Cortez plugged into a $500,000 New Energy Communities Initiative grant from the state for construction of an approximately $2 million micro-hydroelectric power plant. The new micro-hydroelectric power generation unit will be located about a mile north of Cortez along County Road N, according to City Manager Jay Harrington. The power plant will provide a base level of electrical power directly into Empire Electric's local distribution network. "We originally asked the state for $1.4 million, but we're happy to get the $500,000 for this project," Harrington said...
Colorado's new-energy initiative directed $10 million in Energy Impact Assistance Funds to 14 regional efforts, with a maximum of $2 million per region. Grants via the state's energy initiative were announced Tuesday.
The city will have to finance the balance of the $1.9 million power-plant project, according to Harrington...
Overall, the Cortez power project will generate an estimated 1.4 million kilowatts per year. The facility will produce about half of the power the city uses within its facilities, Harrington said. Timing of the Cortez project depends on the acquisition of a Federal Regulatory Energy Commission permit for operation of the micro-hydroelectric plant. However, Harrington said the city is upbeat for a 2009 construction date...
Cortez Mayor Orly Lucero called the $500,000 grant a positive step in helping the city move forward to produce cleaner energy. "This (grant) is a tremendous opportunity for the city and is a step in the right direction for clean-energy development in our community," Lucero said.
