Fueling Colorado's Renewables Industry

The Colorado Governor's Energy Office has awarded $350,000 in grants to eight companies or organizations as part of the New Energy Economic Development (NEED) program for expanding the state's energy-efficiency and renewable energy industries.

Among the groups chosen for funds were the Office for Resource Efficiency in Crested Butte, which was awarded a $10,844 grant for a solar thermal and job-training grant; Cool Energy Inc. in Boulder, which received $25,000 to continue the development of a solar thermal Stirling engine system for combined heating and electric power production for distributed energy applications; PrimeStar Solar Inc. in Golden, which received $25,000 for designing and developing a solar photovoltaic commercial production facility; and San Juan BioEnergy LLC in Dove Creek, which will use its $100,000 grant to assist in the development of biodiesel fuel produced from locally grown feedstocks, such as sunflower oil.

"These grants are giving organizations a 'hand up' in advancing emerging energy technologies into the marketplace that help us reduce our energy usage and carbon footprint," says Tom Plant, director of the energy office.

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