Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Tours Aurora Solar Garden With Sen. John Hickenlooper
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm made a stop in Colorado on Thursday. Granholm and Sen. John Hickenlooper toured a solar community garden in Aurora that provides clean energy to residential buildings in Denver.
Granholm said the project is an example of clean energy innovation that will help the U.S. reach the Biden administration's goal of a clean electricity sector by 2035.
"There is a determination that we're going to get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and 100% clean electricity by 2035," Granholm said.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to approve a $715 billion transportation and water infrastructure bill. It comes after President Biden and a bipartisan group of Senators reached an agreement last week on a $1.2 trillion investment in infrastructure, including clean energy projects. Gov. Jared Polis tweeted his support for the plan.
.@POTUS' bipartisan federal infrastructure plan invests in our infrastructure, boosts workers and small businesses, and will help people and products move around our country for generations to come. pic.twitter.com/PcY2rMTafF
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) July 1, 2021
According to the Department of Energy, Colorado is home to nearly 350 solar companies, which employ more than 7,700 people. Gov. Polis signed the Community Solar Gardens Modernization Act into law in 2019, removing restrictions for the size and location of community solar gardens in the state.
Granholm also stopped by the Rockies game on Thursday with students from the University of Colorado at Boulder. The students are from the team that won the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition.
Did you know Coors Field uses solar power? So of course @SecGranholm and I had to catch a @Rockies game! ⚾️????☀️ pic.twitter.com/N0ylXiPMkm
— Senator John Hickenlooper (@SenatorHick) July 2, 2021