More than $700,000 is being awarded to Colorado energy programs from the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE), a Colorado energy improvement organization.
CORE is providing grants to 28 different organizations throughout the state for commercial energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
According to aspenpublicradio.com, these include large-scale solar projects at the Pitkin County Landfill, Roaring Fork School District, and St. Benedict’s Monastery. That work is expected to offset 100 percent of the energy use at those sites.
Aspencore.org states that CORE works cooperatively with businesses, individuals, utilities and government entities to create measurable improvements in energy and water efficiency in order to benefit the environment and develop a more sustainable economy.
Other Energy Initiatives Throughout the State
Colorado has made news recently as it adopts various energy efficiency initiatives. In March it was reported that Target is installing rooftop solar generation systems on five of its stores in the Denver metro area. The energy produced from the solar installations will cover one-third of each store’s energy use, reducing the amount of power that must be pulled from the grid. In total, the systems will produce more than 3,800 MWh of energy annually.
Also in March, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) – a nonprofit organization dedicated to shifting businesses, communities, and institutions to energy efficiency and renewables – issued a request for proposals (RFP) to develop 16.75-MW of community-scale solar generation on behalf of six rural electric cooperatives based in eastern Colorado.
Within the state’s legislative initiatives, Colorado State Senator Stephen Fenberg (D-Boulder) introduced a bill (SB17-089) concerning the rights of consumers of electricity to install electricity storage systems on their property. Introduced in January, the bill declared that ratepayers have the right to “enhance the reliability and efficiency of the electric grid, save money, and reduce the need for additional electric generation facilities.”