Community Office for Resource Efficiency

The Community Office for Resource Efficiency is a nonprofit organization that promotes renewable energy, energy efficiency and green building in western Colorado and beyond. Randy Udall has been CORE's Director since the organization began operations in 1994. He is assisted by Associate Director, Gary Goodson. CORE's partnerships with individuals,... governments, and businesses (which includes three local utilities) has led to a remarkable series of accomplishments. Our renewable energy and energy efficiency programs will keep 800 million pounds of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere over the next 20 years. For example, Holy Cross Energy, one of CORE's utility partners, is buying more wind power than ANY of the nation's other 929 rural electric utilities, thanks to an innovative green pricing program that CORE promotes. Additionally, Aspen Municipal Electric and Glenwood Springs Electric System, CORE's two other utility partners, rank in the top five of the nation's 2,000 municipal utilities for the percentages of wind power that they purchase. In 1998, CORE started the nation's first "solar production incentive" program, which pays local residents $2.00/watt for installing a solar photovoltaic system. (Up to $6,000 per customer). Incentives are also available for installing solar hot water systems and purchasing Energy Star appliances. See the cash incentives link for more details. In 2000, we helped start the world's first Renewable Energy Mitigation Program (REMP), which has raised $2,500,000 over the last three years. This money is used to fund various grant programs to lower carbon emissions in the Roaring Fork Valley. CORE also tracks national and global energy trends. Our four page primers on natural gas and peak oil have been widely reprinted. Did you know that two-thirds of U.S. oil and nearly half the nation's natural gas has already been consumed? The average American family is now producing about 44,380 pounds of greenhouse gases each year, enough to fill two Goodyear blimps. Our website can help ...Read More