- Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School District gets large rebate for energy efficiency design in new high school building.
- Cortez City Council voices skepticism over solar energy technology from Santa Fe, New Mexico company.
Energy efficiency pays, but for the Re-1 School District, it is paying off sooner than expected. The school board learned Tuesday night that the district is receiving a $138,000 rebate from Empire Electric and Tri-State for the new high school’s design, which includes a ground-source heat-exchange system. Superintendent Alex Carter said the rebate means the system will pay for itself in a short time. The board agreed to put the rebate back into the capital reserve fund.
In other energy-related news, the Cortez City Council voiced skepticism Tuesday toward new solar technology they explored during a recent tour in Santa Fe, New Mexico. City and county officials visited the laboratories of Jetstream Energy Technologies to see the prototype of a solar collector the company claims is much more efficient than traditional photovoltaic panels. The company says its parabolic collectors use more of the light spectrum to generate intense heat that is converted directly to energy by a special module. The unit is not yet in production and the company is seeking investors. At Tuesday’s workshop, council members were wary. Mayor Karen Sheek asked, “If it’s so wonderful, why don’t we see it some place?” The council asked general services director Rick Smith to continue researching the matter.
