Colorado’s Quest For Renewable Energy
As federal, state, and city officials adapt to changing economic conditions and energy costs, some analysts say the landscape for renewable energy has become even more complicated and challenging. Colorado is an interesting case study in how legislative efforts to adopt progressive eco-friendly energy solutions must be contextualized within a broader economic sense. Even as citizens embrace technologies like Vivint, which allow them to more easily implement and control energy efficiency into their homes and daily lives, politics and public sentiment can’t always compete with the notoriously unpredictable market forces.
The state of Colorado has remained in the conversation as a major player in the fight to streamline renewable energy. In 2004, the state legislature passed Amendment 37, which created a green energy quota that has been scaling up consistently every three years. Currently, the state expects 30% of their energy to be generated by solar power and other renewable energy sources by the end of the decade. This is one of the most progressive in the country. The state has also been consistently crafting subsidies, loans, and rebates in order to bait private companies into investing in green technology and equipment. These enticements include nearly a dozen local loan and rebate programs, property and sales tax incentives, state and utility loans, and dozens of utility rebate programs.
So far, Colorado has been successful in incentivizing their businesses to head down the long road toward renewable energy, fostering an atmopshere which has created a market for some of the nation’s best solar panels. A recent accomplishment which received national headlines was the authorization of three Colorado roofing contractors to sell Dow Powerhouse solar shingles. Touting its place in the “50 Best Inventions of 2009,” Dow Powerhouse is attempting revolutionize roofing shingles by offering affordable Integrated Photovoltaic solar products. Now it appears Colorado will be first state to have the opportunity to tap into this innovation and use it to spur renewable energy use, sustainable home renovation and eco-friendly business ventures.
Analysts expect the future of economic growth in green tech—in Colorado and in the rest of the country—to involve collaborations between city legislatures and utility companies in order to subsidize the cost of solar devices. This must occur in addition to scientific innovation and social education regarding global warming and carbon emissions. In the meantime, environmentally conscious consumer activists should push for more federal legislation that incentivizes both public agencies and private companies to invest in long term energy solutions that are both green and economically practical.









