Upwind states must tackle haze
To the editor,
I’m glad to see that Colorado’s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan is moving ahead. But I’m afraid it won’t do us Dry Siders much good as long as eastern Ariz., Utah and northern N.M. don’t get a handle on the tearing up of their desert soils by various activities, chief among them livestock grazing and vehicular traffic.

This spring’s dust storms in Mancos have been truly creepy. I could barely see my neighbor’s house across the road, and my Western windows are covered with wind-born adobe! Restoring visibility by 2064 won’t happen without broad regional cooperation.

– Broadly, Ronni Egan, Great Old Broads for Wilderness

Help LPEA to wake up, smell roses
To the editor,
Who would have thought that it made any real difference who is on the Board of Directors at our local electricity company, La Plata Electric Association? But it turns out that this year it really does. I am one of a group of citizens who spent hours calling thousands of La Plata County residents over the last two months. Minus the answer-machines and wrong numbers, every person I actually got to speak with was definitely in favor of more renewable energy sources in LPEA’s portfolio. This could happen soon if LPEA would realize that the most financially responsible thing they could do for their customers and their community is to develop more locally generated renewable energy.

There are three La Plata County candidates running this month for LPEA’s Board of Directors. They also believe we need more renewable energy in order to ensure a future with lower electricity costs, and they’ve all gone out of their way (all the way to Germany who is the world leader in locally generated renewable energy) to learn how to make it happen. When you receive your ballot from LPEA one of these three names will be among the candidates listed: Britt Bassett, Bruce Baizel and Heather Erb. Please vote for the one for your district and help LPEA wake up and smell the roses.

– Sincerely, Rebecca Koeppen, Ignacio

LPEA asleep at the switch?
To the Editor,
In 2004, Colorado voters passed Amendment 37, a citizens initiative, by a majority of 60 percent. A-37 required that a specified percentage of  each state utilities’ electricity be generated using renewable resources (the percentage varied depending on the type of utility, in the case of LPEA, the percentage for a rural utility applied).

LPEA has been fudging their compliance by using Vallecito and Lemon Dams (each about 20 years old) and Williams Heat Recovery Plant (about 30 years old) to bring their renewable resource use to the mandated 6 percent. In 2010,the law was amended to specify that compliance required NEW renewable energy projects, the original intent of the legislation.

In LPEA’s serving area, ¼ of 1 percent of electricity comes from anything new. Of the 40,000 LPEA meters, 330 are renewable energy, most of which are solar, some of which are wind, hydro or methane capture.

At the same time that LPEA is well behind meeting the 6 percent renewable energy objectives for 2015, the Board has discontinued (January 2012) the solar installation rebate and has substantially increased the base rate portion of their billing structure, both of which strongly discourage new solar installations. No plans are apparent to move the utility toward a locally based renewable energy economy, such as solar farms on available ranch land. LPEA is spending $70 million annually to buy mostly coal-generated electricity from beyond our serving area but is doing little to begin essential development of renewable resources locally. We are extremely fortunate to have a variety of abundant resources for renewable energy. Development of these resources will take some time but is essential to the economic future and well being of our area. LPEA co-op members have expressed their support for renewable energy. The LPEA Board needs members who can recognize the opportunities and needs of the future and act on them.

– Wendy Jorgenson, Bayfield

Dennis might be on to something
To the editor,
I was happy to agree with Dennis Pierce on his suggestion that the Multi-Modal plan include one additional form of public transit – a trolley on the DSNGRR train tracks that runs the length of town. Although, the T (included in the plan) essentially serves much of the same route Mr. Pierce suggests could be served by a train, it is a great idea. I know that it is not a new idea, so maybe it is not feasible or too expensive, but it is an idea to explore via a public-private partnership to determine how a train trolley stands up against the current Main Avenue auto trolley in cost, energy use, environmental pollution, and numbers it could serve.

I applaud the City for being forward-thinking in investing in a Multi-Modal Department and plan for the future. It celebrates a big part of Durango’s culture and history. So, too, could a plan that expands the definition of public transit to include a trolley on the DSNGRR tracks.

– Ellen Stein, Durango

Diversity important for LPEA
To the editor,
Diversity is a word we often hear in a social or cultural context or we associate it with plants and animals – as in biodiversity. Just the same way a variety of ideas and traditions have strengthened this “melting pot” society of ours and a variety of plant and animal species strengthen an ecosystem, we need energy diversity to strengthen this segment of our economy. The more sources of energy feeding our electrical needs the better, and if more of that is local then so much the better.

With so much of the energy LPEA supplies us with being from coal (more than 85 percent) that they buy from Tri State Energy, we are dangerously vulnerable to price “problems” in the coal sector (hint – it won’t be going down).  The Board of Directors of LPEA is responsible for making sure we have electrical energy at a reasonable cost as well as planning wisely for our future needs/supplies.

They are also responsible for listening and responding to us, the co-owners of this co-op, and the overwhelming majority of us want more renewable energy in the mix even if it costs a little bit more (see LPEA’s own Colorado Country Life, February 2012, p. 12). This is where energy diversity comes in.

Obviously, coal isn’t going away next month or even next year (even though many folks would like that) but we need more energy diversity in our portfolio, and the only way we are going to get it is from a board that is more responsive to the needs and desires of its fellow co-op members.

There is a slate of candidates running for the Board of Directors of LPEA that have energy diversity as well as other common sense goals in mind. Everyone that pays a bill to LPEA has a vote and the ballots go in the mail to co-op member/customers April 20. We have a choice.

You can learn more about the candidates at www.nswee.org .
– Jim Poe, Bayfield

Vote for Fab Four, vote for future
To the editor,
Home and business owners should have, by now, received a ballot in the mail from LPEA for the Board of Director’s vote. That means you, or many you know, will have an unprecedented opportunity to contribute to real change on the LPEA board by voting in this election.

This year four people who support  local renewable energy are running for the board – one candidate for each LPEA district. The candidates are Kirsten Skeehan, District 1 (Archuleta County); Bruce Baizel, District 2 (south and west La Plata County); Britt Bassett, District 3 (Durango); and Heather Erb, District 4 (north La Plata County) .More details about them are on the New Southwest Energy Economy website at nswee.org .

Some of the goals of the four candidates are the following: 1. Reduce the base charge on residential and commercial rates. 2. Keep more of our energy dollars local 3. Invest in local energy generation.4. Encourage local economic development through renewable energy investments. 6. Provide a diversified energy portfolio for long-term rate stability 7. Improve our air and water quality through reduction of coal emissions.

Every vote counts in this election! Vote for the “Fabulous Four” and vote today to support a more sustainable and economically viable future.

– Sarah Sumner, Durango

Brodsky brings knowledge to LPEA
Dear Editor,
Durango seems to have its own “Gang of Four” running for the La Plata Electrical Association board. While I’m sure their motives are honorable, they have shown by their statements that they do not really understand the whole situation in regard to alternative energy sources. They complain that the base rate for electricity has increased by 16 percent – an addition to my bill of $2.20. They don’t consider that to switch to solar power would increase my bill by approximately 150 percent – an addition, depending on the month, of $200 to $400 a month. I’m all in favor of using renewable energy whenever feasible, but I trust my representative on the LPEA Board, Herb Brodsky, to consider all aspects of renewable energy. After asking Herb about the option of purchasing my electricity from renewable sources, I plan to do just that. Herb already does, at the cost of a little more than $1 a month. Those of us concerned about what produces the energy we use can do the same – including the “Gang of Four.”

I live in District 4 and plan to vote for incumbent, Herb Brodsky, for the following reasons:

1. Experience – as a businessman and an LPEA Board president (three terms)

2. Effectiveness – many positive things accomplished during his tenure on the LPEA Board such as the option for member/customers to purchase all or a portion of their electricity from renewable sources; encouragement and support of installations of solar equipment on homes and businesses; the LPEA community grant program to aid nonprofits through the “round-up” program; free home energy audits; and energy conservation programs.

3. Availability – Herb has lived in Durango for 30 years, his phone number is listed in the phone directory and I know from experience that he is willing to discuss LPEA issues at any time; Herb rarely misses meetings and encourages members to attend the open meetings to interact with board members about issues.

If you live in District 4, please join me in voting for Herb Brodsky. If you are in another district, be sure you consider your vote carefully as we should always be concerned about candidates who seem to focus on a single issue.
– Ann Flatten, Durango