Many of us wonder what more we can do about the climate crisis. Here\u2019s one thing: support the proposed solar project north of the airport runway.<\/p>\n
The Aspen Sanitation District is going green. Who knew? Already they\u2019ve done a lot to reduce their electricity use by swapping out-of-date equipment for energy-efficient replacements. Now they\u2019re taking the responsible next step. They, along with Holy Cross, are proposing a 5-megawatt solar-electric facility across the valley from, and at the same level as, the Brush Creek intercept lot. Details at http:\/\/www.pitkincountysolar.com\/about-the-project<\/a>.<\/p>\n The planning commission will pass judgment on the solar project July 16. My tiny contribution was to write a supportive note to planneroftheday@pitkincounty.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Not only would this project address climate change, it would reduce the Sanitation District\u2019s operating costs, and it could be part of a larger effort (e.g. micro-grid) to make the uppervalley less vulnerable to grid failure, which very nearly happened during last summer\u2019s fire on Basalt Mountain.<\/p>\n Though we think of ourselves as green in the upper Roaring Fork Valley, it\u2019s hard to find solar installations here \u2014 while ironically there\u2019s lots of solar in Garfield County, which many regard as oil-and-gas country. Let\u2019s do our part, and maybe catch up with Garfield\u2019s solar efforts.<\/p>\n Michael Kinsley<\/p>\n Old Snowmas<\/p>\n