Renewable energy group to push wind, solar power

National wind energy developers have joined with Colorado and Utah nongovernmental organizations to launch a regional renewable energy trade group.

By News Staff Rocky Mountain News

The Interwest Energy Alliance will advocate public policies that promote renewable energy technologies such as using wind and solar energy for power, said founder Craig Cox.

"If given proper public policy support, wind and other renewable energy technologies could provide over $1 billion of economic development benefits in Colorado alone over the next 20 years," Cox said.

Cox argues that rural areas that have been hard hit in the economic downturn stand to benefit most from the development of wind and other renewable energy sources.

Hap Boyd, GE Wind Energy’s vice president for government relations, said his company "looks forward to providing the turbines to develop Colorado’s abundant wind resource."

Cox said the first goal of the Interwest Energy Alliance will be to advance a renewable portfolio standard in the Colorado and Utah legislatures.

A renewable portfolio standard ensures that a certain amount of each state’s electricity is produced from renewable energy sources such as wind.

In Colorado, a renewable-standards bill is being introduced in the House this week by Speaker Lola Spradley, R-Beulah, and Sen. Ken Kester, R-Las Animas.

http://www.insidedenver.com/drmn/business/article/0,1299,DRMN_4_1706250,00.html