Colorado Energy Firms Look To Alternative Fuels
Published Apr 17, 2008
Since Colorado’s first oil refinery opened in Commerce City in 1930, the Metro North Region has had an impact on the nation’s energy supply. Now, as environmental concerns and unease over dependence on foreign oil are rising, the region’s U.S. Congressman, Mark Udall, is a leader in planning how to meet the nation’s future energy needs.
“All Coloradans have the opportunity to respond to the energy crisis facing our nation. While simple energy efficiency improvements should not be overlooked, biofuels, solar and wind have great potential in Colorado and in the Metro North Region,” Udall says.
Udall was a champion of Colorado’s law that requires a percentage of electricity generated in the state to be from renewable sources and has supported a bill with a similar requirement in United States House of Representatives.
Tri-State Generation and Transmission, which is headquartered in Westminster and provides power to electric cooperatives in four states, is not new to green energy. The company has offered its customers the option of buying electricity from renewable resources since 1998. According to Communications Manager Jim Van Someren, 13 percent of the energy sold by Tri-State comes from hydroelectric sources, which he considers “the original green energy.”
Tri-State soon will issue a second request for proposals to meet the additional need for renewable sources. “We will be adding a significant portion of renewable energy to our generation portfolio in order to meet the requirements of the law,” Van Someren says.
“A number of renewable energy companies have already located in the area, attracted by the many resources that the region offers as well as by state policies promoting renewable energy,” Udall says. “The Metro area is in a prime place to take advantage of renewable energy sources, not only to power our homes and economy, but to help the rest of the state and the country move forward.”
Fossil fuels are and will continue to be an important part of the energy portfolio, Udall says. “While I strongly support increasing our use of renewable fuels, it will be many years before renewable fuels will be in a position to meet all our energy needs.”
Commerce City’s oil refinery is now operated by Suncor Energy and is a significant contributor. The company’s two refineries have a combined capacity of more than 90,000 barrels a day, which amounts to about a third of Colorado’s gasoline and diesel fuel demand, including jet fuel provided to Denver International Airport. Udall says Suncor’s two refineries will continue to be a crucial part of the state’s economy.
“Expanding our energy pie means increasing energy efficiency as well as diversifying our fuel sources, to include renewable energy and traditional energy sources,” Udall says. “Suncor’s role in the expanding biofuels market will be critical.”
Story by Denise Mitchell
Photo by Michael W. Bunch
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