Renewable Energy Bill Welcomed in Colorado

June 14, 2006

The Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory is the result of four months' work between NREL and the three Colorado research universities.

The Collaboratory will receive up to $2 million per year for three years, beginning in fiscal year 2007. These monies can be used only as matching funds to enable the Collaboratory to qualify for federal and private research projects. NREL and the universities will pay for all overhead costs of the Collaboratory from their existing budgets.

In addition, the legislation requires that, if the Collaboratory uses any state monies as matching funds, those monies must be repaid to the state as the Collaboratory earns income from technologies developed and transferred to private industry.

Although the formal establishment of the Collaboratory is still in process, NREL and the Universities have already joined forces to compete for a contract that will be issued by the U.S. Department of Energy for research on the utilization of solar energy.

Colorado State University President Larry Penley said, "Colorado State University is actively involved in energy technology research and development on biofuels, solar cell production, smart power grids, wind systems and biomass conversion."