Renewable Energy

Benefits of Renewable Energy

Solar Concentrating System The western United States has the best mix of renewable energy resources in the entire country, with abundant wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and small hydropower resources throughout the region. Renewable energy projects throughout Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming already have a nameplate capacity of over 1,330 megawatts (MW), and 2007 is expected to be a record-setting year, with nearly 1,000 MW of new capacity planned in wind, solar and biomass projects around the region. Renewable energy projects offer:

New economic development opportunities
New job-creation opportunities
Consumer benefits with greater cost stability
Environmentally friendly power generation
A beneficial response to the threat of global warming

Renewable Energy Saves Water

Consumption of Three Electricity Generation Technologies:

Coal: 490 gallons per megawatt-hour
Natural Gas Combined Cycle: 250 gallons per megawatt-hour
Wind: no water required for power generation

Renewable Energy Provides Economic and Environmental Benefits

Renewable energy generation projects create vibrant new industries in local communities, frequently in rural areas where the economy has not been thriving.

Renewable energy provides a new avenue for rural economic development, increases local and state tax bases, insures against rising or variable fuel costs, decreases dependence on foreign energy sources, and offers numerous environmental benefits.

Where are the Renewable Energy Projects in the West?

View Interwest’s project locator to see where renewable energy projects are located in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming!
Visit the website of the Renewable Energy Atlas of the West, which allows you to view, zoom into and print interactive maps of solar, wind, geothermal and biomass resources in the Western United States using an interactive map tool.

Representative Economic Benefits of a 100-Megawatt Wind Power Project

200 construction jobs and 6-8 permanent professional jobs ($40-50k annual salary)
$200,000 - $400,000 annual royalties paid to landowners (Approx. 10-30 owners)
Approximately $10 million in potential tax revenues (property and sales tax)
$10 million in local purchases (electrical, roads, engineering, legal, etc.)
Limits the adverse effect of high and fluctuating natural gas prices

Additional Benefits

Little to no water is required to produce wind energy
Reduces dependence on foreign oil sources and nuclear energy
No harmful nitrogen, carbon, or sulphur emissions are produced by wind farms
Improves air quality and visibility due to decreased burning of fossil fuels

The Colorado Green Success Story

See a slideshow (PDF format) on the huge benefits that the 162-megawatt Colorado Green windfarm near Lamar, Colorado has brought to that rural part of the state.