Mountain Biking: Rubber side down- Time for a TurnaroundWell, my friends, things are finally looking up, and good timing, too, since I’m sure you’re all sick of me bitching. Recent bike build, including wheels… fun! In what feels like a fairly short time, I’ve come from sitting around … Continue reading → […]
- This Raised My PulseHey, baby… wanna ride? I may be injured, but I’m not dead yet. I can still have racy thoughts. Here’s more info. In other news, UBI was an awesome success! I had a blast. I highly recommend it. Overhaul day…. … Continue reading → […]
- Time for a Turnaround
- Edgy Veggie
Valmont coal plant could close
Valmont's coal plant could close if a new Colorado General Assembly bill passes. | flickr user smazurov
Here’s a bit of a surprise — the Valmont coal plant, which gets an awful lot of attention just for being a coal power plant in Boulder, might close if a new Colorado bill passes.
A bill introduced into the Colorado General Assembly last week could spell the end for the Valmont coal plant, which sits just east of Boulder.
In the last couple years, a growing number of Boulder-area residents have appeared at rallies and public meetings asking for Valmont to be retired. But Xcel Energy, which operates the 186 megawatt plant, has argued that Valmont is one of its cleanest and most efficient generating stations and, therefore, unlikely to be closed.
The idea is to generate the same amount of energy, but with natural gas, which a lot of folks view as a transition energy, including Roger Singer, a regional representative for the Sierra Club’s office in Boulder:
“The ultimate long-term solution is that we develop true renewables like wind and solar,” he said. “Natural gas will help us get there sooner, so we support natural gas as a short-term bridge fuel.”
The natural gas bill [PDF] is being sponsored by a bevy of state representatives and two state senators from way out west:
[Sen.] Penry called it a “game-changer” not only for natural gas production on the Western Slope, but for air quality on the Front Range
“I have been in meetings with the governor and legislative leadership over the weekend to refine this natural gas measure,” Penry said. “They’re going to convert about 900 megawatts of coal-fired power production in aging plants in the Denver area to natural gas. It is a tough issue in part being driven by major haze issues, but for natural gas and for the industry and all the jobs, it increases natural gas production in the state by about 15 percent, so it’s a big deal.”
