Gov. Ritter Tours Kremmling Wood Pellet Plant
Press Release
Gov. Ritter Tours Kremmling Wood Pellet Plant
Pellet industry to fuel New Energy Economy and forest health efforts
Gov. Bill Ritter today toured the Confluence Energy facility here, where logs and wood debris are converted to pellets for heating fuel. Confluence Energy, along with Rocky Mountain Pellet Co. in Walden, will produce more than 200,000 tons of wood pellets per year, providing enough heat for more than 60,000 homes and businesses.
"Colorado's forests are vital to our environment, to our communities, to our economy and to our overall quality of life," said Gov. Ritter. "But our forests are at risk, and one of the biggest risks is the mountain pine beetle whose impacts you see all over Grand County. So I applaud companies like Confluence Energy and Rocky Mountain Pellet who are helping us advance Colorado's New Energy Economy and turning challenges into opportunities.
"Converting beetle-kill trees into biomass wood pellets creates jobs, provides energy, and improves forest health. Pellet plants create a market that bolsters the economics of treating the forest, helping us treat more acres for fewer dollars. We will continue to look for ways to promote pellets as a viable fuel source and increase demand for these products."
Pellets are one way to increase the diversity of Colorado's energy portfolio with a locally abundant energy source that does not dramatically increase carbon emissions.
Since taking office, Gov. Ritter has taken a number of important steps to address forest health issues in Colorado, including:
* Signing an Executive Order which created the Colorado Forest Health Advisory Council, the first-ever state council dedicated to addressing the mountain pine beetle epidemic and other threats to Colorado's 22.6 million acres of forestland. The FHAC is advising state agencies on the distribution of $3.8 million in grant funding for over 40 forest restoration projects around Colorado.
* Working with the State Forest Service to commit $10 million in Recovery Act funds to mitigate fire hazards and strengthen forest industry infrastructure.
* Signing numerous forest health bills, including this year's the Healthy Forests and Vibrant Communities Act, which will help balance the social, ecological, and economic components of effective forest management and protection. The law provides $2.5 million to increase support for community and wildfire planning and preparedness and for projects that reduce risks to people, homes, community infrastructure, and local economies while restoring more resilient conditions in forested watersheds.
* Supporting and signing legislation that establishes standards for Community Wildfire Protection Plans and provides volunteer firefighters with tuition vouchers.
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