Russell Wilson wasn’t the problem
Re: “Broncos releasing QB Russell Wilson, team announces, making expected move official after disappointing two-year run,” March 4 news story
From the sidelines – in sacking Russell Wilson — the Broncos and Denver lost not only a great QB, but very decent and genuine human beings, both he and his family. The fault lies not with Wilson but with Sean Payton and his inability to coach the talent he had at his disposal. And quality talent it was. They should have dumped Payton. The very best to Wilson and his family. Would it not be the height of irony if he lands with a team that knocks Denver out of Super Bowl competition?
Steven Turner, Aurora
Transition to renewables is more than fast enough
Re: “Colorado’s renewable energy transition too slow,” March 2 letter to the editor
I disagree with the letter writer’s opinion that Colorado’s clean energy transition is too slow. I don’t believe the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s data support his argument.
Yes, Iowa produces more wind power than Colorado. It also operates a fleet of coal plants. In November 2023, Iowa’s coal power consumption per capita equaled Colorado’s. In 2022, Iowa’s and Colorado’s power sectors produced roughly the same amount of CO2 emissions, but Colorado has twice the population.
Colorado’s coal plants are slated for shutdown within the next 7 years. Iowa’s are not. The accelerated closures are a direct result of climate policy led by Gov. Polis in 2019. If the letter writer feels that Colorado’s coal transition is “dangerously slow”, he should talk with folks in Moffat County where Craig Station will close within four years, eliminating half the county’s tax base and most of the good-paying jobs.
How about grid reliability? Colorado’s coal-powered generation ends within 7 years. Within that timeframe, our utilities must build and deploy new assets to replace the energy coal supplied, balance out intermittent renewables, reform the grid to handle new sources and connect all that new renewable generation. The letter writer should pitch his faster-faster theory to the utilities that keep our lights on and our EVs charged.
We need clean, reliable energy and healthy economies in rural Colorado. “Move fast and break things” may be a viable strategy for tech start-ups. It’s a dangerous strategy for state-wide energy transition and the economic disruption that can bring.
Kathy Fackler, Durango
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