Fifth graders ask YVEA board to add more renewable energy

FEBRUARY 9, 2018 BY YAMPA VALLEY SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL

After completing an interesting fifth-grade learning unit on renewable energy in class and with the help of Yampatika, students in teacher Janna Hoza’s class at Strawberry Park Elementary School presented at the January 2018 board of directors meeting of Yampa Valley Electric Association. The seven students advocated for the board to create another local solar array at the city’s airport on the north side of Steamboat Springs and for YVEA to work to move to 50 percent renewable energy. The savvy students pointed out a few communities in Colorado that have pledged to go to 100 percent renewable energy.

“We believe you should keep adding more,” the students said, noting that renewable energy creates less air pollution, helps with human health and could help protect snowfall threatened by climate change. The students asked, “If we’re not an average town why don’t we use more than average amount of renewable energy?”

Make sure to watch the students’ smart responses to YVEA management follow-up questions. Watch the 4-minute VIDEO.