Energizer Newsletter
June 10, 2008
Volume 1, Issue 9
The Live Wire EmPowered E3 (Extension’s Energy Exchange)
by Leigh Fortson
Extension Regional Communications Coordinator and REA (Renewable Energy Advocate)
Extension
Recent and Interesting
CSU Energy Survey Results
Thanks to those of you who responded to our in-house energy survey. We didn’t receive what you would call an outstanding response, but we can still glean some ideas and good information from the results below.
So far, there aren’t a lot of calls coming in about energy issues, but for those who do get calls, here’s what is being asked:
- 1. When people call about making their homes more energy efficient, they want to know specifically about:
- a. Window replacements, window coverings.
- b. Window treatments to hold in heat or block out heat.
- c. Appliance energy use for making purchasing decisions.
- d. Window purchasing tips.
- e. Lighting.
- f. Heating systems.
- 2. When people call about wind, they want to know primarily how to power their home or ag operation with wind through their utility. They also want to know:
- a. If wind will work in their area.
- b. How much wind they need to power a home.
- c. About tax incentives or rebates.
- d. The process of hooking up to the power grid.
- e. Leasing land for wind production.
- 3. When people call about solar, they want to know primarily how much it will cost to install solar panels. They also want to know about:
- a. Where to find units for small buildings such as well houses, dog houses or out buildings.
- b. How to pick the best system for their home and how long it will take to pay off with energy savings.
- c. If it’s feasible for their home in this area.
- d. Incentives or tax rebate or grant programs.
- e. Getting off the grid, pump water, heat house.
- f. Types of solar panels; installation.
- 4. When people call about biodiesel or biofuels, their primary concerns are about the political aspects of using food-based fuels, which crops are best for biofuels, and how to get involved in developing biofuels. They also want to know about:
- a. Biofuels and water.
- b. Economic development opportunities related to Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic.
- c. On farm processing equipment.
- d. The market situation, outlook and impacts on livestock producers.
- 5. Only one call was recorded regarding geothermal, and no calls were recorded for hydropower.
- 6. When people call about fossil fuel use, they want to know primarily about how oil and gas exploration impacts water quality. They also want to know about:
- a. Prices and impacts on fertilizer and other costs.
- b. Energy efficiency in ag. especially diesel use in tillage.
- c. The energy efficiency of livestock feeding.
- d. How to understand how to deal with landmen and negotiating and interpreting leases.
- e. How to remediate soil around wells and downstream from the purge water holding ponds (high salt water impacting soil salinity).
- f. Community impacts of oil and gas development.
- g. Severance tax and other policies.
- h. Custom rate information to account for inflating fuel costs in farming operations.
- i. Some just want to express their anger about the price of oil.
- 7. The few calls received about fuel efficient vehicles were inquiring about whether they were really cost effective.
- 8. Those who called about CSU’s research into renewable energy wanted to know:
- a. The latest information CSU has to offer.
- b. What crops we are developing for biofuels, etc.
- c. Solar applications, especially AVA thin film.
- d. Biodiesel crops and oil producing algae production/farming.
- e. Economic viability of renewable fuel feedstock production.
- f. Copies of the wind energy publication.
- 9. Other energy-related calls agents received were about:
- a. Coal Bed Methane discharge affects to water quality.
- b. How to manage the oil companies? How can we support the energy companies? How to contact the Colorado Energy Commission?
- c. The new farm bill on cellulosic bioenergy.
- d. The Cost of energy, impacts of ethanol and energy prices on agricultural producers and sectors (mostly livestock).
- e. Impacts of higher fuel prices on food costs.
- f. Alternative construction, i.e. adobe, straw bales, rammed earth, pit houses.
- g. How people are going to deal with the rising cost of energy, not only in relation to personal vehicles and home heating, but food prices. This is especially critical for low or fixed income individuals and families.
- h. Heating and lighting questions in regards to time of replacement or purchases.
- i. Energy of farming and how this fits into sustainability, carbon sequestration, impacts of mineral exploration and reclamation.
- 10. What kind of programs would you like Extension to offer to support communities to become more energy efficient or “greener?”
- Programs on how small land owners could increase their green footprint and apply renewable resources where possible.
- Information on what equipment is available, how much it costs, and where to buy both solar and wind power.
- Faculty-supported presentations that address the many energy issues.
- Fact sheets for distribution.
- Mainly solar on the western slope and intermountain areas.
- Information on the financial assistance available because all co-ops are different on what they have in the way of programs.
- Specifics on wind programs, i.e. most counties have policies on putting up towers and a land use change must be done in order to have one.
- Considerations for energy/insulation audits (criteria to consider when selecting a contractor for an energy/insulation audit).
- More discussion on reducing future demand for energy such as the use of solar water heaters as part of building and zoning requirements in new construction.
- For those planning new construction, have consumers, realtors, appraisers and builders as possible audiences.
- Colorado agriculture serving to sequester carbon through reduced and no-till farming and increased use of perennial pasture grasses, grazing on CRP, CAFO capture of methane, etc.
- Energy audits, wind energy development guidelines and potential pitfalls in land lease contracts, renewable energy crop production research.
- How to work with homeowners to understand how to evaluate feasible options in alternative energy sources for their home or business.
- 11. Other comments, ideas or feedback regarding energy issues:
- There is a lot of information about the energy concerns and different ways to save energy. There isn’t much information about unique or different uses. Most concerns the whole house or fossil fuel. There needs to be information about selecting a companyand how to determine the cost effectiveness of different systems within, for example, the solar industry.
- How do you determine the most cost effective system for your home? There needs to be a spreadsheet or something to differentiate companies. This is the greatest opportunity that CSU and Extension has to do community outreach and create community value.
- This survey only looks at current/past requests for information. We are currently not in the public eye on energy issues. If we become active and are knowledgeable we will be sought out for our unbiased information, but we need the right stuff (trainings, fact sheets, a specialist, etc.) in place before we market ourselves as having the answers.
- Gunnison is fairly “green” and we have a very active Office of Resource Efficiency that provides education to homeowners, not that we couldn’t complement them though.
- Solar is our big push if we can get a handle on the price.
- Our niche right now can be in the area of private homeowners/small business energy information and resources.
- I don’t see us filling the role of contractors but more of providing the information needed to successfully interact with contractors.
- I don’t get calls on energy issues.
- When I visit with agriculture folks the conversation gets around to ethanol production driving grain prices higher. Most farmers and ranchers that I work with seem to believe that replacing petroleum energy with something else is going to be costly and mostly inefficient. They think it is utterly preposterous to use food and feed grains for fuel. They don’t buy into global warming after fighting off 2 of the worst winters in the past 10-15 years. Most agree that the climate is changing but will tell you they noticed it several years ago, long before it became a popular issue, since they really are tuned in to their surroundings and what is happening on the ground. They certainly don’t believe that people have that much influence on climate; as a matter of fact several have commented that they think that belief to be the ultimate conceit. They believe climate change is natural; they’ve listened to their grandparents and great grandparents talk about the weather and climate up to a hundred years ago and believe that weather/climate is cyclic and has more to do with solar activity than human activity. They are mildly interested in alternative fuels for machinery and vehicles from the standpoint of less cost but seem to be resigned to the fact that cheap fuel is a thing of the past. They are skeptical that alternative fuels will result in less cost over the long run. All in all these folks are independent and conservative in their views. I also work with small acreage owners whose main concern is CBM development and its impact on either their property or property close by. They really don’t talk, or ask questions about alternative energy. The folks I work closest with recognize that because of the dependency on fossil fuels CBM production isn’t going to go away. My read on the opinion of residents in general is that they are tired of high energy prices but don’t see a cheaper alternative on the immediate horizon. They view the high prices being a result of supply and demand and do not see changes in supply coming soon enough to relieve the prices.
- I think there might be some interest by ranchers and farmers in establishing small solar setups if they can put the energy produced on the grid. I’m planning on trying to hold an informational meeting this summer. Is there someone I can talk to at the Governor’s Office that might be willing to be a presenter at such a meeting and explain any cost share benefits that landowners might be eligible for? (Dean Oatman)
- An issue that I have not heard discussed is the affect of the energy cost on us as field staff. Our clientele are spread over a large geographic area and our travel budgets are trashed!
- Money management or savings so you can avoid the increased cost of water and energy uses. When we had an Energy Extension program run out of our office we were a source of this information but now we have entirely new customers who do not ask for this and those who have an interest are not aware that we exist or could provide such information.
- I worry that in some cases, we are pushing renewable fuels and renewable fuel production on farmers without a good look at the economic impact of their renewable energy decisions. While I’m in favor of farmers becoming “green” in the production and use of renewable fuels, I’m not in favor of having them drain their pocketbooks to do so. As an Ag. Economist, I plan to forward materials and research into the dollars and cents of renewables so all constituents can make informed decisions.
One More Energy Survey
The Western Regional Extension energy survey is in its final week. For those who have not yet taken the survey, please do so by Monday, June 16th. The link to the survey is: www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB227TFQBXRSQ. The data from this survey will be used to assist in determining Extension’s energy related priorities for the future. They want to make sure they have as large a data set as possible upon which to base their planning. This could be useful and impact Extension systems all across the U.S. Please participate.
CSU Energy Website
To learn more about wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels, visit our energy website at: www.ext.colostate.edu/energy.
Agent Input & News
So far, we have about 20 agents and specialists from across the state that will be joining Bryan Willson and the Clean Energy Supercluster for a brainstorming meeting in Fort Collins on Monday, September 29th. This is a rare opportunity to come together with some of the greatest minds in renewable research and figure out how Extension can be part of their work, and how they can support us in our efforts. The meeting is scheduled on the Monday before our annual Forum, so hopefully it will be convenient to come a day or so early. Time and place to be determined. If you’d like to come, please RSVP to me at Leigh.Fortson@colostate.edu.
GEO Update (www.colorado.gov/energy)
This website is always full of up-to-date information. Check it out on a regular basis—especially if you think you have a project that will go “in the ground” soon. They have money for projects like that and want very much to get as many things “in the ground” as possible, as soon as possible.
Upcoming Opportunities
If biofuels are of interest to you—especially given the hot politics that surround them—consider going to Transition to a Bioeconomy: Risks, Infrastructure and Industry Evolution. It will take place June 24-25 in Berkeley, California.
The focus of the conference will be in the impact of public policies that create mandates for specific types of biofuel production, tax credits or tariffs on imports, and the volatile biofuels business sector.
In addition to policy risks and consequences, conference sessions will also address new market relationships of ethanol, corn and gasoline; how biofuels are impacting other segments of the market; and the bioeconomy’s impacts at the farm level. Other sessions will address legal, financial, transportation and public policy infrastructure issues; and the challenges and opportunities of the next decade in research, education, business and finance.
For more information, go to: www.farmfoundation.org.
Furthermore
Go to hes.lbl.gov/hes/db/zip.shtml and you can do an online calculation of your own energy use and carbon footprint. It’s easy to use. Tell your communities about it.
Hope you like the photos. I couldn’t resist. Colorado is just too beautiful. And we live here!!
Leigh Fortson
Extension Regional Communications Coordinator and REA (Renewable Energy Advocate)
Colorado State University Extension
2764 Compasss Drive, Suite 232
Grand Junction, CO 81506-8746
(970) 241-3346, FAX (970) 241-3643
leigh.Fortson@ColoState.EDU
Updated Monday, August 29, 2011