geothermal

Regional News Roundup

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By Christopher Kolomitz

Farewell Campy

SALIDA – Laurence Campton, a well known Salidan, died April 13 at the age of 95. Known as “Campy” throughout the community, Campton moved to the area in 1949 and had just celebrated his 75th wedding anniversary with wife Daisy. He survived imprisonment during World War II, was the 1959 FIBArk down-river race champion and in the early 1950s and ‘60s served as the manager of the Salida Chamber of Commerce, The Mountain Mail reported. He retired from the Chaffee County Road and Bridge Department in 1984 and a few months later began a 21-year stint as the county veteran service officer.

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Regional News Roundup

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Big Changes at the USPS

On Feb. 23, after a five-month study, the U.S. Postal Service announced it would be consolidating 223 centers across the country sometime after May 15

In Colorado, post offices in Salida, Alamosa, Durango and Colorado Springs will be affected by the decision. What this means for Colorado Central subscribers is that the magazine (and all other mail sent from Salida for that matter) will first be re-routed to Denver for sorting and then delivered back to Salida (sounds more efficient to us, right?). Normally, locals get the magazine the next day but the new rules will add several more days to the delivery time. Our Front Range subscribers may see their copies sooner but we‘re not holding our breath.

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Chaffee County Geothermal Offers Promise, Raises Concerns

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Graphic courtesy of Mt. Princeton Geothermal LLC

by Ron Sering

With the BLM’s announcement of a lease auction of nearly 800 acres in the vicinity of Mt. Princeton hot springs, the area could be the site of the state’s first geothermal power plant. Not everyone is happy about it.

Geothermal energy uses heat generated by volcanic activity beneath the earth. Applications include direct use, such as collecting hot water in a pool, or heating buildings such as homes or greehhouses, or, in a unique local case, for aquaculture to raise fish and reptiles. Colorado Gators in Mosca started as an aquaculture facility, later adding alligators which have generated tourism.

Geothermal generation of electricity began in the Lardarello region of Italy, where a power plant has been in steady use since 1913. The plant generates approximately 4.8 billion kilowatt hours per year and serves more than a million homes. The facility creates steam by pumping cold water onto hot rocks below the surface, which in turn drives turbines to generate electricity.

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Water Update

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by John Orr

Creede hydroelectric project

It makes sense to generate electricity with water and gravity where possible. Hydroelectric power is clean and as reliable as the water supply. Near Creede the A.E. Humphrey Ranch is going to get a shiny new hydroelectric plant for the dam there. Owner Ruthie Brown is ponying up over $900,000 in loans and federal stimulus dough to retrofit the dam her great grandfather constructed 90 years ago, according to a report from The Aspen Times.

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