Colorado Energy Facts
-
Oil - Colorado produced 20 million barrels of crude oil in 2005, ranking the state 11th in the country in the production of crude oil. As of 2004, Colorado had the 11th highest proved reserves in the nation with 225 million barrels.
(U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 2006) -
Coal - Colorado produced nearly 40 million short tons of coal in 2004. Colorado has the seventh highest coal production of any state and is in close proximity to Wyoming, the largest producer of coal in nation.
(U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 2006) -
Natural Gas - Colorado is home to over 465 million barrels of natural gas liquids in reserve. Colorado has the fourth highest reserves in the nation and offers improved transport capability coming on line with new pipelines.
(U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 2006) -
Colorado is strategically located along the Canada to Mexico 'energy corridor.'
-
Colorado is one of 18 states with a renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS). As of 2004, only 2.68% of Colorado's total energy was generated from renewable sources. Amendment 37, passed in November 2004, requires that Colorado achieve a RPS of 10% by 2015.
-
Solar Energy - Colorado and the southwest portion of the country offer solar quality of between 5000 and 7000 watt hours per square meter per day.
(U.S. Department of Energy, 2006) -
Wind - Colorado ranks 11th in the U.S. for wind energy potential in 2004.
(American Wind Energy Association, 2006) -
Water - Colorado is the headwaters for five major U.S. rivers. Colorado has the potential to produce up to 4.4 million megawatt hours of electricity from hydropower.
(U.S. Department of Energy, 2006) -
Biomass - Colorado could produce an estimated 5.2 billion Kwh from biomass fuels.
(U.S. Department of Energy, 2006) -
University of Colorado at Boulder researchers were recently awarded $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to produce clean hydrogen fuel by using concentrated sunlight to split water molecules. The project will be funded over four years.
-
Colorado ranks fourth in the number of science and engineering graduate students enrolled in doctorate-granting institutions.
(Corporation for Enterprise Development, 2006)