THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF PUMPED STORAGE HYDRO IN COLORADO’S ENERGY TRANSITION

Payne Student Scholar Gabe Stephens investigates how the energy transition has created a conflicting set of circumstances for Colorado and its communities. The state’s renewable energy industry has experienced rapid advancements, while the incumbent coal industry has endured a steady decline. Communities that have long relied on coal for their economic well-being are faced with an increasingly difficult outlook. Few areas in the state are experiencing this more than Moffat and Routt Counties, who account for the majority of the state’s remaining coal industry. The State government has pledged to support these communities through a ‘Just Transition’ initiative designed to offset the economic impacts associated with the industry’s decline. June 26, 2020.