Download the report (pdf)
Progressive policies and abundant resources have secured Colorado’s position in the West as a leader in clean energy investment, generation, and use. Colorado helped pioneer the transition of our regional economy to one powered rapidly and effectively by sustainable energy sources, acting upon Coloradans’ demand that our state government be proactive, protect consumers, stimulate our economy, and preserve our natural resources. Our action on renewable energy over the past four years proves that good economic development practices go hand in hand with good sustainable energy practices.
Colorado has an abundance of renewable energy resources at its disposal. The Centennial State enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year, ranking us fourth in the nation for solar potential. With an estimated 6 million acres of high-wind landscapes, especially along the Eastern Plains, Colorado ranks 11th for wind-energy potential. Finally, our geothermal and biomass supplies are among the best in the world, providing the state with a unique set of assets to diversify our energy portfolio. We have all we need in our own back yard.
And we have made excellent use of these renewable resources. Our efforts include setting clean energy standards for utility providers, facilitating transmission of renewable energy to market, funding technological development, providing renewable energy savings incentives to consumers and business, and limiting the effects of energy use on the environment through aggressive efficiency measures. With strong political will and abundant resources to tap, more bold legislation is on the docket for 2008, proving Colorado has no intention of slowing down. Too much is at stake to act any differently.
Understanding how Colorado got to where it is today in renewable energy, and what the state plans to do in the future, are both worthy of analysis. As you’ll see in the pages that follow, Colorado is among the leaders in renewable energy policymaking at the macro- and micro-economic level in the Rocky Mountain West. And we are determined to remain so.
Download the report (pdf)