Thursday, August 18, 2011
Colorado Springs Business: Here is Your Energy Future!
I believe one of the most important issues facing our community is our energy future.
Consequently, I’ve been attending meetings held by the Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) and participating in their Electric Integrated Resource Planning Process (EIRP). By 2020, CSU’s goal is to “provide 20% of its total electric energy through renewable sources, reduce average customer use by 10% and maintain a 20% regional cost advantage.”
Click here to link CSU’s overview of EIRP.
This balanced approach provides a consensus path toward the future by recognizing the business opportunities and environmental responsibility of renewable energy, while maintaining regionally competitive utility rates (business attraction). Most importantly, it recognizes the importance of conservation – the least expensive, most efficient energy option comes form in the form of using less.
I’m challenging myself to think about this in two ways: behaviorally and technologically.
Am I wasting energy with bad habits and can I invest in more efficient appliances?
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Here is an understatement: The processes of generating the tremendous amount of energy we consume is very complex. To illustrate, here is a Blog post from the Independent’s Pam Zubeck that excerpts a news release explaining why CSU is investing over $385,000 in a new IT tracking system.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.csindy.com/IndyBlog/archives/2011/08/11/utilities-hires-a-helping-hand
Not considering of the investment, regulation, and environmental issues it references (which are important and interesting), I think a quick overview of the article hints at complexity of the energy generation process and why we should mindful of “flicking the switch.”