Today, a Colorado law goes into effect that will increase the state’s Renewable Energy Standard (RES) from 20 percent to 30 percent by 2020. The law means that nearly a third of the power generated from large utility companies must come from renewable sources,like solar and wind, in the next 10 years.
Supporters of the measure say an increased RES will give Colorado the best clean-energy requirement in the Rocky Mountain West, create thousands of new jobs and lead to 100,000 solar rooftops over the next decade.
“Our leadership in clean energy technology has already created thousands of jobs in Colorado,” said a statement from Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass. “These are high paying jobs that will stimulate economic activity in our local communities and can’t be shipped overseas.”