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U.S. Power Mix Keeps Adding Renewables In its recent Energy Infrastructure Update, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission notes that the country’s generation mix is becoming less carbon-intensive. In other words, there is more electricity from renewable resources and less from coal in the electricity being used across the United States. According to the 2018 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, 2017 saw more than 18 percent of the country’s electricity generated by renewable resources including solar, wind and hydroelectric power plants. That’s an increase from the 15 percent reported in 2016, partially due to the end of drought in parts of the West. The share of U.S. energy coming from renewable resources has doubled since 2008. Much of the change has included
the retirement of coal plants and the construction of 2,900 megawatts of utility-scale solar and wind projects last year. Overall, FERC projects another 116,000 MW of new utility-scale renewable energy will be installed by the end of 2020. Currently, nationwide coal accounts for between 24 and 30 percent of the available electricity capacity in the United States. For 18 of Colorado’s 22 electric co-ops served by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the numbers are higher for renewables with about 30 percent of their electricity coming from renewables that include wind, solar, biomass and hydropower. For co-ops buying their electricity from Xcel Energy, more than 25 percent of their energy is from renewable resources, with more wind power scheduled to be added to the mix.
WHAT IS THE COOPERATIVE ADVANTAGE? Cooperatives are different from other types of power companies. It is important to know: • Electric co-ops are community-focused organizations that deliver safe, reliable and affordable energy to their consumer-members. • Each electric co-op is unique because it belongs to the community it serves. The co-op is led by its members, which gives it a unique understanding of the needs of the local communities. In fact, many co-op leaders and employees live right in the community and are members of the co-op –– just like you. • Because electric co-ops answer to local members (that’s you) rather than faraway shareholders, they’re more nimble and able to respond quickly to the changing needs of the community. They even share any excess revenue with members because they don’t pay investors. • Even though co-ops are locally-owned and operated, they do cooperate with other electric cooperatives across the country to develop new technologies, invest in equipment and infrastructure that benefits multiple co-ops in a region, and assist with major outages. This type of collaboration allows us to address complex challenges while remaining true to our local roots. • Your electric co-op was built by the community, belongs to the community and continues to be led by the community –– that’s the cooperative advantage. coloradocountrylife.coop
COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION
ENERGY INNOVATIONS SUMMIT Registration Open for CREA’s Energy Innovations Summit Planning is under way for CREA’s Energy Innovations Summit Monday, October 29 at the Westin Downtown Denver hotel on Lawrence Street. Sessions during the daylong event will look at: • Blockchains and the power industry • Forecasting renewable energy availability • Energy storage technology • Grid security • Nuclear fusion technology • Electric vehicle charging stations • Community choice aggregation and more Register now at CREA.coop. The summit is open to anyone interested in the electric industry and its future.
AUGUST 2018
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