Day: February 16, 2009

Colorado Springs Utilities to build new hydroelectric plant

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Colorado Spring Utilities is retro-fitting Crystal Creek Reservoir for hydroelectric generation. The small hydro plant will help offset the utilities’ requirements for renewable energy. Here’s a report from R. Scott Rappold writing for the Colorado Springs Gazette. From the article:

Colorado Springs Utilities will begin construction Tuesday on a new $4.5 million hydroelectric plant in Cascade. It will be the fourth hydro plant in Colorado Springs Utilities’ system, and the 850 kilowatts of electricity it generates will power about 530 homes. The plant will be near U.S. Highway 24 south of Cascade…

Utilities gets 8 percent of its energy from hydro plants, and officials are also planning to buy additional wind power to meet the new standards. The new plant will be completed in about six months. The turbine will be powered by water rushing down a pipeline from Crystal Creek Reservoir on Pikes Peak. It is on the site of a pressure-reducing station, which slows water coming off the mountain and will be torn down after the hydro plant is completed. The funding comes from Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, a federal program that provides interest-free, tax-exempt loans for renewable energy projects.

The other hydro plants run by Colorado Springs Utilities include Manitou, built in 1905, Ruxton, built in 1925 and Tesla, at the Air Force Academy, built in 1997.

A dry look at Dry Gulch

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Here are the links to part one, part two and part three of Bill Hudson’s series about Dry Gulch Reservoir from the Pagosa Daily Post.

Colorado Water Conservation Board instream flow workshop

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From email from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (Rob Viehle):

2009 CWCB Instream Flow Workshop

Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: REI Flagship Store, 1416 Platte St., Denver, CO 80202

Please note that lunch will be available at a cost of $ 8.00 per person and will include assorted sandwiches, cookies, and beverages. Please RSVP to Rob Viehl at rob.viehl@state.co.us by Friday, February 20th if you would like to have your lunch reserved and please bring cash on the day of the workshop if you are interested in this option. You may also bring a brown bag lunch or purchase a sandwich from the Starbucks café which is located on the REI premises. Sandwiches at Starbucks start at $6.50.

Stimulus package dough for water in Colorado

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From the Denver Business Journal: “WATER: $34.6 million through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to improve drinking-water delivery systems. $31.8 million through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to improve water cleanliness.”