Colorado's solar-power goal: Grow it tenfold
- Cathy Proctor
- Reporter- Denver Business Journal
Colorado’s solar-power industry is readying a “Million Solar Roofs” campaign to raise the amount of solar power generated in the state to 3,000 megawatts — nearly one-fifth of the state’s electricity use.
Currently, solar-power systems generate nearly 300 megawatts of electricity in Colorado, Neal Lurie, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA), said Wednesday in an interview.
“It’s a bold step, but when you look at how solar costs have come down in the last few years, we think it’s achievable,” Lurie said.
The campaign will kick off Feb. 5-6 during COSEIA’s annual Solar Power Colorado conference, held this year at The Westin in Westminster. Information about the conference, expected to draw about 500 people, is available : here.
Lurie said now is a good time for the campaign because the cost of solar-power systems has dropped about 75 percent in three years, while utility bills have risen steadily.
“When we see how things are trending, we are at the cusp of a new chapter in solar,” Lurie said. “There are new opportunities on the horizon that we could only dream about a few years ago, but we need to start charting a path to get there.
“We’re announcing the Million Solar Roofs campaign, and taking a step back to look at what it takes for Colorado to get a million solar roofs.”
Lurie said the campaign will focus on four main areas:
• Reducing so-called “soft costs,” such as for permits. COSEIA has launched a effort called Solar Friendly Communities to help governments streamline inspection and permitting practices for solar-power systems.
In November, Denver was named the first “Solar Friendly Community” in the nation for changes the city made to its solar-power permitting process.
• Ensuring regulatory stability and removing regulatory barriers for the solar-power industry.
• Working on new partnerships across different industry sectors, such as finance, insurance and supply companies, in order to reduce costs.
• Launching a “Go Solar Colorado” outreach program to encourage people and businesses to use solar power.
Speakers at the conference will include David Eves, president and CEO of Public Service Co. of Colorado (PSCo), a division of Xcel Energy Inc.; and Del Worley, CEO of Holy Cross Energy, a rural co-op that serves about 55,000 consumers in Eagle, Pitkin, Garfield, Mesa and Gunnison counties.
Several executives from solar-power companies also will speak.