Colorado is widely regarded by renewable energy advocates as one of the best states for clean technology. Now there’s an official ranking from industry research firm Clean Edge Inc. to quantify that.
Colorado is number 5 on the Clean Tech Leadership Index.
It’s not too surprising, given that the state is home to more than 250 solar companies, as well as four manufacturing and research plants for wind energy giant Vestas. Colorado is also among the top three states for venture capital investment in clean tech.
Thousands of Coloradans currently work in the clean energy sector -- and for those who want clean tech jobs, the state’s major universities are leaders in renewable energy research and development.
On top of that, the state has one of the strongestrenewable energy standards in the nation – requiring most large utilities to get 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
In the latest Clean Tech Leadership Index, released Tuesday, Colorado scored 63 out of 100, holding onto the number 5 spot for the fourth straight year. (Although this is the fourth year for the index, this is the first timeClean Edge has released the results to the public.)
The report gives Colorado high marks for its many LEED-certified buildings and for the presence of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden.
Here are the top ten states:
- California
- Massachusetts
- Oregon
- New York
- Colorado
- Washington
- New Mexico
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Hawaii
The index also ranks Denver in the top 10 metro areas -- although the city dropped two places from last year, coming in at number 8.
