Supporting Renewable Energy
In this section...
Cleantech in Boulder
Boulder has a longstanding tradition of supporting practices, technologies and companies that are environmentally friendly, and the city is an ideal location for businesses in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. Currently, Boulder is home to 292 cleantech companies, and has an employment concentration 4.0 times the national average.
| Energy Companies in Boulder MSA | |
|---|---|
| Number of Firms | 292 |
| Number of Employees | 4,364 |
| Average Wages | $104,805 |
| Employment Concentration (1.0=US average) | 4.0 |
Source: Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (2016)
Boulder area companies include:
- Cool Energy
- Genesis Biofuel Inc.
- Gravity Renewables
- juwi Solar
- juwi Wind
- Namasté Solar
- OPX Biotechnologies
- Siemens Power Generation
- Tendril Networks
- Navigant Consulting
Advantages for Cleantech
Boulder offers many local advantages that make it a top location for cleantech, including:
The ability to recruit and retain highly-educated talent.
Boulder MSA has the most highly educated population in the nation, and Colorado is the second-most highly educated state in the nation. Local universities, including CU-Boulder and Colorado School of Mines, offer programs that support the cleantech industry.
Access to federal research laboratories and private R&D activities.
Key federal labs and offices in Metro Denver include:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- National Center for Atmospheric Research
- National Wind Technology Center
- U.S. Bureau of Energy
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Geological
Proximity to energy-related higher education programs, including through the University of Colorado Boulder.
Colorado ranks high for the number of science and engineering graduate students and R&D expenditures per capita. The Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO) is the only university in the nation to offer baccalaureate through doctorate degrees in all key energy fields. In addition, University of Colorado Boulder has a number of programs that support the cleantech industry.
Strong entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem.
Boulder ranks as one of the most entrepreneurial cities in the United States with talented individuals driving innovation in all industries, including cleantech.
Cleantech in Metro Denver
The nine-county Metro Denver and Northern Colorado region ranked fourth for fossil fuel energy employment and sixth among the nation's 50 largest metros for cleantech employment concentration in 2013. Overall, the cleantech industry cluster employs 18,880 people in the region.
Research facilities in the Metro Denver area includes the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, which is the primary national facility for advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is also home to the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC), a partner for the technical development and large-scale deployment of wind power.
University of Colorado Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder has a number of programs that support the cleantech industry, including:
- The Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), a joint institute between the University of Colorado Boulder and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) addressing important, complex problems in energy that require a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional approach. Its mission is to expedite solutions that transform energy by advancing renewable energy science, engineering, and analysis through research, education, and industry partnerships.
- Membership in the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, which is a partnership among NREL and the state’s premier research universities.
