Experts agree that Colorado has made great strides in incorporating renewables into its energy mix. The state is on its way to meeting its original 10 percent goal way ahead of schedule, and has raised the bar twice since then. But it remains to be seen whether what works in the heart of the Rockies can translate to places that lack Colorado’s unique geography or political landscape.

Colorado’s renewables target is second only to California’s (33 percent by 2020) among the more than 30 states that have set so-called renewable energy portfolio standards. (On paper, Maine’s 40 percent target is higher, but much of that will come from the state’s long-existing wood and wood waste plants.) And there’s still