FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 1999
CONTACT: Carol Carpenter
303-275-1237carpent@wapa.gov
GOLDEN, Colo.-What happens when you combine a good idea with plenty of hard work? For Western Area Power Administration employees Peggy Plate and Simmons Buntin, the result was the Colorado Sustainability Summit held in Denver May 2-5.
Sponsored in part by Western and held in conjunction with the "President's Council for a Sustainable America," the summit brought together a significant cross section of the Colorado community-government agencies, environmental and civic groups, businesses and public utilities-to discuss issues and initiate plans to guide the state's economic, environmental and cultural future.
Among the federal agencies represented at the summit was the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Buntin, program chair, and Plate, Energy and Environment Committee chair, said Western is vitally interested in Colorado's development because of the agency's and its customers' large presence here. "We're concerned about long-term sustainability and electric utility deregulation, which impacts every aspect of our lives," Buntin said.
Plate said Western's sponsorship of the summit demonstrates the agency's commitment to making stronger connections with economic and environmental experts, who can provide the agency with resources to meet its mission and goals.
Summit participants produced an action plan composed of three major items: implementing an informational Web site, developing a plan for Earth Day 2000 and creating a report to be submitted to key state leaders that demonstrates summit participants' commitment to sustainable development.
Western annually markets and transmits more than 10,000 megawatts of power from hydro power plants owned and
operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 15 central and western states.
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Serving the West with Federal Hydropower