Earth Equity News

Colorado's Second-Largest Utility Considers Nuclear. By Andy Vuong, Denver Post, April 7, 2008. "Amid growing criticism about its heavy reliance on coal-fired power, the [board of directors of the] state's second-largest utility, [Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association]… voted recently to have its staff study nuclear as a possibility for [a] site in [southeastern Colorado] near Holly. The company secured the site and necessary water rights for a plant that could either be coal-fired or nuclear... The staff was directed to pursue potential partners... 'We're at a crossroads here, in more ways than one,' [said board chairman Harold Thompson at Tri-State's annual meeting]... Incoming general manager Ken Anderson... will be on the hot seat once he takes over in July. He said he is committed to coal because of its relatively low cost, but is open to other sources... 'We own coal, we have faith in coal, we know about its reliability,' he said… The company said it has to continue to rely on coal because its rural customers require a constant load and renewables aren't suitable for base-load generation and natural gas prices are too volatile."