Wind GeneratorAccording to the Colorado Governer’s Energy Office, “Today, 98% of Colorado’s energy is produced from fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas. They are plentiful and inexpensive today, but their supply is finite and their combustion has environmental consequences. In contrast, clean energy resources are constantly replenished and economically advantageous to the state.”

Colorado is the sixth most active state in harnessing clean power from wind, following Texas, California, Iowa, Washington and Minnesota. This map shows the areas in Colorado most suitable for wind energy production.

Overseas companies are eyeing Colorado as a source for renewable energy and for the manufacture of the equipment used to capture it. Vestas, a well-known Danish renewable energy company has already installed a plant in Windsor and now plans to build the largest wind turbine manufacturing facility in the world right here in Colorado.

“The nearly $250 million facility would be fully operational in mid-2010 and employ about 400 people by the end of that year, the Danish wind-energy firm said in a financial report posted on its website Thursday.” said Kelly Yamanouchi in her Denver Post article A Towering Victory last Thursday.

Buena Vista saw a very visible turbine go up last June at the Sangre De Cristo headquarters north of town.

“It is a prime time for the co-ops and the utility industry as a whole, to step up to the bat and make renewable energy not only visible but workable in our community. Our goal is to use this mini-turbine as an educational tool so that our consumers can see the ‘how’ and the ‘what’ of how turbines actually work,” said CEO Paul Erickson. [To hear more about current efforts from SDCEA, see their recent press release about the new solar rebate program.]

The idea for personal wind turbines within town limits has been discussed by the trustees and has many supporters and opponents. What are your ideas on this issue? How can Buena Vista best weather the coming storm that is extraordinarily high energy prices, and environmental consequences? Please feel free to comment on your feelings about town’s plan for our future energy needs.

Photo: Allison Abdelnour

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