Tag: solar power
Xcel, Tri-State feel ‘Sting’ of San Luis solar power battle
The problem with massive, utility-scale solar and wind power plants, according to both critics and proponents, is the best places for collecting rays and...
With Congress gridlocked on climate legislation, environmental groups forge ahead
Despite the Gulf oil spill, a massive pipeline break in Michigan and broad concerns about global warming, ambitious climate-change and energy legislation is likely dead for the year. That poses a conundrum, going forward, for environmentalists: How to convince lawmakers of the need for legislation to sever the country’s decades-long ties to oil and to reform energy policy more generally?
Xcel releases clean energy report touting SmartGrid, SolarTAC, Solar Rewards
Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest electric utility with 1.3 million customers, released its annual Corporate Responsibility Report for 2009 on Thursday, touting several green energy...
Ritter says Xcel exceeded solar expectations with new renewable plan
Xcel Energy Tuesday released an ambitious plan to achieve the state-mandated Colorado Renewable Energy Standard (RES) of 20 percent of the utility’s energy base...
Ritter praises Xcel for dropping solar-array surcharge to pay for transmission...
Gov. Bill Ritter Tuesday praised Xcel Energy for pulling back its plan to charge homes and small businesses with solar arrays a surcharge to...
Vail Resorts, 25th in the nation, tops list of state’s renewable-energy...
Colorado-based ski industry leader Vail Resorts is the state’s top purchaser of renewable-energy credits (RECs), according to a recent report released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the company ranks 25th in the nation.
Proposed Pueblo solar plant generates buzz, barbs
News this week that Colorado could one day be home to the nation’s largest concentrated solar power plant — a facility of at least 200 megawatts near Pueblo — comes as welcome news to an energy sector faltering right along with the rest of the economy.
But some critics say continuing to artificially mandate renewable energy simply drives up the price of coal- and gas-generated electricity, which still provides the vast majority of power in Colorado.