Gunnison County pioneers new efficiency incentives
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GCEA borrowed wind anemometer from Western's Equipment Loan Program to collect test data at Blue Mesa Reservoir near the town of Gunnison, Colo. If the area has sufficient wind resources, the co-op may build a wind turbine at the site. (photo courtesy of Gunnison County Electric Association)
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The spirit of adventure and innovation that brought settlers to Colorado's high country in the 19th century is still alive in Gunnison County Electric Association's new programs promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy to its members.
GCEA offered a number of incentives over the years, both on its own and through its electricity supplier, Tri-State Generation and Transmission. The new initiatives are the co-op's response to its membership's growing interest in the environment, explained Consumer Services Manager Mark Daily. "Members kept asking about green power and renewable energy technology," he said. "Our board decided that we needed to give them more ways to take advantage of what's out there."
Loan program finances home renewable energy projects
Residential renewable energy systems represent one such opportunity. GCEA's low-interest-rate Renewable Energy Resource Loan program makes loans to residents in its service territory who install wind or solar generation systems. GCEA's service territory includes the rural area around the city of Gunnison, Colo., and the towns of Crested Butte, Gothic, Lake City and Saguache. Similar to GCEA's existing energy efficiency loans, the new program offers up to $25,000 at 3 to 5 percent for up to 10 years on solar arrays and small-scale wind power equipment.
Conventional financing sources are still somewhat reluctant to make loans for residential systems, even though improvements in the technology—not to mention net-metering legislation—have made them more viable. "The co-op is financing the loans through its general fund because we don't want our members, or the co-op, to miss out on the benefits of small renewable energy projects," said Daily.
Unlike the program for energy efficiency improvements, residents do not have to be GCEA customers to qualify for loans to improve or expand their systems. The board is still working out the details of the program, but Daily does not anticipate any difficulties. He estimates there are only a small number of off-the-grid homes in GCEA's service territory, and in a rugged region where recreation is an important part of the economy, alternatives to stringing new power lines are usually welcomed.
Co-op investigates green power development
GCEA members who prefer to buy rather than generate wind power have been able to subscribe to green power blocks through Tri-State since 1999. Depending on the results of a study Gunnison County has undertaken, they may be getting wind power from a source closer to home in the not-too-distant future. Using an anemometer from Western's Equipment Loan Program and another purchased unit, GCEA has erected two wind measurement stations near the town of Gunnison. The stations will collect data for a year that GCEA will analyze for development feasibility.
Larger-scale solar projects are also on the utility's agenda. The co-op is talking with Crested Butte Community School about installing a grid-tied solar system on the school's roof.
While GCEA has offered Tri-State's geothermal heat pump incentive for several years, a recently-formed alliance with Intermountain Energy One will make the energy-efficient systems more accessible to members. The wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta-Montrose Electric Association entered into an agreement with GCEA and several other area utilities to act as a one-stop heat pump resource for Colorado's western slope. "In addition to selling the equipment, Intermountain provides system design, installation and follow-up," said Daily. "People feel much more comfortable investing in a new technology when they know they can count on the vendor's support."
Put another way, when charting new territory, it is good to go with someone who knows the terrain. Members of Gunnison County Electric Association can rely on their co-op to lead them toward a more energy-efficient future.
