Seems like good news, so I thought it was worth sharing.
Darryl
-------- Original Message --------
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/20/xcel-ditching-2-coal-plants-going-to-solar/
Xcel ditching 2 coal plants, going to solar
PUC approves plan to help meet 2020 goal
By Gargi Chakrabarty
Rocky Mountain News (Contact
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Judy Walgren © The Rocky/2004
Xcel's Cherokee plant operates in Denver. Xcel plans to close two
coal-powered plants to meet a mandate to provide 20 percent of its
energy from renewable sources by 2020.
State regulators gave the go-ahead to Xcel Energy's plans for a green
makeover: shutting down two coal-fired power plants in the state and
building one of the world's largest utility-scale solar power plants.
After days of deliberations, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission
approved Xcel's voluntary decision to shutter electricity generating
stations in Denver and Grand Junction - making it the first utility in
the nation to do so in order to reduce pollution emissions.
The commission also approved the utility's request for a 200-megawatt
solar plant using concentrated solar technology that not only helps
generate electricity from the sun, but also allows energy to be stored
for later use.
The commission approved, too, Xcel's request to add 850 megawatts of
wind energy to its system.
"That's great news," said Harriet Moyer Aptekar, development manager of
Ausra, a Silicon Valley company supported by venture firm Kleiner
Perkins and Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla. "We will be very
interested when Xcel seeks bids and we'll be competing for it."
Spanish company Abengoa Solar, with U.S. headquarters in Lakewood,
BrightSourceEnergy and Ausra are among the solar companies that have
established a presence in Colorado to tap into its growing market.
Abengoa, which is building a 280-megawatt solar plant in Arizona, has
indicated it will compete for Xcel's project.
The proposed solar and wind projects would catapult the utility into
compliance with state laws that require larger utilities to receive 20
percent of their electricity from solar, wind or biomass sources by 2020.
Commission spokesman Terry Bote said a written decision likely will be
issued by mid-September, clearing the way for Xcel to proceed with its plan.
"Based on the approved framework, Xcel Energy will then solicit bids
consistent with the approved plan and submit its recommended choices to
the PUC," he said. "An independent evaluator will also review the bids
and make recommendations."
Xcel spokesman Mark Stutz said he couldn't say how soon the utility
would seek bids for the solar and wind projects.
"We are generally pleased, however, that the commission essentially has
agreed with our final plan concerning additional wind and solar power,
and our plans to close two of our power plants," Stutz said. "The
additional wind and solar provides benefits to the environment, and we
look forward to those additions to our system by 2015.
"Gov. (Bill) Ritter last year called for a 20 percent reduction in
carbon dioxide emission by 2020," he added. "The plant closures will
help us reduce our carbon emissions and put us well on the way toward
meeting the governor's goal."
In November, Xcel offered to shut down two coal-fired plants, the
Arapahoe at 2601 S. Platte River Drive, and the Cameo in Grand Junction.
To replace the 229 megawatts the plants provide, Xcel initially said it
would build a 480-megawatt natural gas-fired plant at the Arapahoe site
but later withdrew its proposal in the face of criticism.
The Cameo plant is scheduled to close by December 2010, while units at
the Arapahoe will be shut down in 2012.
--
Darryl McMahon
Save water and your money. The Water Saver toilet fill diverter.
http://www.econogics.com/WaterSaver/
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