Meeker

Electric co-ops disappointed by Hickenlooper’s approval of SB-252

MEEKER I Colorado’s not-for-profit electric cooperatives are deeply disappointed that Gov. Jon Hickenlooper chose to sign Senate Bill 13-252, which doubles cooperative renewable energy mandates with no additional time for compliance and raises electric rates for rural Coloradans when they can least afford it.
“We met with Gov. Hickenlooper twice to discuss rural communities’ significant concerns with the bill,” said Kent Singer, executive director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association. “By the time the bill arrived at his desk, the many flaws in the bill could be addressed only with a veto.”
A broad range of stakeholders, including the state’s leading business groups, rural coalitions, agricultural producers and labor unions, joined Colorado’s electric cooperatives to ask the governor to veto the bill.
“Despite our efforts to reach out to proponents, the bill was introduced in the Legislature with no consultation with the state’s cooperatives and was rushed through the process with little time and effort by the legislative leadership to find compromise,” Singer said. “We asked the governor to veto the bill and convene an inclusive stakeholder process that could have led to a compromise.”
For electric cooperatives, the costs and the time required to implement the bill could be significant and include the construction of new transmission infrastructure to deliver electricity and new power plants to balance and back-up renewable resources.
“We shared with the governor how we are meeting our obligation under the existing renewable energy mandate and how the bill introduces new risks for our existing facilities and renewable projects that were planned prior to the introduction of the bill,” said Ken Anderson, general manager and executive vice president of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. “Regrettably for rural Coloradans, the governor chose to sign a flawed bill into flawed law.”
For Tri-State, the wholesale power supplier to 18 member electric cooperatives in Colorado and 26 member electric cooperatives in Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming, the new law impacts its current operations and its ongoing efforts to develop additional renewable resources. Tri-State issued a request for proposals for additional renewable energy resources earlier in 2013.
Tri-State and the impacted electric cooperatives will continue to evaluate the new law to determine appropriate next steps to best protect the interests of their member-owners and the communities that depend on Tri-State’s existing facilities.
Electric cooperatives support the expanded use of renewable energy and in 2007 worked collaboratively with the Legislature and Gov. Bill Ritter to pass the existing 10 percent renewable energy standard for electric cooperatives.
“CREA and Tri-State want to thank the legislators who valiantly opposed the bill and the broad coalition that supported rural Colorado through the legislative process and with the governor,” Singer said. “Together they helped give voice to the reasoned concerns of rural Coloradans.”
White River Electric’s General Manager Dick Welle said, “White River Electric continues to be concerned with the costs associated with the SB 252’s mandates. Tri-State reported that the costs to comply with 252 were going to be significant, but at this point we just don’t know the exact dollar impact or when our consumer’s will see those increases.
“White River Electric will continue to work with CREA and Tri-State to explore the best possible ways to manage these consequences to our members,” he said.”

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  • Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
  • The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
  • It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
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Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
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  • It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
6 hours ago
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The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
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It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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View on Instagram |
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Meeker FFA Chapter members competed at the District Leadership Development Event in Craig, Colorado, this month. Top row from left to right: Eva Scritchfield, Charlie Rogers, Alan Rivera, Trent Sanders, Koy Weber, Orion Musser, Said Rodriguez, Carlos Carrillo, Aidan Tapia, Hayden Garcia, Tristan Rollins, Mathew Willey, Quentin Simpson. Middle row: Sidney Keetch, Aurora Stallings, Sydnie Ross, Ava Nay, Lili Piper, Leah Wood. Bottom Row: Jaicee Simmons, Kailynn Watson, Cody Richardson, Kayla Castillo, Braydin Raley, Autumn Stallings, Aimee Shults, Emily Hamm. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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