The CEO and Founder of Remote Power and Bella Energy is Jim Welch, a leader in the renewable energy industry for almost 30 years in Colorado. He was recognized by the US Department of Energy as a Green Pioneer Award Winner in 2004 for his efforts to bring wind power to Colorado and the City of Fort Collins. During the 20+ years of guiding Remote Power, Jim managed a company that started with local solar projects that then grew into the largest distributor of solar electric equipment in the region. The distribution business was sold to Kyocera, Int. in 1994. For the next 10 years, he provided consulting to organizations such as the World Bank and Conservation International. Jim’s most significant project was for the Nature Conservancy, implementing over 400 kW of solar electricity on the largest nature preserve system in the world. In 2004, he set up Bella Energy to address the coming market for solar in Colorado as a result of Amendment 37. Jim holds a Masters degree in environmental planning and solar design from Arizona State University's Department of Architecture.

Colorado Connections: Jim is a native Coloradan who grew up in Boulder and migrated to Fort Collins after graduating from University of Colorado (CU-Boulder). He is also a graduate of Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale. Jim's father was on the Political Science Faculty at CU, his mother active in community affairs. In keeping with this family tradition, Jim has served on numerous boards for the last 20 years, assisting in local and state initiatives for a cleaner Colorado environment. He is currently the president of CoSEIA. His favorite work has been with Trees Water People, where he cofounded their tribal lands program to assist Native Americans with solar solutions, and became an expert in solar drying of coffee in Latin America. He resides in Fort Collins. Jim's wife, Renee, is a massage therapist and daughter Lara a freshman in college.