Renewable Energy

Boulder has a longstanding tradition of supporting practices, technologies and companies that are environmentally friendly, and the city is an ideal place to establish and grow businesses in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. Research facilities in the area include the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the primary national facility for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development, and National Wind Technology Center (NWTC).

The University of Colorado at Boulder has a number of programs that support the industry including the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), and is a member of the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, a partnership among NREL and the state’s premier research universities. Collaboratory  research centers include the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (C2B2), Center for Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion (CRSP), Solar Technology Acceleration Center (SolarTAC), and Center for Research and Education in Wind (CREW).

The city of Boulder, along with Xcel Energy and its partners, are developing the nation’s first fully integrated digital electricity system, SmartGridCity™. The program will help Boulder residents and businesses optimize renewable energy sources and improve energy efficiency.

Siemens Energy recently opened a wind turbine R&D center in Boulder, and ConocoPhillips has announced plans to establish a new Global Technology Center and Corporate Learning Center on a 432-acre campus in the Boulder area that will focus on research and development in new energy sources. Other Boulder area companies include Bella Energy, Boulder Electric Vehicle, Cool Energy, Entegrity Wind Systems, IntraGo Corp, Namasté Solar, Rocky Mountain Sustainable Enterprises, and Tendril Networks.