Colorado 9th in nation for wind energy production in 2012, report says

University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO November 20, 2013 -- Colorado Daily, provided by UWIRE, a division of Uloop via Comtex

Colorado ranked ninth in the nation in wind power production in 2012, with 6,045,000 gigawatt hours generated, according to a report released today by Environment America.

That energy production in Colorado resulted in 3.7 million metric tons of "avoided" carbon dioxide going into the Earth's atmosphere, and 1,634 million gallons of water saved, according to the report "Wind Energy for a Cleaner America II."

Nationwide, according to the report, wind energy displaced about 84.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2012, also saving enough water nationwide to meet the domestic water needs of more than a million people.

The report was produced by the Environment America Research & Policy Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the nation's air, water and open spaces, according to its website.

The report highlights the fact that the federal renewable energy production tax credit and investment tax credit are both set to expire at the end of this year, unless Congress takes action to extend them.

The energy production tax credit provides an income tax credit of 2.3 cents per kilowatt hour for utility scale wind energy producers for 10 years, and the investment tax credit covers up to 30 percent of the capital cost of new renewable energy investments.

"Wind energy has given us a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving," Julian Boggs, global warming program director for Environment America, said in a news release. "Congress shouldn't close the door on a cleaner America by letting critical incentives for wind energy expire."

The group stated that if America continues adding onshore wind capacity at the rate it did from 2007 to 2012, and take the first steps toward development of massive potential for offshore wind, by 2018 wind energy will be averting carbon dioxide equivalent to taking 32 million passenger vehicles off the road each year.

It also asserted the nation would be saving enough water to supply the annual domestic water needs of 2.1 million people -- about as many people as live in the city of Houston.

In Environment Colorado's rankings, the state of Texas ranked first in wind power generation last year, at 31,860,000 GWh, well more than double the second state on the list, which was Iowa at 13,945,000 GHw.

The report's executive summary argues for continuing the renewable energy tax credits, strong renewable electricity standards, and the continued coordination and collaboration between state and federal agencies to expedite siting of offshore wind facilities in areas that avoid environmental damage.

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