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2015 Colorado Clean Tech Landscape

An In-Depth Look at Colorado’s Clean Technology Sector

The Colorado Clean-Tech Landscape

Colorado is one of the nation’s leaders in renewable energy, currently ranked fourth in our 2015 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index. Perhaps this isn’t surprising, given Colorado’s reputation as a progressive state that treasures its natural environment. Nevertheless, the progress made in the Centennial State required hard work from its residents and businesses, as well as strong leadership from political leaders. The rankings for CO in many clean-tech areas are slowly sliding, how can this trend be turned?

This briefing digs deeper into the details of Colorado’s clean-tech sector, illustrating where the state’s strengths and some key opportunities lie. Report datasets cover a wide range of content, from clean electricity, advanced transportation, and green build­ings, to human and financial capital, to the public policies supporting these sectors. Additional analysis and insights outline takeaways for CO to consider.

Colorado Clean-Tech Landscape

Select Report Findings:

  • Colorado remains a state with a high amount of renewable electricity, and has many policies in place that should allow it to continue progress towards its 2020 RPS goal and beyond. However, how can the State look past the expiration of the RPS, and look toward compliance (and beyond) for the Clean Power Plan, requiring a 40% emissions reduction?

  • Colorado leads the nation in both LEED and Energy Star buildings per million residents, and its total green building market has grown by a CAGR of 21.38% since 2009. In contrast, Colorado’s low smart meter deployment rate – it ranked just 39th in the nation in percentage of smart meters in 2014 – provides a stark contrast to its green building success.

  • Energy efficiency funding in the state is low compared to other markets, which represents an opportunity for partnership with the state’s utilities to make Colorado’s energy system more efficient. 

The Colorado Clean-Tech Landscape

This report leverages the deep datasets of the 2015 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index.  If you have questions about the findings or how to customize insights on the U.S. clean-tech market, please contact Bryce Yonker – yonker@cleanedge.com

Report Commissioned By:

Colorado Cleantech Industry Association

 With the Generous Support of:

Colorado Cleantech Industry Association