Clean Energy Leadership in the Rockies 6/17/2010

Colorado is Number On e Among Neighbors in Green Jobs Creation A new study by Headwaters Economics compares how Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Utah and Wyoming—five states with vast traditional and clean energy resources—are taking advantage of clean energy opportunities to create green jobs. At both the national and regional level, Colorado is a green economy leader. Colorado’s combined strategy of targeted public policy and strong support for business has made it an internationally competitive center of clean tech innovation. The state’s green economy has the most energy-related jobs and attracted the most venture capital in the region. While Colorado has not been immune to the global recession, the green economy has been a bright spot of economic dynamism in challenging times.

Investing in the Sun- Economic and Environmental Benefits of Developing 1,000 Megawatts of Distributed Generation Solar in Colorado 3/02/2010

Colorado is quickly becoming a leader in the “New Energy Economy” as the state pursues one of the most ambitious clean energy requirements in the country-- a 30% renewable electricity standard by 2020. Even under current law, Colorado is already ahead of the curve, requiring 20% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable resources, with 0.8% of total electricity coming from solar energy. The specific solar standard requires that half of the solar brought online must come from “distributed generation” (DG) solar that is located on-site at customers' homes and businesses. While both large-scale central station and DG solar have an important role in the state’s clean energy future, as the industry has developed over the past few years it has become clear that DG solar brings a particular set of benefits to Colorado. DG solar supports local business growth and allows every Coloradan to directly contribute to the New Energy Economy by producing their own clean electricity. DG solar also helps utilities reduce costs of purchasing expensive peak power electricity and updating grid infrastructure-- all cost savings that ultimately benefit ratepayers.