3 Minutes with Gov. Bill Ritter on Colorado's Energy Economy

Submitted by: Heartland Energy Development

Natural Gas Vehicle Program Unveiled by EnCana

Submitted by: Heartland Energy Colorado

In natural gas-rich Colorado, a major player raises awareness of NG as an alternative transportation fuel

By CEN Staff

DENVER – EnCana Oil & Gas (USA), Inc. announced on Monday the launch of its DRIVE NATURAL GAS VEHICLES (NGV) program.

EnCana says the program is designed to further reduce the company’s environmental footprint while building awareness of natural gas as a transportation fuel and the need for infrastructure to support the transition to natural gas vehicles.

Details of the program include converting several fleet vehicles to natural gas, purchasing natural gas- powered Honda Civic GX vehicles for employee use and embarking on a consumer- and industry-focused education campaign about natural gas as a transportation fuel.

“As one of the largest producers of natural gas in North America, we know natural gas has the potential to expand beyond our homes and offices and into our transportation system,” said Wendy Wiedenbeck, community relations advisor for EnCana. “We are committed to building awareness about domestic natural gas as a reliable, lower cost, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fuel.”

With air quality standards a top concern in all of its areas of operation, EnCana’s DRIVE NGV program reduces the emissions of its fleet vehicles by converting them to natural gas. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy reports that converted vehicles produces 20 to 40 percent fewer greenhouse emissions than standard gasoline vehicles. EnCana has already converted four of its Ford F250 fleet vehicles in the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin to run on bi-fuel natural gas and plans to convert the entire fleet of 52 vehicles by 2011.

“Companies like EnCana with large fleets are ideal candidates for conversion to natural gas,” said Wes Biggers of FuelTek Conversion Corporation. “While it is a large investment, the benefits are enormous. Not only are you reducing your environmental impact but you are looking at a significant reduction in fuel costs.”

EnCana is working in collaboration with its fellow operators, contractor companies, and natural gas transportation industry experts to encourage the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel. “One of the biggest barriers facing wide-scale adoption of natural gas vehicles is lack of infrastructure,” said Wiedenbeck. “Increasing support for the installation of new natural gas fueling infrastructure is a big part of our program.” To that end, EnCana is sponsoring multiple educational forums hosted by American Clean Cities. The first such forum is schedule for July 22 in Rifle, Colorado.

To provide employees access to natural gas vehicles, the company acquired eight Honda Civic GX vehicles, rated by the EPA as the cleanest vehicle on Earth. These vehicles are utilized across EnCana’s business units including four in Denver; one in Parachute, Colo.; two in Texas; and one for the Wyoming team’s use. Employees can reserve a natural gas vehicle either for business purposes or as a commuter vehicle. Before getting behind the wheel, employees must attend a training session to learn how DRIVE NGV program vehicles differ from traditional fuel vehicles (e.g. refueling) as well as the virtues of natural gas as a transportation fuel.

Colorado Energy Management - Project Development

Submitted by: Heartland Energy Colorado

What sets Colorado Energy Management's project development services apart? In addition to our ability to recognize opportunities and generate ideas to capitalize on them, we offer an end-to-end approach to project development that helps optimize plant performance. The reason is this: our involvement from conception through operation and maintenance means we're able to recognize and recommend ways to improve efficiency and address potential problems at all stages of plant development.
Consider an example. When Public Service Company of Colorado had a request for peaking power on-line in 2002, Colorado Energy Management responded with a low-investment/high return concept using a combination of new and used equipment. A used steam turbine/generator was located in Houston, quickly relocated to Eastern Colorado, and completely refurbished. Two new HRSG's were engineered to be a perfect match to existing simple-cycle gas turbines and the refurbished steam turbine. Today, Public Service Company has the ability to meet extreme demands, and CEM continues to operate this plant at over 98% availability, at designed capacity. Colorado Energy Management had the creativity and resourcefulness to make it possible within the budgetary constraints and timeframe that was available.

Editorial: Despite Economic Hard times, Colorado Has Energy Opportunities

Submitted by: Heartland Energy Colorado

By Mark Udall (originally published in the Durango Herald News,
March 16, 2009)

Plunging stocks, rising unemployment, mounting home
foreclosures and a broken credit market have made for the most
challenging economic crisis since the Great Depression. A
series of costly bailouts to keep our financial services and
automobile industries afloat has added to the anxiety we all feel.

Nothing is more important than getting our economy back on
track and doing it soon. In great crisis, however, there also
is great opportunity. Rebuilding long-neglected infrastructure
and investing in research, new technologies and sustainable
energy are part of what defines economic opportunity in the
21st century. Other countries know this. Europe in particular
is advancing public investment in solar, wind and geothermal
energy, not only because of energy security, but also because
these “green jobs” are the wave of the future.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies accounted for 9 million jobs in 2007. And as many as 37 million jobs could be created in the next two decades if we aggressively expand public and private investment today. These new “green economy” jobs reflect a significant economic trend that is exciting smart investors. That is why one of America’s premier oil entrepreneurs, T. Boone Pickens, has become an outspoken advocate for wind power. He knows that there is a lot of “green” (as in dollars) to be made in the green economy In Colorado, we have a head start in the global race to go green.

Starting with the passage of Amendment 37 five years ago, Colorado voters insisted that 10 percent of our power be generated with renewable energy. When I chaired that campaign with Republican Speaker of the House Lola Spradley, she often would remind me that the real promise of Amendment 37 was not environmental protection but economic development. She was right. Despite the naysayers, Amendment 37 boosted our economy and helped consumers.

Today, Colorado has pushed ahead of other states. We now are
moving toward a new goal of 20 percent renewable energy by
2020. Rapid growth in renewable energy and energy efficiency
industries, along with the presence of the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory in Colorado and our abundant sun and wind
resources, can combine to make our state not just the national
leader but the global leader in renewable energy research,
development and manufacturing.

This doesn’t mean the abandonment of coal, natural gas or
traditional energy development. Colorado is blessed with many
resources, and we should pursue a national energy strategy that
is as diverse as our resource inventory. A broad commitment to
invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies
will complement, not detract from, the responsible development
of these other resources.

After passing an economic recovery bill that has significant
new investments to create green economy jobs, the U.S. Senate
is moving to debate and pass a comprehensive energy bill that
should include legislation I championed in the U.S. House of
Representatives last year - legislation mandating that 20
percent of our nation’s electricity come from renewable
sources. This legislation is patterned from Colorado’s own
experience with Amendment 37 and will have the same effect of
increasing our energy independence, saving consumers money and
creating new jobs.

A comprehensive energy bill will add new authority for the
Obama administration to transform the nation’s electric grid -
the system used by utilities to carry and store power - into a
smarter and more efficient way to connect our communities,
factories and homes. More green jobs.

Energy is the thread in the fabric that is our economy. It is
the great umbrella issue that covers both our national security
and economic challenges. If we get our energy strategy right,
we can go a long way toward enhancing our defense and national
security. A smarter energy policy also will give us a ladder to
climb out of the current economic hole and create new wealth
and jobs that cannot be outsourced.

The clouds on our horizon may look dark and foreboding, but I
am confident Americans will see the storm through. That is
because the horizon also offers hope and reminds us that a new
day is coming. We can make Colorado’s economy stronger and
brighten the future for our children if we seize this new
opportunity.

Other Energy News Sources: Heartland Energy Colorado | Heartland Energy

Natural Gas: a 'Vital Part’ of Colorado's New Energy Economy

Submitted by: Heartland Energy Colorado

Gov. Bill Ritter offered Colorado’s natural gas industry his support Thursday in a speech on the last day of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association’s annual three-day conference.

“Natural gas is a vital part of the New Colorado Energy Economy,” Ritter told the crowd of about 2,000 people. “It is a permanent part of the New Energy Economy. It’s not a bridge fuel, not a transition fuel, but a mission-critical fuel.”

Ritter outlined his support for the industry on several fronts, listing the state’s expansion of tax credits for vehicles that run on compressed natural gas, and credits for converting vehicles to run on natural gas.

The Governor’s Colorado Energy Office is applying for a $10 million federal grant to expand the use of natural gas for transportation uses, he said.

Ritter also mentioned he’d urged the federal government to approve a new pipeline, called the Ruby pipeline, to carry natural gas from the Rocky Mountains to markets in California and the West Coast.

And he said he talked with U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, about her proposal, introduced in Congress in June, to regulate the industry’s hydraulic fracturing process that frees natural gas from the ground. U.S. Rep. Jarid Polis from Boulder has signed on as a cosponsor.

Industry executives have said the process, sometimes called fraccing, is adequately regulated at the state level.

“I don’t for a moment discount the concerns of those who worry about the protection of drinking water supplies but I also believe that we have to understand the problems and risks before we act,” Ritter said at the COGA meeting.

“That’s why I encouraged Congresswoman DeGette to consider authorizing a comprehensive study of this issue instead of going directly to a new and potentially intrusive regulatory program. She agreed, at that time, to go instead to something that would be more in the way of a study instead of an amendment that would prescribe every state having to put in place these rules,” Ritter said, adding, “I thank the congresswoman for having done that.”

But DeGette’s spokesman, Kristofer Eisenla, asked about Ritter’s comment, said later Thursday that “all options are on the table” regarding the fraccing bill.

“She had a good conversation with the governor regarding this,” Eisenla said. “She understands his concerns, but she’s looking at all options to move the issue forward — including holding a hearing in her committee and doing a study. She welcomes the industry’s input on developing the study.”

Ritter’s comments drew applause and praise from industry executives, who have tussled with Ritter’s administration over the state’s new rules governing industry operations. The rules took effect April 1.

“I thought the governor’s comment that natural gas is a vital part of the New Energy Economy and a permanent fuel — not a bridge fuel — and a critical fuel for Energy Colorado and the nation is right on point,” said Peter Dea, president and CEO of private Cirque Resources LP in Denver.

Said Meg Collins, president of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, “I’m pleased he came, and I’m pleased at the message that natural gas is mission-critical, and an integral part of the state’s and nation’s energy portfolio for the long term. The governor’s statements are going to put pressure on the Oil & Gas Commission to process [drilling] permits so we can continue to produce natural gas for the state and nation.”

One of the leading producers of natural gas in the state is Heartland Energy Colorado. The Governor's comments are good news for natural gas companies, and could mean the government support that the industry so needs. Especially with government incentives, companies like Heartland Energy Colorado will continue to produce natural gas and thrive.

Full Speed Ahead for Large Solar Projects in Colorado and the West

Article Source: Heartland Energy Colorado

LAS VEGAS – Under initiatives announced Monday by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), federal agencies will work with western leaders to designate tracts of U.S. public lands in the West as prime zones for utility-scale solar energy development, fund environmental studies, open new solar energy permitting offices and speed reviews of industry proposals.

The Interior Department is setting aside 676,048 acres for solar study zones, one of several steps it is taking to fast-track the development of solar energy on public lands. According to Interior Secretary Salazar, the federal actions will enable 13 commercial-scale solar plants to be under construction by the end of next year, creating 50,000 jobs.

“President Obama’s comprehensive energy strategy calls for rapid development of renewable energy, especially on America’s public lands,” said Secretary Salazar. “This environmentally-sensitive plan will identify appropriate Interior-managed lands that have excellent solar energy potential and limited conflicts with wildlife, other natural resources or land users. The two dozen areas we are evaluating could generate nearly 100,000 megawatts of solar electricity. With coordinated environmental studies, good land-use planning and zoning and priority processing, we can accelerate responsible solar energy production that will help build a clean-energy economy for the 21^st century.”

“It’s about time to make the permitting process more efficient and provide greater guidance to solar developers,” Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said in a statement.

Under one initiative, 24 tracts of Bureau of Land Management-administered land located in six western states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, known as Solar Energy Study Areas, would be fully evaluated for their environmental and resource suitability for large-scale solar energy production. The objective is to provide landscape-scale planning and zoning for solar projects on BLM lands in the West, allowing a more efficient process for permitting and siting responsible solar development.

Nearly 21,000 acres in the San Luis Valley of Colorado are being set aside for solar projects that could generate up to 4,100 megawatts of electricity — equal to 10 medium-size coal-fired power plants, according to federal estimates.

The BLM and the Energy Department filed a notice now available on the Federal Register, announcing the availability of maps that show the areas to be analyzed in their joint programmatic environmental impact statement and soliciting public comment. The federal agency also it will continue processing existing renewable energy applications within and outside the zones while the broader environmental analyses take place. The agency will continue accepting applications, but any filed after June 30th will be subject to applicable decisions made from the environmental analysis.

Those areas selected would be available for projects capable of producing 10 or more megawatts of electricity for distribution to customers through the transmission grid system. Companies that propose projects on that scale in areas already approved for this type of development would be eligible for priority processing. The BLM may also decide to use alternative competitive or non-competitive procedures in processing new solar applications for these areas.

Currently BLM has received about 470 renewable energy project applications. Those include 158 active solar applications, covering 1.8 million acres, with a projected capacity to generate 97,000 megawatts of electricity. That’s enough to power 29 million homes, the equivalent of 29 percent of the nation’s household electrical consumption.

As part of this initiative, the BLM will segregate the study areas from new mining claims and other actions initiated by third parties under public land laws. This temporary 2-year segregation will give BLM time to complete its environmental review and make a determination on solar energy zones. It will not affect rights established prior to the temporary segregation. The public will have the opportunity to comment on these proposed solar energy study areas during the environmental reviews before any final decisions are made. The evaluation is expected to be completed in late 2010.

An ongoing federally-funded environmental evaluation of potential solar energy development on public lands in 6 Western States, known as the Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, or PEIS, will be expanded to include an in-depth analysis of the potential impacts of utility-scale solar energy development on public lands in the 24 Solar Energy Study Areas. This enhancement will be supported by additional federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

This expanded evaluation, a collaborative effort with the Department of Energy, will allow the Bureau of Land Management to take a close look at each study area to determine where it makes sense to develop large-scale solar projects in an environmentally responsible way. Colorado companies proposing solar energy projects in designated areas would be able to “tier” to this study, using it as part of their environmental impact studies for site-specific projects, which are required by the National Environmental Policy Act.

Reported by Ann Rascalli (Additional information on the BLM’s renewable energy program is available at www.blm.gov)

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Fort Collins doesn't make the green grade

Article Source: Heartland Energy Colorado

Colorado has plenty of room to grow in renewable energy. The Mother Nature Network doesn’t place any Colorado cities in the top 10 green U.S. cities blog. Fort Collins needs to ramp up FortZed and Boulder needs to roll out the smart grid faster if we are going to catch up with Austin or Portland, Oregon.

On the other hand, almost everything that puts Portland at the top of the list is also true in Fort Collins.

"The city of microbrewery mania and home to megastore Powell's Books — one of the few remaining independent booksellers in the country — is No. 1 in sustainability. Declared the most bikeable city in the United States for its 200 miles of dedicated bike lanes, Portland certainly makes forgoing gas-powered travel easy. And for lessons in DIY sustainable food sources, classes are available for container gardening and cheese making, or beekeeping and chicken keeping."

Replace Powell's with Old Firehouse Books and the paragraph could cover Fort Collins. Maybe you're not so trail-blazing, Portland.

The list is otherwise commendable for covering a broad variety of sustainability measures rather than focusing solely on energy or another specific criterion.

• Austin was cited for pledging to go carbon-neutral by next year. The whole city. There are 1.6 million people in the Austin metro area. Granted, the whole area won't go carbon-neutral, but some of the renewable energy and energy savings will have to bleed over into surrounding cities. And don't forget Austin gets painfully hot in the summer — and air conditioning takes a LOT of power.

• Chicago has developed and encouraged green roofs — tops of buildings that support vegetable gardens and other carbon-eating plants.

• Oakland, Calif., apparently has a there there, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein. Raider town plans to have zero waste and become oil independent by 2020. Step it up, Broncos fans.

Fore more articles on Colorado Energy: Heartland Energy Colorado | Heartland Energy