Latest News
Secretary Salazar Unveils Conservation Vision for San Luis Valley
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012Trinchera Ranch included as part of landscape to be protected
United States Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar last week announced several initiatives aimed at protecting and promoting a vast range of historic and geographic sites located in the San Luis Valley, specifically including Trinchera Ranch in the area deserving protection. Governor John Hickenlooper and United States Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet were also on hand to support the initiatives.
A recently released report on the San Luis Valley and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which was commissioned by the Secretary, makes three recommendations:
- Request Congressional authorization to study and evaluate means to protect historic sites;
- Conduct an updated resource study of Vermejo Park Ranch;
- Create a corridor of conservation easements consisting of public and private lands.
The corridor of conservation, as outlined in the report, would include private properties along the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico and Colorado, including the 172,000-acre Trinchera Ranch. The corridor would protect an iconic landscape and important wildlife habitat, but keep property in private ownership. Trinchera Ranch was lauded by the Secretary for its outstanding commitment to conservation and improvement of wildlife habitat over several decades.
The initiatives were announced as part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative.
To read the news articles from the event, as well as the Secretary’s report, please visit the links below.
The Denver Post: Salazar, Colorado leaders push to preserve much of San Luis Valley
Alamosa Valley Courier: San Luis Valley heritage study underway
Pueblo Chieftain: Salazar proposes to preserve history of San Luis Valley’s past
Report: San Luis Valley and Central Sangre de Cristo Mountains Reconnaissance Survey
PSCo Customers Pay Much More Than the 2% Rate Cap for Renewable Energy
Friday, December 9th, 2011Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo) has been allowed to circumvent the consumer protections that were intended to cap ratepayers’ costs for renewable energy. The result is that ratepayers are paying much more than they’ve been led to believe to fund PSCo’s renewable energy strategy.
Through a series of complex financial mechanisms, PSCo ratepayers are now paying considerably more than the 2% limit they were promised for renewable resources, according to a filing Trinchera Ranch made to the Public Utilities Commission on December 2.
Due to a lack of transparency in the system, ratepayers may believe that the costs for renewable resources are funded entirely by the 2% Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment (RESA) rider that shows up on their bills. Instead, the rider does not include costs for nearly half of the renewable resources on Public Service’s system and is based on dramatically underestimated forecasts of the costs of the renewable resources that are covered by the rider.
“Despite the clear intent of both the voters and the Legislature with respect to this so-called maximum retail rate impact cap, both the spirit of this funding limit and likely the letter of the law have been ignored,” charged Trinchera in its filing before the PUC.
You can read the filing in its entirety here.
Denver Post Applauds Xcel Decision to Walk Away
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
Still sees threat to Ranch, opportunity in utilizing existing corridor
Today, the Denver Post complimented Xcel’s recent decision to back away from a proposed transmission line over La Veta Pass. The Editorial also notes that they would like to see Tri-State look at alternatives, specifically a “scaled-back project…in the existing corridor” to address reliability issues in the San Luis Valley.
We welcome the Denver Post’s recognition of the current playing field and will continue our fight toward a win-win solution. We know, as does Tri-State, that the Valley can have improved electrical reliability, increased renewable energy projects and protect a spectacular part of Colorado through other cheaper, better alternatives.
Below is the Denver Post editorial:
Editorial: Tri-State and Trinchera should seek compromise
With Xcel dropping plans for a solar transmission line through the historic ranch, we hope the smaller utility finds a new plan.
By The Denver Post
Xcel Energy’s decision to walk away from a $180 million power line project is good news for the historic Trinchera Ranch and owner Louis Bacon, but the danger to the scenic treasure is not over.
That’s because another utility, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, is still interested in the idea.
That’s an unfortunate and, in our view, unnecessary development.
Continue reading the editorial here.
New Plan Outlines Xcel’s Reasons for Dropping Transmission Proposal
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011In another filing made by Xcel earlier this week, they outlined their specific plans to walk away from the proposed transmission line over La Veta Pass. Citing success in meeting Colorado’s renewable energy requirements without the line, decreased electric demand, low natural gas prices and tax credits set to expire, Xcel clearly presents their justification to no longer pursue this project.
Here are a few examples from the report that Xcel uses to justify their decision:
- Continued Statewide Decline in Energy Demand: “The need for 2018 has dropped from a projected need of over 2000 MW in 2007…to now only 292 MW today.”
- Expensive Large-Scale Solar vs. Cheap Natural Gas: “the incremental costs of this form of solar facility (over natural gas alternatives) call into question whether this technology would be considered now to be a ‘cost-effective’ resource.”
- Expiring Tax Credits: Xcel is “pessimistic about the extension of the 30% Investment Tax Credit for solar beyond 2016 (after which time it is scheduled to be reduced to 10%).”
- Xcel satisfied 30% RES through 2028: Xcel describes other relevant factors in its 2011 Electric Resource Plan, including that Xcel can “expect to be in compliance with…the RES through 2028.”
We will continue to share updates and new information as we receive it and just what that information means for the Valley. In the meantime, we remain committed to fighting for a win-win solution for the people of the Valley that helps to improve energy reliability, bolsters renewable energy and conserves and protects this spectacular region of Colorado.
Xcel Backs Away from San Luis Valley Power Line
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011Xcel, late yesterday, announced that for financial and other reasons the proposed Southern Colorado transmission line no longer makes sense. In its electric resource plan filed with the PUC, Xcel highlights several factors that led to its decision, including the economy and reduced energy demand. Our immediate reaction is below:
“The plan Xcel released yesterday is a significant development. We are analyzing it and need to identify what it means for the proposed transmission project. Most importantly, we want to understand what it means for the San Luis Valley.
Trinchera Ranch remains committed to fighting for a win-win solution for the people of the Valley that helps to improve energy reliability, bolsters renewable energy and conserves and protects this spectacular region of Colorado,” said Cody Wertz, Trinchera spokesman.
While we review and analyze the filing’s hundreds of pages, we wanted to share a few articles from yesterday’s filing, they are included below.
Denver Post, “Xcel may kill controversial San Luis Valley power-line project”
Denver Business Journal, “Xcel to back away from San Luis Valley power line”
Pueblo Chieftain, “Xcel likely to drop SLV solar, transmission line proposal”