Co-ops Support Energy Efficiency

Theodore Duarte
Theodore Duarte is this year’s winner in the junior division. He is an eighth grade student from Dacono.

Ribbons, financial rewards and recognition for top Colorado science students are part of the Colorado Rural Electric Association’s Colorado State University Science & Engineering Fair sponsorship.

This year the multiple electricity-related presentations focused on energy efficiency. Finalists’ projects covered anaerobic digestion of food waste, testing lithium ion batteries, wind energy, the effects of air pollution on solar panel yield, the energy implications of smart devices, LED lighting and the savings gained through using electricity efficiently.

This year’s winner in the junior division was Theodore Duarte, an eighth grade student from Dacono whose presentation was on wind energy. The senior division winner was Sophia Markuson DiPrince, a 12th-grade student from Pueblo.

Sophia Markuson DiPrince
Sophia Markuson DiPrince is the winner of the senior division. She is a 12th-grade student from Pueblo.

Both of these students are invited to participate in CREA’s Energy Innovations Summit October 28.

Congratulations, Theodore and Sophia, on your winning projects at this year’s Colorado Science Fair.


Conservation Award Goes to K.C. Electric Consumer-Members

Mike and Julie Livingston of Kit Carson County received the 2019 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award®.

Leopold Conservation Award®

In Colorado, the award is presented annually by Sand County Foundation, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and several other ag-related groups. The Livingstons were presented with their award in June at the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association’s 2019 Annual Convention.

The Livings tons have demonstrated strong conservation practices after attending a ranching for profit school where they learned conservation practices like using cover crops, no-till and planned grazing. They now share what they have learned with others.


Pedal the Plans, Provide Heat Help

The Denver Post Pedal the PlatasColorado’s electric cooperatives are again joining forces to help sponsor the annual Pedal the Plains bike tour of eastern Colorado September 13-15.
Over three days, riders will bike from Lamar to Holly to Springfield and back to Lamar in Southeast Colorado Power Association’s territory. For those who want a few more miles, Saturday’s Centennial Ride will loop into a bit of Kansas before coming back to Colorado and on to Springfield.

The electric co-ops also sponsor a bike team that raises money for Energy Outreach Colorado, which helps struggling Coloradans pay their heat bills each winter. You are invited to join the team. Magazine readers, electric co-op consumer-members, co-op managers, board members, employees and friends and family of the co-op community are invited to participate.

Helping sponsor the electric co-op team this year are the Colorado Rural Electric Association, Colorado Country Life, Touchstone Energy, Gunnison County Electric in Gunnison, Highline Electric in Holyoke, Holy Cross Energy in Glenwood Springs, K.C. Electric in Hugo, Intermountain REA in Sedalia, Morgan County REA in Fort Morgan, Mountain View Electric in Limon and Falcon, Poudre Valley REA in Fort Collins, Southeast Colorado Power in La Junta, United Power in Brighton, White River Electric in Meeker and CREA’s law firm, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP.

Register to ride with the team at pedaltheplains.com and choose Colorado’s Electric Cooperatives from the “Join a team” drop down menu. More information is available from team captain Cassi Gloe at 720-407-0712 or cgloe@coloradocountrylife.org.