Colorado Country Life January 2019 Mountain View by American MainStreet Publications

JANUARY 2019

BIG GAME

MAGIC PLUS THE NEXT GREATEST THING

SCORE WITH FINGER FOODS DURING THE SUPER BOWL

FOOTBALL PARTY FAVORITES

From the EASTERN PLAINS

to the WESTERN SLOPE

and from THE ROCKIES to the FOUR CORNERS

Electric Cooperatives Serving Colorado Delta-Montrose Electric Assoc. Montrose

Empire Electric Assoc. Cortez

COLORADO’S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES

OUR DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH

Grand Valley Power Grand Junction

Gunnison County Electric Assoc. Gunnison

Highline Electric Assoc. Holyoke

Holy Cross Energy Glenwood Springs

Intermountain Rural Electric Assoc. Sedalia

K.C. Electric Assoc. Hugo

La Plata Electric Assoc. Durango

Each of Colorado’s 22 locally-owned electric distribution co-ops focuses on the needs of its consumer-members. Those needs vary from co-op to co-op and from community to community: • Electric co-ops serve the poorest counties in Colorado, but also more affluent suburbs and resort towns. • Some co-ops serve predominantly homes and farms, while others serve businesses and industry. • The largest co-op in Colorado has over 160,000 consumer-members; the smallest has 3,000. • Co-ops contract for the electricity they distribute with different power suppliers that have different requirements and resources. • Colorado’s co-ops average 7 consumer-members per mile of line, a lot fewer than other utilities. • All Colorado co-ops use renewables, but which resources and how much varies with each community.

Morgan County Rural Electric Assoc. Fort Morgan

Mountain Parks Electric Granby

Mountain View Electric Assoc. Limon

Poudre Valley Rural Electric Assoc. Fort Collins

San Isabel Electric Assoc. Pueblo West

San Luis Valley Rural Electric Co-op Monte Vista

San Miguel Power Assoc. Nucla/Ridgway

Sangre de Cristo Electric Assoc. Buena Vista

Southeast Colorado Power Assoc. La Junta

United Power Brighton

White River Electric Assoc. Meeker

Y-W Electric Assoc. Akron

Yampa Valley Electric Assoc. Steamboat Springs

Tri-State Generation & Transmission Westminster

Despite these differences, all of Colorado’s Electric Cooperatives are led by local consumer-members who respond to the needs of the communities they serve.

Colorado’s Electric Cooperatives: Your Community, Your Power

For more information visit crea.coop or call 720-407-0702.

Colorado Rural Electric Association 5400 Washington Street Denver, CO 80216

Volume 50

Number 01

January 2019 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION COMMUNICATIONS STAFF Mona Neeley, CCC, Publisher/Editor mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org Cassi Gloe, CCC, Production Manager/Designer cgloe@coloradocountrylife.org Kylee Coleman, Editorial/Admin. Assistant kcoleman@coloradocountrylife.org ADVERTISING Kris Wendtland, Ad Representative advertising@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-902-7276 National Advertising Representative, American MainStreet Publications 611 S. Congress Street, Suite 504, Austin, TX 78704 | 800-626-1181 Advertising Standards: Publication of an advertisement in Colorado Country Life does not imply endorsement by any Colorado rural electric cooperative or the Colorado Rural Electric Association. Colorado Country Life (USPS 469-400/ISSN 1090-2503) is published monthly by Colorado Rural Electric Association, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216-1731. Periodical postage paid at Denver, Colorado. ©Copyright 2019, Colorado Rural Electric Association. Call for reprint rights. EDITORIAL Denver Corporate Office, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216 mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org | 303-455-4111 coloradocountrylife.coop | facebook.com/COCountryLife Pinterest.com/COCountryLife | Instagram.com/cocountrylife Twitter.com/COCountryLife | YouTube.com/COCountryLife1 Editorial opinions published in Colorado Country Life magazine shall pertain to issues affecting rural electric cooperatives, rural communities and citizens. The opinion of CREA is not necessarily that of any particular cooperative or individual. SUBSCRIBERS Report change of address to your local cooperative. Do not send change of address to Colorado Country Life. Cost of subscription for members of participating electric cooperatives is $4.44 per year (37 cents per month), paid from equity accruing to the member. For nonmembers, a subscription is $9 per year in-state/$15 out-of-state. POSTMASTER Send address changes to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80216

JANUARY 2019

BIG GAME

MAGIC

“Fox at Rest” by Allene Keenan, an Empire Electric Association member.

4 VIEWPOINT

5 LETTERS

6 ASK THE ENERGY EXPERTS

7 YOUR CO-OP NEWS

12 RECIPES

14 NEWS CLIPS

16 COVER STORY

20 INDUSTRY 22 GARDENING

24 OUTDOORS 26 MARKETPLACE

28 COMMUNITY EVENTS

On the

29 YOUR STORIES

Cover

30 DISCOVERIES

FACEBOOK CHATTER Colorado Rural Electric Association posted: Mountain View Electric Assoc., Highline Electric Assoc. and Y-W Electric Assoc. have gone together to purchase a mobile substation for back-up power. The mini-substation can power 30 Walmartsized stores or about 7,000 consumer homes.

Monthly Contest Enter for your chance to win a copy of You Gotta Know Denver Sports Trivia Game. We are also giving away a 2019 Football Trivia calendar. For official rules and how to enter, visit our contest page at coloradocountrylife.coop.

coloradocountrylife.coop

COCountryLife pinned: Looking for a lighter snack option to serve at the football party? Try serving up a granola fruit parfait. Get the granola recipe on our Pinterest page at COCountryLife.

SUPER BOWL MAGIC

Football illustration by Matt Hubel of Castle Rock, matthubelart.com.

PINTEREST SNEAK PEEK

INSTAGRAM PIC of the month cocountrylife posted: Gov. Hickenlooper celebrated the #holidayseason with his Christmas party at the #colorado Capitol this weekend.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

VIEWPOINT

A STATEWIDE PERSPECTIVE

THE NEXT GREATEST THING

Electricity continues to power Colorado’s communities

BY KENT SINGER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ack in 1985, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association published a book titled The Next Greatest Thing to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the electric co-op program. The phrase “the next greatest thing” came from an oft-quoted passage from a sermon given in a Tennessee church in the early 1940s: “Brothers and sisters, I want to tell you this. The greatest thing on earth is to have the love of God in your heart, and the next greatest thing is to have electricity in your house.” The book published by NRECA told the story of the rural electrification program and the dramatic improvement in the quality of life that this program brought to rural America. It featured numerous pictures and narratives about life in rural America before electric power was available, stories that are difficult to comprehend for most Americans today. Have you ever considered how clothes were washed and ironed before electricity powered washing machines and irons? It’s hard to imagine, but in rural America, women (and this backbreaking work was done mostly by women) would pump water from a well or cistern into large buckets, haul the buckets back to the house, heat water in a basin over a wood stove, scrub clothes with lye soap over a washboard, rinse the clothes in another basin, wring them out, dry them on a clothesline and then heat a 6-pound iron over the same wood stove to iron the clothes.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

Hauling water, chopping firewood, preserving fruits and vegetables, milking cows by hand, reading by the dim light of a kerosene lamp: This was the life of millions of farm families before the rural electrification program finally brought electricity to the countryside. So when electricity came to rural America, it changed people’s lives, freeing them from the drudgery of many day-to-day tasks and enabling them to lead more productive, enjoyable and healthier lives. Of the many New Deal programs initiated by President Franklin Roosevelt, the rural electrification program was undoubtedly the most successful in improving and transforming the lives of millions of Americans. But while Colorado’s electric co-ops are proud of our past, we understand that we live in a world that asks, “What have you done for me lately?” In other words, it’s not good enough that we have electrified rural Colorado over the last 80 years. Today, we also have to understand that co-op consumer-members expect more options, more communication and more innovation from their electricity provider. Whether that means advanced metering infrastructure, rooftop solar or robust energy efficiency programs, the consumer-members of Colorado’s electric co-ops expect today’s co-ops to think differently about how they provide power. Co-op consumer-members have more choices in their daily lives, and they expect their electric co-op to provide choices, too.

KENT SINGER

This is nothing new for Colorado’s electric co-ops. We were the first electric utilities in Colorado to deploy automated meters to enable two-way communication between the co-op and the consumer-member, improving reliability and advancing distributed generation. We were the first electric utilities in Colorado to establish community solar gardens to benefit low-income residents. We were also the first to create “roundup” programs where consumer-members can round up their bill to the next dollar and use the money to help their neighbors. We’ve done all these things because that’s the cooperative way. We exist not to make a profit, but to power communities and empower the lives of our consumer-members. To that end, Colorado’s electric co-ops will always seek to find “the next greatest thing.”

Kent Singer, Executive Director

Kent Singer is the executive director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association and offers a statewide perspective on issues affecting electric cooperatives. CREA is the trade association for your electric co-op, the 21 other electric co-ops in Colorado and its power supply co-op.

LETTERS

FROM THE EDITOR Kickoff to a new year, new look

BY MONA NEELEY

EDITOR

elcome to a new and improved Colorado Country Life. We updated our pages, moved some columns and features around and worked to bring you an even more readable and enjoyable magazine in 2019. Everything you love about the magazine is still here; it just may not be in a familiar spot. And we added this note from me, your magazine editor. This month I’m sharing how we struggled to find photos for our story on the Colorado company that plans the Super Bowl. I mean, we don’t even know yet which teams will be playing. And the game is being played in Atlanta, Georgia, so I can’t just

run and take some MONA NEELEY great shots of the stadium myself. That’s where the sixth cooperative principle — cooperation among cooperatives — came into play. I contacted my counterpart at Georgia Magazine, that state’s electric cooperative magazine. She referred me to some of her contacts in Atlanta and, before I knew it, we had some great photos. Love the cooperative spirit. Mona Neeley is the statewide editor of Colorado Country Life, which is published in coordination with your local electric cooperative. Its goal is to provide information from your local electric co-op to you, its consumer-members.

Morton_CoCountryLife_1.18.qxp_Layout 1 12/5/18 2:38 PM Page 1

A union destined to last. In the building built to last.

TO THE EDITOR

Next Generation Problem

“A New Solution for Greenhouse Gas” (September ’18) describes converting carbon dioxide into new uses. I just hope that the people and companies, including Tri-State Generation and Transmission, who tout the XPRIZE winners as a way to continue using heavy CO2 emitting generators such as coalfired power plants, will consider the life cycle of the new uses or products. When these new products break down it seems likely they will emit the CO2 back into the atmosphere, putting off the release of CO2 for the next generation to deal with. Heather Erb, Durango La Plata Electric member

Solar Costs

I just read “Co-op Solar Projects Start and Succeed with SUNDA Project” (November ’18). The graph clearly shows a substantial drop in costs from the beginning of 2014 to mid-2016, but no significant change since then. How interesting! I have to wonder if this means that the cost of generating electricity via solar may have bottomed out. Could this mean that the Chinese have stopped “dumping” (selling below costs) solar panels now that they have eliminated so many competitors? Joe Czechowski, Peyton Mountain View Electric member

Reader Opinions

We love this magazine and read it from cover to cover every month. I especially love the funny stories. Keep up the variety. We love it all. Andrea Hrusovsky via email

Celebrate limited-time savings when you declare your project commitment during Building Value Days. Now through February 28.

I read Colorado Country Life cover to cover each month. There is no doubt that your periodical is a propaganda piece for the sustainability zealots. Your readers are treated to a one-sided perception of wind and solar energy. I can’t say that all of what you print is inaccurate, but I do know that a good deal of information is just not presented to your readers so they can have an informed opinion. Joseph Cascarelli, Cotopaxi Sangre de Cristo Electric member

Editor Mona Neeley at 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or at mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org. Letters may be edited for length. COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

ASK THE ENERGY EXPERTS

HOME HEATING OPTIONS It takes little effort to save electricity: flip off the light switch when you exit a room, unplug chargers that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in use and seal air leaks. These small steps will also help reduce your electric bill.

Order by mail, internet or phone - MasterCard/Visa

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

BY PAT KEEGAN AND BR AD THIESSEN

inter energy bills can increase dramatically, especially if you are using an older furnace, electric baseboards or wall heaters to heat your home. Upgrading to a different system or supplementing your existing system will cost more up front, but heating system upgrades have a big effect on comfort and the pocketbook for years to come. A good first step, before making major changes to the heating system, is to look at the area you are heating. The amount of heated space and the efficiency of that space determine how large of a heating system you need. Air leaks and inadequate insulation might be a major cause of higher bills, and correcting these problems might enable you to install a smaller heating system. A propane furnace is expected to last 15 to 25 years, but if it is well-maintained, you may get more mileage out of it. Even if your furnace is still running well and has some life left in it, it may not be efficient. Besides replacing your furnace with a new one, you could install an air source heat pump, which uses existing ductwork, or a mini split heat pump, which can heat up to four rooms. The efficiency of heat pumps has greatly improved in the past decade, to the point where they are solid options even in colder climates.

A home without ductwork will make the installation of a central heat pump extremely expensive. Another option would be to get a quote on a ductless mini split heat pump. Mini splits are usually installed to heat and cool the largest, most used area of a home. They are efficient for heating and cooling, so if you use a window air-conditioning unit during the summer months, you can save even more money. You can continue to use baseboard heaters in the rooms you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use as often. As efficient as the mini splits are, they might not provide enough heat in a prolonged, extreme cold snap, so leaving a few baseboard heaters connected is a good idea.

This column was co-written by Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen of Collaborative Efficiency.

LEARN MORE ONLINE Visit coloradocountrylife.coop to learn more about home heating systems. Look under the Energy tab.

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

THE COOPERATIVE ADVANTAGE Policy Perspective: The Affordable Clean Energy Rule BY JIM HERRON

CEO | HERRONJC@MVEA.ORG

ith the midterm elections in the rear view mirror, Mountain View Electric Association, Inc., (MVEA) joins co-ops throughout the nation in looking ahead at the regulatory forecast. Through the efforts of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, electric cooperatives played an active role in the midterm elections. This was particularly important since more than 60 members of Congress decided to retire or run for another office. The outcomes of the 2018 election will impact regulations and programs that are integral to electric co-ops. While it is too early to predict how the divided Congress will work with President Donald Trump and his administration, there are opportunities for our elected leaders to find common ground to benefit co-op communities throughout the U.S. This month, I would like to provide an overview of one of those opportunities: the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule. In October 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan (CPP), a regulation that would have increased costs and impacted utilities across the nation due to invasive federal oversight and unrealistic coal emission and renewable energy

mandates. As an industry, electric co-op’s were cautious about what program would be created to take its place. In August 2018, the EPA proposed ACE as a new kind of clean energy program, one that empowers states, rather than the federal government, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, while providing reliable power at an affordable cost. According to the EPA, the ACE rule has several components: • Establish emission guidelines for state plans to address greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal-fired power plants. • Update the EPA’s New Source Review Permitting program to incentivize efficiency improvements at existing power plants. • Determine on-site efficiency improvements to be the best system of emission reduction at existing coal plants. • Revise implementing regulations to give states adequate time and flexibility to develop state plans. Where the CPP’s goal was to shut down coal, ACE aims to keep coal plants open while making them more efficient and allowing for a balanced power mix. For Colorado’s electric co-ops, the ACE

Clean Power Plan vs Affordable Clean Energy Rule Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Fact Sheet: Proposed Affordable Clean Energy Rule–Comparison of ACE and CPP

CPP

ACE Rule

CO2 emissions

The ACE Rule continues downward CO2 trend, pushing power sector CO2 emissions to around 34% below 2005 levels (similar to CPP).

EPA’s policy role

Expansive program to regulate entire energy sector

Reasonable program focused on potential upgrades to coal plants

Coal impacts

Inserted EPA into energy policy

Keeps EPA focused on environmental policy

Reshaped the grid and energy markets

Leaves the market alone and doesn’t pick winners and losers

Shut down coal

Keeps coal plants open and makes them more efficient

JIM HERRON

proposal is a couple of years too late for some Tri-State Generation and Transmission projects, such as the New Horizon Coal Mine, or Craig Station’s Unit 1 of a three-unit, coal-fired generating facility in Craig. The New Horizon mine will close by December 31, 2022, and Craig Station Unit 1 will close by December 31, 2025. Since MVEA purchases wholesale power from Tri-State, any impact to Tri-State, is a potential impact to MVEA members. Fortunately, due to Tri-State’s strategic planning and dedication to rate stabilization, these closings should not have a direct impact on MVEA rates in the near future. The CPP went too far in simply shutting down coal without an affordable and viable alternative. ACE allows for the strategic development of those energy alternatives and a well-balanced generation portfolio. No matter the outcome of ACE, Tri-State is ahead of the curve in largescale renewable generation. According to NRECA, Tri-State is the number one solar power generation and transmission cooperative in the nation. In 2017, 30 percent of the electricity consumed by Tri-State’s members came from renewable resources (41 percent came from coal).

To learn more about the policies, issues, and emerging trends that impact electric cooperatives, visit www.electric.coop/on-the-issues.

To view the complete comparison chart and additional ACE information, visit: www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/proposal-affordable-clean-energy-ace-rule COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

Electricity Brought to Historic Monument Cabin after 149 Years Longhorn cattle rancher restores last remaining cabin from territorial era town, Gwillimville. BY ERICA MEYER

COMMUNICATIONS OUTREACH COORDINATOR | ERICA.M@MVEA.COOP

t the corner of Highway 83 and Highway 105, you won’t find Gwillimville on a current Colorado map. Gwillimville was founded by Gwillim R.J. Gwillim in 1869. Though not much remains from this territorial-era town, one small cabin does. For the first time, 149 years after it was built, thanks to a substantial restoration project and Mountain View Electric Association, Inc., (MVEA) this cabin turned on its lights for the first time. Colorado was a territory from 1861 until it officially became a state in 1876. Towns formed during this period are referred to as territorial-era. Gwillimville was a once bustling territorial-era town and stage stop along the Cherry Stage Route — complete with a blacksmith shop, post office, hotel, a couple of saloons and, a quarter of a mile up the stage road, was a one-room school house. It’s estimated that a dozen or so families resided there during the town’s peak. The former Gwillim Ranch is now the Searle Ranch, owned and operated by Longhorn cattle rancher Stan Searle. After purchasing the property in 1996, Searle became curious about the land’s history and was increasingly interested in restoring the Gwillimville cabin.

Stan Searle, Longhorn cattle rancher, stands proudly in front of the restored Gwillimville cabin on his property located at Highway 83 and Highway 105.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

“It would have been cheaper to build a new cabin with new logs, but I wanted to preserve the last historic remnant of the old town,” Searle said. “There were two phases to save the cabin — rescue and restoration. During the rescue phase, we stopped the cabin from falling down completely. We raised it up, poured a new concrete foundation, added a temporary roof for stability, and placed sturdy logs at the base, including an MVEA power pole, which is one of the few continuous logs. Mountain View’s power pole will permanently be part of the cabin.” Once the cabin was on sturdier footings, the restoration process began and has taken several years to complete. Though electricity wasn’t available to the community of Gwillimville, power was a vital piece of the restoration process. “Mountain View Electric Association bringing power to this ancient structure is an interesting story. It probably vies for the oldest building being electrified along the divide,” Searle said. “Electricity allowed us to add heat to the building, which meant we could have water in the cabin as well. The electricity was added about the same time as a sturdier roof and insulation.”

R.J. and Janet Gwillim. Founders of territorialera town, Gwillimville. Photo courtesy of the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum.

In addition to MVEA linemen, who brought power to Gwillimville for the first time, Searle also had approximately 15 people, plus some contractor crews, help with the rescue and restoration process. “We’ve learned a lot about the town and have also found some interesting artifacts during this process.” Searle said. “I’ve found all sorts of interesting items – a pocket knife, a piece of a belt, a pistol, old bullets, coins, the top of a kerosene lamp, and several pieces of old farming equipment. They all give clues to the history of what was once here.” Searle now uses the fertile soil to raise Texas Longhorns. He accesses his livestock on the stage road that is still evident on the ranch. In addition to the cabin and the stage road, the only other structure original to the property is a loafing shed, which he uses for his cattle. Searle said he may use the Gwillimville cabin as guest house, or possibly rent it out to area visitors in the future. For now, the restored cabin is a reminder of a town that once was, and an updated, now powered, piece of our community’s history.

MVEA linemen (left to right), Gerald Richardson, Lucas Swoyer, Bob Vanasse, John Chambers and Levi Suarez, install transmission boxes and electrical lines which brought power to the Gwillimville cabin for the first time.

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

PHOTO CALENDAR CONTEST

MOUNTAIN VIEW ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC.

Local. Trusted. Serving You. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Co-op Country Photos Wanted! Do you have an eye for fiery sunsets, sweeping vistas, heritage barns, and a knack for catching nature in action? As an MVEA co-op member, you are invited to send in your photos, taken within our 5,000 square mile service territory, that capture the seasons, people, lifestyle or landscape of co-op country. The winning photographs will be included in MVEA’s 2020 calendar. The deadline for entry is July 8, 2019.

Joseph D. Martin, District 1 President Barry R. Springer, District 6 Vice President Milton L. Mathis, District 4 Secretary-Treasurer Donna J. Andersen-Van Ness, District 7 Assistant Secretary Rick L. Gordon, District 2, Director Errol Hertneky, District 3, Director

Photo Calendar Submission Guidelines Only MVEA members, directors, employees and their family members are eligible to participate in the photo calendar contest. High resolution digital entries preferred. Minimum resolution is 300 dpi. Limit two photos per person. Photos must have horizontal/landscape orientation for best chance of being selected for the calendar. Photos must be taken within our service territory. Photos will not be accepted without a completed entry form. For complete Photo Calendar Contest submission information and entry form please visit www.mvea.coop/photo-calendar-contest. Send entries by email to nikki.r@mvea.coop. Questions? Call (719) 494-2657.

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Kevin L. Paddock, District 5, Director

Telephone Numbers Toll-Free: (800) 388-9881 (719) 495-2283 • (719) 775-2861 Credit Card Pay-By-Phone (877) 999-3415 Falcon Office 11140 E. Woodmen Road Falcon, CO 80831 Limon Office 1655 5th Street • P.O. Box 1600 Limon, CO 80828 Monument Office 15706 Jackson Creek Parkway, Suite 100 Monument, CO 80132 Office Hours Monday - Thursday 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

2019 Electrical Safety Poster Contest Help Mountain View Electric Association, Inc. (MVEA) promote National Electrical Safety Month throughout the month of May. How? Create an 8.5” x 11” poster showing us how you are safe around electricity! MVEA will use the winning artwork to promote electrical safety in our May promotions. The prize? A triple win! If you attend school in MVEA’s service territory and your artwork is selected, you will win a Kindle Fire, your teacher will win a $50 Amazon gift card, and your class will win an Energy Learning Experience! Poster submissions must be received by March 4, 2019.

Seven Students Will Win a Kindle Fire!

Additional prizes will be awarded to their teacher & classroom.

Visit www.mvea.coop/poster-contest for complete poster submission requirements.

Visit our website: www.mvea.coop

Stay Connected: Like. Follow. Share. www.facebook.com/MVEAInc Search for: Mountain View Electric Assn. Inc. www.twitter.com/MVEAInc Search for: Mountain View Electric Association, Inc.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

YOUR CO-OP NEWS

Christmas Light Round Up

Quick. Convenient. Bill Payments Made Easy.

C7 & C9 = SEE $AVINGS! Upgrade & Save BIG This Holiday Season! If you are still using electricity hogging incandescent decorative lighting to show your holiday cheer, you are paying more than your neighbors who have made the switch to energy efficient LED options.

Online 24/7 with SmartHub: Quick and convenient! Visit www.mvea.coop to get started. Go paperless and earn a $0.50 credit every month!

Mountain View Electric Association, Inc. (MVEA) wants to help you make the energy efficiency switch this holiday season! Drop off your incandescent C7 & C9 light strands at an MVEA office, and receive a $5 per strand bill credit. We’ll take up to 10 strands per MVEA member. You could earn up to a $50 credit on your next electric bill. 'Tis the season to save!

Program Dates: November 1, 2018 - January 31, 2019 Offer limited to C7 & C9 incandescent light strands. Offer limited to 10 strands per member. Falcon Office 11140 E. Woodmen Road, Falcon CO 80831 Limon Office 1655 5th Street, Limon CO 80828 Monument Office 15706 Jackson Creek Parkway, Suite 100, Monument, CO 80132

Questions? Call (800) 388-9881.

We Don’t Just Brighten Homes, We Brighten Futures.

Automated Pay-By-Phone 24/7: Secure, direct connection at (877) 999-3415. Three Locations to Serve You: Falcon, Limon & Monument Monday – Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Payment forms accepted: Cash, Check, Money Order, NEW! American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa CHECKS • MON ORDER ONLY No Cash Please Payment Drop

PAYMENT DROP

Drop Box: There are more than a dozen drop box locations to choose from. Visit the MVEA website for a complete list. MoneyGram: Use MoneyGram to make your payment! Bring the following with you: cash in the amount of your payment plus the $1.50 MoneyGram fee, your MVEA account number, and the receive code 15113.

For additional information, visit: www.mvea.coop/payment-options

High School Seniors Win a Scholarship Need Cash For College? $25,000 In Scholarships Available MVEA’s scholarship program includes scholarships to accredited colleges, universities, junior or community colleges, as well as a vocational/ technical scholarship. NEW IN 2018! A Power Lineman Scholarship for students pursuing a career through a lineman training program, as well as a Power Engineer Scholarship for current college students pursuing a power engineering career. Visit www.mvea.coop/scholarships to learn more. Applications are due by January 15, 2019.

Questions? Contact Erica Meyer. (719) 494-2654 • erica.m@mvea.coop

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

on M

o ct N tra e n o Fe Co N hly t

Breakthrough technology converts phone calls to captions.

New amplified phone lets you hear AND see the conversation. The Hamilton® CapTel® Captioned Telephone converts phone conversations to easy-to-read captions for individuals with hearing loss.

A simple idea… made possible with sophisticated technology. If you have trouble understanding a call, captioned telephone can change your life. During a phone call the words spoken to you appear on the phone’s screen – similar to closed captioning on TV. So when you make or receive a call, the words spoken to you are not only amplified by the phone, but scroll across the phone so you can listen while reading everything that’s said to you. Each call is routed through a call center, where computer technology – aided by a live representative – generates voiceto-text translations. The captioning is real-time, accurate and readable. Your conversation is private and the captioning service doesn’t cost you a penny. Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) is regulated and funded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and is designed exclusively for individuals with hearing loss. To learn more, visit www.fcc.gov. The Hamilton CapTel phone requires telephone service and high-speed Internet access.

WiFi Capable. Callers do not need special equipment or a captioned telephone in order to speak with you. Finally… a phone you can use again. The Hamilton CapTel phone is also packed with features to help make phone calls easier. The keypad has large, easy to use buttons. You get adjustable volume amplification along with the ability to save captions for review later. It even has an answering machine that provides you with the captions of each message.

NEW Wide Screen Display

“For years I avoided phone calls because I couldn’t understand the caller… now I don’t miss a thing!”

SEE what you’ve been missing!

See for yourself with our exclusive home trial. Try a captioned telephone in your own home and if you are not completely amazed, simply return it within 60-days for a refund of the product purchase price. It even comes with a 5-year warranty.

Captioned Telephone Call now for our special introductory price! Call now Toll-Free

1-888-737-2569 Please mention promotion code 110522. The Captioned Telephone is intended for use by people with hearing loss. In purchasing a Captioned Telephone, you acknowledge that it will be used by someone who cannot hear well over a traditional phone. Hamilton is a registered trademark of Nedelco, Inc. d/b/a Hamilton Telecommunications. CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc. COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

81138

Do you get discouraged when you hear your telephone ring? Do you avoid using your phone because hearing difficulties make it hard to understand the person on the other end of the line? For many Americans the telephone conversation – once an important part of everyday life – has become a thing of the past. Because they can’t understand what is said to them on the phone, they’re often cut off from friends, family, doctors and caregivers. Now, thanks to innovative technology there is finally a better way.

RECIPES

SCORE DURING SUPER BOWL Finger foods fuel guests as they cheer throughout playoffs and the big game BY AMY HIGGINS

DO YOU HAVE A GREAT RECIPE? If you have a recipe you want us to try, send it our way at recipes@coloradocountrylife.org.

| RECIPES@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG

Fabulous finger foods to serve on game day.

inger foods fit fabulously at Super Bowl parties. All they take are a little bit of preparation before the game and then the host can sit back, relax and enjoy the party without any more fussing over food. This graham cracker toffee submitted by reader Terry J. Wallace, a Southeast Colorado Power Association member, is bound to be a crowd pleaser though, so be sure to bake an extra batch before your guests arrive. We also have two more readers’ recipes online that are simple yet satisfying for any football fan, so give them a shot. Find those and other game day recipes online at coloradocountrylife.coop.

Graham Cracker Toffee

Submitted by Terry J. Wallace, a Southeast Colorado Power Association member

2 4 graham crackers 1 cup butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup pecans (optional) 3/4 cup chocolate chips or chocolate wafers Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Lay graham crackers, covering the bottom of pan. In a saucepan, boil butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes, or until blended. Add vanilla and blend. Pour butter mixture over crackers, then sprinkle with nuts. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn off oven. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips or chocolate wafers. Return to oven (which is off) until the chocolate melts. Spread the top with a rubber spatula and then chill in the refrigerator. Once fully chilled, break into pieces. If you’re looking for a great, healthy snack to serve at a big game party, try reader Lila Taylor’s

Peanut Butter Fruit Dip. Get the recipe at coloradocountrylife.coop.

SUGGESTION / SWITCH IT UP Instead of chocolate chips, try butterscotch or white chocolate chips.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

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COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

NEWS CLIPS An NREL researcher explains what the lab is researching with the hydrogen reactor in the background.

Co-ops Discover What’s New at NREL Colorado electric co-op managers learn how the power system integration program lab can test how a distribution system would react in specific situations.

nnovation, new technology and a glimpse into the future of the electric industry was on the agenda when the managers of Colorado’s electric cooperatives met December 5 and 6. Hosted at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, the group’s winter meeting opened with a welcome and overview from Dr. Martin Keller, laboratory director, prior to a tour of NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facility. Dr. Keller noted that the state-of-the-art facility is now five years old and is fulfilling its mission of providing a unique, contained and controlled place where high-impact energy projects can be researched prior to being integrated into the marketplace.

The co-op managers viewed some of the current projects under way at the lab. These included grid integration of electricity from renewable resources; grid integration of electric vehicles; micro grids; smart home applications; hydrogen and fuel cells; and more. Fellow co-op CEO Brian Hannegan of Holy Cross Energy in Glenwood Springs explained the grid modernization project that his co-op is partnering with NREL on and the advantages of working at the Energy Systems Integration Facility. The project is studying how the co-op can utilize distributed energy resources within its system to supply electricity during times of peak demand.

Listen to Podcasts From Energy Innovations Summit

The electric industry is in transition with new and different ways of conducting business. Many of those changes were on the agenda when more than 300 people gathered in late October in downtown Denver for CREA’s 9th Annual Energy Innovations Summit. Now, you can listen in on some of that discussion through the podcasts posted on the CREA website at crea.coop/crea-podcasts. You can hear utility leaders discuss best practices for navigating the changes ahead or listen to a panel on community choice aggregation. There is also a recording of Steve Collier, director of smart grid strategies at Milsoft Utility Solutions, discussing threats and opportunities in the changing electric industry. Another recorded session focuses on Colorado’s energy future and retail wheeling. The final podcast reviews Colorado’s renewable energy standard and how we got to where we are today.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

It includes controlling rooftop solar, electric vehicles, water heaters and heating and cooling loads in a specific micro grid. All of that makes for a complex situation, “which is why we’re doing it at NREL,” Hannegan said. “Here we can test it without disrupting service for our members.” Following the tour of NREL’s integration facility, the co-op managers spent the rest of the meeting focused on strategic planning for the future, safety procedures for employees, drones and how they can assist electric co-ops with linework, and potential legislation and Public Utilities Commission matters.

Colorado Co-ops Plan 2nd Trip to Guatemala Linemen from Colorado’s electric cooperatives will go back to Guatemala in 2019. The Colorado Rural Electric Association received board approval at its December meeting to plan a second trip to the Central American country under the guidance of NRECA International. Again, linemen from Colorado will join linemen from Oklahoma electric cooperatives to bring electricity to a remote village. The location and dates for the trip will be announced following a preplanning trip, which will probably take place later this month.

NEWS CLIPS

20% of Electricity Generation Is Wind, Solar Wind and solar electric generation, including small-scale solar photovoltaics, reached or exceeded 20 percent of total generation in 10 states in 2017. Colorado is among the states with at least 20 percent of their generation coming from these two renewable resources. For the Centennial State and most of the other states, most of that electricity is coming from wind. California and Vermont are the exceptions. California has more than half of its renewable energy coming from solar installations and Vermont has not quite half of its renewable energy coming from solar power. Total annual generation from wind and solar in the United States in 2017 reached 8 percent for the year and peaked at 11 percent in April of that year.

FERC Leader Named Neil Chatterjee has returned as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, also known as FERC. He replaces Kevin McIntyre, who is battling health issues and stepped down as chairman but will remain on the commission. Chatterjee filled in as interim FERC chairman last year. He previously served as an energy policy advisor to U.S Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Prior to that he worked with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association for America’s electric cooperatives.

Teachers: Sign Up to Learn About Electricity

eachers of students in grades 4-12 can attend a three-day learning session this summer and add to their curriculum. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the power supplier to 18 of Colorado’s 22 electric co-ops, is providing this program free to all teachers who are electric cooperative members, teach at schools that are co-op members or teach students whose parents are co-op members in Tri-State’s service area. (Educators outside of electric co-op territory are welcome to apply, and funding will be sought on their behalf.) Those attending the June 18-20 class in Westminster will receive the most up-todate information on all aspects of energy including the science of energy, sources

of energy, transportation, consumption, electricity, efficiency, and environmental and economic impacts. Participants leave with the training and a hands-on energy kit for the classroom worth $300. Thanks to the support of Tri-State’s member cooperatives, there is no cost to educators in the Tri-State service area who participate. Most expenses, including lodging, meals, transportation and conference materials, are provided. The program is sponsored in cooperation with the National Energy Education Development Project, which works with the education community to promote an energy-conscious and educated society by helping deliver multisided energy education programs.

This conference will show teachers how to integrate energy curriculum materials into classrooms at every grade level, for any group of students and for those with all learning styles. It will also focus on the successful achievement of state education goals in math and language. Attending teachers receive a full-color workbook with lesson plans, reproducible student activities, fascinating facts about electricity and student packets with pencils, stickers, safety checklists and energy efficiency checklists. For more information or to apply, contact Wendi Moss at the NEED Project, wmoss@need.org, or Michelle Pastor at mpastor@tristategt.org.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

SUPER BOWL M A G I C

A Look at a Colorado Company Making the Big Game Happen Illustration by Matt Hubel

BY JULIE SIMPSON

nyone who has ever watched or attended a major sporting event knows that they involve a lot of people: thousands of spectators, media personnel, athletes, concessions, cleanup crew, security and the list goes on. But you’ve probably never given a second thought about the company that makes the movement and management of all those people possible. In many cases, that company is Populous. A global organization with a dozen offices around the world, Populous is primarily an architecture firm, working with clients to design and build large-scale projects like convention centers, stadiums, aviation facilities and sports training facilities. The company also does major event planning, all of which is handled by the team in its Colorado office. “Colorado is a great location for us,” says Jeff Keas, senior principal in Denver and Populous employee for over 20 years. “Our employees like the mountain lifestyle, which helps with recruitment and retention, and the large international airport is essential for

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

flying to project locations. Our employees love living here, which is important.” Populous has made a name for itself as a company adept at handling massive projects, both in architecture and events. As Keas describes it, “We work on things where there’s going to be large masses of people.” That is a short summary of a long résumé. Populous’ event planning division has played an integral part in all kinds of major sporting events including Super Bowls, college football playoffs, National Hockey League all-star games, Final Four games and the National Football League Draft, to name a few. “The work of our Denver team is horizontal,” Keas says. “While the other offices work on architectural projects in their locations, we do architecture but we also travel all over the world to do the event planning.” In addition to its work on major American sporting events, Populous also has a hand in global happenings, partnering with the Olympic committee, managing all European NFL games and even contributing to the

operations of the World Cup. If you ask an employee of Populous why you’ve never heard of such a large and involved company before, they’ll tell you: “That means we’re doing our job well.” According to Keas, seamless contribution is the goal. “If we do our job right, the idea is that people are focused on a great experience, not on the logistics that go into it,” he says. The scope of those logistics goes far beyond what the average spectator might observe on game day. While the scale and type of work required varies depending on the event, planning always starts months or even years before the event is set to take place. Populous often does legwork for the client, researching, surveying and traveling to find a location that will work for whatever event it is contracted to plan. In the case of Colorado’s bid* for the 2030 Winter Olympics, for example, Populous conducted surveys in the mountain towns where the Olympic events could potentially take place, to see if the citizens were favorable

COVER STORY toward hosting such an event. Populous team members assessed what athletic facilities already exist that could be used in order to determine how much new construction would need to happen. They also offered a plan for the use of the facilities after the games conclude, in order to avoid what they call “white elephants,” or facilities that wouldn’t continue to bring money into the community after the Olympics are over. Though it insists it can’t say much about it during the evaluation process, Populous is also involved in Denver’s bid to host the NFL Draft. As the draft is usually held in a unique location outside of normal stadium venues, Populous has been assessing places like Red Rocks or downtown as possible settings and determining what changes would need to be made for hosting the draft. Once a location and time frame are determined, Populous gets to work outlining what needs to be done in order to transform an

“If we do our job right, the idea is that people are focused on a great experience, not on the logistics that go into it.” — Jeff Keas, Populous average event venue into a location that can handle the large number of people attending the special event. The to-do list is long. Populous plans what changes and additions are needed, such as tents, stages, wiring and sound equipment, extra generators, road closures and parking, new entrances and exits to and from the arena, and whatever else the specific venue may need. Populous hires and manages the subcontractors performing

the work and oversees the “build-out phase,” when everything is installed in the days leading up to the event. Populous manages the operation of the venue on the day of the event. Then when it’s over, Populous tears it all down, returning the location to the way it was before. One of Populous’ biggest jobs is, of course, the Super Bowl. The company has worked with the NFL for 35 years now, and though it must continue to bid on their projects every year, its reputation with the NFL means Populous consistently manages the big game. “It’s a blessing to be invited back on a regular basis,” says Todd Barnes, senior principal in charge of Populous’ NFL contract. “It takes a lot of time and effort, and requires a lot of time on the road, because face time is important with clients, but it means everything for us to be able to meet directly.”

Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, prior to construction of all of the temporary game-day installation Populous is planning to channel foot traffic and handle security. Photo courtesy of AMB Sports and Entertainment. COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

COVER STORY Work on the Super Bowl begins two years prior to the game, almost as soon as the NFL decides where the game is going to be held. Then, as Barnes puts it, “There’s a lot of meetings.” Efforts must be coordinated with the NFL, city authorities, stadium employees, transportation authorities and countless numbers of subcontractors for things like security and construction of temporary facilities. The attention to detail Populous must maintain is simply baffling to those of us who haven’t put too much thought into the necessary changes made to a Super Bowl stadium. Take security fencing, for example. “Fences and barriers must be a certain distance from the stadium building,” Barnes explains, “but sometimes we don’t have that space, so we have to talk to transportation authorities about closing roads. Then we have to coordinate the fence contractor with transportation, and with security that’s going to be managing that fence.” Another example of Populous’ seamless control can be found in transportation changes. Many attendees might be aware of the expanded parking created for the Super

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms welcomes Super Bowl LIII.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

Bowl, but the company also has to make sure there are enough shuttle buses to get people to and from the stadium — a huge task considering the enormous increase in spectators from a typical football game. Depending on the stadium chosen for the game, often Populous must put on its architecture hat to make temporary changes to things like entrances, exits and security checkpoints in order to accommodate the large number of people attending the Super Bowl. This requires the design and construction of temporary installations to change the usual flow of people in and out of the stadium. By the summer before the coming game, Populous has mostly completed the planning of stadium changes, temporary buildings, transportation and hospitality. Contractor bidding for construction, security and signage is completed. Signs are another one of those many things most spectators probably never think about that must be handled by Populous. “We have a sign programmer who has to work with the sign vendor to make over five thousand signs for game day,” Barnes says. Those signs are vital to the safe and steady

When a confetti shower ends Super Bowl LIII, Populous will make sure all of the colorful paper is picked up.

movement of thousands of people throughout the stadium campus. After a final production meeting with the NFL in December, Populous starts managing the build-out phase as temporary installations are constructed, traffic is rerouted and signs are installed, along with a list of hundreds of other things that have to get done before February. Then, game day. Around 90 Populous employees, working on behalf of the NFL, go into what they call “operations mode,” managing facility operations with stadium staff, security, NFL staff and halftime show groups to make America’s biggest sports day of the year go off without a hitch. “Game day is high drama, high stress and high politics,” Barnes says. “It involves managing what happens on the field, getting things off the field, working with the halftime show and helping them manage their logistics and the timeline of the game.” Media broadcasting, concessions, spectator movement, parking and security all have to be closely watched for any bumps that may disrupt the experience. All you see from your seat in the stadium or through your television

Myron Chase and Todd Barnes (right) of Populous prepare for a game.

COVER STORY screen is a streamlined entertainment masterpiece, the result of Populous coordinating hundreds of moving parts to work together and make one thrilling, exhilarating event. After the game, there’s no time to celebrate another successful Super Bowl. The stadium will likely be hosting another event or game soon after, so Populous has to oversee the quick tear-down of all temporary installations, signs, fences and extra equipment. “We’re the ones that have to get rid of all that confetti on the field,” Barnes explains. Most sports fans just want the colors of their champion team to rain down on the victors; they don’t usually think about the labor-intensive job of removing it from all the nooks and crannies of the stadium. Populous has to think about all of it. While the most intrusive installations are torn down as quickly as possible, contractors may be at the stadium cleaning up for around three weeks after the big game. By June, Populous will already be in the final planning stages for the next Super Bowl at the next hosting venue.

“At the end of the day, at the end of the game, it’s a blessing that we’re able to provide happiness and joy to all those that are able to watch the game. Even though there might be some sadness on the part of the losing team’s fans.” — Todd Barnes, Populous Though the work is intense, complex and requires a lot of travel and long meetings with clients, Barnes still finds the job rewarding. “At the end of the day, at the end of the game, it’s a blessing that we’re able to provide happiness and joy to all those that are able to watch the game. Even though there might be some sadness on the part of the losing team’s fans,” he says. As Keas and Barnes both expressed, Populous employees are at their best when they go unnoticed. “The goal is to not be the show, not front and center. The more we can do to stay behind the scenes, our job is for the client to shine; it’s their day and their success,” Barnes says.

But the next time you’re watching the Super Bowl, the Olympics, a Final Four game or any other large sporting event, pay attention to the staggering amount of details managed by Colorado’s Populous employees. They will be there, orchestrating everything behind the scenes, doing their best to make sure you have a great time cheering for your team. * The 2030 Winter Olympics were awarded to Salt Lake City, Utah, in mid-December, not Denver. Julie Simpson is a Texan who loves writing about her home state of Colorado.

Populous planned the Alabama vs. Georgia National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It will be the same stadium with different teams when the Super Bowl kicks off February 3. COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

INDUSTRY

Net Metering How it impacts electric cooperatives BY PAUL WESSLUND One of the most controversial and least understood energy issues today is net metering. At its most basic, net metering is a state law requiring utilities, including electric cooperatives, to purchase the excess electricity produced by consumers who have rooftop solar panels. But that’s where the simplicity ends. States and electric utilities have established net metering programs to encourage clean energy generation. Nearly every state has some kind of net metering rule and they’re changing all the time. In the first nine months of 2018, states took more than 400 actions to change how they compensate small energy producers, according to the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center, which collects net metering information from around the country. Some of those actions strengthened net metering laws, others weakened them. In Colorado, electric cooperatives’ net metering requirements are governed by state statutes and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) interconnection standards. The statute requires all electric cooperatives to allow interconnection of a net metered generator of a renewable resource up to 10 kilowatts for residential accounts and 25 kW for nonresidential accounts, provided the installation complies with the interconnection standards adopted by the PUC.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

Colorado co-ops may choose to have policies to allow installation of larger projects, but must interconnect at the 10 and 25kW minimum levels if the interconnection standards are met. If a cooperative denies an interconnection, the cooperative must provide the applicant with a written explanation for the denial. Here are some additional explanations about net metering.

the homeowner for the excess electricity. The PUC interconnection standards are intended to protect the safety of the consumers, employees and owners of the net metered account by requiring approved equipment and availability on the circuit to be interconnected. Cooperatives may deny an interconnection if the equipment isn’t up to standards or if there is not sufficient available capacity on the circuit to accommodate additional net metered accounts.

What is net metering? Net metering is a way of measuring and valuing the electricity output of privately-owned solar panels. Net metering requires utilities, including electric cooperatives, to buy excess electricity back from consumers who have some way of generating electricity themselves. Net metering typically means that the consumer’s meter rolls forward when the consumer uses power and rolls backward when the consumer sends excess electricity back to the electric grid. That excess electricity could be produced by solar panels, a windmill or a micro hydropower project. By far, the main source of this extra electricity comes from homeowners who installed solar panels on their property. Whenever their solar system generates more electricity than their home is using, under net metering, the electric utility must compensate

How do electric utilities compensate consumers for the excess electricity? Some net metering programs require the utility to buy back or credit the consumer’s bill for that electricity at the same retail rate the utility charges for selling electricity. Other programs allow the utility to credit the consumer at the wholesale cost, which is what the utility pays for power. Some utilities require that these consumers (with privately-owned generation) be metered separately. Under these net billing programs, the consumer receives a bill with the credit for the excess electricity subtracted from the total amount due. All Colorado electric cooperatives are required to adopt policies to compensate net metered consumers for excess generation and to determine the annual “true up”

INDUSTRY date. However, there is no statutory formula for compensation. Therefore, each cooperative has discretion regarding the amount and timing of compensation for excess generation.

Is net metering new? Net metering programs have been around nationally since 1983. Since then, 38 states and the District of Columbia put their policies and requirements into law. Additionally, states started passing other laws, such as renewable portfolio standards, that require electric utilities to have certain amounts of their power generated by renewable energy resources, to encourage solar, wind and other forms of alternative energy.

What makes net metering challenging? The basic challenge with net metering is that sometimes the policies require electric utilities to pay high costs for what is often “low-value power.” The reason it’s low-value power is you can’t count on it. There’s no solar energy at night and no electricity from wind during calm weather. Renewable energy advocates argue that net metering rates are a great way to support green power, but utilities say it’s not fair for them to have to buy electricity from a rooftop solar owner at a rate that covers round-the-clock service when that’s not what the homeowner is providing. The results of that imbalance are where the net metering issue gets complicated. One Half Page Horizontal result is that the economics of net metering

create a subsidy for rooftop solar owners paid for by those who don’t have solar panels. The cost difference between buying wholesale electricity at retail rates didn’t matter so much at first, but solar energy is booming, potentially reshaping the effect net metering could have on the energy industry. The number of rooftop solar installations grew 63 percent from 2012 to 2015, according to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. As a result of that kind of growth in potential net metering use, many states started rethinking their net metering rules. Another result affects the ability of the utility to plan for its basic job of supplying reliable and affordable electricity. The engineers and accountants who run an electric utility that provides power 24/7 need to place a higher value on dependable electricity, like from a natural gas or coal power plant, than from several homeowners who may or may not be generating electricity when it’s needed. Net metering payments also don’t cover the costs of setting up a billing system, paying taxes or any of the utility’s other fixed costs.

What alternatives are there to net metering? Net metering programs that set the price at wholesale cost are more likely to ensure appropriate levels of compensation for both utilities and consumers who are generating electricity. Also, net billing programs provide a more equitable compensation to the net metered consumer without leaning on other consumers who don’t have solar panels

HOW NET METERING WORKS

Net metering is a billing mechanism that compensates consumers who own private solar panels (or other renewable energy systems) for any excess power that is sent back to the electric grid. A renewable energy system, in this case privately-owned solar panels, converts energy from sunlight into electricity.

The electricity is used to power the home. (It should be noted that solar panels do not provide electricity during a power outage.)

An inverter, which is connected to the electric grid, converts the electricity from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) to make it safe for use in homes. If the solar panels produce more electricity than the home needs, the consumer is compensated for excess electricity sent back to the electric grid.

To learn more about how net metering credits and policies work in your area, contact your local electric cooperative.

or other ways to generate power at home. Additionally, NRECA suggests other policies for supporting renewable energy without implementing net metering. Those could include tax credits for installing renewable energy systems and dedicated research funds aimed at lowering costs for alternative energy.

How are electric co-ops supporting renewable energy programs that benefit all consumer-members? Electric cooperatives are leaders in community solar programs that offer their members the opportunity to participate in renewable energy programs that are more affordable and reliable than privately-owned solar panels. Community solar arrays can be sized and priced to fit consumer demand, reducing risks of cross subsidization. With the help of NRECA, co-ops are also working to minimize costs of large solar projects. As the energy industry continues to undergo major changes, whether to technology, renewable energy use or other emerging trends, electric cooperatives continue working with all co-op members to ensure the delivery of the safe, affordable, reliable and environmentally-sustainable energy our communities depend on. The Colorado Rural Electric Association expects legislation in the 2019 session to encourage the development of renewable resources, potentially including net metering. CREA and Colorado’s electric cooperatives supported the legislation to create the current laws regarding net metering and believe they are still appropriate. The law established reasonable thresholds for net metering and allow individual cooperatives flexibility to be as expansive and creative as their consumer-members want to encourage the development of net metering. Paul Wesslund writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

GARDENING

GROWING SUCCULENTS INDOORS Add intrigue to your home with beautiful, easy to care for plants BY VICKI SPENCER

MASTER GARDENER | GARDENING@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE .ORG

ou may be asking yourself, “What is a succulent?” Just as you imagine a succulent steak to be juicy, you can think of succulent plants as those that store water in their leaves and/or stems. Sometimes succulent plants are confused with cacti. However, while all cacti are succulents, not all succulents are cacti. Like cacti, succulents prefer bright light and have the ability to tolerate lengthy periods of drought. What makes succulents interesting house plants is that they come in many shapes, sizes and colors. On a recent pilgrimage to my local nursery, I was amazed by the variety of succulents now available to customers.

trails over the edge of containers; Aeonium with its fleshy, long-leaved rosettes in colors ranging from bright green to purple; crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii) with its long, spoon-shaped leaves at the ends of spiky branches and clusters of tiny flowers; and burro’s tail (Sedum morganianum) with its gray-green or gray-blue leaves, which grow up to 3 feet long and make it perfect for a hanging container.

Stonecrop (Sedum)

Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)

One of my favorites is the snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata), which got its name because its long patterned leaves resemble a snake. It needs little care and doesn’t need to be repotted for years, even when it seems to be getting overcrowded. However, occasional pruning and fertilizer will add to its beauty. Other succulent varieties include Stonecrop (Sedum), which beautifully

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

Not all succulents have juicy leaves. For instance, the ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata), which isn’t actually a palm, doesn’t even look like a succulent. Its long, thin leaves have little surface to lose moisture and it stores water in the base of the trunk, so it doesn’t need to be watered often. Although it is slow growing, I rescued mine from a container plant my mother received as a gift and was about to throw out when it seemed to be dying, and it has doubled in size just a few years later. I think repotting has helped and with annual applications of fertilizer, I am hoping it will grow to its expected height of 12 feet or more.

If your succulent receives too much light, it may stretch upward and its leaves may become sparse. One solution is to replace sunlight with a grow light. Better yet, you can cut off the top (being sure to leave some stem with leaves) and propagate it in potting soil. In addition to being visually fascinating, succulents are fairly easy to grow inside Colorado homes, which tend to be especially dry during the winter. Even though the plants prefer direct light, they adapt well to low light. Perhaps the greatest problem people have with succulents is overwatering. Succulents prefer well-drained soil and should only be watered after the soil dries out. While they may need watering once a week during spring growing season, during their dormant period in the winter, they may only need watering once a month. Succulents are the perfect solution for co-op members who want to escape cold winters in Colorado. Most can be left untended for a couple weeks and will be happy to greet you when you return home. Gardener Vicki Spencer has an eclectic background in conservation, water, natural resources and more.

LEARN MORE ONLINE Read previous gardening columns at coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Gardening under Living in Colorado.

OUTDOORS

THE ENDLESS CYCLE BY DENNIS SMITH

| OUTDOORS@COLOR ADOCOUNTRYLIFE.ORG

W COLORADO AT PLAY PHOTO CONTEST Winners will be announced in the March issue.

Prizes: 1st place – $175 2nd place – $75 3rd place – $50 24

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

ell, here it is: January. Another year gone, a new one just starting. It’s as good a time as any to reflect on the year gone by and contemplate the year to come. The 2018 big game seasons are over for our family; the harvest butchered, wrapped and stacked in the freezers. The bulk of work attending those projects is over but some still remains to be done. Rifles have to be cleaned and returned to the safe, big game clothing stored in dry boxes for another year. The grinders and associated game processing equipment has to be sterilized and packed away. Processing wild game meat is messy, time-consuming work, but its rewards are immeasurable: black iron seared elk medallions drizzled with mushroom-bourbon sauce; venison/bacon patties charred over hardwood coals; pronghorn loin steaks sautéed in herb butter; smoke-roasted top round of venison with caramelized onions. I could go on, but you get the idea. Our big game seasons were followed by upland bird and waterfowl hunts: crispy-cold days in the river bottoms and CRP fields with the leaves crunching underfoot and the Lab pups flushing bobwhite quail and ring neck pheasants; jump-shooting winter mallards in the warm-water sloughs along the Platte; watching flocks of Giant Canada geese drop on cupped wings from lead-colored skies into our decoys on a frozen prairie cornfield. By the time this issue goes to press, we’ll have been sitting in heated ice huts on Lake John, grilling brats and sauerkraut, sipping hot toddies and jerking trout through the ice holes. At home, we’ll brine, smoke and whip them into appetizing spreads and hors d’oeuvres. If the warm-water lakes along the Front Range freeze and we’re lucky enough to hook a mess of yellow perch or bluegills, we’ll have a good old-fashioned family fish fry.

Mid-February through April will find us on the eastern plains gunning for snow geese during the federally-mandated Light Goose Conservation Order Season when hundreds of thousands of blues, snows, and Ross’s geese migrate north in one of the most spectacular wildlife events in the natural world. It’s an amazing experience. Our big game applications have to be submitted in early April so, while we’re hunting snow geese, we’ll be planning our autumn big game hunts. As April fades to May, our thoughts will turn from snow geese to turkeys and, almost simultaneously, fly fishing. We’ll pull our pop-up turkey blinds, box calls, waders, rods and reels from storage and start planning trips to our favorite turkey-hunting spots and fishing holes. We’ll clean and grease reels, dress our fly lines with new floatant and, though we’ve been tying flies sporadically through the winter, we’ll tie with more urgency now. After all, it’ll be spring soon, and the sportsman’s cycle will be starting all over again. Although the more I think about that, the more I realize it never really ends. Happy New Year, everyone. Dennis Smith is a freelance outdoors writer and photographer whose work appears nationally. He lives in Loveland.

MISS AN ISSUE? Catch up at coloradocountrylife.coop. Click on Outdoors.

Keep your home safe from electrical fires

BY SAFEELECTRICITY.ORG

our lights turn on in an instant and your plug slides into outlets without sparks or shocks. You can’t see it, and typically don’t think much about it. However, the electricity that we take for granted every day requires attention to potential hazards and taking steps to keep everyone safe.

SafeElectricity.org shares these tips to help keep your home safe from electrical problems and fires this winter and all year long: • Have all work done by a qualified electrician. • Get regular check-ups for older homes, which have older wiring and are often designed for fewer appliances and electronics. Have the electrical system checked every 5 – 10 years, depending on the age of your home. If your home is older than 30 years, make sure the wiring meets updated National Electrical Code standards. • Watch for warning signs such as hot or discolored switch plates, cords or plugs; dimming or flickering lights; buzzing or sizzling sounds. If you smell a burning odor, check it out immediately and unplug electric items in that area. • Immediately repair loose outlets, and discard or replace cracked, cut or broken insulation on electric cords. • Keep cords out of walkways and high traffic areas so they don’t get stepped on, damaged and cause a tripping hazard. • Use extension cords temporarily, not as permanent wiring. Too many extension cords in one area creates a risk of overheating or overloading circuits. • Never use cords or appliances that have exposed, damaged, or faulty wiring. Have them repaired or replaced. • Avoid using nails or staples to secure electric cords in place. When an electrical cord is punctured, it increases the likelihood of electric shock and fire.

• When you replace lightbulbs, ensure that you match the recommended wattage for your lamp or other light fixtures. Using an incorrect wattage increases the likelihood for electrical fires. • If small children are present, install tamper resistant outlets or use outlet covers to reduce the risk of shocks and fire. • Educate your loved ones on the dangers of electricity and provide guidance on care for your appliances and electronics. Electrical safety can also reduce energy waste and save on the power bill. Turn off electronics and lights when they are not in use. This reduces heat as it lower electricity use.

Learn more about home electrical safety at SafeElectricity.org.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

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2019 COLORADO LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORY

An orphan of wood, nothing more, he mends the old elm rocker, bent brown from the autumn of dreams.

GOVERNOR

He inspects the ancient veins, which fed the blossom, and works with the patience found in winter’s shadowed branch.

COLORADO LEGISLATURE

U.S. CONGRESS

CREA COLORADO LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORY APP COLORADO’S ELECTRIC CO-OPS

Colorado’s General Assembly Convenes January 4 Printed copies of the directory are available for only $1. To get your copy, email crea@coloradocountrylife.org or call 303-455-4111.

COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION 5400 WASHINGTON ST. • DENVER, CO 80216 • CREA.COOP

His shavings fall unnoticed into the boy cuffs of curiosity, and then, he sighs silently, like the old oak table that hosts the ageless broken bread of faith. Poet Burt Baldwin is a member of La Plata Electric Association from Bayfield.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

COMMUNITY EVENTS January 18-20 Denver

January 23 Durango

January 19-20 Copper

January 24-27 Aspen

January 19 Denver

January 26 Estes Park

January 19 Leadville

January 31 Denver

Indian Market & Southwest Art Fest Denver Mart dashevents.com

Safety Fest Copper Mountain coppercolorado.com

January 21, April 20, August 25, September 28 and November 11 Free Admission Days Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde The National Park Service is offering five free admission days to Mesa Verde National Park in 2019. Mesa Verde, Spanish for “green table,” offers visitors a close-up view into the lives of Ancestral Pueblo people with nearly 5,000 archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings, which date back from 600 to 1,300 A.D. Free admission does not include the cost of camping or tours. For more information, visit nps.gov. Photo courtesy of nps.gov.

January 2019 January 8 Keystone

Rise and Shine Rando Arapahoe Basin Ski & Snowboard Area 7-9 am • arapahoebasin.com

January 9 Durango

“The Landing of the Mary Jane” Exhibit Reception Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad 7-8:30 pm • 888-872-4607

January 11 Glenwood Springs

Skier Appreciation Day: $20 Lift Tickets Sunlight Mountain Resort sunlightmtn.com

January 12 Colorado Springs

Trails, Tails and Ales Black Forest Section 16 Trailhead 10:30 am • 719-520-6977

January 12-27 Denver

National Western Stock Show Various Locations nationalwestern.com

January 12 Lafayette

Oatmeal Festival • Various Lafayette Locations • 7:30 am-12 pm lafayettecolorado.com

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

January 12-13 Trinidad

Low-Cost Pet Clinic Noah’s Ark Animal Welfare Association 2-4 pm • 719-680-2385

January 13 Greeley

Rocky Mountain Country Music Awards Union Colony Civic Center 6 pm • ucstars.com

January 13 Steamboat Springs

Ski Free Sunday Howelsen Hill 970-879-4300 • steamboatsprings. net/131/Howelsen-Hill-Ski-Area

January 16 Denver

Tea Time and Tour The Brown Palace Hotel 11 am-3:30 pm • historycolorado.org

Free Denver Walking Tour Veterans Memorial 10 am • denverfreewalkingtours.com

Mountaintop Yurt Dinner Ski Cooper 5-8 pm • skicooper.com

January 19 Longmont

Family Concert Vance Brand Civic Auditorium 4-5 pm • longmontsymphony.org

January 19 Nederland

Kort McCumber Concert Eldora Mountain Timbers Tap Room eldora.com

January 19 Winter Park

“King of the Grommets®” Competition Winter Park Resort 8 am-4 pm • winterparkresort.com

January 20 Pagosa Springs

Martin Luther King Jr. Race Wolf Creek Ski Area 800-754-9653 • wolfcreekski.com

January 20 Tabernash

Full Moon Ski Tour Devil’s Thumb Ranch 6-9 pm • devilsthumbranch.com

January 21 Steamboat Springs

Cowboy Downhill Steamboat Ski and Resort steamboat.com

Twilight Nights Race Purgatory Resort purgatoryresort.com

X Games Aspen’s Buttermilk Mountain aspensnowmass.com

Family Snowshoe Hike Rocky Mountain Conservancy 9 am-1 pm • 970-586-3262

“Art of Smartphone Photography” Workshop Denver Botanic Gardens botanicgardens.org

February 2019 February 1-2 Keystone

Winter Bluegrass Weekend Warren Station Center for the Arts 6:30-11 pm • warrenstation.com

February 6 Littleton

Free Admission Day Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield botanicgardens.org

February 7-10 Lamar

High Plains Snow Goose Festival Various Lamar Locations highplainssnowgoose.com

February 8 Grand Lake

“Creatives Under the Big Top” Artistic Workshop Grand Lake Community Center 970-531-1343 • gced.events.idloom.com

February 10 Grand Lake

Grand County Pet Pals Romp & Stomp Grand Lake Nordic Center 11 am-2 pm • gcpetpals.org

January 17-20 Golden

Colorado Cowboy Poetry Gathering Various Golden Locations coloradocowboygathering.com

January 17 Pueblo

“Les Ballets Trockadero” Theater Performance Sangre de Cristo Arts Center Stage 7:30 pm • 719-295-7200

SEND CALENDAR ITEMS 2 MONTHS IN ADVANCE

Calendar, Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216; fax to 303-455-2807; or email calendar@coloradocountrylife.org. Please send name of event, date, time, venue, brief description, phone number, a photo, if you have one, and email and/or website for more information.

YOUR STORIES

READERS’ PHOTOS

FUNNY STORIES A co-worker’s grandson bumped

his head getting into the car and started crying. His parents asked to see his forehead, and when he moved his hand his mom said to his dad, “Ooh, he’s got a goose egg!” He started crying harder than before and the worried parents asked him if it was feeling worse. Through his sobs, he managed to ask, “Is it going to hatch?” Craig Mayle, Westcliffe

My daughter was planning her

Ed Kimes, Diana Lee, Scott Lee and Keirstin Lee, all members of Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, visit Alcatraz Island with their copy of CCL in hand.

Sara and Carl Austin, San Isabel Electric Association, Inc., visit the Ark replica in Williamstown, Kentucky, with their copy of CCL.

wedding and asked her nephew if he would be willing to be an usher. Since his only experience as an usher was at church, he looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked, “So, you want me to collect money?” Doris McCallie, Kremmling

One afternoon, my daughter

Mountain View Electric Association, Inc., retiree Darryl Edwards and wife Carey at the beach on Maui with CCL.

Karen Bellemare, a Mountain Parks Electric member, brings CCL to Phuket, Thailand.

Ashley and my 7-year-old granddaughter MaKenzie were in a local secondhand store looking for unique coffee cups. After locating a few to purchase, they were walking toward the checkout counter when MaKenzie told her mama she was thirsty. They went to the cooler, got a bottle of water and went to the checkout line. Then, as they were putting the items on the counter, MaKenzie asked her mama, “Is this water used, too?” Doug Martin, Pueblo

My 10-year-old son and I were

watching a cake competition on television. One of the contestants ran out of time and wasn’t able to put arms on one of the figures on the cake, so he was worried he was going to be eliminated. My son turned to me and asked, “So, he’s going out on a limb?” Carol Snyder, Monument WINNER: Richard and Gail Grossman, La Plata Electric Association members, take CCL to Kigali, Rwanda.

Cassi Gloe, production manager of CCL magazine, visits the Ljósafoss Power Station in Iceland. It is the oldest power station in the River Sog.

Take Your Photo With Your Magazine and Win! It’s easy to win with Colorado Country Life. Simply take a photo of someone (or a selfie!) with the magazine and email the photo and your name and address to info@ coloradocountrylife.org. We’ll draw one photo to win $25 each month. The next deadline is Wednesday, January 16. Name, address and co-op must accompany photo. This month’s winners are Gail and Greg Grossman of Bayfield. They took their copy of Colorado Country Life to Kigali, Rwanda. See all of the submitted photos on Facebook at facebook.com/ COCountryLife.

We pay $15 to each person who submits a funny story that’s printed in the magazine. At the end of the year we will draw one name from those submitting funny stories and that person will receive $200. Send your 2019 stories to Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or email funnystories@coloradocountrylife.org. Don’t forget to include your mailing address, so we can send you a check. COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

DISCOVERIES

Game day Favorites Discover the local go-to items to serve at the big game party Savor the Fizzy Flavor Party guests will cheer over the flavorful blast of bubbles they get in every drop of a Zuberfizz soda. Durango Soda Company, Inc., uses pure cane sugar and fresh Rocky Mountain water in its sodas to achieve a sweet sensation for taste buds. Available in nine flavors including creamy root beer, orange cream soda and grape. Purchase at grocery stores throughout Colorado, at its Durango production facility or online at zuberfizz.com.

A Toast to the Host While you watch the big game and reminisce about the days of John Elway passing the pigskin down the field, sip on spirits created by the football legend: 7Cellars wines. You and your football party guests will be delighted sharing a bottle of bold cabernet sauvignon or a crisp chardonnay, even if the game isn’t going the direction you hoped for. What’s more, the company donates a portion of its proceeds to Team Rubicon, an organization that combines the experience of military veterans and first responders to assist in disaster relief worldwide. For more information, visit 7cellars.com.

Game On! In 1982, what Broncos kicker set a National Football League rookie record by making 13 straight field goals — and did it without a shoe? What tight end’s stint with the Broncos lasted just 12 games but ended with a victory in Super Bowl 50? This is just a sample of fun trivia questions in the You Gotta Know Denver Sports Trivia Game that you can quiz your guests on between time-outs and playbacks during this year’s Super Bowl party. Cost is $19.95. For more information, visit yougottaknowgames.com.

1 7Cellars wine

Truly Tasty Snacks Fill your party chip bowls with crispy, crunchy, delicious Jackson’s Honest chips. Named after Megan and Scott Reamer’s son, Jackson, who lost his battle with Aicardi-Goutières syndrome in 2017, the Crested Butte company’s mission is to provide honest ingredients in its nutrient-dense, flavorful chips so that munchers can indulge in a healthier snack. Find Jackson’s Honest chips at Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods Market and Natural Grocers throughout Colorado or at jacksonshonest.com.

COLOR ADO COUNTRY LIFE JANUARY 2019

Where to find these Game Day Favorites 1 2

Denver | Britt@7cellars.com 7cellars.com

2 Jackson’s Honest chips

Crested Butte | 800-676-5057 jacksonshonest.com

3 Zuberfizz soda

Durango | 970-259-9600 zuberfizz.com

You Gotta Know Games 3

Buffalo, NY | 716-830-6454 yougottaknowgames.com

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