Aspen voters put turbine in limbo

Officials in Aspen are trying to figure out what to do with a $1.5 million hydroelectric turbine after voters rejected the project in a city election.
    
The city says it is likely to take a substantial financial hit if it decides to resell the turbine.
    
According to the Aspen Daily News (http://tinyurl.com/au74m3h ), the plant was expected to generate around 5 million kilowatt hours a year, offsetting electricity purchased from Nebraska coal plants and providing 8 percent of the Aspen municipal utility's power needs.
    
The project would have increased the amount of water the city currently diverts from Castle and Maroon creeks to feed the generator, but diversions would have been limited during the low-flow months of the fall and winter.