Energy development in the Colorado River basin is mostly derived from the burning of fossil fuels and particularly at coal-fired generation stations located near rural communities. There is one nuclear power plant near Phoenix, AZ and another has been proposed near the city of Green River in eastern Utah. Ironically, because this desert landscape has so much sunshine, roof-top solar power generation is negligible, in comparison.

Uses of this power is dedicated to mechanically lift Colorado River water to higher elevations for consumption by industrial agriculture and ever-expanding municipalities. The Colorado River basin has some of the coldest (Gunnison, CO) and the hottest temperatures (Yuma, AZ) in the United States, and climate control in homes and buildings is a dominant use of this energy consumption.

Unfortunately, the development of energy resources from unconventional oil and gas, hard rock oil shale (kerogen) and tar sands (bitumen) is currently under consideration (mostly in eastern Utah and western Colorado) and if these dirty fuels are fully exploited, the Colorado River's water will be seriously challenged both in quantity and in quality, as well the planetary hydrocycle from the emission of greenhouse gases. This form of energy development was promulgated by the 2005 Energy Policy Act, which is probably the most damaging legislation to air, water and land resources ever devised. Here is the voting roster of this legislation.

LEGISLATION

2005 - Energy Policy Act. Wikipedia.

2007- Energy Independence and Security Act. Wikipedia.

ENERGY

• Click here to read article about hydropower
• Click here to read article about coal-fired generating stations
• Click here to read article about strip mining tar sands
• Click here to read article about nuclear fuel generation

BOOKS

• 2001 - Brittle Power: Energy Strategy for National Security. Lovins.

COMPANIES

• Going Solar

DOCUMENTS

Academic

• Nuclear Nonsense: Why Nuclear Power is No Answer to Climate Change and World Challenges. Sovacool.
• 2013 - Water Smart Power: Strengthening USA Electricity System in a Warming World. Rogers.
• 2017 - Drawdown: A Comprehensive Plan to Reverse GlobalWarming. Hawken.

The Hydro Reseach Foundation

• Website
• 2019 - Hydropower Operations in CRB: Institutional Analysis of Opportunities and Constraints. Karambelkar.
• 2016 - When the Turbines Stop Turning: Examining the Impacts of Drought on Power Production at Hoover Dam and Consequences to Entities in Arizona. Karambelkar.

Solutions from Stanford University

• Mark Z. Jacobson's 50 state renewable energy plan by 2050 & also here
• Jacobson's academic papers
• Jeff Bingaman's energy "cookbook"

• 1977 - Report of Western Energy Expansion Study. Reclamation. 
• Hydropower at Glen Canyon Dam. Harpman.

Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP)

• 2016 - The Impact of the Loss of Electric Generation at Glen Canyon Dam. GCI.
• 2009 - Glen Canyon Releases: Economic Considerations. David Marcus.
•     David Marcus: Table 1.xls
•     David Marcus: Table 2 and 3.xls
• 2006 - Can Reservoir Storage Be Uneconomically Large? Booker & ONeill.
• 1999 - Lake Powell Preliminary SocioEconomic Impact Analysis. Jones.
• 1981 - Utilization and Impacts of Climate Information on Development Operations of the Colorado River. Howe & Murphy.
• 1960 - Audit of CRSP. Government Accountibility Office.
• 1997 - CRSP hydropower under environmental constraints. Bureau of Reclamation.

Colorado River Energy Distributrors Association

• 2011 - Testimony by Leslie James

Western Area Power Administration

• Monthly Hydropower Conditions
• 1996 - Modeling Hourly Operations at Glen Canyon Dam. Reclamation.
• 1998 - CRSP Replacement Resources and Methods Report
• 2010 - Post 1996 Glen Canyon Dam ROD economic analysis. Argonne Lab.

         Hydropower Reports

• 2013 - Combined
• 2014 - Combined
• 2015 - Combined
• 2016 - Combined
• 2017 - Combined
• 2013 to 2017 - Combined

Upper Colorador River Commission

• 2004 - Impact evaluation of Lake Powell falling below minimum power pool

Institutions & Organizations

• 1996 - The Colorado River Workshop. Grand Canyon Trust.
• 2003 - What Every Westerner Should Know About Energy. Limerick.
• 2008 - Energy Down the Drain. National Resource Defense Council.
• 2008 - Power Plants: Characteristics & Costs. CRS.
• 2009 - Oil Shale Report. University of Colorado at Boulder.
• 2009 - America's Biggest Polluters: Carbon Dioxide Emmissions from Power Plants in 2007. Arizona Environment.
• 2009 - Hydropower study of Glen Canyon Dam by David Marcus. Table 1. Tables 2 and 3.
• 2009 - Evaluating the Feasibility of a Large-Scale Wind, Water, and Sun Energy Infrastructure. Jacobson & Delucchi.
• 2010 - Lifeline: How climate and clean energy can safeguard water. WRA & EDF.
• 2010 - Ripple Effect: Water Risk in the Municipal Bond Market. Ceres.
• 2010 - Hydropower Resource Assessment. USBR.
• 2011 - Every Drop Counts. WRA.
• 2011 - Energy's Water Demand: Trends, Vulnerabilities, and Management. Congressional Research Service.
• 2011- The Water/Energy Nexus: Western States Projections to 2100. SEI.
• 2011 - Nuclear Power: still not viable without subsidies. UCS.
• 2012 - Energy Water Nexus for Utah
• 2014 - Energy Water Nexus: Energy Sectors Water Use. CRS.
• 2014 - Energy Water Nexus: Water Sectors Energy Use. CRS.

Navajo Generating Station

• 2013 - Central Arizona Project Financial and Power Issues

Nuclear Power Plants

• 2010 - Blog post about proposed nuclear power plant near Green River, Utah
• 2012 - Dangers of living near nuclear facilities. NAS.
• 2013 - Transcript of HEAL Utah et al. vs. Blue Castle Holdings (Green River Nuke)

OTHER

• Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability

• Document archive. Far Country.
• Document archive. Western Resource Advocates.
• 1953 - Depletion of water supplies allocated to state of Colorado by Colorado River Compacts. Hill. Colorado Water Conservation Board.
  Note: Includes discussion of oil shale development.
• 2005 - RAND Report.
• 2009 - Colorado University at Boulder Report.
• 2010 - CERES Report on Oil Shale/Water Nexus.

URANIUM MINING AND MILLING

• Click here to visit home page of Uranium Watch.
• 2005 - A Technical Report Toward Reclaiming Uranium Mill Tailings. Dohrenwend and Greenbaum.
• 2008 - Uranium Mining. Southwest Hydrology.
• 2010 - Characterization of Breccia Pipe Uranium Deposits in Northern Arizona. USGS.
• 2010 - Statement of Klee Benally of Indigenous Action Media.
• Uranium production worldwide in 2009. Graphic.
• Uranium claims in Grand Canyon watershed. Graphic.
• 2012 - Chronology of the 20-year withdrawal of Grand Canyon uranium claims. Grand Canyon Trust.