Wind Energy in Colorado

Capacity & Generation

Installed Capacity 4,844 MW Source: American Clean Power Association

MW Under Construction 0 MW Source: American Clean Power Association

Based on EIA data from 2022

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration's Open Data API, Electricity Net Generation.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Net Generation from Wind. Updated Annually.

U.S. Wind Turbine Database

map of wind turbines in Colorado

The United States Wind Turbine Database (USWTDB) provides the locations of land-based and offshore wind turbines in the United States, corresponding wind project information, and turbine technical specifications. The creation of this database was jointly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Energy Technologies Office via the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Electricity Markets and Policy Group, the U.S. Geological Survey Energy Resources Program, and the American Wind Energy Association.

Maps & Data

Wind Education & Training

Career training and projects at schools in Colorado.

Training Locations

University of Colorado - Boulder

Colorado School of Mines

Colorado State University

Lamar Communty College

Northeastern Junior College

University of Denver - Sturm College of Law


Wind for Schools Project Locations

There are no Wind for Schools projects in Colorado.

Policies & Incentives


16 local wind energy ordinances

Colorado Incentives

View current Colorado renewable energy incentives on the DSIRE website.

Renewable Portfolio Standard
Renewable portfolio standard (investor-owned utilities, extra credit for solar or customer-sited renewables). Includes non-renewable alternative resources
30.0% by 2020
CO Cities with 100% Renewable Energy Commitments
  • Aspen - Powered by 100% renewable electricity as of 2015
  • Boulder - 2030
  • Breckenridge - Municipal operations by 2025, community by 2035
  • Denver - 2030
  • Fort Collins - 2030
  • Lafayette - 2030
  • Longmont - 2030
  • Nederland - 2025
  • Pueblo - 2035

WETO R&D Projects

U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office's Wind R&D Projects Map

To view a list of wind research and development projects in Colorado funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office, visit the Wind R&D Projects Map and select Colorado from the dropdown menu.

Wind Turbine Component Manufacturers

map of wind turbines in Colorado

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Wind Prospector tool is a web-based Geographical Information System that supports resource assessment and data exploration for wind development. Wind Prospector includes a data layer dedicated to the locations of U.S. wind turbine and component manufacturing and supply chain facilities. Corporate headquarters, service facilities, material suppliers, R&D and logistics centers, and smaller component manufacturers (e.g., bolt manufacturers) are not included. The list of facilities included is not intended to be exhaustive.

Colorado Offices & Organizations

Colorado Energy Office

The Colorado Energy Office offers information about renewable energy in the state and links to other resources.

High Plains Regional Climate Center

As part of the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the High Plains Regional Climate Center provides the public with several ways to access climate data and information and engages stakeholders to learn about and help address their climate-related concerns. The High Plains Regional Climate Center turns climate data from thousands of stations across the country into usable information on the local, regional, and national levels for use in agricultural
decision-making, drought monitoring, water resource management, and more. The center's six-state region covers Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

Interwest Energy Alliance

Interwest is a regional trade association representing developers and manufacturers of large-scale renewable energy, working for the responsible expansion of renewable energy in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Just south of Boulder, Colorado, the National Wind Technology Center at the Flatirons Campus is nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills. The 305-acre site experiences diverse and vigorous wind patterns—more than 100 miles per hour—making it an ideal setting for evaluating the reliability and performance of wind turbines. The Laboratory offers the following wind research facilities to meet industry needs: the Composites Manufacturing Education and Technology Facility, the High-Performance Computing Center, the Controllable Grid Interface, dynamometers, structural research facilities, and Field Research Validation Sites.