Wind power for Colorado Reports

Fossil fuel-fired power plants are major sources of air pollution in Colorado. This air pollution harms our health and contributes to global warming. Fossil fuel power plants also consume significant amounts of the state’s precious water supplies. Wind energy, in contrast, has none of these problems. It produces no air pollution, makes no contribution to global warming, and uses no water.

We can save money and help solve global warming by reducing the amount of energy we use, including in the buildings where we live and work every day. More than 40 percent of our energy — and 10 percent of all the energy used in the world — goes toward powering America’s buildings.

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.

After decades of scientific inquiry, 600 public hearings, and a record 1.6 million comments from the American public, the Clinton administration issued the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in January 2001.