Colorado renewable electricity production has skyrocketed over past decade

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By Ishan Thakore, Colorado Public Radio (CPR) News. 

Excerpt: Renewable energy production has more than doubled in Colorado over the last decade, according to a new report from the advocacy groups Colorado Public Interest Research Group (CoPIRG) and Environment Colorado. In 2025, solar, wind and geothermal produced the equivalent of 44% of the power consumed in the state, up from just 19% in 2016. Solar saw a particularly large jump — the state generated eight times as much solar power last year compared to 2016.  The lion’s share of Colorado’s renewable electricity comes from wind energy. The state produced enough electricity from wind last year to power more than 1.5 million homes, according to the report.  Colorado also saw a massive increase in the number of registered electric vehicles and installed EV charging ports compared to 2016. ...The nationwide increase in renewable energy is being driven in part by its lower costs. Utility-scale solar and wind farms now produce electricity that is cheaper than burning fossil fuels, according to a 2025 report from the research firm Lazard. ...even states without clean energy targets have seen an explosion in renewable energy. South Dakota, a ruby-red state without clean energy targets, produced 95% of the electricity it consumed from renewables in 2025, up from just 31% in 2016.... 

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