Scoping Out Some Land Near DIA for a Solar Array

Aaaahhhhhh, picture this from the opening line of a recent article, "Vast swaths of brown, barren land near Denver International Airport could soon become decorated with a dizzying array of mirrors reflecting sunlight." Isn't that just gorgeous?! Via the Rocky Mountain News we have, "Solar Mirrors Could Array Near DIA". This is more good news for Colorado.

Congrats to Rural Alaska!

Environment News Service reports that, "Wind Cooperative of the Year Award Goes to Rural Alaska". This is great news, especially this part, "The AVEC wind turbines are producing up to 25 percent of the annual electricity needs for Toksook Bay and Kasigluk." This is only going to compliment Alaska's pristine environment.

Biofuels Could Be a Bit Tricky

This editorial in the Washington Post, "The Problem with Biofuels", brings up some really good points. Biofuels may not be the magic bullet that we are looking for to get us off fossil fuels. I'm ok with that. We don't want to create larger environmental, social, and economic problems than we already have. Plus I don't want the price of beer to go up. So let's continue to study this more!

GOP in Congress: Embrace Renewable Energy

I know this is an opinion piece, but sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade. It really is time to stop the big oil gravy train and start embracing renewable energy in a big, big way. Ideally big oil should take most of their record profits over the last year or so and invest heavily in solar, wind, and biofuels ASAP. How much more money does big oil need to make from fossil fuels? Via the Mercury News, "GOP should stop coddling Big Oil, make way for renewable energy".

Note to Congress, Please Extend Renewable Energy Tax Credits Past 2008

Via the Epoch Times we have a pro-renewable energy tax credit article, "Boom or Bust for Renewable Energy?" This week the House is set to vote on a bill that will take away tax breaks for oil companies and use the money to continue subsidizing tax breaks for the renewable energy industry. Current tax credits for renewable energies are set to expire at the end of 2008. I believe (like the boom or bust article above) that we need to continue those tax breaks if we are to sustain the growth and job creation in the renewable energy industry. It's a no brainer. Will Congress agree?

Trees Versus Sun: Just the Beginning

From the LA Times blog, "Your neighbors trees vs. your solar panels (or vice versa)". Interesting. After taking a solar installation class recently, trees are a radiance killer and really do inhibit the PV panels from generating peak energy. I know that as I look to buy a house for the first time I am aware of the tree growth in the surrounding neighbor's yards and the prospective house's yard. But what about home owners who live in some of the older Denver neighborhoods where tall trees are in abundance? And what about the initiative by Greenprint Denver to plant a million trees by 2025? Some things to think about as we try to take advantage of 300 sunny days a year.

Lucky Phoenix Gets a Little Love from Abengoa Solar

Via Solar Buzzzzzzz, Arizona Public Service Co. is going to a get a huge 280 megawatt concentrating solar power (CSP) plant outside of Phoenix. The construction of the power plant will create about 1,500 jobs and the plant will take about "85 highly-skilled technicians" to operate it. While operating at capacity it can serve about 70,000 customers.

CPS is not photovoltaic but rather concentrates the sun's heat on a heat transfer fluid which then turns to steam and turns the plant's turbines. Clean energy all of the way. I am happy for Phoenix and I sure hope Denver will get one of those.

Gigantic Oil Co. Opening Learning Center for Renewable Energy R&D

So it was finally announced that someone bought the 432-acre plot o' land in Louisville, CO. At the beginning of 2008 speculation was running rampant around these parts about who was going to buy that land from Sun Microsystems. Was it Google? Ebay? Everybody was wrong. 9News reports that ConocoPhillips bought it and wants to build a corporate learning center for research and development of renewable energy and carbon fuels recovery. Hopefully this will assist Colorado in becoming the renewable energy thought leader in the U.S.

Spanish Visitors Eye Renewable Energy in Colorado

The Denver Post reports that a delegation of about 30 Spanish renewable energy execs are coming to Colorado to check out the scene with Governor Bill Ritter. They are exploring National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and Colorado State University. This is interesting. I know that Abengoa Solar (HQ in Seville, Spain) has about a 20 person operation right here in Lakewood, CO. One of Abengoa's specialties is in developing utility-scale concentrating solar-power plants. Wouldn't it be nice if they built a gigantic solar-power plant to help power the Front Range of Colorado? I hope Governor Ritter shows our Spanish friends a groovy time.

Solar Panels NOT Made in China

Ascent Solar Technologies of Littleton, Colorado is moving their headquarters and manufacturing plant to Thornton, Colorado. Since they are moving into a bigger plant they say they are going to need a larger workforce. More jobs! The Denver Post reports, "Solar Company on the Rise". Ascent Solar Technologies produces flexible, thin-film photovoltaics.