Way outside the norm
How many human resource employees does a local government, or a local government enterprise, need to function effectively? Judging by the dramatically different staffing levels of two H.R. departments...
View ArticleUtility rates could jump higher with Amend. 60
Colorado voters this November will decide whether to approve Amendment 60, which would require Colorado Springs Utilities and other government-owned enterprises statewide to begin paying property...
View ArticleNeumann Systems’ emissions tech awaits green light
Judgment day is fast approaching for Neumann Systems Group and its technology, which purports to clean sulfur dioxide emissions in coal-fired power plants. Next month, Colorado Springs Utilities will...
View ArticleSolar Garden founders to host Q&A happy hour at Sonterra Grill
A new solar company that aims to make solar available to the masses will host an informative question and answer session at Sonterra Grill, 28 S. Tejon St., this evening at 5:30 p.m. SunShare plans to...
View ArticleCommunity solar garden gets first site
The first community solar garden in Colorado Springs is set to break ground...
View ArticleNo need for rush to judgment on Utilities
We have so much going on in Colorado Springs right now. Too much, really, to add something more of huge importance. Just to make the point, let’s share a quick list of immediate priorities: The city...
View ArticleUPDATED: Neumann fires back with request for ethics investigation of Tim Leigh
The man behind the Neustream coal-cleaning technology, Dr. David Neumann, has long been under attack from City Councilor Tim Leigh, and now Neumann is fighting back. Neumann, CEO of Neumann Systems...
View ArticleRe-imagine Drake: Possibilities are endless — and also sprawling
By Amy Gillentine and John Hazlehurst For decades, the steam from the Martin Drake Power Plant has dominated the Colorado Springs skyline. It’s so much a part of the city’s landscape, it’s hard to...
View ArticleNatural gas prices key to Utilities’ future
What’s the more significant economic driver in Colorado Springs: gas prices — or gas prices? To be clearer, are we more affected by the price of gasoline, or the price of natural gas? We all know what...
View ArticleCity Council approves solar garden expansion
Colorado Springs City Council voted Tuesday to expand the solar gardens program at Colorado Springs Utilities. CSU will pay a performance-based incentive of 16 cents per kilowatt hour generated by up...
View ArticleSolar gardens project draws competition
More than a month after Colorado Springs City Council voted in favor of a plan that would double the scope of the city’s community solar garden program, 10 contractors expressed interest in doing...
View ArticleCity budget brings new meaning to … light bulbs?
City budgets are interesting snapshots of a particular time — of the beliefs, assumptions and priorities of those who write and approve the documents. What’s emphasized, and what’s minimized? What...
View ArticleCouncil ventures into realm of dysfunction
Item 18 of Tuesday’s City Council agenda seemed routine. “An ordinance amending Ordinance No. 12-108 (2013 Appropriation Ordinance) for $2,000,000 and the Grants Fund in the amount of $10,000,000 for...
View ArticleCity Council to reconsider utilities’ CEO compensation
After initial discussions in February, the Colorado Springs City Council will consider a revised proposal for a reduced pay adjustment phased in over three years for Colorado Springs Utilities CEO...
View ArticleUtilities analysis: SDS under budget and on time
Fifty years from now, residents of Colorado Springs will be pleased the leaders of today developed the Southern Delivery System, say a number of state water specialists. The oft-maligned $898 million...
View ArticleDrake Plant’s near-disaster
Chief says Drake fire could have been worse Colorado Springs Fire Chief Chris Riley did not mince words in describing what could have been. Riley, recapping the fire department’s quick and massive...
View ArticleSDS: There is no Plan B
Our water and SDS: Last of a three-part series Few companies have long-term horizons. Managers and shareholders alike understand that they live in a world of creative destruction, described 72 years...
View ArticleDrake damage apparently not as bad as feared
Here’s a recent email to longtime environmental activist Lee Milner from George Luke, Colorado Springs Utilities’ interim chief energy services officer: “This is in response to your recent question in...
View ArticleVoters should decide CSU governance
For the past several months, Colorado Springs Utilities has been conducting public meetings and discussions about a vital issue: Who should guide the municipally owned enterprise in the future?...
View ArticlePueblo’s Hart ready to take on Black Hills
Born in Puerto Rico, Pueblo County Commissioner Terry Hart grew up in the Denver area. His parents were both southern Colorado natives, hailing from Trinidad and Manzanola. But his heart’s always been...
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