Raejean M. Fellows, CPC
I started this blog to help make a place for sharing of information and community dialogue around the topic of SMART energy solutions for Kirkwood. This is my blog. Any opinions expressed here are mine, unless identified as others.
Community work: Co-Chair and Founder of KMPUD Advisory Committee
Together with Eric Richert, I founded this new committee which provided volunteer assistance to the KMPUD . We set out to develop a Roadmap for alternative energy and conservation in the Valley, as well as programs to promote open communication and community dialogue in this important time where our community looks to change its sources and management of power supply. The committee’s work stopped after it completed a feasibility study, due to the Board of KMPUD wishing to go in a difference direction. This direction, while not openly expressed, was likely to concentrate on interconnection to the National Grid and its purchase of Mountain Utilities, putting conservation and communication on a back-burner. In 2009, he KMPUD Board overtly expressed its rejection of any community-based alternative energy solution.
Our first community Roundtable (small groups of 4- 6 people in dynamic dialogue) occurred on July 4, 2009.
Results:
- KMPUD established deadlines for time and dollar limits for further investigation of Grid research
- Directions for further areas of inquiry, especially for In-Valley solutions
- Hard numbers on a 4 question survey
- KMPUD requested an “encore”.
I held a community service educational workshop at Chili Cook Off, where Scott Terrell of Truckee-Donner PUD gave some very valuable information on what people can do to reduce their useage and cost of energy in their homes. The Resort reported on a very effective energy savings project they implement in 2009.
Created SMART Energy Solutions for Kirkwood Blog:
http://kirkwoodmeadows.wordpress.com
Nominated the Kirkwood Inn, El Dorado’s County’s Geotourism map. www.geosierra.org
Human Resources Business Experience:
Founder, CEO of Fellows Placement, a staffing firm with 9 offices in 2 states, top sales of $18M and 55 FT employees. Retired in 2003 after 24 years,
Education:
Bachelor’s of Science Degree, Honors. Skidmore College, NY
Diploma in Personnel Management. England
Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), National Association of Personnel Consultants
Hi Raejean,
I am a former employee of the South Tahoe Public Utility District. I left he district in 1983.
I recently ran and was unsuccessful in taling a seat as a director on thier board. But my vision way back in the 1980′s and today is still to utilized the unused power generation of the treated wastewater which drops down the back side of Luther Pass into Christmas Valley.
The district spends approx $30, 000 per month to pump that water over the pass – and recovering a major portion of that is crying out to me.
I would like to know why Kirkwood found it not feasable in recent years to pursue this sort of project for electric energy to Kirkwood.
Sincerely, John Adamski
Our Renewable Energy Committee looked at the feasibility of pumping our treated waste water to a higher elevation to release at appropriate times for power generation. For example, if we were to have excess wind generated energy, such as at night, that energy could be used to pump the treated waste water up to a tank for storage and used during high power demand periods.
We found that our waste water volume is so variable, and in particular so low in non-winter months; and our elevation difference of several hundred feet (unless we located a tank higher on the mountain within national forest area) inadequate to generate much power; that we deemed this approach to have “low feasibility.”
It is possible that we could use our stored domestic water to generate power. We have a greater volume of that water stored already; we would need to bulld a 2nd tank at a higher elevation, and these two tanks would serve as the “loop” for pumped and released water. Feasibility of this approach would be studied as part of the proposed “in-valley” integrated study.
Great blog! I remember when Con Ed in NY was trying to build a pumped storage facility for peaking purposes. Storm King?