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Selfless power

Vail Daily Editorial Board
Vail CO, Colorado

More of us should be as concerned about the planet as the Caradonna family in Edwards.

Their electric meter has begun running backwards, saving them some money on powering their home, but it will be years before their newly installed solar panels pay for themselves.

The Caradonnas say they didn’t make the leap to solar power for the savings. They did it to save the rest of us. Their concern is for the environment ” the Vail Valley’s blue sky and green hillsides ” not their bank account.



The Caradonnas also didn’t take the easiest way out of doing something for the environment by buying carbon offsets or wind-power credits. They’re reducing their own global footprint, not sending money off hoping someone else will do it for them.

Holy Cross Energy also deserves kudos for its net-metering program that will pay homeowners back for putting energy into the grid. In so many other instances these days, the utility or big corporation pockets the savings without a thought for ” and even in spite of ” the greater good.

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While not everybody in the valley can afford to imitate the Caradonnas, those who can should. The “pays-for-itself” argument should take a back seat to “might-preserve-life-as-we-know-it” argument.

Even if the return on investment is a decade or two in the future, we should as taxpayers be willing to give our governments some extra money to invest in alternative energy systems for their offices, transit systems and other services.

And, as homeowners, we should be willing to spend extra money on alternative energy systems rather than using the extra cash for a hot-tub or heated driveway.

” Matt Zalaznick for the Editorial Board


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