P4-Vision

Vision

Introduction

energynow is the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy for Chaffee County, Buena Vista, Poncha Springs and Salida. This strategic plan draws upon leadership provided by local government officials and staff and the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) as well as the preferences expressed by local residents.

By incorporating energy use data, energy sources and renewable energy resources, energynow identifies six categories with 27 strategic actions that represent the most prudent and fiscally responsible means by which Chaffee County and the communities can reduce energy use, utilize renewable energy resources and realize economic benefits. An emphasis on education, conservation and energy efficiency reflects the wishes of county residents and ensures a high level of public support.

energynow fulfills a GEO requirement that qualifies Chaffee County, Buena Vista, Poncha Springs and Salida for additional Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding through the GEO to implement the strategies of energynow. Approval of the plan qualifies Chaffee County and municipalities for additional grant funding from state and federal sources.

Chaffee County and Energy
Chaffee County is located on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains in central Colorado and has a year-round population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau at 16,733 in 2007. The population density was estimated to be 16 persons per square mile, compared to 46.9 persons per square mile for the State of Colorado and an average density of 86.2 for the entire United States.

A rural area, Chaffee County encompasses 649,452 acres with over 80 percent of that land in public ownership. Municipalities located in Chaffee County are the City of Salida, the Town of Buena Vista and the Town of Poncha Springs.

Chaffee County’s primary use of energy is electricity provided by two suppliers: Sangre de Cristo Electric Association in the northern portion of the County (Buena Vista) and Xcel Energy to the south (Salida and Poncha Springs). As part of Touchstone Energy Cooperative, Sangre de Cristo purchases its electricity from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.

Atmos Energy provides natural gas throughout Chaffee County, and three privately owned companies supply propane to residents and businesses, reflecting another highly used resource for heating. A preliminary greenhouse gas inventory puts Chaffee County emissions for 2007 at 453,139 metric tons (999 million pounds) carbon dioxide equivalent.

Governor Ritter’s Colorado Climate Action Plan establishes a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 by 20 percent relative to emissions in 2005. Local government actions taken to assist meeting this goal can provide multiple local benefits, including decreasing air pollution, creating jobs, extending landfill life, and reducing energy expenditures for the county, its businesses and its citizens.

The Planning Process
The energynow planning process occurred over a six-month period with steering committee oversight and community involvement. Planning focused on energy use and sources, public meetings, public outreach and individual meetings. The planning process included:
• A county-wide energy use analysis,
• A review of renewable resources,
• An exploration of funding options and
• Community input.

Energy use and emissions data were gathered for buildings, transportation, livestock, food production and distribution, fuel production and waste for inclusion in a greenhouse gas emissions inventory. The data collected was provided to the University of Colorado at Denver to produce greenhouse gas calculations using accepted formulas and methodologies.

Extensive data from the Chaffee County GIS (geographic information system) provided logistical information about renewable energy resources and their potential for development.

On October 15, 2009, more than 65 community members and local officials participated in an economic development summit focused on renewable energy.

Public meetings were also held November 18, 2009, at the Community Center in Buena Vista and November 19, 2009, at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds. The results from these community input meetings indicate a strong community desire for actions directed toward education, conservation and efficient use of energy.

Community input indicates 69.4 percent of residents surveyed believe “developing alternative energy/ clean energy in the county” is “critically important,” with residents favoring solar and geothermal resources. A resounding 93.1 percent support investments in renewable energy technology for public buildings.

Chaffee County Energy Efficiency and Conservation Steering Committee
Dennis Giese, Chaffee County County Commissioner
Bob Christiansen, Chaffee County Administrator
Dan Short, Chaffee County Finance Director
Robert Flint, Buena Vista Trustee
Sue Boyd, Buena Vista Administrator
Aaron Kroschel, Poncha Springs Trustee
Greg Smith, Poncha Springs Public Works Director
Scott Damman, Salida City Councilman
Jack Lewis, Salida City Administrator
Kurt Jones, Colorado State University Extension Agent

Utility Partners
Atmos Energy, Kevin Kerrigan
Sangre De Cristo Electric Association, Bill Bennett
Sangre De Cristo Electric Association, Linda Nyberg
Xcel Energy, Kathy Worthington