Colorado’s transition to renewables

Previously published in the Denver Post. Re: “Colorado’s renewable energy transition too slow,” March 2 letter to the editor.

I disagree with the letter writer’s opinion that Colorado’s clean energy transition is too slow.  I don’t believe the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s data support his argument.

Yes, Iowa produces more wind power than Colorado. It also operates a fleet of coal plants. In November 2023, Iowa’s coal power consumption per capita equaled Colorado’s. In 2022, Iowa’s and Colorado’s power sectors produced roughly the same amount of CO2 emissions, but Colorado has twice the population.

How about grid reliability? Colorado’s coal-powered generation ends within 7 years. Within that timeframe, our utilities must build and deploy new assets to replace the energy coal supplied, balance out intermittent renewables, reform the grid to handle new sources and connect all that new renewable generation. The letter writer should pitch his faster-faster theory to the utilities that keep our lights on and our EVs charged.

We need clean, reliable energy and healthy economies in rural Colorado. “Move fast and break things” may be a viable strategy for tech start-ups. It’s a dangerous strategy for state-wide energy transition and the economic disruption that can bring.