The City of Glenwood Springs, Colo., in June became the second wholesale electric participant of the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) to attain its 100 percent renewable energy goal, securing enough electric generation production from renewable resources to meet the City’s annual electric usage.
Aspen, Colo., another wholesale power participant of MEAN, fulfilled its 100 percent renewable goal in 2015.
Formed in 1981, MEAN provides wholesale electric supply and energy-related services to its 69 member and participating communities in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming.
The City of Glenwood Springs’ new contract, which began June 1, replaces a 10-year contract with MEAN that was set to expire in 2022.
The MEAN Board of Directors and Management Committee approved the contract extension at their quarterly joint meeting in May.
“Being a member-driven organization, we were pleased to be able to assist the City of Glenwood Springs to fulfill its renewable energy goal,” said Bob Poehling, executive director/CEO of MEAN. “MEAN has a long history of working with its member-owners to fulfill their energy needs. As renewable energy continues to gain momentum we are committed to working with those member-owners that seek to add it to their energy portfolios.”
Glenwood Springs’ energy portfolio mix includes renewable energy from MEAN’s renewable energy resources as well as its federal hydro allocation from the Western Area Power Administration.
Last year, MEAN expanded its renewable energy portfolio by signing a power purchase agreement for the output of the new Kimball, Neb., wind facility, which has a nameplate capacity of 30 megawatts.
Along with the Kimball facility, MEAN’s wind resource pool includes energy from five other wind facilities in Nebraska and South Dakota.
With Glenwood Springs and Aspen, MEAN now serves two of the seven communities nationwide that have made the commitment to purchase their annual electric consumption from renewable sources.
