Earth Day Client Spotlight – Spectrum Energy

Spectrum Energy, Inc. turned to Upright several months ago to develop a new website.  Spectrum is a power plant development company that has built plants all over North America, including eco-friendly biomass and biodiesel plants.  Details of Spectrum’s success with green technology are on their new site.  Spectrum was fresh on my mind this Earth Day, so I called company co-founder Mark Gilliss for some ‘green wisdom.’  The topic I raised:

If you’re not a “tree-hugger,” why would you choose green technology?

Mark responded that for any business or municipal group, a power plant’s price tag is obviously the most important element.  So the sell for green technology is to capitalize on existing resources that are just waiting to produce power.  Luckily for Spectrum, those opportunities exist to turn ‘useless’ natural resources into cost-saving, efficient green power.  He explained one of Spectrum’s current projects: working with the state of Colorado to turn mountain pine trees killed by beetles into a biomass solution.

Drought, warm summer temperatures, and forest fire suppression have encouraged beetles to attack millions of acres of pine trees from British Columbia to Colorado.  Thunderstorms hit a dead forest and fires are started, destroying homes and releasing carbon dioxide into the open air.  To avoid forest fires, park servicemen work to clear the bug-eaten wood debris.  But Spectrum sees a further step: burning this ruined wood for energy.

Like the wood-fired plant Spectrum developed in Eureka, CA, new plants in Colorado will work to capture power released by burning pine matter in a controlled, efficient way.  The plant could store power to provide heat to Colorado homes in winter, and the cleared land could be replanted with healthy pine trees.

Now it makes sense!  A free resource, an efficient solution, happier Colorado (fewer forest fires, cheaper power), and a Happy Earth Day for all.  Brought to you by Upright client: Spectrum Energy.