From EVs to solar energy, innovations in energy storage are changing the game By Paul Wesslund and Amy Higgins If your smartphone battery has become a large share of your daily thoughts, just wait — the battery market is booming. Innovators are now developing washable and bendable batteries to heat your gloves or be sewn […]
San Miguel Power Association, an electric cooperative based in Ridgway and Nucla, recently partnered with San Miguel County to install a microgrid. A microgrid is an “island” system with electricity sources that can operate independently to provide electricity when the greater grid loses power. SMPA helped the county apply for a Colorado Department of Local […]
San Luis Valley REC recently celebrated 10 years of drawing renewable hydropower from the 100-year-old Humphreys Dam in Creede. The 90-foot concrete arch is like a miniature Hoover Dam. It was modernized 10 years ago into a cost-effective facility with a single-phase generator capable of generating up to 340 kilowatts of hydropower. It supplies about […]
Buena Vista-based Colorado electric cooperative, SDCEA, was recently featured in a National Rural Electric Cooperative Association podcast that discussed the use of drones in the electric utility industry. NRECA research and survey data shows that over 300 electric co-ops in the U.S. use drones on their system. And with its rugged territory and sometimes difficult-to-access […]
By Katherine Loving Providing reliable, affordable electricity is the top priority for Colorado’s electric cooperatives. Co-ops and other electric utilities continue to incorporate additional energy generated from renewable sources, but until these technologies fully mature, fossil fuels remain a part of our overall generation mix to ensure power reliability. As the U.S. moves forward with […]
Bridging a 30-mile gap between electric vehicle DC fast-charge stations along I-25, United Power recently installed a new public charging station. The new ChargePoint station is conveniently located along the northern corridor of I-25 between Thornton and Loveland. Located at its Carbon Valley service center, this is the third public EV charger installed by the […]
Holyoke-based electric cooperative Highline Electric Association released its redesigned app this month. Available for download on Google Play and the App store, the co-op provides this app so that its consumer-members have easy access to their utility account. This is the second iteration of an app HEA has developed, and some new features are included. […]
Maintaining and enhancing security of the electric grid is a priority for electric cooperatives — and Colorado’s electric cooperatives are part of a larger network helping to make this happen. Nationwide, electric co-ops partner with each other and government entities to provide cybersecurity training, secure resiliency, and develop technology to improve grid safety and efficiency. […]
Electricity turns dark into light, makes hot foods cold and cold foods hot, washes the dishes and searches the internet. It is essential to our everyday lives, so much so that we rarely think about it. But behind the scenes, interesting things are happening. Here are three interesting facts about electricity that cause even some […]
In an innovative approach to enhancing its rural small business community and economy, Pueblo West-based San Isabel Electric offers a unique program. The electric co-op distributes pass-through loans with 0% financing for qualifying projects to local businesses, nonprofits and public entities. This is through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant […]