In our region, there is the potential for biorefining, for growing more energy crops to produce biofuels, and for exploring more renewable and alternative energy industries. We are also looking to pursue the development of energy crops for biofuel production, and looking into the possibilities and potentials of biorefining.

ENERGY: PRESENT AND FUTURE

Energy is already an important industry in Southeast Colorado. We are looking to increase production in alternative, renewable energy including solar energy and wind energy.

The Colorado Green Wind Power Project, located 23 miles south of Lamar, consists of 108 wind turbines that stand 328 feet tall across 11,000 acres. Only 2% of the 11,000 acres of prairie are used for the wind farm. The rest are used for ranching and grazing purposes. Prowers County has five additional wind turbines generating power for Lamar Light and Power.

Biofuel – Biofuels can be described as the fuel for the future. While solar power and wind turbines are alternative sources of electricity, these technologies do not reduce our need for transportation fuels. All biofuels and bio-based products come from “biomass”, a term that covers all living or recently living biological material which can be used as fuel or for industrial production.

Biofuels can be separated into three basic categories: ethanol (primarily used in cars; alcohol, usually made from corn or sugar cane), biodiesel (a substitute for diesel fuel, used mostly by truckers in US, but is increasing popularity in diesel cars…commonly made from soybeans…based on oils), and other biomass (used for generation of electricity or heat…for example collecting methane from manure piles).

In the SEBREA region, there is potential for bio refining, growing more energy crops, and for exploring more renewable and alternative energy industries.

Big Bear Oil and Gas – The economic development professionals at SEBREA have an open mind about energy production in our region. Oil and gas exploration provides significant income for some landowners in Kiowa and Bent Counties. Colorado Interstate Gas has a pumping substation located 13 miles north of Eads along US Highway 287. Fracking is another active and growing industry in Colorado. Our region has acreage available for profitable fracking sites.

By 2050 one third of the world’s energy will come from solar, wind and other renewal energy sources. Every day we are seeing how alternative energies play a bigger role in the nation’s economy.

Solar Energy – In 2011, the International Energy Agency said that,

The development of affordable, inexhaustible and clean solar energy technologies will have huge longer-term benefits. It will increase countries’ energy security through reliance on an indigenous, inexhaustible and mostly import-independent resource, enhance sustainability, reduce pollution, lower the costs of mitigating climate change, and keep fossil fuel prices lower than otherwise. These advantages are global.

The potential for solar energy in SEBREA’s region is great.

Wind Energy –The Colorado Green Wind Power Project, located 23 miles south of Lamar, is the largest in the world. There are 108 wind turbines that stand 328 feet tall across 11,000 acres. Only 2% of the 11,000 acres of prairie are used for the wind farm. The rest are used for ranching and grazing purposes. Prowers County has five additional wind turbines generating power for Lamar Light and Power.