Michael Fanelli
Climate Desk ReporterMichael Fanelli is the inaugural reporter for Aspen Public Radio’s Climate Desk. He moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in June 2025, after living and working in two very different parts of Alaska. A Southern California local, he got his start in public radio at KCRW in Santa Monica.
At Alaska Public Media in Anchorage, he hosted the statewide morning news and reported on stories ranging from glacier tourism and EV’s to a bagel oasis. Michael was most recently the news director of KRBD in Ketchikan, where he covered local issues like homeless services and kelp entrepreneurship, plus an occasional bizarre story about imitation totem poles. His work has been recognized on several occasions by the Alaska Press Club, including an environmental reporting award for a story about federally funded heat pumps.
Michael is excited to live in a place with a little more sun and a lot less rain. Say hi if you bump into him while exploring the natural beauty of the Western Slope.
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Commissioners narrowly agreed to advance a substantially reduced request for a wildlife crossing study. The board will consider final approval of the funding on March 25. -
El Distrito de Protección contra Incendios de Aspen está a punto de convertirse en la primera estación del país en adquirir la nueva tecnología de Seneca, una empresa emergente de California. Los responsables de incendios afirman que podría ser un "cambio radical" para la respuesta rápida ante incendios forestales de difícil acceso. -
Garfield Clean Energy es una iniciativa intergubernamental orientada a generar ahorros para los residentes a través de servicios enfocados en la mejora de la eficiencia energética. Este año, los comisionados del condado decidieron reducir a la mitad su contribución al programa como medida para afrontar el déficit presupuestario. -
The Western Slope utility is instituting a demand charge to cover rising infrastructure costs and encourage users to stagger their electricity use throughout the day. -
The Basalt Chamber of Commerce hosted the candidate forum on Monday. Voters will choose three of four candidates during a municipal election on April 7. -
Roaring Fork Safe Passages successfully raised $200,000 to fund an engineering study for two wildlife corridors near the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. The nonprofit plans to request matching funds from Pitkin County in the coming weeks. -
The Aspen Fire Protection District is set to become the first station in the country to acquire the new technology from Seneca, a California startup. Fire officials say it could be a “game changer” for rapid response to hard-to-reach wildfires.
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Garfield Clean Energy is a government collaborative that helps save residents money through efficiency upgrade services. County commissioners cut their contribution to the program in half this year, to help make up for a budget shortfall.
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A professional skier delivered a petition to the International Olympic Committee last week, urging them to rethink future sponsorships with fossil fuel companies. The move comes as Colorado sees historically low snowpack, and the future of snow sports is uncertain. -
The Wildfire Collaborative Roaring Fork Valley has been collecting data in several communities that will help predict how a fire would spread from home to home. That analysis will identify high risk areas, and the most effective mitigation work to slow a wildfire.
