2013
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 13-018
       
       
       BY SENATOR(S) Schwartz, Aguilar, Carroll, Giron, Guzman, Heath, Hodge,
       Hudak, Jahn, Jones, Kefalas, Kerr, Newell, Nicholson, Steadman, Tochtrop,
       Todd, Ulibarri, Morse;
       also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Tyler, Buckner, Court, Duran, Fields, Fischer,
       Foote, Ginal, Hamner, Hullinghorst, Kagan, Kraft-Tharp, Labuda, Lebsock,
       Levy, McCann, McLachlan, Melton, Moreno, Pabon, Peniston, Pettersen,
       Primavera, Rosenthal, Ryden, Salazar, Schafer, Singer, Vigil, Young,
       Ferrandino.
       
       
          CONCERNING THE CONTRIBUTION OF RENEWABLE
       ENERGY TO COLORADO'S ECONOMY. 
       
       
          WHEREAS, Colorado is an international leader in renewable energy
       research, development, and deployment and is home to the National
       Renewable Energy Laboratory; and
       
          WHEREAS, Colorado hosts 2,301 megawatts of utility-scale wind
       energy development, ranking tenth in the nation; and
       
          WHEREAS, Colorado hosts 258 megawatts of solar energy
       development, ranking fifth in the nation; and
       
          WHEREAS, Nearly 5,000 Coloradans are employed by the wind
       energy industry and its supply chain; and
       
          WHEREAS, More than 3,600 Coloradans are employed by the solar
       energy industry and its supply chain; and
       
          WHEREAS, Nearly 70% of a wind turbine's value is now produced
       in the United States, compared to 25% before 2005; and
       
          WHEREAS, The wind energy industry pays over $10 million annually
       in property taxes to Colorado counties; and
       
          WHEREAS, Landowners in Colorado receive over $5.4 million in
       lease payments annually for hosting utility-scale wind projects; and
       
          WHEREAS, In 2011, the solar energy industry invested $258 million
       in Colorado towards solar installation for homes and businesses,
       representing a 38% increase over the previous year; and
       
          WHEREAS, The price of electricity generated from utility-scale wind
       energy in the United States has dropped by more than 90% since 1980;
       and
       
          WHEREAS, The price of solar panels in the United States has
       dropped by more than 80% since 2008; and
       
          WHEREAS, Colorado was the first state in the nation with a
       voter-initiated renewable energy standard when Amendment 37 passed
       in the 2004 general election; and
       
          WHEREAS, Colorado's utilities have a track record of leadership on
       renewable energy deployment; and
       
          WHEREAS, Renewable energy generation produces no carbon
       dioxide or air pollution, keeping Colorado's skies clear; now, therefore,
       
          Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-ninth General Assembly of
       the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:
       
          That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, recognize
       the tremendous contribution to Colorado's economy made by the
       renewable energy and energy efficiency industries.
       
                    Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to:
       Governor John Hickenlooper; Colorado's congressional delegation; all of
       Colorado's electric utilities; companies in Colorado's wind energy supply
       chain; and Dr. Steven Chu, United States Secretary of Energy.
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       John P. Morse                        Mark Ferrandino
       PRESIDENT OF                    SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES
       
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Cindi Markwell                        Marilyn Eddins
       SECRETARY OF                CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES