“Watching our very little snowpack — the lowest snowpack we had on record — nearly melt out in March was quite alarming to us…”
Author: Allen Best
Allen Best publishes the e-journal Big Pivots, which chronicles the energy transition in Colorado and beyond.
BIG PIVOTS: Water Trial of the Century
An aquifer in Colorado’s San Luis Valley keeps dropping. A plan to address this has been challenged….
A New Low on the Colorado River
On Sunday, the amount of stored water contained in the two largest Colorado River reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, was the lowest recorded since 1957…
BIG PIVOTS: Colorado Energy Milestone of More Than 50% Renewable
In other words, after a toast with champagne to this 53% achievement, it’s back to work…
ESSAY: 2020 was a Bad, Bad Year in Colorado
During that time in the late 20th century, any tinkering with the forests was mostly and often ardently opposed…
BIG PIVOTS: All Truth is Partial
Everything about the two events was different. Everything….
BIG PIVOTS: Can El Niño Save the Colorado River?
Taking a more global perspective, Udall pointed to a natural phenomenon that became apparent to scientists only in 1997…
BIG PIVOTS: Will the Federal Government Buy Down Colorado River Demand?
“So, yes, agriculture has to be more efficient, and yes, cities have to be more efficient…”
BIG PIVOTS: The Challenges Facing the Colorado and Republican Rivers
“We’re closer to the end (of the life of the aquifer) than the beginning…”
BIG PIVOTS: A Colorado River Q&A
Doug Kenney, principal organizer of annual Colorado River Conference, talks about how the growing tensions among basin states pose challenges in setting the agenda…
BIG PIVOTS: Why Did the Data Center Bill Have to Die?
Key sponsor of guardrail bill blames opposition of labor. Others familiar with the debate point to more complicated causes…
BIG PIVOTS: Colorado Wildfire Season, By the Numbers
State officials urge personal responsibility while laying out their readiness for what could be a particularly challenging summer…
BIG PIVOTS: Heat, Drought, and Fire in 2026?
In Colorado, the snowpack in the Eagle River drainage on April 1 was 21% of the 30-year average. The Roaring Fork River was 26%. On the San Juan, it was 17%….
Governor Jared Polis on Colorado’s Energy Achievements
The Colorado Governor talks about geothermal, and nuclear, and the continuing role of natural gas…
BIG PIVOTS: Last Solar Panels Installed at Black Hollow
Once fully operational later this year, the complex will be northern Colorado’s largest solar project…
BIG PIVOTS: Big Batteries a Game Changer in Colorado
Utilities are briskly adding batteries, allowing deeper penetration of lower-cost renewables…
BIG PIVOTS: Is Chris Wright Wrong?
Was U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s order to keep a coal-burning unit at Craig available, beyond its scheduled retirement in December, an “illegal emergency order”?
BIG PIVOTS: Auden Schendler and the Failure of Business Sustainability
The author of “Terrible Beauty” spoke in metro Denver this past week. Listeners left with key messages in mind…
BIG PIVOTS: How to View Denver’s Proposed Moratorium on Data Centers
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said Denver’s proposed “pause allows us to put clear and consistent guardrails in place…”