Colorado's solar power production could go from good to great, report says

Enlarge Photo

Kathleen Lavine | Denver Business Journal

Josh Ford, lead installer and co-owner of Namaste Solar Electric Inc., with installer Kevin Gillette, placing solar panels on a house in Denver.

Cathy Proctor

Reporter- Denver Business Journal

Email  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

About half a million rooftops in Colorado could support solar power panels, according to a new report from Environment Colorado, which relies on information from the federal National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden.

If all those rooftops were fitted with solar power panels, they could generate more than 360 times Colorado's current power demand, according to the report, "Star Power: The Growing Role of Solar Energy in Colorado."

> Click here for the report.

But Environment Colorado hopes to achieve a more modest goal: having solar power generate 20 percent of the state's electricity, said Kim Stevens, Environment Colorado's campaign director.

At the end of 2013, Colorado's solar power systems were collectively generating about 360 megawatts, up 44 percent from 2010, the report said. The state ranked seventh in the nation for total solar power generation.

To achieve the goals for Colorado, the report outlined a series of steps:

• Colorado's state government should commit to getting at least 20 percent of the government's electricity from solar power by 2025.
• Maintain strong net metering and interconnection standards.
• Promote community solar and virtual net metering.
• Make smart investments to move toward a "smarter" electric grid in which renewable energy sources could play a larger role.
• Use solar energy wherever possible on public buildings and properties.

At the federal level, the report said, the government should:

• Commit to a getting at least 10 percent of the nation's electricity from solar energy by 2030.
• Use solar energy on government buildings
• Continue successful solar policies, such as federal incentives, siting solar power plants on public lands, and research, development and deployment efforts.

Cathy Proctor covers energy, the environment and transportation for the Denver Business Journal and edits the weekly "Energy Inc." newsletter. Phone: 303-803-9233. Subscribe to the Energy Inc. newsletter