Denver the No. Nine Solar City in New Report

DENVER – The City and County of Denver ranks ninth for solar energy in a new report, landing it among the nation’s leaders for installing clean energy from the sun.

“Cities like Denver are leading the way to a future powered by clean, renewable energy,” said Garrett Garner-Wells, director of Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center. “By tapping into more of our vast solar energy potential, we can benefit from cleaner air and fight climate change.”

Denver ranked ahead of Las Vegas and just behind Indianapolis for megawatts of solar energy as of year-end 2017. The city has used solar energy to increase its share of electricity from renewable sources, reduce air pollution and combat global warming.

“As a business owner, I’m focused on helping folks live healthier lives,” said Anne-Worley Moelter, CEO + Founder of Movement Climbing + Fitness. “Solar is an integral part of our operations because it promotes cleaner, healthier air throughout our community.”

The report, Shining Cities 2018: How Smart Local Policies Are Expanding Solar Power in America, shows that the top 20 solar cities, comprising just 0.1 percent of the country’s land mass, account for 4 percent of U.S. solar capacity.

“We are in a moment when progress on renewable energy will come from cities across the country,” said Garner-Wells. “More local leaders should step up and start plugging their communities into the clean and virtually limitless power of the sun.”

Shining Cities is the fifth annual report from Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center. Each year, the survey ranks nearly 70 of the nation’s major cities by megawatts of solar energy.

###

Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center is dedicated to protecting our air, water and open spaces. We help the public make their voices heard in local, state and national debates over the quality of our environment and our lives. www.environmentcoloradocenter.org