The state is going to offer incentives to cannabis companies to protect the environment
Saving electrical energy is a transcendental element when it comes to optimizing the use of energy resources. Reducing energy consumption not only saves money but also helps to reduce environmental pollution. It is also possible to reduce global warming. Energy efficiency has become the largest source of energy available today and Colorado is well aware of this. The state has decided to lend a hand to cannabis growers through an energy reduction program.
According to a recent announcement from the Colorado Energy Office, cannabis growers interested in pursuing energy reduction processes and receiving technical assistance will soon be able to apply for state-funded loans. The initiative is being supported by the Cannabis Resource Optimization Program (CROP), which will provide free technical resources to commercial cannabis growers as well as renewable energy ovulations and even financing for facility and equipment upgrades.
According to an Energy Office report shared in 2018, the cannabis industry consumed about 2% of Colorado’s annual electricity generation. Now, set to run for the next five years, the CROP initiative has received the go-ahead from the state legislature in 2022 in hopes that growers will be motivated to adopt energy-saving techniques and equipment such as LED lighting and upgraded HVAC systems.
“The state recognizes that cannabis cultivation uses a substantial amount of energy and created the CROP program to provide unprecedented access to low-interest loans for improvements that ease this financial burden on Colorado businesses,” Energy Office cannabis sustainability program manager Elizabeth Lee says in a statement. The move could serve as an example for other jurisdictions that are environmentally inclined.