Ritter said $2.2 million in federal stimulus funds would be provided for a number of projects. On the docket are a small hydroelectric project in the town of Basalt; solar-energy systems at the headquarters of camping-gear company Big Agnes and Colorado State University; and energy-efficiency upgrades at a senior housing complex in Rio Blanco County.
"These grants mean jobs, energy savings and lower utility bills for taxpayers across Colorado," the governor said.
Tom Plant, the director of the state's energy office, added that the projects being funded "help accelerate market penetration of proven clean-energy technologies."
Improvements in energy efficiency and green-energy technologies are worthwhile investments. While the projects that the Colorado government is funding do require upfront spending, they will produce energy savings for years to come. For cost-conscious nonprofit organizations like the Visiting Nurses Association in Denver, the Aurora Mental Health Center and the Good Samaritan Society in Simla, the investments will be particularly welcome.
