Colorado Energy Expo

Colorado's second annual Energy Expo is set for Wednesday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The expo consists of 3,000 to 5,000 energy-industry leaders, the general public and students. More than 650 students from high schools all over the Front Range are attending some forums where they will learn about a variety of energy careers and pathways to those careers. The energy industry is an incredible driver of our state's economy. In 2014, the Colorado energy industry accounted for more than 250,000 direct and indirect jobs, with a $15.6 billion economic impact. Colorado is No. 1 state in the nation for wind-energy manufacturing, with over 3,000 Vestas manufacturing jobs alone. Colorado is No. 3 nationally for overall wind-energy employment, with nearly 7,000 jobs. Colorado is a national leader in renewable energy installed capacity, ranking seventh in installed solar and 10th in installed wind. Colorado is a national leader in renewable energy installed capacity, ranking seventh in installed solar and 10th in installed wind. In 2014, Colorado produced an estimated 94 million barrels of oil, which is a new state record and a 45% increase over 2013. In 2013, Colorado ranked eighth in oil production with 64 million barrels, and ranked sixth in natural gas production with 1.5 tcf. Colorado is No. 9 in fossil fuel employment concentration and No. 6 national in cleantech employment concentration. The fossil fuel average salary is $102,470 and the cleantech average salary is $77,350.