Fourth of July travel stable, AAA says

High gas prices apparently won’t keep people from traveling over the Fourth of July holiday. According to projections released Thursday by the American Automobile Association, a scant 0.8 percent fewer people in the western states were planning to travel this year compared with 2007. In total, AAA is projecting 10.48 million people in the West will leave home for the holiday. Nationwide, the agency predicts travel will be down 1.3 percent.
Those figures come despite climbing gas prices. AAA figures that a round trip between Colorado Springs and Denver will cost $19.14 this year, compared with $14.97 last year

Four local dealerships participate in Chrysler's $2.99 a gallon gas promotion

Four local dealerships have joined Chrysler's "Let's Refuel America" promotion: Lithia Colorado Springs Jeep-Chrysler, Perkins Motor Co., The Faricy Boys and Colorado Springs Dodge.

Here's how it works: With the purchase of an eligible new Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicles, buyers can receive a gas card that immediately lowers the price of gas to $2.99 a gallon -- and keeps it at that price for three years.

The offer is good through June 2 and is available on a wide range of vehicles, including new compacts, crossovers, minivans and pickup trucks. The cards work at eligible gas stations, up to 87 regular octane, E85 or diesel fuel.

Fountain Valley School students concoct biodiesel

For the past six weeks, students from Fountain Valley School, a boarding and day high school with an enrollment of 240, have been collecting kitchen grease from the school’s dining hall and concocting biodiesel with equipment they designed and built in science class.
This week, Venetucci Farm began using the homemade alternative fuel in tractor engines.
Susan Gordon, director of the Venetucci Farm, which offers educational agricultural programs, said the cost savings are noticeable. The biodiesel fuel costs about 70 cents a gallon, she said, compared with regular diesel, which is retailing for about $4 a gallon.
The homemade system is capable of producing 30 gallons of biodiesel per month, and the project to fuel the farm’s tractors will be ongoing, said Jeanne Olive, Fountain Valley’s spokeswoman.

Safeway fleet converts to biodiesel

Safeway Inc. has converted its entire U.S. fleet of more than 1,000 trucks to cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel. The company says the decision will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 75 million pounds annually, the equivalent of taking nearly 7,500 passenger vehicles off the road each year. In Colorado, the program will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 3.6 million pounds, said Scott Grimmett, president of Safeway’s Denver division.

Top 10 retailers with an environmental focus

Juice Energy Inc., an electricity supplier with a focus on renewable sources, has named the top 10 environmentally conscious retailers.

Patagonia: Recycles used fleece for use in new products; first California-based company to buy electricity from 100 percent renewable energy sources.

Kohl's: Second largest retail purchaser of green power; also building the largest rooftop solar project in U.S. history with installations at 63 of 80 California locations.

Whole Foods: Purchases green power equal to 100 percent of their electricity usage; promotes green living with in-store programs.

prAna: Purchases green power equal to electricity usage of 250 stores, the company's corporate headquarters and the homes of all their full-time employees; is purchasing wind power for 1,000 retail partners in North America.

REI: Purchases green power equal to 100 percent of its annual electricity consumption; committed to reducing CO2 emissions by one-third from last year by the end of 2009.

UPS: Operates the largest alternative fuel and low-emissions fleet in the industry, with 19,647 vehicles; purchases green power and streamlines delivery routes to eliminate 28.5 million miles of driving to date.

Timberland: Recently introduced Green Index tags on products, which rate products based on environmental factors, such as greenhouse gas emissions, the use of solvents and organic content; plans to become carbon neutral by 2010; uses recycled boxes and soy ink packaging on footwear.

Nike: Goal to be carbon neutral by 2011; purchases green power for its world headquarters; designs footwear to reduce waste, eliminate volatile organic compounds and increase use of environmentally friendly materials.

Wal-Mart: Commitment to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent over the next eight years; set goal to purchase 100 percent of energy from renewable sources; set goal to increase fuel efficiency of its fleet by 25 percent over the next three years; is the largest single purchaser of 100 percent organic cotton socks.

Target: Offers more than 500 certified organic produce products; reduces waste through food-donation programs, giving away nearly 7 million pounds of food last year; uses solar electricity in four stores, with systems in the works at 14 additional stores.

Construction industry energy summit scheduled in Denver

The second annual Energy Star Summit will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 3 and 4 at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center, 7800 East Tufts Ave. in Denver. The event brings together home building industry experts to discuss and educate builders, contractors, architects, manufacturers, code officials, remodeling professionals, utilities officials, students and educators about cutting-edge designs and techniques for the construction of high performance, energy efficient homes. In response to homeowners' demand for energy efficiency, homebuilders, remodeling contractors and real estate agents are discovering the need to expand their skills, and the Energy Start Summit provides an opportunity to learn more. This year's event has been expanded to two days, with an optional, pre-conference trip to a "zero energy" house. More information and to register: www.e-star.com/summit.

Governor's mansion earns kudos for solar power

The Boettcher Mansion, home to Gov. Bill Ritter, in September made the “top 10” list of “most solar power-friendly governor’s mansions in the nation by http://www.chooserenewables.com/.

Built in 1908, the Boettcher Mansion near downtown Denver had two solar panel systems installed this year by Colorado companies.

Colorado ranked No. 6 on the top 10 list. Governor’s mansions in New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Arizona and Florida topped Colorado’s standing. Rounding out the remainder of the list were New Jersey, California, Hawaii and Nevada.

The new Web site, which offers tips for reducing greenhouse emissions, lowering energy costs and adopting clean energy solutions, also named the top 10 most wind-power friendly governor’s mansions.

E85 pump locations

Saturday's article on the confusion drivers are having with the introduction of yellow E85 pumps left many readers wondering which fueling stations in Colorado Springs offer E85. Here's the list:

Acorn Food Store, 305 S. 8th St.
Chief Petroleum, 301 S. 10th St.
Farm Crest 1st Stop, 2105 W. Colorado Ave.
Farm Crest 1st Stop, 5050 Boardwalk Drive
Western Convenience, 2507 E. Platte Ave.
Western Convenience, corner of Union and Briargate boulevards

Biodiesel plant chokes before opening

Bad news -- Pikes Peak Biodiesel has sputtered and died.

The effort to build a biodiesel manufacturing plant in Colorado Springs made inroads last year, then was dropped by initiator Franz Hankins, then picked up by a few other partners, who now report the intended new business was too difficult to get off the ground.

Maybe a future development for the Springs' green front?

A case of bad gas?

Aquila Inc. investors gave the company an earful at the utility's annual meeting Wednesday in Missouri, saying the company's acceptance of a buyout was a cop-out. The company, which serves parts of the Pikes Peak region, is seeking support for a proposed acquisition by Great Plains Energy Inc. and Black Hills Corp. later this year.

“I find it insulting that the day this deal was announced, the shares were higher than what you sold it for,” Irene Tebo of Harrison Township, Mich., told Richard Green, the company’s chairman and chief executive, during a question-and-answer period. “You’re selling us down the river.”

A shareholder vote is expected in July or early August.

More alternative fuel vehicles on Colorado's roads

Nearly 204,000 hybrid electric, ethanol-capable E-85 and
clean-diesel autos were on Colorado's roads last year,
according to R.L. Polk and Co. figures. That ranks Colorado 18th in the nation in terms of the total number of alternatives in use.

Nationally, 1.5 million alternative fuel vehicles were sold in 2006, surpassing automakers' expectations by 50 percent.
Last year's sales brings the total number to 10.5 million alternative-fuel vehicles on the road.

April has been dubbed Alternative Fuel Autos Month, and there are 60 models of alternative-fuel vehicles on the market. That's up from just 12 models for sale in 2000. A complete list is at www.DiscoverAlternatives.com.

Panda ethanol refinery opening in Colorado

Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings Inc., an Illinois company that produces, markets and supplies ethanol, has signed a marketing agreement with Panda Ethanol, Inc. to build two new ethanol refineries, including one in Yuma, Colo. It will be fueled by natural gas.

Lurgi Inc. will build the plant, and construction will take 18 months. When finished, the Yuma plant will annually refine about 38 million bushels of feedstock-grade corn into 105 million gallons of denatured ethanol.
That will displace about 2.5 million barrels of imported oil a year.

The other new ethanol refinery will be in Haskell County, Kansas. Aventine will market the ethanol produced at the plants.

Panda Ethanol is headquartered in Dallas and is developing six 100 million-gallon-per-year ethanol projects in Colorado, Kansas, Texas and Nebraska.

Four of the plants, including the one in Haskell County, will generate the steam used in the ethanol manufacturing process by gasifying 1 billion pounds of cattle manure each year.

Panda also is building its first biomass refinery in Hereford, Texas.

Energy tax credits now cover window film

Federal tax credits established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 have been expanded to include solar-control window film.

Among the products that qualify are LLumar, Vista and Gila solar-control window films by CPFilms, a business unit of Solutia Inc., the world's largest manufacturer.

Homeowners can earn up to $500 by having the energy-saving product installed, according to Kent Davies, president of CPFilms.

The 10 percent tax credit covers improvements made from Jan. 1, 2006 through Dec. 31, 2007.

Tax credits for energy savings are listed on www.energystar.gov.

Refinery explosion in Texas Panhandle may ripple to Colorado Springs

A fire and explosion at Valero Energy Corp.'s Texas Panhandle McKee refinery on Feb. 16 is expected to have widespread repercussions, including in Colorado Springs.

A propane leak is being blamed for the accident, and 14 people ended up hospitalized, with a contractor seriously burned.

The refinery was shut down until Feb. 20, along with pipelines that ship Valero's petroleum products to Colorado Springs, Denver, El Paso, Lubbock and Albuquerque.

Industry analysts expect gas prices in these cities to rise. But other areas are being affected as well. Reuters reported wholesale gasoline prices jumped 9 cents a gallon in the Los Angeles spot market because of a boost in demand for Arizona gasoline and because McKee is a major supplier to Arizona.

New laser leak detector for gas pipelines intended to improve safety

Englewood-based Aviation Technology Services-Denver, a privately held software company, is betting its new aerial laser leak detection system for gas pipelines will be a success.

During blind tests at the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center near Casper, Wyo., the system found 25 percent more leaks than any other system tested and detected 90 percent of all gas released in the test.

The helicopter-based laser system combines a methane-sensitive laser with a digital video record of the pipeline and should improve public safety and decrease environmental pollution, the company said.

Colorado Interstate Gas Co. in Colorado Springs is among the clients being targeted.