Colorado is seeing thousands of clean energy jobs added and growing capital investment, according to two new reports by industry trade organizations. The reports by E2, Environmental Entrepreneurs, and the American Clean Power Association expect the state’s clean energy industry to continue to grow.
However, both organizations said progress must continue on policies and workforce training to keep the momentum going. In Colorado, about $14 billion has been invested in the wind, solar and storage sectors to date, according to the association’s report. By 2030, the organization said the figure is expected to shoot up by another $12 billion as more utility-scale solar, wind and storage capacity are added., the bill, signed in 2022, is known more for making the country’s largest-ever investment in addressing climate change by helping cut greenhouse gas emissions and promoting clean-energy technologies.
Wind and solar currently generate approximately 33% of the state’s electricity, the association said. Utility-scale wind and solar projects produce nearly $50 million annually in revenue from state and local taxes and leases of land, according to the report. Susan Nedell, E2 Mountain West advocate, said in a statement that clean energy jobs are critical to the health of the energy industry and are increasingly important to Colorado’s overall economy.