Corporate: Energy Industries

Colorado is trying to be on the front line of the use of green energy. This broad term includes wind, solar, geo thermal and other clean energies.

A sunflower is seen in front of two windmills at the 300.5 megawatt wind-power Cedar Creek Wind Farm east of Grover, Colo. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Jim Wedeman of Ascent Solar holds up a piece of Polyimide film that is used in the solar making process at the companies manufacturing facility in Littleton, Colo. Photo by Matt McClain
   
     
  
   
An oil pump operates in a field near a housing development in the growing Weld County town of Dacono, Colo. Many new subdivisions in Weld County have built new homes around existing oil pump units. Photo by Matt McClain
   
     
  
The late afternoon sun is seen at the United Power's Brighton Solar Farm is seen Monday 07/20/09. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Howard Long of BJ Services checks hoses at a gas well fracing site outside of Parachute, Colo. Patented advances in fracing technology in 2002 made possible deep rock exploration for natural gas, and greatly heightened interest in Colorado's gas fields. Photo by Matt McClain
   
With his hands covered in grease and grit, worker, Shawn Howard, waits to work as maintenance work is done to a Bronco Drilling rig located near the Roan Plateau in Rio Blanco County. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Aerials over Roan Plateau Thursday 9/13/07. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Welding pieces that will be used on a Bronco Drilling rig that is being set up in the background, Johnny King, left, and Matthew Buckner work Tuesday 11/20/07 late afternoon outside of Rifle, Colo. The rig will drill three natural gas well on the site. Photo by Matt McClain
   
A natural gas worker walks through a maze of pipes on a gas well fracing site operated by EnCana Oil and Gas Inc. outside of Parachute, Colo. Currently under construction, the Rockies Express Pipeline will bring natural gas from Colorado to the energy starved midwest. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Workers from BJ Services operate fracing equipment at a gas well owned by EnCana Oil and Gas Inc. outside of Parachute, Colo. Many environmentalists are trying to get oil and gas companies to disclose the chemicals that are used in the fracing process. Photo by Matt McClain
   
A drilling pad is nestled amid the ridges of the Roan Plateau in northwest Colorado. There are currently over 30,000 active wells in Colorado as thousands more are on the drawing board. Photo by Matt McClain
   
With his hands covered in grease and grit, worker, Shawn Howard, changes out a piece of equipment on a Bronco Drilling rig located near the Roan Plateau in Rio Blanco County Tuesday 11/20/07. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Greg Hall, right, watches as driller, Cody Hollenbach is hoisted into the air to unhook equipment as maintenance work is done to a Bronco Drilling rig Tuesday 11/20/07 near the Roan Plateau in Rio Blanco County. Photo by Matt McClain
   
  
Gabrielle Van Winkle, 8, plays on a swing as an oil derrick is seen in the background of park equipment in the Summit View neighborhood of Fredrick Colo. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Frances Hoffpowier, center left, feeds her youngest son, Mason, 2, as her daughter Chloe, 4, takes a drink of soda while the families' father, Michael Hoffpowier, talks with fellow natural gas worker, Tommy Jones at the River Camp RV Park outside of Meeker, Colo. The family moved from Texas so Michael could make better money as a welder in the gas fields. Gas workers see a conflict between themselves and locals in the community they now call home. "The people here have absolutely no use for us," Hoffpowier said. Photo by Matt McClain
   
As a gas drilling rig begins to light up the evening sky, Katrina West, 5, plays on a swing set in the backyard of her grandparents Oxford Farms home of outside Erie, Colo. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Troy Clous, left, and Lisa Berti of Abound Solar inspect solar modules at their Loveland, Colo. facility Monday 07/27/09. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Keith Goshia, principle engineer at Abound Solar in Loveland, Colo. cleans off solar modules inside a Light Soaker Monday 07/27/09. Photo by Matt McClain
   
A typical man camp, like this one outside of Parachute, Colo. is capable of housing two-dozen men, providing them with meals, laundry and other services. Large gas companies are setting them up near drilling sites to help alleviate the housing crunch in energy boom areas. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Natural gas rig lights up the night sky near the Garfield County Airport. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Downtown Denver, Colo. is seen from the Highlands Park suburb. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Research technician, Melanie Sloan conducts a test on the performance of a single pot heating stove at the Colorado State University Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory in Fort Collins, Colo. Monday 08/10/09. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Jars of homemade diesel sit on a counter at the Colorado State University Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory in Fort Collins, Colo. Monday 08/10/09. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
Jose Guillen of Energy Saving Partners weatherizes the attic of a home in Greeley, Colo. Wednesday 07/22/09. Photo by Matt McClain
   
  
     
  
Workers keep warm near a fire during a break while working at the Greater Sanhill Solar Project being constructed by SunPower Corporation outside of Alamosa, Colo. on Thursday 10/21/10. Photo by Matt McClain
   
Betty Merrifield greets her dog, Lola, as she waters flowers in her one of her family's greenhouses at Merrifield Greenhouse and Charlotte Springs in Buena Vista, Colo. on Wednesday 08/19/09. The Merrifield family uses geo thermal technology to heat and cool their greenhouses. They are also looking for more funding for their hot springs that uses underground water through geo thermal technology. Photo by Matt McClain
   
A worker at the Yuma Ethanol Plant outside of Yuma, Colo. shovels up discarded distillers grain, which is an ethanol process byproduct that can be used to feed cattle. Photo by Matt McClain
     
  
A group of pronghorn antelope forage near several gas pads late Monday afteroon 9/03/07 at Cottonwood Ranches in Sublette County. Photo by Matt McClain
   
An oil derrick sits in a field as a thunderstorm blows through the town of Dacono, Cclo. Tuesday 8/14/07. For many the amount of natural gas and oil production in Weld County represents the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Photo by Matt McClain