Must be all those Koch campaign donations through Oxbow to environmental activist and 'Fracking is inherently safe' Senator Mark Udall (D-Colorado) that are prompting his brother to support Clean Coal Energy and Methane Capture...
According to Scott Condon, the "unlikely source of a coal mine near Somerset" has his beloved Senator stepping back from his campaign donations scandal with Jon Corzine and taking a second look at what benies the Republicans bring to the table that he can get talked up through Randy Udall.
'That's two scandalous campaign donors for Senator Mark Udall (D-Colorado)', Mr. Condon.
Who cares? Is the message Scott Condon needs to hear from the folks today. Conservatives are for "all of the above" when it comes to energy sources. "All of the above" includes environmentally conscious.
'EcoTerror-pen' journalists are just so stuck in the past trying to wordsmith disinformation they can't see that undeniable fact.
Congratulations and a special thank you to Bill Koch.
For once again bringing a win-win to the energy (and political) table.
Nice job, Holy Cross!
Scott Condon:
"Producing power from methane offsets a substantially greater amount of greenhouse gases than production of the same amount of power from wind or solar.
“Holy Cross' methane project, with a capital cost of $5 million, will offer as much climate benefit as $500 million worth of solar,” Udall said. “In other words, it will displace nearly as much carbon as all the solar we have installed statewide to date.”
Worley said Holy Cross officials saw tremendous climate benefits from the project.
“It clearly seemed to us to be a good thing,” he said......
......Holy Cross has signed a second contract recently to fatten its portfolio of renewable energy. It has a deal to buy power produced by a biomass plant proposed in Gypsum by Eagle Valley Clean Energy LLC. The 10 megawatt plant would burn dead trees, construction material and other wood supplies to boil water and produce steam, which spins turbines that produce electricity.
The plant would create a good use for the beetle-kill trees prevalent in the Interstate 70 corridor, Worley said. It would also create up to 40 jobs at the plant while producing reliable, renewable energy, he said. The biomass plant could run 90-some percent of the time and wouldn't be subject to weather conditions, like wind and solar farms...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Showing posts with label methane capture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label methane capture. Show all posts
March 18, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Denver Post " The merits of methane harvesting "
Allen Best:
"Energy analyst Randy Udall, who has been working the numbers of coal-mine methane for a decade, calculates just 5 megawatts of electricity generated from coal-mine methane emissions, at a capital cost of $10 million, would offset more carbon than all the solar so far installed in Colorado as of 2010, which has cost roughly $700 million. Total methane harvesting from coal mines near Paonia could produce 20 megawatts, using fairly simple technology, say advocates, and, with more challenge, up to 50 megawatts.
That's an important point to digest. In terms of reducing the risk to our climate during the next century, just a few megawatts planned at the West Elk Mine could have as much impact as all the solar panels erected on rooftops at DIA and everywhere else in Colorado so far. As Udall puts it, renewable energy is the means, not the end unto itself. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This bill's politics has the bewildering aspects of a Mobius strip. Introduced by one of the most conservative members of the legislature, Rep. Randy Baumgardner, R-Hot Sulphur Springs, House Bill 1160 passed the House by a 34-29 vote. Only Rep. Wes McKinley, the self-described cowboy from southeast Colorado (that's what it says on the legislature's website), bucked fellow Democrats to join Republicans, who were unanimous in support
Now, in the Senate, it is sponsored by Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, whose base includes some of the most diligent global warming warriors in the state.
Udall has to be considered one of those warriors, and it's a further irony that he is aligned in this case with Bill Koch, owner of the West Elk Mine and a member of the family that has been stirring the undertow of opposition to climate-change action. However, there's no evidence that Koch has been involved in this case.
Are you confused? You're not alone. Del Worley, general manager of the Glenwood Springs-based Holy Cross Energy, an electrical cooperative that provides electricity to the Aspen and Vail areas, says he's baffled. "The politics are mind-boggling to me," he says. "If you're truly trying to stop global warming, this is one of the best bills out there. It's not a giant resource, but why waste it? It should be a no-brainer."...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Energy analyst Randy Udall, who has been working the numbers of coal-mine methane for a decade, calculates just 5 megawatts of electricity generated from coal-mine methane emissions, at a capital cost of $10 million, would offset more carbon than all the solar so far installed in Colorado as of 2010, which has cost roughly $700 million. Total methane harvesting from coal mines near Paonia could produce 20 megawatts, using fairly simple technology, say advocates, and, with more challenge, up to 50 megawatts.
That's an important point to digest. In terms of reducing the risk to our climate during the next century, just a few megawatts planned at the West Elk Mine could have as much impact as all the solar panels erected on rooftops at DIA and everywhere else in Colorado so far. As Udall puts it, renewable energy is the means, not the end unto itself. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This bill's politics has the bewildering aspects of a Mobius strip. Introduced by one of the most conservative members of the legislature, Rep. Randy Baumgardner, R-Hot Sulphur Springs, House Bill 1160 passed the House by a 34-29 vote. Only Rep. Wes McKinley, the self-described cowboy from southeast Colorado (that's what it says on the legislature's website), bucked fellow Democrats to join Republicans, who were unanimous in support
Now, in the Senate, it is sponsored by Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, whose base includes some of the most diligent global warming warriors in the state.
Udall has to be considered one of those warriors, and it's a further irony that he is aligned in this case with Bill Koch, owner of the West Elk Mine and a member of the family that has been stirring the undertow of opposition to climate-change action. However, there's no evidence that Koch has been involved in this case.
Are you confused? You're not alone. Del Worley, general manager of the Glenwood Springs-based Holy Cross Energy, an electrical cooperative that provides electricity to the Aspen and Vail areas, says he's baffled. "The politics are mind-boggling to me," he says. "If you're truly trying to stop global warming, this is one of the best bills out there. It's not a giant resource, but why waste it? It should be a no-brainer."...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
December 13, 2011
SandBox Comments: Vail Daily News "Geothermal exploration in Gypsum is still on the table"
There are four energy forms that Western Colorado should be not just actively pursuing but rapidly pursuing.
We have an abundance of the fuels just going to waste out there every day.
Geothermal energy is one.
Another is biomass with our strong farming and ranching base.
The capture of methane from coal mines.
The capture of energy in the heat and gasses that are a by-product of numerous burning underground coal fires.
"GYPSUM, Colorado — It's taken longer than initially predicted, but the plan to explore geothermal possibilities in Gypsum is still in the works.
Flint Eagle LLC first approached the town of Gypsum in 2010, asking for cooperation in drilling an exploratory well at the Eagle County Regional Airport. The well would be about 4,000 feet deep and 77⁄8 inches in diameter — just enough to test the water temperature, volume and chemistry.
Lee Robinson, of Flint Eagle, hopes to find water in the Rio Grande Rift that's hot enough to use for heating or energy. The concept of going that deep is a relatively new one. Most geothermal resources that are used today are much closer to the Earth's surface.
Since he first approached the town of Gypsum, the permitting has become more involved than initially predicted. Mineral and water rights had to be determined first, and now Robinson is working with the Department of Water Resources for permits that clarify and stipulate all the procedures that will be used for the well.
“Right now, it's a paper process,” Robinson said. “It details how the operation will be conducted but there is nothing that is controversial. Our objective now is to test the volume, chemistry and temperature.”
Robinson hopes to get a draft permit within the first quarter of 2012. If that happens, he would be drilling the exploratory well within a year.
“The permit would stipulate when the operations occur,” he said. “These things take time. We're still very much on the radar, though.”
Aspen is drilling for a potential geothermal resource, as well. In July, the Aspen City Council obtained a permit to drill as deep as 1,500 feet. Last week, the exploratory well reached 1,000 feet — where the water was predicted to be — but had yet to reach anything. The company doing the drilling believed it was close, however, according to the Aspen Daily News.
Geothermal and geo-exchange projects are proliferating in this part of Colorado as technology improves...."
(Derek Franz)
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
We have an abundance of the fuels just going to waste out there every day.
Geothermal energy is one.
Another is biomass with our strong farming and ranching base.
The capture of methane from coal mines.
The capture of energy in the heat and gasses that are a by-product of numerous burning underground coal fires.
"GYPSUM, Colorado — It's taken longer than initially predicted, but the plan to explore geothermal possibilities in Gypsum is still in the works.
Flint Eagle LLC first approached the town of Gypsum in 2010, asking for cooperation in drilling an exploratory well at the Eagle County Regional Airport. The well would be about 4,000 feet deep and 77⁄8 inches in diameter — just enough to test the water temperature, volume and chemistry.
Lee Robinson, of Flint Eagle, hopes to find water in the Rio Grande Rift that's hot enough to use for heating or energy. The concept of going that deep is a relatively new one. Most geothermal resources that are used today are much closer to the Earth's surface.
Since he first approached the town of Gypsum, the permitting has become more involved than initially predicted. Mineral and water rights had to be determined first, and now Robinson is working with the Department of Water Resources for permits that clarify and stipulate all the procedures that will be used for the well.
“Right now, it's a paper process,” Robinson said. “It details how the operation will be conducted but there is nothing that is controversial. Our objective now is to test the volume, chemistry and temperature.”
Robinson hopes to get a draft permit within the first quarter of 2012. If that happens, he would be drilling the exploratory well within a year.
“The permit would stipulate when the operations occur,” he said. “These things take time. We're still very much on the radar, though.”
Aspen is drilling for a potential geothermal resource, as well. In July, the Aspen City Council obtained a permit to drill as deep as 1,500 feet. Last week, the exploratory well reached 1,000 feet — where the water was predicted to be — but had yet to reach anything. The company doing the drilling believed it was close, however, according to the Aspen Daily News.
Geothermal and geo-exchange projects are proliferating in this part of Colorado as technology improves...."
(Derek Franz)
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
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