Hickenlooper praises Colorado solar industry

LOVELAND – Gov. John Hickenlooper, addressing a gathering of companies in the solar business Thursday, said that Colorado is an ideal state for solar power and renewable energy development.
A network of federal and state research laboratories support a level of innovation unmatched by other states, Hickenlooper told an audience at the solar power conference in Loveland. A skilled workforce and abundant sunshine add to the state’s standing as a model place to do business in solar power.

“There are so many people, such an intense cluster of people, that are committing their lives and their energies to pushing this ball over the goal line,” Hickenlooper said.

Hickenlooper’s comments were part of a two-day conference held by Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association at the Embassy Suites. About 50 companies gathered to learn about the latest solar technologies and network with other industry representatives.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Business Cares: May 2024

As Mental Health Awareness Month unfolds in Colorado, it serves as a reminder of the collective responsibility to prioritize mental well-being.

Hickenlooper pointed out the challenges the industry faces, including access to capital.

“It’s nothing that resilience can’t solve,” he said. “There’s more resilience in this room than probably anywhere else in the state.”

He also said the solar industry has moved closer to doing business without government subsidies.

“They have said for years, ‘Oh, this will be 50 years of subsidies and government bailing out non-economic industry,'” he said. “We now have curves and clear trends that dispute any such nonsense.”

Solar industry representatives from throughout the country attended the conference, said Neal Lurie, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association.
“They see Colorado as a good place for conducting business and they see tremendous opportunity here,” he said.