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September 2024

Greetings,

The biggest event of the year for New Energy Colorado is coming up soon: The Metro Denver Green Homes Tour on October 5. Now in its 29th year, the tour is one of the best ways you can learn about the latest ways to save energy and money in your home direct from homeowners living in some of the region's most sustainable dwellings. If you live in southern Colorado, check out the Ark Valley Green Homes Tour September 21. And if you are going to the 2024 Colorado Fall Home show September 13 -15 at the Colorado Convention Center, come see us at the New Energy Colorado booth.


In This issue, we also highlight two emerging trends in energy use: the burgeoning of giant data centers to support AI and other uses, and the growing interest in microgrids to provide resilience to communities.


Sunny regards,

Rebecca Cantwell 

for New Energy Colorado



Please forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues and let us know what else you would like to read about by emailing us here

Giant Data Centers Threaten Climate Goals



Artificial Intelligence is rapidly seeping into our everyday lives with a hidden but enormous energy cost. Every time you ask Chat GPT for help, you are using about ten times as much electricity as a standard Google search. Many expect that it won’t be long before all internet searches will automatically employ AI.


The cumulative impact of Big Data threatens to upend efforts to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas pollution that is warming the earth to dangerous levels. Gigantic data centers are so energy intensive that they may threaten Colorado’s plans to shut down remaining coal plants by 2030 and could result in polluting natural gas plants being added to meet the increased demand. Additionally, most data centers require vast amounts of water.


But Colorado law currently encourages such huge energy users. A 2018 legislative requirement (HB18-1271) mandates special “economic development’’ electric rates and bans consideration of external factors such as climate impacts. The law was used by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission in a June decision to approve an expandable data center (QTS-Aurora) that will initially require 177 MW on Xcel Energy’s system. That is the equivalent of the power needed for about 32,000 residences and will be by far the biggest single draw on the utility's Colorado system.


Additionally, backers pushed bills in the past two legislative sessions that would have exempted data centers from paying state sales tax, but those efforts died.

 Electric utilities such as Xcel Energy tend to favor large electricity users because they are a way to increase investments on which the utility receives a guaranteed rate of return - 9.3 % in Xcel’s case.


Morey Wolfson, a longtime Colorado energy leader, has been warning about the dangers of hyperscaler data centers (HDCs) to the state and urges the legislature to repeal the 2018 law next year.


``State decision-makers, including the Governor, should exercise the political will, and take action to avoid the serious stress that a surge of HDCs poses to our state’s efforts to achieve needed reductions in Colorado’s electric costs, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and water consumption,’’ Wolfson wrote in a recent paper. “In addition, the legislature must reject, as they did in 2023 and 2024, further misguided attempts to give lucrative equipment and property tax

rebate incentives to HDCs. These corporations are well-heeled, and state policy should operate on the principle that they must pay their full freight – both economic and environmental.''


Wolfson and others acknowledge that the data centers will be built- but Colorado does not need to give them special financial encouragement


Sources/ More information:

How much more water and power does AI computing require?

Aurora Data Center will be one of Xcel’s Biggest Customers

The big environmental costs of big data

Xcel draws 6.7 GW of data center requests

How bad is AI for the Climate?

Source: Colorado Energy Office

Colorado Finalizing Microgrid Roadmap


Colorado officials are finalizing the state’s first microgrid roadmap this fall. The study, called for in a 2022 law, is examining how to use microgrids to ensure all residents have access to reliable electrical service.


Microgrids connect sources of electricity such as solar energy systems and batteries, with users such as communities and key facilities such as hospitals. They are normally connected to the larger grid but can operate independently if needed.


As natural disasters such as fires and winter storms increase, more people risk prolonged electrical outages and the state is developing guidance on how microgrids can help:

  • improve grid resilience and reliability for individual customers and communities; 
  • deliver and manage electricity;
  • provide necessary infrastructure in locations where extending distribution infrastructure is not practical ; and, 
  • operate independently and disconnected from the larger grid when necessary to meet the electricity needs of communities, neighborhoods, or buildings.


A draft roadmap released this summer outlines areas of Colorado which could particularly benefit from microgrids because of aging or inadequate infrastructure.


It also identifies important ways to remove key barriers to more microgrid development including: clarification of ownership structures, streamlined permitting processes, expanded utility data sharing, expanded interconnection standards, and special microgrid tariffs. Education and outreach to support more microgrid projects, along with technical and financial assistance, including apprenticeships, are also part of the roadmap.


The state will publish the final roadmap by January 1.


Read more here: Colorado Microgrid Roadmap | Colorado Energy Office

Rural Utilities Reap Clean Energy Financing

Three Colorado non-profit utilities serving rural customers are primed to receive big chunks of the $7.3 billion in financing for clean energy projects announced by President Biden last week. The funding represents the biggest investments in rural electrification since the New Deal and is part of the landmark 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.


Tri-State Generation and Transmission, a wholesale supplier to Colorado coops, stands to receive $679 million. The funds will be used to help purchase 1,480 MW of solar, wind and battery storage projects, to retire the Craig coal plant three years earlier than expected, and to close an Arizona coal plant. Tri-State estimates the projects will reduce member rates by $422 million over 20 years.


CORE Electric, Colorado’s largest coop, will use its share to buy wind, solar and battery projects through several power purchase agreements in rural Colorado. And United Power, another large coop which recently split from Tri-State, will use its funding to help acquire 760 MW of renewable resources, including 460 MW of new solar power.

Read more here


And remember, the Inflation Reduction Act can also help you pay for home improvements to save energy. Get tax credits for 2024 before year's end!

Here are some links to helpful information:


Information on tax incentives for electric vehicles:


green home tour

Volunteer to be a Green Homes Docent for our October tour. VOLUNTEER


LINK TO REGISTRATION: Metro Denver Green Homes Tour and Expo 2024 - Events - Universe

Upcoming Events

Metro Denver Green Homes Tour Lecture Series


Come to these free events to learn how you can improve your home and talk to the experts


Tuesday September 17

Sunshare Community Solar - A Green Energy Solution for Homeowners and Renters

Julie Nelson, Community Solar Consultant,

5:30 pm New Terrain Brewery 16401 Table Mt Pkwy. Golden


Thursday September 26

Homeowner Experiences with Energy conservation, heat pumps and rooftop solar

Panel moderated by Dr Mark Nimlos, NREL

7 pm Jefferson Unitarian Church 14350 W. 32nd Ave., Golden 


Thursday October 3, Tour Volunteer Training and Dinner, 5-7 pm, Jefferson Unitarian Church 14350 W. 32nd Ave. Golden


Thursday October 3

Xcel Energy : Home Efficiency Program and Rebates'

Paul Koepke and Chris Carvalho, Xcel Energy

7 pm Jefferson Unitarian Church 14350 W. 32nd Ave, Golden


Ark Valley Green Homes Tour


Saturday September 21 

Booths 9 am -12 noon: Information from solar and green building companies 

Open houses in two Salida homes 10 am -12 noon

Salida Farmers Market, Alpine Park, 404 E Street, Salida 


CRES Events


­Wednesday, September 11, 6:00 - 8:00 PM | Virtual - CRES

Unpacking the IRA: Green Home Improvement Incentives & The GHG Reduction Fund

Owen Vogel of the Clean Energy Credit Union (CECU)

Registration Link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6936127708253240413


Thursday, September 19 at 7:00 PM | Hybrid Event | MDCRES

How to Finance Climate Solutions

Greg Winchell on carbon pricing

Registration : How to Finance Climate Solutions, Thu, Sep 19, 2024, 7:00 PM | Meetup

3 Stories We Think You'll Want to Read

The Tax credits and rebates that can cut the cost of Colorado solar


How networked geothermal energy could change cities


BLM proposes to open 31 million acres for solar development


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