20 minute read
A RESPONSIBLE ENERGY PLAN
A RESPONSIBLE ENERGY PLAN Transition to greener power underway for co-op power supplier
BY KENT SINGER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
In January, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (a member of the Colorado Rural Electric Association) announced that over the next 10 years it will retire its coal-fired power plants in Colorado and replace those sources of electricity generation with wind and solar power. By the end of 2030, Tri-State will no longer operate any coal-fired plants in Colorado, thus reducing the company’s carbon emissions from its Colorado plants by 90% and reducing carbon emissions from all electric sales in Colorado by 70%. (Tri-State will continue to import some coal-fired power from sources outside of Colorado.)
This is an historic decision by Tri-State, which provides wholesale power supply to every Colorado electric distribution co-op except Grand Valley Power, Yampa Valley Electric Association, Holy Cross Energy and Intermountain Rural Electric Association. Along with the announcement of the coal plant retirements, Tri-State announced the addition of nearly 1 gigawatt (1,000 megawatts) of new renewable energy capacity to its generation resources. These new wind and solar projects will be located across Colorado, creating temporary construction jobs as well as permanent maintenance positions. After its Responsible Energy Plan is completed, Tri-State will have more than 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity on its 3,000 megawatt system.
Tri-State’s new direction regarding its power portfolio is driven by several factors. In 2019, the Colorado General Assembly adopted legislation (H.B. 19-1261) that requires significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from all industries operating in the state. Although the rules for the implementation of this legislation have not been finalized, it’s clear that electric utilities will be required to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels in the near future. Tri-State’s need to comply with the Colorado law is an important factor in its recent announcements.
But even absent a legislative mandate, the rapidly decreasing costs of renewable energy make those resources more attractive today than they were just a few short years ago. You may recall that, in 2013, Tri-State, along with CREA, opposed Senate Bill 13-252 that increased the renewable energy requirements for Colorado’s electric co-ops. As recently as seven years ago, the cost of renewable energy was significantly higher than it is today and, at that time, we were concerned that a requirement for more renewables would increase rates to co-op consumer-members. With improved technology and economies of scale, wind and solar generating plants today can provide cost-effective energy while at the same time reducing carbon emissions.
Perhaps the most important driver in Tri-State’s course change, however, is the desire by many of Tri-State’s members for the co-op to diversify its power supply and include more renewable energy. Tri-State is owned by its 43 distribution co-op and public power district members who are in turn owned by their consumer-members. One of the key principles of the cooperative business model is “democratic member control” and that means the members at the end of the line have input into Tri-State’s resource decisions. In making these adjustments to its power supply portfolio, Tri-State is also honoring this core co-op principle.
KENT SINGER
This new path for Tri-State does not come without challenges. On the operations side, Tri-State will have to figure out how to best balance its members’ power needs with an ever-increasing array of intermittent generating resources. This may require the deployment of new technologies and operating procedures in order for Tri-State to maintain the same level of reliable power supply that Colorado’s electric co-ops have enjoyed for decades.
More important than the reliability challenges, however, is the impact of Tri-State’s new direction on current Tri-State employees. Several hundred men and women who currently work at the Tri-State coal plants and coal mines that are being retired will be affected by this decision. These are folks who, in many cases, have spent their careers and much of their adult lives serving you, the citizens of rural Colorado. They have done this difficult and sometimes dangerous work so you could have light and power. They did it without asking for recognition or praise, but simply for the satisfaction of helping their communities.
They deserve to be thanked and supported in this time of transition.
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.
The legacy of Colorado electric co-op heroes FROM THE EDITOR
BY MONA NEELEY EDITOR
This is the Colorado Rural Electric Association’s 75th year of representing Colorado’s electric cooperatives as their statewide trade association. CREA and the co-ops are excited for the next 75 years, but before we move ahead, let’s take a quick look back.
When I was hired back in 1994, there were still CREA board members who remembered the lights coming on, including the late Mick Geesen from Mountain View Electric and the late Ray Macht from La Plata Electric.
Mick was only 21 when he arrived in Colorado in 1941 to start ranching on family land. He moved from an area with electricity and knew what a difference it would make for his home outside of Agate. So, he went to work to sign up enough members that the fledgling local co-op could qualify for a Rural Electrification Administration loan to build its system. And he stayed for
MONA NEELEY 50 years, guiding the local co-op.
R a y w a s another young rancher who saw the benefits of electricity. Pagosa Springs, only 4 miles from his place, had power and when the nearby La Plata Electric bought the city system and started expanding, Ray was ready. He rented equipment and began digging holes for power poles along his driveway and toward town, even using dynamite in the rocky spots.
Ray believed in the rural electric program so much that he immediately got elected to the board and spent the next 50 years helping guide the growing co-op.
These men are just two of so many heroic co-op pioneers. Their legacy is now carried into the future by the dedicated directors serving your electric co-op today.
Mona Neeley is the statewide editor of Colorado Country Life, which is published in coordination with your local electric cooperative.
RULES: Colorado Country Life is looking for pet stories explaining what makes your pet special or what amazing things your pet has done. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place and runners up published in the magazine will be awarded cash. Stories will be published in the September magazine. Rules for the contest are as follows: 1. Story must be told in no more than 300 words. 2. Deadline to enter is May 22. Entry must be received in the office by 4:30 p.m. 3. Entries may be typed or handwritten. 4. Photo of the pet must be included with the entry. If the photo is sent digitally, it must be at least 4X5 inches in size at 300 dpi. 5. Digital entries must be sent to info@coloradocountrylife.org. 6. Mailed entries must be sent to Pet Story Contest, Colorado Country Life, 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216.
Questions may be sent to info@coloradocountrylife.org. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Compassion Via a Lightbulb I can’t thank you enough for the inspirational and heartwarming piece about the Colorado and Oklahoma linemen who performed philanthropic work last summer in Guatemala (“Bringing Light, Finding Joy” December ’19). Citizens of Central America and poor nations around the world are often casti gated as being unworthy of the compassion and generosity we take for granted in America. And many Americans have never experienced firsthand the extreme poverty and injustices evident in poor countries around the world.
The article correctly notes that, in spite of unimaginable economic conditions, these citizens are able to find joy and hope in something as simple as a single lightbulb brought into their homes. The 20 lineworkers who participated undoubtedly also discovered joy and hope in their mission, and I’ll bet their lives will forever be changed for the better. Jim Little, Wetmore San Isabel Electric consumer-member
A Lower Carbon Footprint Reading the December issue, [I saw] a picture of former Gov. Bill Ritter and Tri-State Generation and Transmission CEO Duane Highley at the CREA Energy Innovations Summit. I noticed about six plastic bottles of water on a table in front of them. On the next page is an article on co-ops working to lower carbon energy use. Let’s try to use glass or reusable water containers as much as possible and we will work to lower carbon energy use together. M. Cary, Kremmling Mountain Parks Electric consumer-member
More Energy Efficiency The coal plant retirements and new renewable energy projects announced by Tri-State Generation and Transmission are big steps in the right direction. But more should be done if Tri-State is to truly respond to the threat of catastrophic climate change in a responsible manner. In particular, Tri-State should expand the energy efficiency programs it implements together with its member cooperatives. Howard Geller, executive director Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
SEND US YOUR LETTERS
Editor Mona Neeley at 5400 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216 or at mneeley@coloradocountrylife.org. Include full name and contact information.
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Energy-Saving Landscaping Tips
The decisions you make about your home’s landscaping can help you stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. With summer around the corner, take a look at how strategic planting can help cool your home. Direct sunlight hitting windows is a major contributor to overheating the home during summer months. By planting trees that block sunlight, you can improve comfort and reduce air-conditioning energy use. If the trees eventually grow tall enough to shield the roof, that’s even better.
The most important windows to shade are the ones facing west, followed by windows that face east. Morning and evening sunlight hits the home more directly than midday sunlight. Also, an eave on the south side of the home can help shade windows during midday sun.
If you live in one of Colorado’s cooler areas, planting deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the fall will shield your windows in summer and allow sunlight in during winter to help warm your home. A simple approach that can deliver some shade the first year is to plant a “living wall” of vines grown on a trellis next to the home.
There are two other important factors to consider in some areas of Colorado: 1. Water is becoming more precious and expensive. When you pay your water bill, much of that cost is for the energy required to pump water to your home, or perhaps you have your own well. Either way, reducing water use saves money and reduces energy use. 2. If you live in an area that has wildfires, definitely take it into consideration as you develop a landscaping plan. What and where you plant on your property can either increase or decrease the risk of fire reaching your home. Planting a row of shrubs a foot from the home can provide more efficiency in cooler climates. By stopping air movement, it can form a dead air space around the home that acts as “bonus” insulation.
These are just a few ideas to help you get started. Also remember that, as with any landscaping projects that require digging, it’s important to call 811 to ensure all underground utility lines are properly marked and flagged before you start the work. Happy planting! BY PAT KEEGAN AND BRAD THIESSEN
K.C. ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION
MARCH 2020
K.C. ELECTRIC STAFF
David Churchwell General Manager dchurchwell@kcelectric.coop
Bo Randolph Office Manager and CFO brandolph@kcelectric.coop
Paul Norris Operations Manager pnorris@kcelectric.coop
George Ehlers Member Services Specialist and IT Manager gehlers@kcelectric.coop
ph tf fax web 719-743-2431 800-700-3123 719-743-2396 www.kcelectric.coop
Our mission is to provide our members with safe, reliable service at the lowest cost, while maintaining an environmentally responsible, accountable and sustainable operation now and in the future.
BY DAVID CHURCHWELL GENERAL MANAGER
After months of analysis, our power supplier, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, recently announced a plan to significantly cut their carbon emissions, increase renewables and reduce costs.
Tri-State’s Responsible Energy Plan entails closures of their Escalante Station near Prewitt, New Mexico, by the end of 2020, and Craig Station and Colowyo Mine in northwestern Colorado by 2030. When fully implemented, this plan will help Tri-State to meet a greenhouse gas reduction bill passed in 2019 by the Colorado legislature.
Colorado House Bill 19-1261 calls for statewide goals to reduce 2025 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26%, 2030 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% and 2050 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90%, all relative to the levels of statewide greenhouse gas emissions that existed in 2005.
With these closures come opportunities for Tri-State to expand its current renewable portfolio, which includes hydropower, solar and wind generation. Tri-State’s newest renewable projects, all of which will be built by 2024, include:
DAVID CHURCHWELL
• Crossing Trails Wind Farm, a 104-megawatt (MW) project located south of Seibert • Niyol Wind, a 200-MW project located in northeastern Colorado • Spanish Peaks Solar and Spanish Peaks II Solar, a 140-MW project located in southeastern Colorado • Coyote Gulch Solar, a 120-MW project located in southwestern Colorado • Dolores Canyon Solar, a 110-MW project located in southwestern Colorado • Axial Basin Solar, a 145-MW project located in northwestern Colorado • Escalante Solar, a 200-MW project located in New Mexico This radical transition will fundamentally change the way Tri-State generates power. But, you can be assured that, as a cooperative itself, it will never change its goal of providing reliable, affordable and responsible power to all of its members including K.C. Electric, which in turn delivers that power to you.
2020 K.C. Electric Association NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING Nominations are Due Soon
CHEYENNE COUNTY, KIT CARSON COUNTY AND LINCOLN COUNTY
Three directors will be elected to the K.C. Electric Association Board of Directors during this year’s regular election: one from Cheyenne County and two from Kit Carson County. Directors’ terms expiring are Robert Bledsoe from Cheyenne County, Kevin Penny from Kit Carson County and Dan Mills from Kit Carson County.
K.C. will also hold a special election to fill the vacant Lincoln County district director position. The person selected by the membership at the annual meeting will serve the unexpired remaining term for the director he or she is replacing and then will be subject to the regular election process.
To be nominated, a person must be a member of K.C. Electric and a bona fide resident within the director’s district for which he or she is nominated.
THE TIMETABLE FOR NOMINATIONS Official nominating petitions shall be issued by the association not earlier than 90 days prior to the meeting at which the election is to be held. Petitions must be signed by at least 15 members — not more than one member in a joint membership — of the association and returned to the association for filing with the board no less than 45 days prior to the election. Qualified candidates can pick up official nominating petitions at the Hugo or Stratton office. Official nominating petitions will be issued on March 6, 2020, and must arrive at the Hugo office by April 20, 2020.
Circulators of the petition should attempt to verify accuracy of the name and address of each signer and must require that the signature take place in the presence of the circulator. The circulator should sign the affidavit at the bottom of the petition and have the affidavit notarized before submitting the petition to K.C. Electric. Please print the name as it appears on the electric bill. If you are a spouse of a member and not listed on the electric bill, please indicate by printing your name as well as signing the petition. If your listing is a business and the name on the bill is a business, please print the name of the business, then print your name and sign the petition.
Candidates should turn in a short biographical sketch to Member Services Manager George Ehlers, who is located at the Hugo office, with the petition.
Directors will be elected at the annual meeting, June 4, 2020, in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado.
These individuals are your 2020 election committee:
Archie Cloud 19375 County Road 24 Kit Carson, CO 80825 719-962-3236 719-349-0212 (cell)
Troy McCue 221 Pine Arriba, CO 80804 719-768-3493
Tom Bredehoft 220 E. 5th Street Flagler, CO 80815 719-349-0345 (cell)
George Ehlers PO Box 815 Hugo, CO 80821 719-740-5002 (cell)
Jeff Cure PO Box 370 Burlington, CO 80807 719-346-7080
Director Position Vacancy Marvin Thaller recently resigned from the K.C. Board of Directors because he moved out of Lincoln County.
Marvin was a longtime employee of K.C. and served on the board for over 12 years. Marvin brought a lot of experience and common sense to the table during his time serving the K.C. membership and will be sorely missed. The K.C. Board of Directors decided to fill the vacancy through a special election to be held in conjunction with the regular election of directors at the 2020 annual meeting, which will be held in Cheyenne Wells on June 4. The person selected by the membership at the 2020 annual meeting will serve Marvin’s unexpired remaining term and then will be subject to the regular election process. Marvin was re-elected to his director position during the 2019 annual meeting and that term will expire in 2022.
Claim Your Savings
Each month, consumer-members have a chance to claim a $20 credit on their next electric bill.
All you must do is find your account number, call the Hugo office at 719-743-2431 and ask for your credit. The account numbers are listed below. How simple is that?
You must claim your credit during the month in which your name appears in the magazine (check the date on the front cover). Tim Litzenberger, Arriba — 206900002 Mark Galli, Cheyenne Wells — 411950000 Dave Wall, Kit Carson — 1110680002 Monroe Mitchek, Cheyenne Wells — 444900005
In January, two consumer-members called to claim their savings: Withers Land Co., Hugo; and Steve Pfeifer, Cheyenne Wells.
BY ABBY BERRY
Today’s market offers a plethora of new gadgets and devices that claim to make our homes smarter, safer and more efficient. But as with any new smart technology, consumers should take extra precautions to ensure these devices are secure.
Internet-connected cameras offer significant convenience to the way we monitor the security of our homes, our children and even our furry family members. With the simple swipe of a smartphone, homeowners can instantly keep a watchful eye from afar. But in recent months, some consumers found themselves in scary situations when hackers tapped into internet-connected security cameras in their homes. This enabled the hackers to view and speak to the people, including children, inside the homes.
As connected devices become increasingly popular, it’s important that we know how to secure our digital lives. The U.S. Department of Commerce offers the following tips for protecting smart devices: • Get creative with passwords. Change your device’s factory security settings from the default password. This is one of the most important steps to take in the protection of internet-connected devices. Consider creating the longest password or pass phrase permissible and use familiar phrases you’ll remember, like the lyrics to your favorite song. • Keep tabs on your apps. Most connected devices are supported by a smartphone application. Your smartphone could be filled with apps running in the background or using default permissions you never realized you approved, gathering personal information without your knowledge while also putting your identity and privacy at risk. Check your app permissions and say “no” to privilege requests that don’t make sense. • Secure your network. Properly secure the wireless network you use for internet-connected devices. Consider placing these devices on a separate and dedicated network. • Connect and protect. Whether it’s your computer, smartphone, game console, camera or other connected devices, the best defense is to stay on top of things by updating to the latest security software, web browser and operating system. If you have the option to enable automatic updates to defend against the latest risks, turn it on. Convenient, connected devices are here to stay, but, unfortunately, so are hackers. Nonetheless, taking extra steps to safeguard your network and devices can keep your digital life as secure as possible. As connected devices, such as home monitoring cameras, become increasingly popular, it’s important that we know how to secure our digital lives.
K.C. Electric to Send Stephany Rother to Attend Youth Leadership Camp July 11-16, 2020 YOUR CO-OP NEWS
Stephany Rother is a junior attending Weskan High School. Her parents are Mike and Amy Rother of Arapahoe and they are members of K.C. Electric Association.
About Leadership Camp at Glen Eden near Steamboat Springs Students, ambassadors and camp counselors (150 strong) meet in Steamboat Springs for a fun-filled week learning about electric cooperatives. Students stay at the Glen Eden Resort located in Clark, Colorado, which is 24 miles north of Steamboat Springs near Steamboat Lake.
Students are chosen and sponsored by rural electric cooperatives from all over Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and Oklahoma. The camp is designed to provide a better understanding of cooperatives, legislative processes, energy prices, power
Stephany Rother
generation and the rural electric cooperative program. The camp also concentrates on developing leadership skills to handle the challenges of the future.
Attendees form a cooperative and elect a board of directors. They are involved in co-op activities, serving on one of the camp activity committees. This provides an excellent learning experience. Field trips include a tour of the Trapper Coal Mine, the Craig Station power plant, the top of Mount Werner, Steamboat Springs and a raft trip on the Colorado River. Various committees are responsible for planning a hot springs swimming party, a dance, a banquet and other evening entertainment.
Although much of camp is dedicated to learning, fun is also on the agenda. Participants have the opportunity to participate in activities like beach volleyball, swimming, tennis and dancing.
March 2020 Energy Efficiency
Tip of the Month
Placing hot food in the refrigerator makes the appliance work harder than necessary, using more energy. Allow food to cool down before you place it in the refrigerator.
A DOWNED LINE ALWAYS MEANS DANGER
If you see a downed power line after a bad storm or at an accident scene, never get out to help or go near the downed line. Always assume a downed power line is energized and deadly. This also applies to any electrical equipment, including pad-mounted transformers (aka green boxes) or other utility cabinets or fenced substations.
If you are involved in an accident or snarl with a downed line or other utility equipment — whether in a car, tractor or any other type of vehicle or equipment — do not get out. If you exit the vehicle and walk away, you could be electrocuted. Instead, call 911 and wait for the utility to arrive to cut the power.
If you must leave a vehicle due to smoke or fire, make a solid jump out with your feet together and without touching the car or truck, and then hop away making sure both feet land at the same time — do not walk — at least 30 feet to safety. If you hop, you are less likely to enter two different voltages of electricity at the same time, which causes shock and electrocution.
As a cooperative we are taking bold steps to change how your energy is produced. That means fewer emissions and 50 percent of your electricity coming from renewable energy by 2024. Because whatever the future holds, we’ll power it.
