Collaborative Efforts to Secure NW Colorado’s Energy Future

The Northwest Colorado Energy Initiative (NCEI), operating under the purview of the Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC), stands at the forefront of community-driven initiatives in Northwest Colorado. The advisory board members are: former Colorado State House Majority Leader and Colorado Mesa University (CMU) President Emeritus Tim Foster, former Colorado State Senator Bob Rankin, Mesa County Commissioner Cody Davis, Garfield County Commissioner Mike Samson, Rio Blanco County Commissioner Doug Overton, former Moffat County Commissioner Ray Beck, and AGNC Executive Director Tiffany Dickenson. Former Town of Eagle Council Member Matt Solomon is the project manager and Wade Haerle is the Field Coordinator. 

Matt Solomon is a civic-minded entrepreneur with over two decades of experience bridging the private and public sectors. He has successfully built and led private businesses while actively contributing to his community through roles on the Eagle Town Council and various local, state, and non-profit boards and commissions.

As a published author of Fortunate Accidents, Matt has demonstrated his ability to communicate complex ideas effectively. He specializes in creating and executing strategic plans for private businesses, political campaigns, and non-profit organizations, enhancing outreach, ensuring compliance, and achieving desired outcomes.

Currently, Matt serves as the Project Manager for the Northwest Colorado Energy Initiative (NCEI). NCEI is dedicated to fact-based public engagement on sustainable energy alternatives, including nuclear power, as Colorado transitions away from coal. Matt is instrumental in fostering regional collaborations that drive sustainable economic and energy development.

Wade Haerle has over 30 years of experience in the energy sector, spanning facility permitting, company formation, marketing and sales, and supply chain management. His career includes work with Fortune 100 companies as well as energy startups across the United States.

A recognized expert in permitting and advocacy under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Wade has led or participated in more than 200 NEPA initiatives across 28 U.S. states and in Peru. His focus has included mining, large-scale electricity infrastructure, processing facilities, and pipelines. He also has experience with nuclear energy in Western Maryland and uranium mining and processing in Western Colorado.

Wade currently serves as the Field Coordinator for the Northwest Colorado Energy Initiative (NCEI), where he helps guide collaborative efforts to drive sustainable economic and energy development in Northwest Colorado.

Previously, Wade served as the Director of the Maryland Energy Innovation and Accelerator (MEIA) program, a venture development initiative that creates investable climate tech companies. During his tenure, he helped launch more than 20 new climate tech ventures. Before that, he was a principal at EIS Solutions Inc. In addition to his energy-sector work, Wade owns a seafood restaurant in Easton, Maryland. He is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., and splits his time between Grand Junction, Colorado, and Queenstown, Maryland.

The Northwest Colorado Energy Initiative, or NCEI, is a collective response to a pivotal moment in Northwest Colorado’s history. Our mission is clear: to secure a replacement for coal that upholds our standard of living by ensuring energy affordability, job retention and competitive wages.

Colorado’s HB23-1247 legislates an “all of the above” approach, emphasizing a full spectrum of choices to be considered in the state’s feasibility study. This includes gas generation with carbon capture and storage, advanced nuclear, wind and solar coupled with storage, geothermal and clean hydrogen.

As members of NCEI, we are actively preparing for Colorado’s energy feasibility study mandated by House Bill 23-1247. The NCEI budget, allocated for surveys and public outreach, focuses on educating communities, dispelling myths, building trust and listening to concerns of these communities. With a strong emphasis placed on community involvement, NCEI wants our communities to be fully engaged as we embrace the facts of each potential solution.

This investment is crucial for a successful, community-supported shift in this transition. The goal is to build community trust — trust in the process, the technology and the future.

While the “all of the above” mantra seems inclusive, not every option will address the challenges we face.

For example, solar and wind are renewables with a seemingly smaller carbon footprint than coal; however, they will not replace the lost jobs, nor will they provide the megawatts of power that coal provides. Advanced nuclear will replace all the jobs and provide the missing megawatts; however, it takes time to ramp up. Geothermal can ramp up very quickly, but has a limited maximum output.

As a region, we absolutely should consider “all of the above” options for addressing the energy crisis in Northwest Colorado. However, our communities need to pursue “best of the above” solutions when it comes to implementation.

View the full guest column in Steamboat’s Pilot & Today.

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