The Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska received EPA's Region 7 Pollution Prevention Environmental Excellence award for construction of Nebraska’s first and largest wind farm near Kimball, Neb., and its work in the area of energy efficiency and renewable or alternative energy resources.

Web sites create new marketing opportunities for utilities

As utilities search for ways to expand their use of renewable energy and to promote energy efficiency, many have discovered that an unrelated technology, the Internet, is one of their most powerful tools.

Equipment Loan Program helps customers reduce budget stress

Western offers its customers a great value—free equipment. The Equipment Loan Program provides technical equipment and training to customers through loan agreements that allow them to "test drive" new technologies.

Minnesota utility enlists partners to create wind power curriculum

Collaboration between Great River Energy, Laurentian Environmental Center, DOE and the Minnesota Department of Commerce has given Minnesota teachers a new tool for educating the next generation of consumers about renewable energy.

Customers find incentive in a variety of rebates

Rebate programs can grow out of a utility's load management goals, regional conditions, partnerships with businesses or municipalities, consumer demand or a breakthrough in some promising technology. This "rebate roundup" tells how a few utilities in Western's service area are helping consumers do just that.

GeoExchange technology finds strong supporter in Plumas Sierra

A heating and cooling system that can cut energy costs by as much as 75 percent, needs little maintenance and has EPA endorsement sounds too good to be true—but that describes the geothermal heat pump and explains why so many utilities are promoting GeoExchange technology.

Vantage point: Looking beyond oil

Sierra Nevada Energy Services Manager Bob Parkins encourages customers to look to the future, and reminds them about hedges against resource depletion.

Energy Services welcomes new Billings manager

Western Energy Services Program welcomes Energy Services Specialist John Pankratz to the Western Energy Services team.

EPTC trains Basin crews

Western's Electric Power Training Center took training on the road again in October to teach grounding and hazard recognition to more than 60 Basin Electric maintenance staff in North Dakota and Wyoming.

Power Line: Building green has multiple benefits

Sustainability and green building is a complex topic, but well worth integrating into any building project. Here, Power Line staff details ways to convince clients to incorporate green design into their projects.

• CU-Boulder wins Solar Decathlon competition
  
• Study finds Colorado prime for renewables
  
• SRP green energy program growing in Mesa