Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Micro Hydro topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nettle Creek micro-hydro expected to start next week; town staff flags geothermal opportunities with Holy Cross Energy
Summary
Town staff reported new equipment delivery and imminent startup for a micro-hydro project at Nettle Creek and raised potential future connections between wastewater, geothermal opportunities and Holy Cross Energy planning.
Town staff reported that components for the Nettle Creek micro-hydro project have arrived and electricians were completing installation ahead of a planned startup next week.
Scott, a town utilities staff member, said a custom control panel and other control hardware were delivered and electricians were on site to finish installation. Scott said the system is a roughly 45-kilowatt generator, with variable flow expected to affect actual output. He said Holy Cross Energy is installing a separate meter for the project and that the town has an interconnection agreement that addresses compensation.
Staff emphasized that the project faced long permitting and delivery delays: the utility director’s prior contract partner “failed to deliver” after two years, forcing the town to reprocure custom components and restart implementation work. The presenter said permitting with the U.S. Forest Service took several years.
Board members and staff also discussed a broader, longer-term opportunity: Holy Cross Energy’s interest in geothermal and an RFP the utility has issued for geothermal ideas. Staff noted potential synergy between the wastewater plant and geothermal options, saying that geothermal connection concepts might be a 10–15 year project but worth monitoring for future planning and capital alignment.
Staff said they would review the interconnection agreement to confirm whether the town or Holy Cross retains renewable energy certificates and how compensation will be recorded for accounting toward local climate goals.
No vote or formal action was taken on the micro-hydro update; staff presented the status and flagged follow-ups on metering, REC accounting and the startup schedule.
