracted 190 entries from Carbondale to Parachute.
Garfield County Commissioner Mike Samson and Rifle Mayor Keith Lambert drew the names of the 12 winners on May 6. Winning homeowners will receive a free home energy audit and professionally installed insulation and air sealing worth up to $1,400.
Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative (NECI) and the Governor’s Energy Office are the contest sponsors.
“With energy on the minds of so many people, insulation is one of the easiest ways a homeowner can ensure the appropriate use of energy in their home,” Lambert said.
“Adding insulation and air sealing your home is a wonderful way to save energy, lower your utility bills and live in a more comfortable home,” said Lauren Martindale, program manager for Garfield NECI.
“The really great thing about this contest is that while we have 12 winners who will get the 100 percent rebate, all the entrants have access to insulation rebates and federal tax credits to pay for insulation work on their home,” Martindale added.
“Everybody is a winner,” said Samson. “This gives the people who don’t win the drawing a chance to do these neat things anyway. And this contest is a perfect example of the city and county working together.”
The contest divided the county into its six zip codes, and the drawing resulted in two winners per zip code. The winners have until June 19 to have their home energy audit conducted, and until Aug. 14 to have their insulation and air sealing work done.
The winners are:
- Parachute: Karol Sacca and Ronald Galterio
- Rifle: Siobhan McMillan and Marti Zegler
- Silt: Michael Young and Rob and Brenda Lawson
- New Castle: Anne Anderson and Jamie Roth
- Glenwood Springs: Barbara Bradshaw and Howard Roney
- Carbondale: Lise Sansom and Heather Dresser
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Stimulus funding will drive clean energy projects
in Colorado, Garfield County
 The Governor’s Energy Office last week released an overview plan for spending $49 million in federal stimulus funding Colorado is slated to receive from the U.S. Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The proposal lays out a plan to create jobs, develop clean energy sources, reduce energy costs for residents, and cut emissions of greenhouse gases in Colorado.
“This proposal will further extend the reach of Colorado's expanding New Energy Economy,” said Gov. Bill Ritter. “It will boost our clean energy industry and its workforce far beyond the short-term life of the act, and cement Colorado's growing role as a national leader in building a secure energy future. This plan advances our overall strategy of creating jobs, strengthening communities and supporting businesses and innovation.”
A summary of the plan, Governor's Energy Office Strategic Goals and Objectives for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding of the State Energy Program (9 pgs, 250 KB), is available online.
The federal stimulus act also allocated $227,000 to Garfield County based on population. The Garfield County Commissioners sought the advice of the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative Advisory Board to develop a proposal for the funding.
G-NECI director Alice Laird and Garfield County environmental health manager Jim Rada presented an initial plan to the Advisory Board on May 13. Their suggestion that the funding be plugged into existing G-NECI programs, such as energy audits and efficiency upgrades or capitalizing a clean energy loan fund, received a positive response from Advisory Board members. The county’s proposal must be submitted in June for funding available in 2010.
 At the state level, the governor’s plan is focused on:
- Increasing access to capital for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
- Improving public outreach so home and business owners can easily identify options and financial incentives to improve energy efficiency and incorporate renewable energy.
- Funding for rebates and grants to homeowners and businesses for energy efficiency upgrades and for renewable energy installations.
- Training for green collar clean energy jobs.
- Training to support advanced energy codes and energy efficiency in new home construction.
- Expanding and improving energy efficiency in existing commercial buildings and increasing implementation of high performance design in new commercial buildings.
The Governor's Energy Office will also guide $80 million in recovery dollars designated by the federal government for weatherization improvements to income-qualified residents. Partnering agencies in Colorado have already begun initial spending to prepare for the major increase in weatherization work that will create jobs across the state and cut energy costs for those who most need the savings.
The Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, which provides free weatherization upgrades to low-income residents of Pitkin, Garfield and Eagle counties, is among the agencies involved in the statewide weatherization campaign. NW COG, which has two in-house weatherization crews, is seeking proposals from private sector HVAC companies and insulation contractors to boost manpower for its energy management program. Bids are due May 27. Click here for the NW COG press release.
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CLEER, team of experts awarded Garfield NECI contract
Comprehensive program for clean energy economy already in motion
The Garfield County Commissioners on Monday approved a 15-month contract with the nonprofit organization CLEER, Clean Energy Economy for the Region, for project management and program delivery of the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative.
“We received three proposals and after evaluating them, we felt CLEER submitted a very superior proposal,” Matt Anderson, senior contracts administrator for Garfield County, told the commissioners.
“We are very pleased to be awarded this contract to carry out the ideas we helped set in motion last year,” said Alice Laird, director of CLEER. “We have assembled a terrific team of experts to deliver programs and services aimed at achieveing measurable energy savings in the residential, commercial, government and transportation sectors.”
CLEER has been working under an interim contract to manage the program while Garfield County conducted a competitive bidding process for the long-term management contract. The new contract takes effect June 1, contingent on a vote of confirmation from the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative Advisory Board.
“We have already launched two successful projects — the Glenwood Springs solar rebates program and the 100% Rebate Home Energy Audit and Insulation Contest — and many other energy saving projects are under way,” said Laird. “With this contract in hand, we will press forward to reach the ambitious goals set out in this project.”
CLEER’s project team and their assignments include:
- Heather McGregor: communications and outreach, program management
- Lauren Martindale: program manager
- Schmueser Gordon Meyer (SGM): demonstration commercial energy audit and retrofit
- New Energy Technology (NET): online energy tracking and energy management
- International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology (iCAST): demonstration affordable housing retrofit
- Sonoran Institute: energy efficient community design
- Jeff Dickinson: model codes and green building technical assistance
- Cathy Tuttle: clean energy transportation options
- Lynne Cassidy: Roaring Fork School District EnergyStar pilot project
- Mike Ogburn: clean vehicle technology
- Alice Sjoberg Graphic Design: website development and graphic design
The overall Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative (G-NECI) is made possible by a $1.6 million grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, $506,000 in local cash match from the nine G-NECI local partners, and by $91,000 in program grants from the Governor’s Energy Office. CLEER helped the nine G-NECI partner organizations get organized and developed the initial grant proposal.
Garfield County is serving as the program’s fiscal agent, thus its responsibility for selecting the long-term project management provider. The nine G-NECI partners are Parachute, Rifle, Silt, New Castle, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Garfield County, Garfield Public Library District and RFTA. Representatives from each of the nine partner governments serve on the G-NECI Advisory Board, which provides policy guidance for the effort.
Other G-NECI projects in the works include:
- Development of the Garfield Clean Energy one-stop-shop website to help households and businesses save energy
- EnergyStar trainings and cost modeling for home energy rating scores
- Online energy tracking pilot project in Carbondale for town buildings, Re-1 schools, Alpine Bank and other commercial sites, to be expanded to other communities
- Countywide program for energy audits and efficiency upgrades for G-NECI partner local governments
- "Growing Cooler," a half-day workshop on June 19 on land use and energy efficient transportation
- Renewable energy demonstration program to result in installations in each partner jurisdiction
- Development of an RFP for a combined solar hot water and PV demonstration project on senior housing
- Promotion of Bike to Work Month and Bike to Work Day events in Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, New Castle and Rifle
- Research on creating infrastructure to connect plug-in hybrids and neighborhood electric vehicles to the grid
- Feasibility work on clean energy financing options for home and commercial property owners
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Legislature authorizes inverted block electric rates,
forms state transit agency
 The Rocky Mountain Climate Organization tracked climate, energy and water bills considered during the 2009 legislative session and took an active role for the first time this year in advocating for bills that advance the agenda of its Blue Ribbon Panel and goals set forth in the Colorado Climate Action Plan.
Tom Easley, director of programs for RMCO, provided this end-of-session report:
This session was the first one during which the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization had an active presence, a key part of our strategy to support actions that implement the governor’s agenda and the recommendations of our blue-ribbon panel. Overall, budgetary issues caused by the statewide economic downturn by far dominated the session, and as a result just modest progress was made on advancing the bottom line goal of the governor’s plan and the CAP recommendations – a 20 percent reduction in heat-trapping gases by 2020 compared to 2005 levels.
RMCO helped gain passage of four bills that we identified as particularly important. Testimony at the first committee in which they were heard generated early momentum for the bills by helping legislators understand key concepts and to what extent passage would contribute to reductions in heat-trapping gases or to adaptation to the changes that climate change could bring.
The strong starts for these bills carried over to the floor votes, where all passed with comfortable margins. All four bills have either been signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter, or await his approval, which is expected.
- SB 09-039 authorizes rural electric cooperatives to establish inverted block rate structures.
- SB 09-051 expands projects eligible for Clean Energy Development Authority loans to include apartment buildings and renewable energy installations on commercial and industrial buildings by third parties.
- SB 09-125 funds the Colorado Water Conservation Board to pursue many of the water adaptation recommendations from the Governor’s Plan and the CAP recommendations.
- SB 09-094 creates a Transit and Rail Division in the Colorado Department of Transportation with among its responsibilities creation of a statewide mass transit plan and administration of funds to support mass transit made available through a broader transportation funding bill (SB 09-108) also passed during the session.
Other bills of interest passed by the legislature
- HB 09-1149 requires builders of new single family homes to offer buyers the option of pre-wiring for solar photovoltaic installations.
- HB 09-1312 creates a loans program for schools to invest in clean energy projects.
- HB 09-1331 extends and broadens tax credits for purchases of energy-efficient vehicles through 2015.
- HB 09-1199 funds the State Forest Service to offer technical assistance to local communities for fuels mitigation and wildfire preparedness and to administer a revolving loans program for businesses to harvest, use, and market forest treatment by-products (including biofuels production).
- SB 09-124 renews an on-farm clean energy loan program.
- HB 09-1126, HB 09-1035 and HB 09-1105 provide tax incentives for clean energy investments.
- HB 09-1017, HB 09-1126 and SB 09-080 promote water conservation.
- HB 09-1026, SB 09-075 and SB 09-148 facilitate use of alternative vehicles.
Bills of interest that did not pass
- HB 09-1166 would have imposed voluntary pay-as-you-drive auto insurance.
- HB 09-1247 would have required disclosure of home energy usage by a seller at the time of sale.
- HB 09-1323 would have required rural electric cooperatives with more than 100,000 customers to achieve energy savings through customer demand side management programs.
- HB 09-1350 would have created a statewide bonding program to finance loans for domestic clean energy improvements repayable through special property tax assessments, much like the program Boulder County is currently piloting.
Click here for the 9-page RMCO final status report on key bills.
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Aspen’s GHG emissions fall, energy consumption rises
The City of Aspen’s update of its community-wide Aspen Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, released on April 27, shows an 8 percent decrease in emissions from 2004 levels, but a significant increase in consumption of electricity and natural gas.
The Aspen Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory of 2007 is the first update to Aspen’s 2004 baseline inventory. The report was commissioned to determine what progress is being made toward the goal of reducing the community of Aspen’s greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 below 2004 levels. The report found that in 2007, the amount of greenhouse gases attributable to the Aspen area was 760,268 tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent. In 2004, that number was 828,648.
Emissions decreased in the two sectors that contribute most to Aspen’s emissions: transportation – including air travel — and the electricity, natural gas and propane use in buildings.
 “This new inventory shows us that we’re definitely moving in the right direction with a decrease in our emissions,” said Kim Peterson, director of the City of Aspen’s Canary Initiative. “However, it is troubling that the Aspen community is using more electricity and natural gas.”
Electric consumption rose nearly 10 percent on average from 2004 to 2007 (2.9 percent for the city’s municipal electric utility and 12.8 percent for Holy Cross Energy).
About 29 percent of the community’s 2007 electric demand was serviced by Aspen’s municipal electric utility with the remaining 71 percent serviced by Holy Cross Energy. Aspen Electric provided about 3 percent more electricity in 2007 than in 2004, but its associated emissions decreased by about 51 percent.
The report credits the renewable energy capacity in the Aspen Electric portfolio as the main contributor to reducing emissions community-wide. The utility built its non-carbon electrical production from 44 percent in 2004 to 73 percent in 2007, and it is aiming for 100 percent.
Peterson said new measures are in place to help reduce consumption, including a conservation-focused electricity pricing structure for commercial and residential customers of Aspen Electric Utility. The City of Aspen is also offering a variety of energy efficiency programs, rebates and incentives to help homes and businesses become more efficient.
For the executive summary of the report, including information on Aspen’s ground transportation, air travel, buildings sector, and other sources of greenhouse gas emissions, visit www.aspenglobalwarming.com.
— Marta Darby, Canary Initiative
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EIA Energy Brief: major sources and users of energy
 The major sources of energy for the United States are petroleum (oil), natural gas, coal, nuclear and renewable energy. The major users are residential and commercial buildings, industry, transportation and electric power generation.
The pattern of fuel use varies widely by sector. For example, oil provides 96 percent of the energy used for transportation, but only 2 percent of the energy used to generate electric power.
Click here to read the whole story
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Trainings
CMC offers summer courses on solar technology,
energy efficiency, launches Green Building Academy
Colorado Mountain College is expanding its offerings of credit classes and non-credit workshops on energy efficiency and renewable energy, and is offering a review course for the Building Performance Institute certification exam. It’s part of CMC’s overall effort to provide more job training opportunities for workers in the clean energy economy.
A credit class offered this summer on grid-tied solar photovoltaic technology is already full, but a few slots remain in a credit class on solar thermal installations, according to Sue Schmidt, instructional chair for the Colorado Mountain College West Garfield Campus.
"We'll be offering these and other related courses again this fall," said Schmidt.
The open solar thermal course, ENY120, is a 4-credit, intensive one-week class running from June 13-20, 8 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. at CMC's campus in south Rifle. Tuition is $180 for in-district or $300 for in-state. Instructor Bill Sepmeier will review solar thermal panel technologies and installation techniques. Students will then apply the principles of solar energy site analysis, system design, costs vs. payback, sizing, and energy audits in a hands-on project.
Enrollments are also being accepted for three non-credit single-evening workshops, all being held at the West Garfield Campus, 3695 Airport Road, Rifle.
- May 27, 6 - 9 p.m., Intro to Green Buildings, Donna Riley
- June 10, 6 - 9 p.m., Investing in a Clean Energy Economy, Dan Richardson
- June 17, 6 - 8 p.m., Residential Energy Savings
Each workshop is $24.
To register for any of these courses, go to www.coloradomtn.edu/register/ or call
970-947-8438 or 866-642-0495.
 CMC is also launching a Green Building Academy at its Aspen campus to provide training and certification to building professionals interested in advancing their knowledge and technical excellence in energy efficiency and green building.
 The debut course for the academy is an intensive three-day Building Analyst Training program to prepare students to take the Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification exam. Students will take the exam at the end of the course, which runs June 24-26. The course fee is $700, plus an exam proctor fee of $130 for those who take the exam. Early registration is recommended.
Click here for an informational flyer, or contact Rick Johnson, instructional chair for CMC’s Aspen campus, at (970) 925-7740, ex. 2417 or wjohnson@coloradomtn.edu.
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Solar Energy International offers summer courses for educators, foreign service workers, micro-hydro technicians
 Renewable Energy for the Developing World will explore different applications for renewable energy technologies in developing countries and cover how to successfully accomplish sustainable development projects.
June 15-19, Carbondale
Educators attending Renewable Energy for Educators will learn about the impacts that our energy use has on the planet and how to best teach youth about solutions: energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy technologies.
June 22-25, Carbondale
Micro-Hydro Power covers design considerations and core concepts for a wide range of hydro applications. Participants learn preliminary system sizing for mechanical and electrical power generation of small systems, flow measurement, analyzing and assembling small functioning systems.
June 22-26, Paonia
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Events
Aspen Arbor Day Celebration
Date: Saturday, May 30
Time: 10 a.m.
Place: Paepcke Park
- Free native trees for City of Aspen residents
- Tree raffles
- Community forest update
- Bucket truck rides for kids
- Informational booths, including mountain pine beetle information
Information: Aspen Parks Department, 970-920-5120.
Save the Date > Growing Cooler:
Energy-Efficient Land Use and Transportation Planning
Date: Friday, June 19
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Place: Hotel Colorado, Glenwood Springs
Reid Ewing, co-author of Growing Cooler: The evidence on urban development and climate change, will explain how local development decisions can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and combat climate change. A panel discussion will focus on local, regional and state level initiatives that integrate land use and transportation planning to promote a clean energy future. Hosted by Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative and the Sonoran Institute.
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In the News
The Daily Sentinel, April 29, 2009
Xcel’s Cameo plant to operate for at least another year
By Gary Harmon
Xcel Energy will test technology to boost the efficiency of coal power generation by pre-heating steam with solar thermal equipment at a coal plant that had been slated for closure.
 National Center for Atmospheric Research, April 14, 2009
Cuts in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Would Save Arctic Ice, Reduce Sea Level Rise
"The threat of global warming can still be greatly diminished if nations cut emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases by 70 percent this century, according to a new analysis. While global temperatures would rise, the most dangerous potential aspects of climate change, including massive losses of Arctic sea ice and permafrost and significant sea level rise, could be partially avoided."
New computer simulations, left, show the extent that average air temperatures at Earth's surface could warm by 2080-2099 compared to 1980-1999, if (top) greenhouse gases emissions continue to climb at current rates, or if (bottom) society cuts emissions by 70 percent. In the latter case, temperatures rise by less than 2°C (3.6°F) across nearly all of Earth's populated areas. However, unchecked emissions could lead to warming of 3°C (5.4°F) or more across parts of Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia. (Graphic courtesy Geophysical Research Letters, modified by UCAR.)
Bat Conservation International, May 2009
Colorado Bats Face Climate Change
Biologist Rick Adams and his students at the University of Northern Colorado have been conducting bat research for 13 years centered on how diminishing water resources are affecting bat roosting and reproduction. “Unfortunately,” Adams reports, “our data strongly suggest a potentially devastating impact of climate change on these bats.”
 Colorado Energy News, May 1, 2009
Energy Efficiency Upgrades = More Colorado Jobs
Increasing the efficiency of electricity, natural gas, and gasoline use would lead to a net increase of 4,660 jobs in Colorado by 2015 and 11,600 jobs by 2025, according to the new study from the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.
 New York Times, May 12, 2009
In German Suburb, Life Goes On Without Cars
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
A young development in Vauban, Germany, illustrates a trend of planning communities to thrive without automobiles.
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Clean Energy Bits ‘n Bobs
 The Sopris Foundation Carbon Footprint Counter made its Garfield County debut at the New Castle Earth Day Expo last month. The business card-sized fold-up offers instant info on the carbon emissions related to everyday, and not-so-everyday activities.
For example, running an electric fan for cooling produces 1 pound of carbon dioxide, while running an air conditioner produces 7 pounds of the climate-warming gas. On the more extreme end, a heated driveway can produce 6 tons of CO2 in a winter, and a day of heli-skiing produces 419 pounds a day. Order a Carbon Counter and check out Sopris Foundation’s other projects at www.soprisfoundation.org.
 Folks in Carbondale can see the newest solar PV array at the Third Street Center — formerly Carbondale Elementary School — where Sol Energy has installed a 52.8 kW system. The array holds 264 panels, and is expected to start feeding power to the Xcel Energy grid by the end of May. The project is being financed by Rockwell Financial. The system will produce an estimated 77,000 kilowatt-hours per year, offsetting about 40 percent of the anticipated electrical consumption once the building is fully occupied.
Photo by Andi Korber.
Xcel Energy has imported Denver office staffer Thomas Minerick to Grand Junction to serve as the utility’s key account manager for western Colorado. Tom, a University of Wisconsin grad, has 25 years of experience in energy efficiency and renewable energy development, and will be assisting Xcel’s commercial and industrial customers. He is part of the Xcel Energy team working on a $137 million demand side management program, with the goal of saving 425 gigawatt-hours of electricity and 721,000 decatherms of natural gas energy in Colorado over the next two years. Giving customers an incentive to use less makes economic sense for the utility, Tom said, because it’s cheaper than building new power plants. Contact Tom at thomas.minerick@xcelenergy.com or call his office in Grand Junction at 970-244-2682.
June is Bike to Work Month and Wednesday, June 24, is Bike to Work Day. Watch for more information about Bike to Work events in your community.
Kim Peterson, director of Aspen’s Canary Initiative, is in Washington, D.C. this week for the Local Climate Leadership Summit. The summit, a gathering of more than 100 local government climate and energy leaders from across the country, takes place as the House Energy and Commerce Committee considers landmark climate and energy legislation sponsored by Congressmen Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Ed Markey, D-Mass. “I’m very excited to be meeting with our elected representatives to encourage them to pass climate legislation and keep local governments ‘on the front burner’ of climate change,” Peterson said. “Aspen is a leader on climate change, and we will be an important voice in Washington at this critical time.”
Sunsense, a Carbondale solar installer, has rolled out a new website. Check it out at sunsensesolar.com.
Skiers in Aspen contributed nearly $7,000 to the Colorado Carbon Fund during the 2008-09 ski season, doing their part to curb climate change by offsetting carbon emissions and increasing funding for clean energy projects in Colorado. Skiers either made a $20 donation on their season pass or a $2 donation on a daily lift ticket. In all, more than 2,300 Aspen Skiing Co. customers contributed to the Colorado Carbon Fund signaling the public's growing awareness of the need to reduce global warming emissions and “preserve the powder.” ore information at www.ColoradoCarbonFund.org
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