All Entries in the "Energy" Category
Holly Trustee Vote Set for April 5
Ballots will be cast at Holly’s City Complex for the April 5th municipal election this year. The Complex is at 200 South 3rd Street and will be open for balloting from 7am to 7pm, according to town clerk, Megan Jara. Current Trustees, Marty Campbell and Larry Sitts are running for re-election and Holly residents, […]
February 2016 Drought Update – Colorado Water Conservation Board
Statewide precipitation, as of February 16, is at 106% of average. January brought beneficial storms to the state but so far in February, Colorado has only experienced 77% of average precipitation. This recent lull in precipitation is not unusual at this time of the year. The spring months will be the key to […]
ARPA and LUB Are Settling Lawsuit
The lawsuit between Lamar Light and Power and ARPA, Arkansas River Power Authority is drawing to a close and is expected to conclude following ARPA’s monthly meeting set for Thursday, February 25th. Utility Board members voted to approve a proposed settlement with ARPA, Case Number 14CV30045, during their meeting Tuesday, February 23rd. Following an […]
Ports to Plains Travel Plaza Saves with LED Conversion
Lamar, CO, January 11, 2016 – Ports to Plains Travel Plaza has completed an energy efficient LED lighting upgrade to their entire facility that cuts lighting energy use by 50 to 75 percent. This was accomplished by upgrading to the latest LED (light emitting diode) lighting for indoor store ceiling lighting, gas station canopy lights, […]
Colorado Ranks 5th in Nation for LEED Green Building
DENVER — Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016 – Gov. John Hickenlooper today announced Colorado ranks fifth in the nation for LEED green building in 2015, as released by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED-certified spaces use less energy and water resources, save money for families, businesses and taxpayers, reduce carbon emissions and create a healthier […]
Lamar Light Plant Announces Scholarship Topic
Applications are being accepted for the 2016/2017 scholarship program at Lamar Light and Power. Superintendent Houssin Hourieh informed board members this past week about the annual program which combines a $500 donation from the Light Plant with a $500 donation from Arkansas River Power Authority for seniors from Wiley, Lamar and McClave high schools. […]
Need a Charge? Give Your Car a Boost in Lamar
Electric powered car owners will be able to charge up in Lamar in the near future, according to Stephanie Gonzales, Executive Director of SECED, Southeast Colorado Enterprise Development. She told the Prowers County Commissioners recently, a grant application to Colorado Charge Ahead from November has been approved. “We don’t have any charge units for electric […]
Lamar Light and Power Continues to Upgrade Equipment for 2016
Houssin Hourieh, Lamar Light and Power Superintendent, told the Utility Board members that some expenditures have been budgeted for 2016 to update aging and outdated equipment. The plant will focus on power station relays for the 25 & 69 kilovolt substation equipment. He noted, “The relays were manufactured in the 1960s and we can’t […]
Housekeeping Meeting Closes Lamar Utilities Board Year
Several annual housekeeping events were approved during the final Lamar Utility Board meeting on Tuesday, December 15th. One resolution establishes the interest rate paid on utility deposits and is drafted according to the regulations set by the state Public Utility Commission. The rate, set back in 2011, holds steady at 0.34% per year. The […]
Lamar Utility Board Reviews Recent Outages, Delinquent Payments
Nine power poles were lost in the November 17th snowstorm that brought drifts and power outages to southeast Colorado. Lamar Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh, told the board that strong winds out of the north affected the east-west run of power lines with accumulated icing. “It caused some of the protection devices to operate and […]
Crews Restore Power, Remove Tree from Semi
Tuesday’s storm front brought strong winds to the Lamar area and a dusting of horizontal snow, while Granada and Holly had to deal with greater accumulations. Highway 287 south of Lamar was closed due to lack of visibility and El Paso County donated several tread-mounted vehicles to reach stranded motorists. Some Lamar residents living on […]
Prowers Gas Gathering Requests Contract Review from LUB
Art Pansze, a partner and manager of Prowers Gas Gathering, requested a review of the contract his company has with the Lamar Utilities Board during their November 10th meeting. Citing the lower price for natural gas prices over the past four years and the cost of drilling new wells, Pansze requested consideration for the $120,000 […]
Utility Board Gains New Member
Michael Horning, Lamar businessman, was sworn in as the latest member of the Lamar Utility Board, replacing the vacancy left when Michael Bryant’s term expired. Judge Stanley Brinkley administered his oath of office at the Lamar Light Plant offices on Tuesday afternoon, October 27th. He will serve a five year term until 2020. Board chairman, […]
Hickenlooper Community Forum Covers Rural Business Growth, Health, Marijuana
Governor Hickenlooper, accompanied by several state cabinet members, took questions from the Lamar audience and provided a general overview of Colorado issues during a Town Forum at the Lamar Community Building last Thursday, September 24. “Colorado is ranked as a state in the top-level of several categories across the country,” the governor remarked in his […]
Light Plant Okays Equipment Replacements
The Lamar Utility Board approved four bids totaling $78,709 for various replacement stock items ranging from 40 and 45 foot wooden power poles, pole mount transformers, wooden crossarms and 40 foot iron ductile poles. Lamar Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh, has explained this past summer that the plant will need to continue to purchase replacement […]
Arkansas Valley Conduit Project is Updated
The alignment of the Arkansas Valley Conduit project was updated for Prowers County Commissioners and interested citizens during an informational meeting on Wednesday, September 2. The $400M project, to move 15 million gallons of water per day to 39 entities between Pueblo and Lamar, was proposed in the early 1960s. Because of lack of funding, […]
ARPA Lighting Project Completed in Lamar Library
Improved and lower cost LED lighting fixtures are now evident in the libraries of Arkansas River Power Authority member communities. The year long conversion project is coming to a close after the court-mandated project was announced last year. A dedication ceremony was held at the Cultural Events Center in Lamar, adjacent to the Lamar […]
PCDI Focus on Housing Market, Proactive Business Viewpoint
Adequate housing has been a key factor in the list of economic development priorities in Prowers County. The need for construction of higher priced housing to match potential demand was discussed by the Prowers County Development Incorporated board during their monthly meeting on August 25. Interim Director, George Gotto, recapped a conversation initiated by […]
Storm Repair Efforts Recapped at LUB Meeting
Rick Beard assumed the duties of the interim chairman of the Lamar Utilities Board during the regular meeting held on Tuesday, August 25. Beard moved into that position when former chairman, Michael Bryant, said he would not serve another four year term due to time constraints. Beard will act as interim chairman until a […]
ARPA Considers a New Rate Structure
Municipal member communities of ARPA, Arkansas River Power Authority, may see a change in their electric rate structure pending the outcome of a cost of service electric rate study commissioned by the organization. During the group’s monthly meeting held in Las Animas last month, members hired JK Energy Consulting to conduct a study which provided […]