ColoradohasgottenalotofattentioninrecentyearsforitsDemocraticgains:growingmajoritiesinthestatelegislatureandinourCongressionaldelegation,thetakeoverofoneU.S.Senateseatandtheincreasinglybrightprospectsofanother,andtheresoundingelectionofadynamicnewDemocraticgovernor.
Butinmanyways,themostimportantcolorinColoradoisnotredorblue.It’sgreen.That’sthecolorofacleanerenvironment.Andthat’sthecolorofournewenergyeconomy.
Colorado’sinvestmentsinwind,solar,biomass,andotherrenewableresourceshavecreatedthousandsofjobsandreturnedmillionsofdollarsinnewrevenue.Bydiversifyingourenergyportfolio,wearesavingmoney,reducingthedemandforwater,cuttingcarbonemissions,promotingpublichealth,andprotectingournationalsecurity.
Weenactednearly20othermeasurestospurthenewenergyeconomyinColorado.Wefreedrenewable-energyequipmentfromsalesandusetaxes.Weacceleratedtheconstructionofpower-transmissionlines.Andwemadeiteasiertoinstallwindturbinesandsolarpanelsathomeandatwork.Wealsotookstepstoencourageenergyefficiencyandconservation,promotebetterbuildingpractices,andjump-startresearchanddevelopmentofbiofuelsandothercarbon-cuttingtechnologiesatinstitutesofhighereducation.
Oureffortsarepayingoff.Vestas,theworld’stopmanufacturerofwind-powersystems,announcedplansinMarchtobuildaturbinefactoryinnorthernColorado.Morethan400jobsareontheway.SunEdisonwillcompleteasolarplantintheSanLuisValleynextyear.Itwillproduceenoughcleanenergytopowernearly1,500homes.
Nextyearwillbringmoreprogress.We’reexploringnewtechnologies,suchasconcentratingsolar.We’reexpandingtheuseofnetmetering,sothathomeownersandbusinessescangeneratetheirowncleanpower.Andwe’reenhancingenergyefficiencyintransportation,construction,andnearlyeveryothersectorofoureconomy.
Coloradoisontracktoleadtheworldintheresearch,developmentanduseofrenewableenergy.Americacantoo.