What is "Green Power"?
Across the U.S. and world, many different types of energy supply options are considered to have low or no emissions. These includes solar central thermal generating plants (Power Towers), Solar Photovoltaic (PV), “Biomass,” Land-fill gas, Geothermal, Wind and other emerging technologies. “Renewable Energy” is a term closely associated with Green Power and is described by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. CEERT, The Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies, provides more details on these energy sources at http://www.ceert.org/aboutpower/index.html.
Wind power is but one of many “Green Power” options and is one which hundreds of DMEA members have chosen to support.
DMEA's Green Power Program: Wind Energy
Wind power is in the air at DMEA! Since early 2000, customers of DMEA have been able to purchase electricity generated by the wind, an increasingly cost-competitive renewable energy resource.
The availability of Green Power was made possible through the efforts of DMEA’s energy provider, Tri-State Generation and Transmission. Tri-State G & T purchases wind power from Wyoming-based Terra Moya Aqua/Global Wind Energy Systems and from Platte River Power Authority of Fort Collins.
DMEA is a distribution cooperative and buys its power from Tri-State Generation & Transmission. Tri-State's renewable energy projects represent both traditional and new wind technologies. Tri-State also is involved with a landfill gas generation operation located in the service area of member co-op United Power of Brighton, Colo. These projects will furnish Tri-State with about 6 megawatts of green power.
Each DMEA member who becomes a Green Power subscriber is helping the wind industry to expand.
Why buy Green Power?
The environmental benefit attributed to buying a 100 kilowatt hour block of wind-generated electricity for each of twelve months is the equivalent of not driving a car 2,400 miles, or planting half an acre of trees.
State-of-the-art wind turbines are now being designed which protect birds from injury and which can handle wind speeds approaching 100 mph.
A DMEA member who exemplifies the attitude of many Green Power subscribers is Mr. Adam Silverstein, owner of “Earthbound,” an internet consulting company. Adam and his wife Valerie also run a small organic farm on Rogers Mesa.
"We decided to buy wind-generated power to help support a shift towards cleaner sources of energy," says Mr. Silverstein. “After hearing about the incredible wind resources available in northern Colorado and considering the low price we currently pay for our electricity, I called DMEA right away to see if I could buy all my electricity from wind."
Although the cost for Green Power is slightly higher at an additional $1.25 a month for each 100-kilowatt hour “block,” the response from our consumers has been enthusiastic. As of January, 2001, approximately one percent of DMEA’s members were “Green Power” subscribers, buying at least one block of 100 kWhs of wind-generated electricity each month.
It’s important to note that the electrons generated by the wind-turbines which supply “Green Power” do not flow directly to subscribers’ homes or businesses. Instead, they become an increasing part of Tri-State Generation’s entire resource mix.
Sign Up for Green Power - It's a Breeze!
Remember! Wind power is currently MORE expensive than conventional electric generation. By becoming a subscriber, you will be charged an ADDITIONAL $1.25 for each 100 kWh “block” you subscribe to each month. This surcharge is in addition to your normal bill for kilowatt usage.
To become a “Green Power” subscriber, send us an email with your name, address, account number, and the number of “blocks” (unit in which we bill wind power) you would like to subscribe to. (one block=$1.25 month, two blocks=$2.50/month, etc.) You can also call 249-4572 or 874-8081 and ask to speak to one of our customer service reps if you prefer.
Colorado's Wind Energy Potential
Only looking at the land that has a wind power class of 3 or higher-the usable resources.
Not counting land with urban development or land that is environmentally sensitive.
Subtracting out 50% of forestland, 30% of farmland, and 10% of rangeland.
This results in about 25% of the state of Colorado having good winds and being available for development.
Note, a wind farm uses only a small portion of the land, so the actual percentage of state land covered would be about 2.5%.
If all this potential was developed with utility-scale wind turbines, the power produced each year would equal 461,000,000 megawatt-hours - or 1,243% of the entire state's electricity consumption!
National Wind Energy Potential
Wind energy is a domestic, renewable source of energy that generates no pollution and has little environmental impact.
Up to 95 percent of land used for wind farms can also be used for other profitable activities including ranching, farming and forestry.
The U.S. contains enough useable wind resource to produce more electricity than the nation currently uses.
The majority of this usable resource is in the Great Plains region. North Dakota alone has enough suitable wind resource to supply 36 percent of the electricity consumed in the U.S.
In addition, development of major global wind energy markets could significantly impact jobs – recent studies show that each billion kilowatt-hours of annual wind energy generation create between 440 and 460 jobs.
Wind Industry Growth
The addition of 925MW of new generating capacity between June 1998 and the end of 1999 was more than twice as large as the amount added in 1985, the U.S. previous largest year (442 MW).
This new growth represents an increase of 40.8% over the previous year.
U.S. total wind generating capacity is now approximately 2,400 MW.
Preliminary estimates indicate that during 1999 more than 3,600 megawatts (MW) of new wind energy generating capacity were installed worldwide.
This represents the largest-ever worldwide addition to wind generating capacity in a single year.
This brought total installed capacity to the 13,400 MW range. Germany, the U.S., Spain and Denmark account for some 80% of the new wind energy capacity addition in 1999, and for over 70% of current wind energy generating capacity worldwide.
Germany added 1,200 MW in 1999.
Renewable Energy Links
Since its inception in 1977, NREL's mission has been to develop energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and transfer these technologies to the private sector. NREL's research activities and expertise help reduce the cost and increase the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies; and ultimately, enable consumers with a greater number of energy choices. The Web sites listed bellow provide information about NREL's technologies, online resources, and programs.
Renewable Technologies
Photovoltaics: <http://www.nrel.gov/photovoltaics.html>
Solar: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/re/solar.html>
Renewable Energy Resources: <http://www.nrel.gov/energy_resources/>
Wind Energy: <http://www.nrel.gov/wind/>
Wind: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/re/wind.html>
Bioenergy: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/re/bioenergy.html>
Geothermal: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/re/geothermal.html>
Hydropower: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/re/hydropower.html>
Ocean: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/re/ocean.html>
New Technology Transfer: <http://www.nrel.gov/technologytransfer/>
Clean Energy Basics: <http://www.nrel.gov/clean_energy/>
Hydrogen: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/re/hydrogen.html>
Specialized Resources
Ask and Expert: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/menus/energyex.html>
Consumers: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/>
Education: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/education/>
Financing: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/financing/>
News: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/>
Solicitations: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/solicitations.html>
States: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/states/>
Utilities: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/ee/utilities.html>
Kids: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/kids.html>
Education Partnerships: <http://www.nrel.gov/education/>
NREL Publications: <http://www.nrel.gov/publications/>
Online Photo Library: <http://www.nrel.gov/data/pix/>
Other Technologies
Basic Sciences and Materials: <http://www.nrel.gov/st-bsm.html>
Buildings and Thermal Systems: <http://www.nrel.gov/buildings_thermal/>
Buildings: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/ee/buildings.html>
Electricity Technologies: <http://www.nrel.gov/st-et.html>
Fuels and Chemicals: <http://www.nrel.gov/st-fc.html>
Industrial Technologies: <http://www.nrel.gov/st-it.html>
Industry: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/ee/industrial.html>
Measurements and Testing: <http://www.nrel.gov/st-mt.html>
Transportation: <http://www.nrel.gov/transportation/>
Transportation: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/ee/transportation.html>
The U.S. added 732 MW;
Spain, which added 650 MW, may soon overtake Germany's position as the leading growing market as it is aggressively promoting wind development and has more land available to do so.