Clean Edge report: Colorado still a cleantech leader but other states are rapidly catching up
Tuesday October 6, 2015
DENVER -- Colorado is among the top states in the nation when it comes to advancing clean technology, but a new report by Clean Edge Inc. to be discussed tonight notes other states are catching up and the state needs to pick up its game. 
An advance copy of the Clean Edge report shows Colorado holding onto the fourth-in-the-nation position in the clean tech sector it secured in 2014 after being ranked No. 5 from 2010-2013.
The report looks at clean electricity production, advanced transportation, green buildings, clean tech patents issued, human and financial capital and public policies supporting cleantech.
While Colorado remains a top 10 state in cleantech, the report notes other states are moving up on the Centennial State.
“Colorado has been surpassed in recent years on many measures by booming markets across the country,” the report says. “The state’s early leadership was partly an outcome of executive commitment in Colorado. However, over the last five years, other governors and key leaders across the nation have erased Colorado’s early-mover advantage, helping propel their states to cleantech success.”
“Colorado has certainly, in the past, led the states when it comes to deployment and development of clean technologies, but it does appear that we are falling behind in some metrics,” said Christine Shapard, Colorado Cleantech Industries Association (CCIA) executive director.
“This report should serve as a wake-up call for all clean technology companies and organizations to come together to retake the nation’s leadership position.”
Bryce Yonker, Clean Edge's senior director of business development who will deliver the report's results today, said Colorado continues to rank highly in many cleantech areas, including green building, where it is rated No. 1 per capita in the installation of LEED and Energy Star systems.
Advanced transportation is another high-scoring cleantech area for the state, jumping eight positions this year to No. 8 in electric vehicles per capita.
But the state has fallen behind in some cleantech categories, including energy efficiency expenditures (now No. 25) and in the installation of smart meters (No. 39).
Yonker said Colorado's government must address its cleantech policies and bring them up to a more competitive level in order to maintain its leadership position or even think about being the top cleantech state in the nation.
"There's lots of activity being driven by good leadership in the marketplace," he said. "The state can maintain its leadership, but it can't rest on its accomplishments. The policies that helped to get the state to where it is today have to stay up-to-speed."
The Clean Edge report briefing by Yonker will be followed by an investor panel discussion of it. The event is free and open to the public and will be held at Industry Denver, 3001 Brighton Blvd., from 4-7 p.m.
According to the report, the Top 10 cleantech states in 2015 are:
- California
- Massachusetts
- Oregon
- Colorado
- New York
- Vermont
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Washington
- Hawaii
The report was sponsored by Chubb insurance.
“Chubb is proud to have sponsored this report from Clean Edge and CCIA,” said Amy Ingram, worldwide cleantech segment manager at Chubb. “We work closely with Colorado’s cleantech industry and hope the insights shared in the Clean Edge report will have a positive impact on the growth of the cleantech industry in Colorado and beyond.”
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