Repower Colorado with clean energy
Colorado will get 30% of our power from clean energy sources by 2020, thanks to a policy Environment Colorado helped pass. But now, polluters' allies in the Statehouse are trying to gut our clean energy standard — meaning less clean energy, more air pollution, and fewer green jobs. We're fighting to keep Colorado a clean energy leader.
We’re on our way to 100,000 solar roofs
We are surrounded by clean energy options — the power of the sun, the movement of wind and waves, the heat of the earth. By using energy more efficiently and tapping our vast renewable energy resources, we can move to 100% clean energy that doesn’t pollute and never runs out.
In 2010, we helped Colorado pass one of the most ambitious clean-energy standards in the nation — 30% renewable power by 2020. With our state on track to build 100,000 solar rooftops on homes and businesses, Colorado’s commitment to renewable energy has already brought more than $500 million in venture capital to the state.
Defending clean energy in court
A group called the American Tradition Institute has filed a lawsuit against the state of Colorado, claiming that our mandate for 30 percent renewable energy by 2020 is unconstitutional. The group says the energy standard puts an “undue burden” on utility companies, even though XCel energy announced that it will be able to meet the new standard eight full years ahead of the deadline set by Colorado’s law.
We’re working with a coalition of environmental groups — including Earthjustice and Western Resource Advocates — to ensure that the ATI case is quickly dismissed and that we stay on the road to a clean energy future.
Wind could power our state eight times over
Despite the exciting progress we’ve made in the last few years, we’re still just scratching the surface of our clean energy potential.
- Currently, wind farms in Colorado provide enough electricity to power 350,000 homes each year. Colorado’s windy eastern plains could harvest enough energy to power our state 8 times over.
- By using just 2% solar power in the San Luis Valley, concentrating solar power plants could meet half of Colorado’s electricity needs.
Unfortunately, utility companies that benefit from business as usual are fighting to keep us from moving toward a clean-energy future. But if enough people speak out, we can push past the polluters and power our lives with clean, renewable sources that don't pollute and never run out.
Key Facts
- 30% of Colorado’s energy will come from renewable sources by 2020, thanks to a policy we helped pass.
- We’re on track to build 100,000 solar rooftops on homes and businesses
- Colorado’s eastern plains could provide enough energy to power our state 8 times over.
- Colorado’s commitment to clean energy has brought $500 million in venture capital to our state