Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies Update

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS

DayStar Technologies, Inc.

http://www.daystartech.com

Golden

DayStar Technologies, Inc. is a development and commercialization business focused on bringing advanced photovoltaic technologies to the market. The Company is focused on the central- (>100 kW), distributed-, and satellite power generation markets with its thin-film solar cell and concentrating PV packaging technologies. DayStar is presently poised to move into pilot production of these products.

Valley Heating & Air Conditioning

Brighton

Valley Heating & Air Conditioning is a small family-owned business in Brighton, Colorado. Valley Heating is a Partnership that is a licensed HVAC installation and service contractor in several municipalities in the Metro area and also maintains a Denver A license in Refrigeration and HVAC. The company principles have a combined 50 years of experience and have focused on providing customers in the service area with the best and most efficient energy products available including the duel fuel heat pump in conjunction with United Power in Brighton and the Waterfurnace geothermal system. Valley Heating is committed to providing top notch energy saving products and services to our customers along the front range of Colorado.

Carol K. Werner, LLC

Merino

Carol K. Werner, LLC is a sole member law firm organized as a Colorado limited liability company in 2000 to provide high quality corporate and transactional legal services to clients in Denver and Northeastern Colorado as well as nationally and internationally, and Carol K. Werner, the firm’s principal, is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, New York and Colorado. Drawing on broad based experience in corporate, business and financial legal practice with major law firms in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York and Denver, the firm’s objective is to deliver big-firm quality legal services at a fraction of the cost that would be charged by major law firms. The firm’s offices are located on a small family ranch located in Washington and Logan Counties, Colorado. Most day-to-day legal services can be provided from the rural location using telephone, e-mail and fax (long distance telephone and attendance of meetings with clients in Denver and elsewhere around the state are provided without charge for expenses or travel time). In addition to her legal work, Carol Werner is a member of the board of the Colorado Rural Economic Development Council and is active in rural economic development activities in Washington and Logan Counties.

For a complete list of the 65 members of the Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies, contact Craig Cox.

STATEHOUSE BRIEFING TO SHOWCASE WIND AND DISTRIBUTED ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES IN COLORADO

—Event to be Held in Conjunction with DOE/OEMC Workshop

Members of the Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies and all other interested parties are invited to a briefing next Tuesday by experts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Virtus Energy Research Associates and the National Conference of State Legislatures on Colorado’s enormous potential in wind and distributed energy resources, along with a look at what other states are doing to advance these important energy technologies.

This briefing will take place at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, 9 April, in Hearing Room A of the Legislative Services Building (200 East 14th Avenue, across the street from the State Capitol's south entrance).  It will be conducted in cooperation with the Colorado Wind and Distributed Energy Conference being held on 8 and 9 April at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Colorado Governor’s Office of Energy Management and Conservation (see related article elsewhere in this newsletter).

Golden’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory will discuss how distributed energy technologies are changing the complexion of our nation’s energy infrastructure.  You will hear how distributed energy technologies can help ensure a cleaner and more secure power infrastructure for our nation’s future.

Virtus Energy Research Associates is based in Austin, Texas, and has played a major role in advancing that state’s nationally recognized wind energy program.  Hear how Texas has leveraged its wind resource into a major new economic development opportunity through supportive public policy mechanisms and entrepreneurial business activities.

The Denver-based National Conference of State Legislatures will discuss state laws and policies from around that country that advance clean new energy technologies like wind and distributed generation.  Hear what other states are doing and get an update on what is going on right here in Colorado.

This briefing is conducted by the Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies under the auspices of the Colorado Legislature’s bipartisan Renewables and Energy Efficiency Caucus, in conjunction with the Colorado Wind and Distributed Energy Conference being held at the Denver Renaissance Hotel.  Coffee and refreshments will be provided.

STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

An electric utility net metering bill, HB 1415, passed the Colorado House Transportation and Energy Committee without a dissenting vote on Wednesday.  This bill standardizes net metering for the state and sets the utility purchase price for renewable-generated electricity at avoided cost.  Additionally it puts the burden of purchasing the second meter and any other materials the utility deems necessary on the consumer/generator.

These and other provisions in the bill have elicited opposition from some clean-energy advocates in Colorado, with Ryan DeWald of the Colorado Public Interest Group saying that its provisions “should be of particular concern to solar installers as this may make net metering more expensive than it's worth.”  Englewood attorney Ron Lehr points out that the bill fails to include fuel cells, microturbines, and other emerging technologies that have the same characteristics as customer-sited renewables.  “Compared with current tariffs, as well as net metering policies in other states, I believe this represents a step backwards,” said Lehr.  Both expressed the hope that some of these provisions will be amended as the bill works its way through the legislative process.

Ray Clifton, Executive Director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association, says that HB 1415 will provide systems in his 22-member association the flexibility to adapt the legislation’s requirements to fit their local needs.  “Some systems,” noted Clifton, “are willing to pay more than others for the net-metered electricity, while others are content with the bill’s language [providing for avoided cost].”  Clifton stressed that the bill is “enabling legislation” and that it sets a floor level by which all electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities must abide.

HB 1415 goes to the House floor for a second reading on Monday.  For a copy of this legislation, visit:

http://www.leg.state.co.us/2002a/inetcbill.nsf/fsbillcont/

306BC1E5A13A50F087256B7B004F4687?Open&file=1415_01.pdf

State Senator Terry Phillips’ (D-Louisville) renewable portfolio standard legislation, SB 180, remains stalled.  Members of the Senate Committee on Business, Labor, and Finance, to which the bill has been referred, and other observers note that the legislation has encountered resistance from organized labor groups.  Negotiations continue to be conducted among concerned stakeholder representatives on this bill.  The Phillips bill implements a state renewable portfolio standard of two percent in 2004, increasing to ten percent in 2010 and beyond.

For a copy of SB 180, visit http://www.leg.state.co.us/2002a/inetcbill.nsf/billcontainers/

59704C4EAE39D1D887256B410073A8F4/$FILE/180_01.pdf.

Legislation introduced by State Senator Peggy Reeves (D-Fort Collins) providing for a system benefit charge (a small surcharge on all kilowatt-hours sold at the retail level in Colorado) was killed in the Colorado Senate Business, Labor and Finance Committee on Tuesday, on a near party-line vote, with Senator Alice Nichol (D-Denver), voting with committee Republicans to defeat the measure.

As reported in the Update of 22 March, moneys collected in the Reeves bill would have funded energy efficiency programs, weatherization of low-income households, development and deployment of renewable energy technologies, and R&D activities that provide public benefits.

LEGISLATURE’S RENEWABLES AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY CAUCUS GAINS THREE NEW MEMBERS

—Membership in Bipartisan Group Grows to 37

Membership of the Colorado Legislature’s Renewables and Energy Efficiency Caucus grew to 37 with the recent additions of Senator Ken Chlouber (R-Leadville) and Representatives Mark Cloer (R-Colorado Springs) and Gregg Rippy (R-Glenwood Springs).  This bipartisan, bicameral organization is dedicated to increasing knowledge and awareness of clean new energy technologies among legislators and state policymakers.

Including the three new members, the Colorado Renewables and Energy Efficiency Caucus now consists of:

Senators Bruce Cairns (R-Aurora), Ken Chlouber (R-Leadville), Mary Ellen Epps (R-Colorado Springs), John Evans (R-Parker), Joan Fitz-Gerald (D-Golden), Ken Gordon (D-Denver), Bob Hagedorn (D-Aurora), Stan Matsunaka (D-Loveland), Pat Pascoe (D-Denver), Ed Perlmutter (D-Golden), Terry Phillips (D-Louisville), Peggy Reeves (D-Ft. Collins), Stephanie Takis (D-Aurora), Jack Taylor (R-Steamboat Springs), Ron Tupa (D-Boulder) and Sue Windels (D-Arvada).

Representatives Kay Alexander (R-Montrose), Bob Bacon (D-Fort Collins), Gayle Berry (R-Grand Junction), Alice Borodkin (D-Denver), Bill Cadman (R-Colorado Springs), Mark Cloer (R-Colorado Springs), Timothy Fritz (R-Loveland), Keith King (R-Colorado Springs), Mark Larson (R-Cortez), Tom Plant (D-Nederland), Gregg Rippy (R-Glenwood Springs), Andrew Romanoff (D-Denver), Bill Sinclair (R-Colorado Springs), Matt Smith (R-Grand Junction), Jim Snook (R-Alamosa), Lola Spradley (R-Beulah), Joe Stengel (R-Littleton), Bill Swenson (R-Longmont), Lois Tochtrop (D-Westminster), Suzanne Williams (D-Aurora) and John Witwer (R-Evergreen.

VESTAS TO BUILD LARGE MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN OREGON

—Production Tax Credit, Strong Regional Support Cited in Decision to Build Facility Employing 1,000

Coalition member Vestas-American Wind Technology Inc. reports that with the recent extension of the wind production tax credit (see Update of 22 March), as well as “general positive expectations to the future,” it has decided to open final negotiations regarding establishment of a new manufacturing plant for assembly of nacelles, production of blades as well as manufacturing of towers for turbines in Portland, Oregon.  It notes that final negotiations are subject to public authority approvals and other considerations.

Vestas reports that the new production facility will be about 70,000 square meters in size and have an annual production capacity of approximately 300 turbines of the MW size.  The plant is expected to be ready for operation during the summer of 2003, though it will not reach full capacity until the beginning of 2004.  At full capacity, the production facility is expected to employ around 1,000 employees.

Johannes Poulsen, Managing Director of Vestas Wind Systems A/S cited strong support from Oregon Governor John A. Kitzhaber, as well as from Portland Mayor Vera Katz as factors in the company’s decision, saying that their support “has confirmed our belief that Portland and Oregon is a good strategic fit for Vestas."

In related news, Vestas reports that it has received an order for supply of approximately 175 units of the V47-660 kW wind turbines with an option for more than 650 additional turbines from FPL Energy LLC, North America's largest developer, owner and operator of wind powered generating plants.  FPL Energy, a major U.S. independent power producer, is a subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc., which is also the parent of Florida Power & Light Company, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States.

[From Vestas news release:  http://www.vestas.com/nyheder/presse/2002/UK/fond20020403_UK.html]

RECENT ARTICLES OF INTEREST FROM THE PRESS

Denver Post, 5 April 2002

The Mongolian haze

Guest column by Jayne Geddes of Littleton discusses the “Mongolian haze” emanating from China containing “significant amounts of carbon dioxide, sulfur, arsenic, ozone and other contaminants picked up over the cities of Eastern China.”  Author says that the Chinese economy —and rate of car ownership— is growing rapidly and that “we must use every means to help China build clean, fuel-efficient cars…How much of the world's energy will be turned into dirty dust and dumped on us then if we don't help China develop a green auto industry now?”

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,156%257E507784,00.html

Front Range TechBiz, 29 March 2002

Collegians push for use of renewables

College students are emerging as supporters of renewable energy generated from wind or photovoltaic panels, Boulder’s mayor told an audience recently at the Marriott City Center in Denver.

http://www.frtechbiz.com/displayarticledetail.asp?art_id=56022&cat_id=135

Denver Post, 24 March 2002

Alternative energy a new cash crop

Article discusses how new energy technologies are providing new prosperity to Colorado’s rural landowners and farmers, describing coalition members Kiowa Growers Inc. and Agro Management Inc., among others.  Also discusses upcoming Colorado Wind and Distributed Energy conference.

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,33%7E480827,00.html

UPCOMING EVENTS:

COLORADO WIND & DISTRIBUTED ENERGY: RENEWABLES FOR RURAL PROSPERITY

—Conference to be Held Monday and Tuesday, with Sunday Pre-event Fair at Stapleton

The “Colorado Wind & Distributed Energy: Renewables for Rural Prosperity” conference to be held on 8 and 9 April will discuss how farmers, ranchers, rural electric cooperatives and others interested in rural economic development can capture Colorado’s abundant wind energy resources and use distributed energy generation to increase the vitality of Colorado’s rural economy.

A major wind developer has estimated prospective Colorado investment to be $800 million to $1 billion.  This financial ‘windfall’ has already begun across America’s Great Plains.  Exhibits both days at the Renaissance Hotel and at the nearby Urban Farm at Stapleton will provide additional opportunities to talk with company representatives and see demonstrations of wind turbines, methane digesters, fuel cells, bio fuels, photovoltaic systems, etc.

Information on this event is available at http://www.state.co.us/oemc/events/distributed/index.htm.  Those interested in attending can register at the door.

[Article courtesy of Colorado Governor’s Office of Energy Management and Conservation]

COLORADO SUSTAINABLE LIVING ROUNDUP

—Sunday Family Event to Precede Wind and Distributed Energy Workshop

You are invited to bring the whole family for this fun and educational event on Sunday, 7 April, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at The Urban Farm (10200 Smith Road, just south of I-70 and Havana) in Denver.  You will be able to:

Visit over 50 exhibitors demonstrating their sustainable living technologies; watch full-sized wind turbines, alternative-fueled vehicles, and other renewable-energy technologies in action; learn more on how to save hundreds of dollars through energy efficiency for your house; and treat the kids to a petting zoo and horse-riding demonstrations!

Admission is only $3 for ages 20-60, and free for everybody else.  Proceeds benefit The Urban Farm for expansion of energy education activities.  This event is being held in association with the Colorado Wind and Distributed Energy conference described in another article in this newsletter.  More information can be found at www.TheUrbanFarm.org, or www.state.co.us/oemc/events/distributed/roundup.htm, or by contacting Ron Larson at ronallarson@qwest.net.

[Article courtesy The Urban Farm]

POLLUTION PREVENTION/ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING SESSION AT KEYSTONE

—How Resorts Can Mitigate Their Environmental Impacts

Want to learn how to measure your environmental impacts, reduce them, and save money at the same time?  Maximize efficiency in your lift operations, food and beverage, lodging, vehicle maintenance, and purchasing departments?  Reduce your resort's emission of greenhouse gases?  Boost your resort's implementation of the Sustainable Slopes program?  Then you are invited to take part in a Pollution Prevention/Environmental Training Session at Keystone on 11 April from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In this hands-on, all day training session, you can learn from resorts that have done it and the experts that helped get them there.  The trainers have spent two years working on a pilot program with resorts to identify the easiest and most cost-effective ways to improve efficiency and measure and reduce environmental impacts.

Attendees will receive the Greening Your Ski Area Handbook, an invaluable resource that includes "how-to" information and concrete examples of resorts who have successfully audited and revamped their operations to improve efficiency and reduce impacts.  This is an expanded version of the training sessions conducted at the National Ski Areas Association’s (NSAA) Winter Conferences that will benefit a broad cross section of resort staff, including environmental responsibilities; mountain operations and planning; lodging; lift operations; food & beverage; vehicle maintenance and purchasing.

Invited presenters are: Michael Keefe and Caitlin Bowman with Tetra Tech, a consulting firm based in Denver, Judy Dorsey with The Brendle Group, a consulting firm based in Fort Collins, Rusty Pawlikowski of Arapahoe Basin; Auden Schendler of Aspen; and John Gitchell of Vail.  The training session will be held at the Keystone Conference Center at the Keystone Resort, and special room rates are available.

Registration is $30, which includes lunch, coffee and materials.  Ten-dollar lift tickets for the day before, day of, and day after the conference are also available.  For more information, contact Ann Lee of the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment at ann.lee@state.co.us (phone 303-692-2186), or Geraldine Link of NSAA at glink@nsaa.org (phone 303-987-1111).  If you wish to participate, please e-mail Ann Lee by 9 April.

Additional member-only updates are provided to coalition members as events warrant.  If your business or non-profit organization is interested in coalition membership, I would be happy to provide information upon request.

The Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies is launching a web site this month and looks forward to providing links to other appropriate web sites.

Please continue to keep in touch on any matters related to energy issues and let me know if I can provide any help or information to you.

Craig Cox

Executive Director

Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies

303-679-9331

coxcraig@att.net

The Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies brings together businesses and non-profit groups to encourage environmentally responsible economic growth through the efficient use of Colorado’s abundant and clean sources of energy.