Coming in seventh out of 50, is that a standing ovation or a single slow clap? Or somewhere in between?
A muted victory, perhaps, as a new national ranking puts Colorado’s performance in switching to renewable, clean electricity as seventh-best out of the 50 states.
“That puts it squarely in the leadership category,” said Henry Stiles, advocate with the Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center. The nonprofit group carried out Colorado research for a national report by the Environment America Research and Policy Center.
“That being said, given that in Colorado solar power alone could produce 183 times as much electricity as the state consumed in 2020, there’s still lots of room for renewable energy to grow,” Stiles acknowledged, in an email interview.
The study adds up electricity generated by solar, wind and geothermal sources in each state, and compares how that has grown since 2015 as clean energy policies kicked in at the federal and state levels.
The report’s hover-over national map pops up Colorado with 43% of electricity needs generated by solar and wind in 2024, up from a mere 15% in 2015. That’s impressive growth, but you’ll notice some neighboring states, with perhaps a lesser reputation for environmental progressivism, are a healthier shade of red for renewables production.
Kansas generated 74% of its electricity needs with solar and wind in 2024. Iowa was at an astounding 83% last year.
“Great Plains wind is one of America’s great renewable energy sources,” Stiles said. “Kansas and Iowa started harnessing that resource more than a decade ago to produce pollution-free electricity and to this day, those states remain top leaders of wind energy production in America.”
Wind turbines near Matheson, Colorado, are part of Xcel Energy’s 600 megawatt Rush Creek Wind Project. Rush Creek, which became operational in October 2018, uses 300 turbines to generate enough electricity to power 325,000 homes. Xcel estimates the project will cut 1 million tons of carbon emissions each year from its system. (John Leyba, Special to The Colorado Sun)Wind power in Iowa in 2024 produced enough electricity for more than 4 million homes, while wind in Kansas produced enough for 2.8 million homes. That’s more than twice as many households existing in either state.
“Every state in America had enough renewable energy potential to meet its electricity demand in 2020, so lack of renewable energy resources isn’t the limiting factor,” Stiles said. “Generally, renewables have grown where supportive policies have encouraged them to thrive.”
The federal and state policies that speed up the transition to renewable energy, according to the research center, include:
Setting high targets for replacing coal and natural gas power plants with clean solar and wind, as well as minimum sales of clean fuel cars and trucks. Colorado has done both, with a target of 80% renewable generation of power plant electricity by 2030, which the state is on track to meet or exceed. The state has also been on track to meet EV sales goals, though EV sales are slowing in parts of the country. Maintaining and distributing clean energy incentives in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. Requiring utilities to support net metering for homeowners’ solar projects, compensating them for the extra electricity generated and put back onto the grid. Also making interconnection of home solar and community solar “easy and hassle-free”. Continuing to promote energy efficiency as a way of reducing demand for new electrical generation; upgrading building codes and standards to lower greenhouse gas emissions; and appliance efficiency.Many of those policies are or could be threatened by changes in the new Trump administration. They’ve already canceled the long-running Energy Star guides to manufacturing and buying the most efficient appliances. Republican budget negotiators are considering ending renewable energy supports like the $7,500 federal tax credit for buying new electric vehicles, and tax credits for utility-scale solar or carbon sequestration projects.
Not all Colorado leaders are fans of the clean energy mandates and subsidies. U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, a Republican from the 8th Congressional District, Wednesday touted his vote in favor of the Republican-led budget package that “promises to prioritize American energy, repeal Green New Deal policies, and strengthen the economy.”
The Environmental Defense Fund, though, said pulling back subsidies would stall not only environmental progress, but economic advances based on new technologies.
“Taken together, these credits have catalyzed more than $400 billion in private investment since 2022, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs nationwide,” the EDF said, in opposing the budget repeals.
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