Security & Efficiency Considerations in the Colorado Grid System

Mindset Evolution

In the few years since 2010, Colorado has seen an evolution in the way energy is generated and distributed. Mindsets amongst the public through education and campaigning has shifted towards environmentalism as a way of life, expecting the representatives they elected to government to put forward mandates and policies that would make the State of Colorado a leader in the green space. Since 2010, Colorado has more than tripled its net renewable energy production. Based on the current renewable energy breakdown, wind energy accounted for 80% of all generation followed by solar coming in at 5%. Colorado was also the first State in the U.S. to enact a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) by ballot initiative. In this case, voters approved the Colorado Renewable Energy Requirement Initiative, also known as Amendment 37, in November 2004 (Colorado National Rankings - 2021 | Public Utilities Commission). This measure would ensure that any future investments in energy infrastructure or fund set aside had a percentage reserved for green/renewable projects.

As the years have moved on, sustainability has remained the key imperative across the State of Colorado, and it continues to be the defining ingredient in policy creation as of 2023. The current Governor Jared Polis has released Colorado’s first Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap in January 2021. The roadmap lays out a plan meet the state’s science based climate targets of 26% by 2025, 50% by 2030 and 90% by 2050 using the 2005 levels as the baseline for all analysis/calculations (GHG Pollution Reduction Roadmap 2.0 | Colorado Energy Office). Seen below in Figure 1 is a graphical breakdown of the representative sectors of pollution where reduction is required based on the “1261 Target Scenario” in order to meet the 2030 climate targets. The figure was taken from the GHG Pollution Reduction Roadmap Report.

Some of the key aspects of the roadmap include growing the green economy which would create a plethora of new jobs. Costs for electricity, transportation and other aspects of the new green economy would be kept low to save consumers money. Climate action would ensure that there are more zero emission vehicles and transportation options available. Energy efficiency would be promoted and there would be a larger transition towards zero emission buildings. As part of the roadmap, there would also be a push for the modernization of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Finally, the roadmap would prepare a pathway to ensure a just and equitable transition for all of Colorado. This article will address the clean energy transition, electrification and the implications such measures will have on grid infrastructure as a whole. Adaptation will have to occur at a pace matching the legislature (policy updates) to ensure that the regulations are being met pertaining to energy generation and distribution.

Sustainability in the Grid

Sustainability in the grid is important for a variety of reasons. First, it can help to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, which are a major contributor to climate change. Second, it can help to improve the efficiency of our energy use, which can save us money and resources. Third, it can help to increase the resilience of our grid, making it more resistant to disruptions such as power outages. There are several ways to make the grid more sustainable. One way is to increase the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Another way is to improve the efficiency of our energy use, by using more energy-efficient appliances and lighting. We can also make the grid more sustainable by investing in smart grid technologies, which can help to better manage the flow of energy and improve the reliability of the grid. Making the grid more sustainable is a complex challenge, but it is one that we must address if the state wants to create a more sustainable future (Hu et al.). By investing in renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and making the grid more resilient, Colorado can reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, save money, and protect the environment.

The grid system in Colorado has started to evolve as the policy and mindsets of the public transform. The largest utilities in the state have started making changes to the way they generate and distribute energy to align with the state’s pollution reduction targets. Xcel Energy has filed a clean energy plan with aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent with the deadline being the year 2030. Xcel Energy also has two coal plants still operational and generating electricity in their portfolio. Both will be retired/taken offline in the years 2027 and 2028 (Colorado Clean Energy Plan | Environment | Xcel Energy). Holy Cross Electric headed by Bryan Hannegan are making even more positive strides with more ambitious goals. Their clean energy plan will see them 100 percent carbon free by 2030 utilizing renewable sources and developing better energy storage plans for the customers that they serve (“Seventy70thirty”). In the clean energy plan filed by Black Hills Electric there would be a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions of 80% through the year 2030. In a rather quicker motion as compared to the other utilities listed in this paragraph, Black Hills Electric stated that there is to be a 70% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of year 2023 as the utility will be adding 200 megawatts of solar generating modules to their portfolio (2030 Ready: Our Colorado Clean Energy Plan | Black Hills Energy). The clean energy plan filed for Colorado Springs utility will see a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 80% in the year 2030. The filed energy plan also stated that the Colorado Springs utility would also increase their renewable energy generation in their energy portfolio by 32% in the year 2030 (“Sustainable Energy Plan”). In the filed clean energy plan for the Platte River Power Authority the expected greenhouse gas reduction by 2030 is 90%. The utility has coal power plants in its portfolio just like Xcel Energy and guarantees closure in the clean energy plan by 2030. They also are expected to add 400 megawatts of renewable generation sources to their portfolio although there is no definite timeline for this (“Our Energy Future”). Tri-State G&T has promised to reduce in-state greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2030. Similarly, the other utilities listed in this paragraph also have coal power plants in their energy portfolio which will be decommissioned and taken offline by 2030. The preferred clean energy plan based on the filing by Tri-State will see the addition of wind generation sources by 900 megawatts it will also see the addition of solar generation sources by 900 megawatts. This clean energy plan is quite different compared to the other utilities listed in this paragraph pertaining to the fact that they plan to add 200 megawatts of storage to their portfolio as well (“Tri-State Reaches Agreement with More than Two Dozen Parties on Resource Plan”).

Based on the energy plans filed by the different utilities, it is clear that by the end of the next decade greenhouse gas emissions due to energy generation in the State of Colorado will be non-existent. However, such events would depend on whether these utilities keep their word and that the legislature in the State holds them accountable based on their statements. Taking a closer look at the present shows that there is still much work left to be done on the road to true sustainability. Seen below is a figure tabulated by the Environmental Protection Agency Power Profiler. The zip code utilized for this example is the University of Colorado Boulder (80309) (US EPA Power Profiler). It takes an inputted zip code and provides the breakdown for energy generation and distribution as compared to the national average. Based on the results below it is clear that Colorado is still generating ang distributing a significant amount of energy created by burning fossil fuels and releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere accelerating climate change.

This is also represented in power distribution graphs provided by Xcel Energy showing their current sources as of 2021. Coal is still a major part of the energy generation portfolio as well as natural gas. Renewables only make up 39% of the total energy generation and distribution as of 2021. Whilst this may seem to be a small percentage, it is still three times the number of renewable sources as compared to just ten years ago (Power Generation | Energy Portfolio | Xcel Energy).?

The next step, once clean electricity is a reality with all generation coming from renewable avenues, would be to target the grid infrastructure and the end points of distribution. This means adapting the products by which consumers would harness the clean electricity that is provided. The phrase that is in the roadmap is electrification. If all the electricity generated is clean, then electrification of all sectors would be the way forward ensuring an overall decrease in pollution by targeting the endpoints.

?Electric vehicles (EV’s) have already started to catch on with manufacturers like Tesla and Ford coming out with their own models that have reached customer satisfaction and further research and development in the means of electrified transportation is continuously evolving. If there are more electric vehicles on the road there must be more electric chargers to ensure that consumers can charge their cars efficiently and without a hassle. This is just one avenue of electrification. The next avenue would-be electrifying homes and buildings. Electrified induction ranges can be used instead of the conventional gas stoves decreasing reliance on natural gas and utilizing the clean energy provided by the grid. Hybrid water heaters that utilize solar technology can be installed in homes to heat water HVAC systems can also be electrified completely to decrease reliance on natural gas when it comes to cooling and heating homes. Smart buildings that use integrated control panels and advanced sensory technology can be constructed to increase the energy efficiency in the buildings and once again drawing from the clean energy grid. Existing building infrastructure can be updated and renovated to include the efficiency and renewable source point upgrades decreasing overall greenhouse gas emissions within urban concentrated areas. Homes and suburban areas can also be updated with individual renewable generation systems depending on the geographical location in the state and the various environmental conditions (Impact of Declining Renewable Energy Costs on Electrification in Low-Emission Scenarios | Nature Energy).

Research and development into the electrification space is constantly evolving and producing new technologies. Recent studies have sought to counter the issues that are arising with battery storage for electric vehicles by integrating inductive power technology (IPT) into the road networks creating what is called e-roads. This technology is still in its infancy but would prove promising to aid in the electrification of all transportation in the state of Colorado (Chen et al.).

Overall electrification is a fantastic step forward and reducing emissions especially since all electricity being provided from the grid is being generated through renewable sources. There are still, however, tentative issues that arise from this green evolution especially with matters pertaining to grid infrastructure. The next few sections of this paper will aim to analyse these issues, test the possible severity of the issues at hand and finally recommend solutions that could be put forward in legislature. Some recommendations would even be tenable either through individual or corporate action. If the issues are countered, it would be bridging any gaps that there may be in the overall transition towards sustainability in the state of Colorado. Some of the issues observed consider the excessive demand rise on grid infrastructure, cybersecurity and its implications in a renewable source grid, hydroelectric power in a state that is already facing a water crisis, and addressing the question on whether rapid electrification is truly sustainable?

Rising Demand on Current Grid Infrastructure

As electrification increases throughout the state of Colorado, the overall amount of electricity needed from the grid will also increase exponentially. This demand rise will come at a time when grid infrastructure Is aging, and without the appropriate capacity to supply all the power that is required in an electrified Colorado. This increased demand rise will lead to rolling blackouts similar to those that happen in the state of California. Rolling blackouts are a defence tool that utility operators utilize inducing power outages on a zone-by-zone basis. By cutting power in controlled and brief sections, a utility can protect sensitive equipment within the grid infrastructure from being overloaded bringing the system back in harmony based on the supply and demand curves of that certain time frame (What Are Rolling Blackouts?).

The prevention of rolling blackouts in a centralized grid system are difficult because it entirely depends on the consumers. There are a few ways one can prevent rolling blackouts and it all has to do with decreasing the amount of electricity taken from a grid during what are known as peak hours. For example, during the working week the peak calls would be between 5:00 to 7:30 in the evening. If the utility providing the electricity to that sector can convince customers to perform energy demanding tasks during non-peak hours, then the overall demand during peak hours would decrease putting less stress on the grid. Educational campaigns on appliances in the house could also be an option for the local utilities ensuring that customers unplug all devices not in use as many modern devices still siphon power from the grid even when turned off. Finally on the consumer side energy audits could take place and their individual homes and recommendations for smart home technology which increase energy efficiency can be installed which is already a part of the road map pertaining to electrification (Bin-Halabi et al.). Another tool that grid operators can utilize are called brownouts.

A brownout is the period of reduced power to accept that a utility serves. This is usually done to protect critical services within a sector such as hospitals a nursing homes during periods of high demand on a centralized grid system (What’s the Difference Between a Blackout and a Brownout? | Direct Energy). This increased demand from total electrification of the state would place undue stress on the grid aging the already debilitating infrastructure leading to an unending cycle of brownouts and rolling blackouts done by operators and local utilities to try and decrease the risk of failure in a centralized grid system (“70 Years of RFF Research, US Electricity Grid Ages, and More”). Reiterating what has been stated above in the paragraph it's the fact that utilities cannot depend on consumers to decrease the stress demand load on the grid but rather we'll have to come up with innovative techniques assisted by the legislature through performance-based regulations. There are a few recommendations that could be carried out to address this expected higher demand as we transition to total electrification in the state of Colorado. It also has to be noted that blackouts and brownouts usually occur in areas with aging inefficient infrastructure. This is where lower income strata’s of the population live calling into question the equitability of such matters.

One of the possible solutions to this problem is to have the legislature draw up policies that would increase the amount of microgrids and nano grids available within the overall grid infrastructure decentralizing the centralized grid system on a sector-by-sector basis. A microgrid is a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid. Initiating renewable generation into these microgrids would enable local power generation assets essentially creating a self-sustaining system setup for separate suburban communities (Microgrids). Nano-grids are similar to microgrids with the difference in capacity and the number of customers such a system could serve. Typically, nano-grids are relegated to a single home or building with its own renewable energy source for power generation (Burmester et al.). These microgrids could also be used in single skyscraper or urban building setups where each building in a certain zone could have their own microgrids be fitted with SCADA control panels and programmable logic controllers which would variate depending on the demand requirements for that certain building (Ramos et al.). This would effectively decrease reliance on a centralized grid system, effectively ending the demand side issues such as rolling blackouts and brownouts. Installing effective storage solutions within each microgrid such as the Tesla battery storage system and others would allow the local microgrid to constantly run increasing customer reliability and the resilience of the grid system (Ramos et al.). Combining renewable generation sources and effective battery storage systems within one microgrid could create what is known as an island grid with a single connection to the centralized grid if required. Energy management schemes could then be set up where the combination/mixture of energy pulled from the centralized grid and the local microgrid would be utilized on a daily basis. If there were scheduled rolling blackouts/brownouts on a certain day, the island microgrid would cut all supply from the centralized grid depending on its local renewable generation and stored energy in the initialized battery system for sustenance. Any excess power generated from the microgrid could be sold back to the centralized grid system for a form of revenue generation which could then be put into a small local fund to aid in the maintenance and upgrades of the microgrid (Microgrids| Veolia North America). Seen in the figure below is a simple schematic of a microgrid (Microgrids – What Are They and How Do They Work?).?

Another option to counter the failures of the grid during high demand sessions is to utilize the battery in electric vehicles as a form of exterior storage to the microgrid/centralized grid system. Modern day electric vehicles such as the Ford Lightning come manufactured with the capability for bi-directional charging. Based on a description from the Department of Energy, a bidirectional electric vehicle (EV) can be charged with electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and also provide energy to an external load (discharge) when it is paired with a similarly capable EVSE (“Bidirectional Charging and Electric Vehicles for Mobile Storage”). The vehicles would act as mobile storage systems capable of discharging their stored energy into virtually any other grid network with the capability to receive the charge. The possibilities for such an application are endless. These bidirectional electric vehicles could be utilized in regular homes to ease electricity usage from the grid during peak hours by discharging the charge in the vehicle battery into the house powering the appliances in the house for that time period. The utilities providing the electricity could develop pricing schemes that would pay back customers with energy credits/ discounts if they agree to utilize the bidirectional charging to power their homes during peak demand periods. ?There is also the implementation of bidirectional charging during natural hazard/disaster events. When transmission lines and transformers are affected during storm events and electricity is cut for certain areas, electric vehicles could be discharged into the individual homes to power them through such events. For critical services such as hospitals, nursing homes and military complexes, bidirectional charging vehicles in the forms of trucks with larger batteries could replace the conventional diesel-powered generators. This would further cut pollution emissions as well as cut the dependence on fossil fuels for power. It has to be noted that microgrids and nano-grid infrastructure would bring some tentative problems in the fact that the grid system would be decentralized with many setpoints. This will be further discussed when delving into the section on cybersecurity.

??Cybersecurity Concerns

In recent years as analog methods of information storage and manipulation have shifted to digital storage and programming, digital infrastructural weaknesses have been exploited by bad actors with nefarious purposes. This has led to the development of the cybersecurity field to counter hackers and has gone to the extent where international incidents have occurred due to cyberspace events. When it pertains to the grid cybersecurity has become one of the prominent areas of concern as our lives have become more dependent on technology for entertainment, work and even survival. In response to the growing threat from this sector The United States has set up the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) also known as America's Cyber Defense Agency (Home Page | CISA). The aging grid infrastructure across the country and even in the State of Colorado are a concern but the grid is still centralized, whilst at the lack of efficiency still has the ease of defence due to the singular setpoint.

???????????Consider the castle analogy to better understand the vulnerabilities of a decentralized system. ?For example, imagine there was a single large castle in a Kingdom inhabited by a king and defended by his army. Now imagine the armies of a rival neighboring Kingdom approached and prepared to siege the castle. The king inside the castle being sieged would analyze his opponent strategy and position his army to mount an appropriate defense to keep the enemies of the castle out. Now consider a second scenario but with 20 castles still ruled by one king with the same number of soldiers in his army preparing to defend all his castles against the same rival neighboring Kingdom and its troops. Which castle should the king defend? How should he spread out his troops? If he moves too many to 1 castle the other castles would remain undefended. If he spread out his troops equally to all the 20 castles, he would still be vulnerable to a large attack as his troops would be spread out too thin. This is the conundrum facing a grid entirely decentralized. Each microgrid and nano-grid would have their own programmable logic controllers SCADA systems increasing the number of set points within the network for a hacker to hack making the decentralized grid system more vulnerable due to the higher level of exposure and diversity of security measures within the overall setup. The centralized grid system on the other hand provides a singular target for hackers but is easier to defend since the setpoints in the system are fewer. It is a similar logic for a house that is about to be entered by a thief. If there is only one entrance/door to the house, the owner of the house would know exactly where the thief will enter from allowing the owner to mount a defensive strategy to stop the thief in his tracks. The transition to clean energy is a positive evolution but would require a decentralized grid system in order to function efficiently.

???????????The recommended solution to better protect the renewable energy framework of microgrids and nano-grids in the future would require cooperation between the government legislature and the entire energy sector. A single platform uniting all energy utilities within the State of Colorado would have to be developed. This could either be in the form of annual meetings or an actual interconnected system/application that would alert operators when their systems are getting hacked. Training sessions could be carried out by consultants provided to utilities from Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) updating them on the latest threats and ways to counteract cybercrimes which could potentially affect thousands of people within the state. All new components, including sensors that are part of individual grid upgrades would have to be tested and risk analyzed before they are installed in the grid infrastructure. Any system component that is programmed would have to be inspected regularly and have the software updated with the latest security measures (Baumeister). Even energy storage systems manufactured by companies like Tesla initialized into the grid are not invulnerable to cyberattacks, so more vigilance is required even for systems like this (Mohammadi).

Will Colorado truly benefit from Hydroelectric Power?

???????????Moving away from the topic of cybersecurity and widening the focus from the grid to the actual renewable generation sources being utilized and their efficacy for the state of Colorado. One source of clean power generation that seems to be a negative investment for the future in Colorado is hydroelectric power. Hydropower/hydroelectric power is one of the oldest and largest sources of renewable energy generation in the United States with approximately 31.5 percent of all renewable energy generation in the country coming from this source. In 2020 states like Washington generated about 66 percent of their electricity requirements from hydroelectric power sources. Hydropower generation utilizes elevation differences that create the flow of water through turbines. Typically, hydroelectric power is generated with turbines lining the walls of dams but can also be generated from municipal water facilities (drinking water/wastewater treatment) and irrigation ditches. (“Hydropower Basics”). In the state of Colorado, there are currently 60 hydropower units collectively capable of producing 1,160 megawatts of power at any given time which is enough power to supply as many as 100,000 homes. The energy is sold to municipalities, public utilities and governmental agencies in Colorado and surrounding states through the Western Area Power Administration (Sullivan). The overarching key component for any hydroelectric operation is the availability of water in general. Colorado like many other states located on the western side of the United States are facing a water crisis. In Colorado most of the water recharged from precipitation for the state is held within the snowpack which has been decreasing over the last decade. The snow melts and feeds the Colorado River Basin which supplies water to seven western states including California. In recent years the Colorado river basin has seen unprecedently low levels of recharge but water usage across the west has remained the same. This lower precipitation level has been attributed to climate change with increasing temperatures increasing evaporation rates as well. The average flow of the Colorado River has already declined nearly 20% since 2000, with half of that attributable to rising temperatures. Temperatures in the Basin are predicted to rise another 2–5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050, which could possibly reduce flow rates by another 10 to 40% (“The Colorado River in Crisis”). In a recent study conducted by the EPA, since 1955 to 2022, the April snowpack in the Western U.S. declined by 23%, with declines at 93% of sites measured (“Protecting Colorado’s Declining Snowpack”). Seen below is an image of the declining snowpack over North America (Snow Cover on the Decline in North America).

The effects that decreased water levels in the State will have wide reaching consequences outside the scope of this paper. However, when considering the role that hydroelectric power will play in Colorado for the future can be called into question. For turbines to spin there must be a minimum depth of water in the system otherwise, the turbines are merely oversized fan blades protruding from the surface with no generation occurring.?Such cases have clearly been demonstrated in California with many reservoirs falling below the required depth for hydroelectric power generation to occur efficiently.

???????????The recommended solution for hydroelectric power in Colorado is multilayered. Firstly, there should be no further hydroelectric power facilities being built unless there are a part of a municipal wastewater treatment plant as that would provide a constant source of flow allowing for steady power generation although this too would need to be analyzed for population indicators, as well as the expected growth in that specific community before any actions can be taken (Blevins). The funds for these projects could be redirected to growing the solar portfolio in state as that would be a far more efficient option with a constant daily rate of return. The existing hydroelectric facilities can continue generating electricity as long as the water levels in their operating area remain steady.?Once they are no longer feasible the projects should be decommissioned and taken offline. Some funds for these projects could also be utilized to upgrade grid infrastructure. Other alternatives could also be considered such as nuclear energy which is a carbon neutral source once operational. Colorado has uranium deposits along the Front Range that have not been mined yet (Colorado Geological Survey). Nuclear energy operations could be utilized to build energy resilience in the state and act as a redundancy in case of generic source failure due to a variety of issues covered in risk analysis during construction.

Is Rapid Electrification Sustainable?

???????????The next issue being analyzed in this paper is whether rapid electrification is really sustainable or even equitable for that matter? Overall, the roadmap aims to have an equitable and just transition for Colorado, but what about the rest of the world? We know that electrification is the efficient way forward modernizing our grid and allowing for clean energy generation with all the benefits that provides. Consider electric vehicles and battery storage systems for example. They provide us with a plethora of opportunities leaning towards modernization, a zero-emission future with seemingly little to no negatives apart from possibly the availability of chargers and the current mileage in the models on the market. One side of things overlooked in this whole conversation is where the materials for the manufactured products we, so praise come from. Electric vehicle batteries are composed of ionized lithium which stores the energy required for operation, this is exactly the same composition for battery storage system that accompany solar and wind generation apparatus. Demand for lithium has gone up tremendously, making it one of the most sought-after resources in the world and it will continue to be this way till a more efficient alternative is found. Lithium procurement is a complicated process. The two biggest sources of lithium in the world is Australia, China, Argentina and Chile. Whilst Australia is a developed country utilizing advanced mining methods and specifically extracting rock form lithium, developing countries are still utilizing the brine lakes to procure lithium carbonate (Lithium Supply – Hard Rock vs. Brine – New Age Metals Inc.). This is an environmentally wasteful and potentially dangerous method. Approximately 2.2 million liters of water is needed to produce one ton of lithium. This is a significant amount, and the water could be utilized for other purposes. It has also been stated by researchers that reserves of lithium and cobalt will not meet future demand and suggested to instead focus on researching iron and silicon (“South America’s ‘lithium Fields’ Reveal the Dark Side of Electric Cars”). There have been no clear longitudinal in-depth environmental impact assessments (EIA) at sites in places like Chile and China. Scientists and researchers have called for permanent environmental monitoring before any extraction/ mining can take place (Vera et al.). There are worries that soil contamination and leaching of the brine into the groundwater could cause irreversible damage to local ecosystems (“New Report Outlines Need for Prioritizing the Least Impactful Methods of Lithium Extraction to Protect Environment and Communities”). The ethicality of the labor market in these developing countries can also be called into question with unethical practices and exploitation of the local people occurring in quest for lithium which is now known as “white gold” (Lithium Batteries Won the Nobel Prize. How Is This an Opportunity for Latin America?), (“Exposed”).

???????????Another thing to consider when it comes to sustainability, ethicality and equitability is where we source materials and products. Take the solar panel industry as an example. Out of the top ten manufacturers in the world, nine are located in China with only one located in the United States. Setting aside the politics and the trade imbalance that such a reality explores, it is human rights that has to take the forefront. At the end of November 2022, the Biden Administration put out a law banning all imports from China's Xinjiang region over concerns about slave labor. This has led more than 1,000 shipments of solar energy components worth hundreds of millions of dollars have piled up at U.S. ports (Exclusive: U.S. Blocks More than 1,000 Solar Shipments over Chinese Slave Labor Concerns | Reuters).?Developers in the United States and Colorado can still import from any other region. The question is whether slave labor is occurring in other regions as well? China has had a terrible human rights record in the way they have treated Uyghurs and prisoners. Oftentimes, these oppressed minorities are forced to work in labor camps under terrible conditions to make the products that we then buy. Colorado has to ask itself whether it still wants to partner with a country with such ethical failings.

???????????There are possible solutions to the issues listed in the paragraphs above. One of the options that the State legislature could introduce would be to establish fair trade policies with the countries we procure materials and goods from. This would be similar to how most coffee beans that are procured in the United States have to have the fair-trade stamp showing that the farmers they bought the beans from were not exploited but offered the right price (Fair Trade). This policy would have to extend and ensure that environmentalism and human rights are upheld before any business can be conducted with a certain country. Another possibility is to only buy materials for renewable sources from countries that have a proven track record in the ethical, equitable and sustainable space. Whilst this option will likely be more expensive, there would be the guarantee that no one was exploited or hurt in the trade process. The State of Colorado could also set apart a fund with public approval that would invest in alternative and cleaner mining approaches. Funds for renewable research and development already exist but not specifically for certain materials utilized in the manufacturing process for the critical apparatus installed in local grid infrastructure.

???????????In the conclusion, overarching recommendations concerning the sustainability transition in Colorado will be examined and listed. The limitations of the analysis contrived within this paper will also be examined and reasoned. Starting with the limitations, the data surrounding cybersecurity of the grid was severely lacking due to the fact that several government agencies and the defence industry are involved in setting up the firewalls within systems adapted for grid infrastructure within the state of Colorado. This man that a lot of vulnerabilities and recent hacking events were confidential and outside the reach of the author of this paper. This limited the range of recommendations provided within the sections as mentioned. Certain technologies listed within the sections above are also still in the experimental phase and further longitudinal studies are required to see the entire consequence of their operation within an internalized grid system.

Future Considerations

???????????Before any regulatory law can be drawn up it is important to refer to or start up longitudinal studies into the sector that the law is being defined for. We don't currently have any real-life scenario studies of a grid system running on 100% renewable source generation. We do have access to pilot studies but those are still pilot studies with this far smaller sample and oftentimes simulated environments building the control volume before we garner results. Further modelling is required in the case of natural hazards and disasters to see the resilience of an entirely renewable grid system and the implications it might have and the aftermath of such disasters. For example, if the volcano known as the Yellowstone Caldera located in the state of Wyoming were to erupt tomorrow and the state of Colorado had shifted with an energy portfolio balance of 70% solar based generation systems in the past year the consequences would be immense. Apart from the pyroclastic flow that would affect the surrounding states and the severe loss of life in the days months and years following the tragic disaster, the ash spewed from the volcano what's spread thousands of kilometers across the country directly affecting the state of Colorado as well leading to an overall decrease in the level of albedo radiation coming into contact with solar panels leading to a great decline and the energy generated within that system (What Would Happen If the Yellowstone Supervolcano Actually Erupted? - Vox), (What Would Happen If a “Supervolcano” Eruption Occurred Again at Yellowstone? | U.S. Geological Survey).

The same scenario could be drawn up in a different way with a different natural hazard affecting wind currents stopping all wind generation within the state leading to demand far outpacing supply and grid failure. The worst-case scenario in the future would be a solar flare followed by a coronal mass ejection from the sun leading to complete grid failure regardless of whether it is a centralized grid system, or a system composed of microgrids and nano grids (How Solar Storms Impact the Global Power Grid). All of these events may seem impossible to occur, but being prepared for such scenarios beforehand is key as the old idiom goes prevention is better than the cure. One way to prepare for such disasters is to create an energy portfolio so diversified thought there would be many alternatives in the case of the failure in one generation source. A basket of renewable energy sources could be developed within the state still generating clean energy but pulling from different sources of nature acting as a redundancy in the case of natural hazards or unforeseen events in the future. Colorado has a lot left to do before it can reach truly zero emissions, but if a few of the recommendations are followed from this paper this state will be well on its way to the development of an equitable, ethical, green economy and grid system built strong and resilient to face all the trials that may come its way in the future.

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