Main MenuA revolution in hydropower makes waves in rural Colorado
Carl Segerstrom of High Country News dives into the evolution of small hydroelectric facilities in Montrose, utilizing irrigation canals. The Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association is spearheading the initiative.
Small hydropower is not a silver bullet to sate our energy appetite. But in places like Montrose and Delta counties it is already playing an important role. The five hydropower projects of the UVWUA are generating about half a million dollars of annual profit for the water users association, which it uses to keep rates low and reinvest in improving water infrastructure. The facilities, which the association is eyeing to add to in the future, account for about 13 percent of the power used by the roughly 70,000 people served by the Delta-Montrose Electric Association. “An old cowboy once told me every blade of grass is important,” Anderson says. “Well, every electron is, too.”
https://www.hcn.org/articles/hydropower-a-revolution-in-hydropower-takes-root-in-rural-colorado