Opinions on why CO is on political map?

[Flip]

It seems that Colorado is receiving alot of attention from political candidates and now the President himself. Why? What has changed?

It seems to me that it was very rare for any politician to stop here unless they were giving graduation speaches at the AFA.

[BigE]

Because Colorado has been getting Kalifornicated over the last 10-20 years.

[slayermd]

Because Colorado has been getting Kalifornicated over the last 10-20 years.

+1
Damn tofu eaters.

[DavidofColorado]

I would like to think they liked it here during their visit in August. And Gov. Ritter was on the news lately talking about courting some California's to Colorado. Why I don't know?

This can't end well.

[FZRACE97]

they're saying CColorado has the potential
for the creation of lots of jobs in renewable enrgy projects.

Or could it be because Denver is the center for the NWO?

[Ricky]

Big blue city taking over a red state

[Snowman]

Yes, I believe its how liberal Denver metro is growing in numbers to compensate for the more conservative rural areas.

2.5 million in Denver 2006
4.9 million in Colorado 2006

[mtnairlover]

Colorado is trying to lead the country in a new "energy economy" direction. The governor's office has dedicated a lot of its website to offering up as much info on this topic as possible.

Does anyone know about the huge company that will be opening up shop in Commerce City, creating tons of jobs, etc.? It's called Vestas. Here's its website...http://www.vestas.com/

More info on the Colorado website, too...http://www.colorado.gov/energy/

[MattTLS]

Colorado is trying to lead the country in a new "energy economy" direction. The governor's office has dedicated a lot of its website to offering up as much info on this topic as possible.

Does anyone know about the huge company that will be opening up shop in Commerce City, creating tons of jobs, etc.? It's called Vestas. Here's its website...http://www.vestas.com/

More info on the Colorado website, too...http://www.colorado.gov/energy/

There is a Vestas facility in Windsor now -- started operations some time back -- maybe a year ago.

As far as our new 'energy economy' is concerned, if it is allowed to develop through natural attrition, I think it's a very good idea. However, if pushed by government, not so good. I wish I had been listening more closely to a news program that was on a little while ago, but apparently there's a corn ethanol plant that recently went bankrupt before it even went online, and I think it was mainly due to the drop in oil/gas prices that many/most people welcomed after the crazy hikes we saw over the last few years. How many were there in our government and elsewhere who wanted to think that ethanol was the answer to much of our fuel energy trouble? So now, for the time being anyway, there has been money (and a lot of it) spent for which there will be no return, not to mention the communities that invested in this 'promise' of the future. All of the 'Change We Can Believe In' needs also to be economically sensible, lest it be damaging to us as a whole.

Now, I'm off my short soapbox, and back to the fridge to continue my quest towards drunkeness ...

[BigE]

snip>>>>
Now, I'm off my short soapbox, and back to the fridge to continue my quest towards drunkeness ...

Way to support the Ethanol producers!!!! :lol:

[mtnairlover]

There is a Vestas facility in Windsor now -- started operations some time back -- maybe a year ago.

As far as our new 'energy economy' is concerned, if it is allowed to develop through natural attrition, I think it's a very good idea. However, if pushed by government, not so good. I wish I had been listening more closely to a news program that was on a little while ago, but apparently there's a corn ethanol plant that recently went bankrupt before it even went online, and I think it was mainly due to the drop in oil/gas prices that many/most people welcomed after the crazy hikes we saw over the last few years. How many were there in our government and elsewhere who wanted to think that ethanol was the answer to much of our fuel energy trouble? So now, for the time being anyway, there has been money (and a lot of it) spent for which there will be no return, not to mention the communities that invested in this 'promise' of the future. All of the 'Change We Can Believe In' needs also to be economically sensible, lest it be damaging to us as a whole.

Now, I'm off my short soapbox, and back to the fridge to continue my quest towards drunkeness ...

Ah...drunkenness.

The ethanol plight was on the news last night as well. People are fickle beasts. Get enough of those beasts together and present them with something easy/familiar and something hard (or untested, or out of the ordinary, or different) and they will pick the easiest/most familiar. That's the nature of us humans.

Maybe this time with the governmental push to move toward alternative energy sources, we fickle humans might actually pick something that will be better for us....meh....it could happen.

Oh and I was wrong about the Vestas plant being in Commerce City...I think it's actually going to be located in Brighton (I think). Sad thing though, is that with the failing economy, even "new-energy" companies are feeling the sting. We'll see how well Vestas is doing in 5 to 10 years....as well as other "new-energy" companies.

I was talking with my carpool buddy this morning about investing and I told her that if I were smart and had the extra cash laying around, I'd invest in new-energy.

[Squisha]

Last fall, a new operating contract was awarded by the Dept of Energy for the operation of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Part of what won the new organization the contract was their desire to make the Front Range the Silicon Valley of renewable energy. I know at least one major oil company is on board, because they are building a new complex devoted to research and production of biofuels, entirely independent from the work going on at NREL. There are some serious sales people putting pom poms in everybody's hands about this whole Denver-leading-the-way-in-renewable-energy thing. Nobody in the trenches is deluding themselves about the nature of the beast, either. People know they need to make alternative fuels CHEAPER and EASIER (or at least as easy--but still cheaper) than fossil fuels. The debate around government involvement can rage on, but the green energy plan is here to stay.

[DavidofColorado]

Ethanol is a good idea that needs some more work to be viable. If it produced the same amount of power (or more) as gasoline in the same amount of fuel used it would be truly an alternative fuel. But if all its going for is greener emissions and ignoring the low mileage and weak power that is produced it will never compete with oil. Fickle or not people want value for their dollar and ethanol isn't delivering. Its like watered down gas right now and with 15% worse mileage then gas its only for the die hard hippy types.

[Matt]

Ethanol or algae?

Algae has 30 times the amount of oil inside its molecular structure than cellulose ethanol does. That gives it big potential for the production of jet fuel. In fact, you could produce enough jet fuel for the entire world in a land mass about the size of West Virginia, as compared to other biofuels, which would take a land mass the size of the United States. Amazing what you can do with a little pond scum!

[Squisha]

I agree, algae is a very exciting prospect, especially in that you don't need to compete with food crops for good growing land. You could set up shop in the desert for all it matters to the critters. The diesel-from-algae angle is being worked from every conceivable angle, and I think it is most likely to find commercial success on a large scale.

[Devaclis]

Our company is engineering wind farms all over the country. This stuff is expensive as hell just to research let alone build. The software we use would keep you well fed and entertained for MANY years just on the cost of 1 license. Not to mention the GIS, fluid dynamic, geology, spatial analyst, and other software they use. Yeah, there is a TON of money in CO for alternative energy and it is going to get larger.