At Colorado utilities hearing, an overwhelming plea for renewable energy

Farmer and rancher Jan Kochis knows what it’s like to live by the whims of the market. Her farm in Elbert County grows dryland corn, millet and wheat — and, as she put it, “Commodity prices are kind of in the tank right now.” Even when prices are high, natural disasters like droughts and floods create significant uncertainty for agricultural producers.

Relief, for Kochis, has come in the form of 30 wind turbines that will soon operate on her shared family farm as part of the Rush Creek Wind Project. Construction is already underway, and she says she’s looking forward to the turbines becoming operational. “Some people say they don’t like to look at them, but I’ll be able to see one right outside my kitchen window. I love them.”

In exchange for allowing the turbines on her land, Kochis will receive some supplemental income, which can be quite a blessing for those who work in agriculture. “Wind and solar investment provides certainty in our unpredictable industry,” she said.

Kochis, chair of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, was just one of many Coloradans who testified Thursday evening to support the first step in a transition away from fossil fuels and towards cleaner, renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

Read more: http://www.coloradoindependent.com/168514/puc-colorado-energy-plan-renewable-energy