‹‹ Colorado Matters

Investing in space, science, and technological innovation in Colorado

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15min 10sec
Grace Hood/CPR News
This solar panel from 1980 is one of the oldest in National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Outdoor Test Facility. Today’s panels have square cells, which are cut from circular cells. Back in the early ‘80s material was so expensive that manufacturers couldn’t afford to lose any of it.

Colorado is at the forefront of space and technological innovation. And it's a race to keep it that way. Democratic Representatives Joe Neguse and Ed Perlmutter took members of the House Science Committee on a tour of space technology companies in Colorado last week. They say it shows why a bill now in the House called the America COMPETES Act is so important. The two spoke with Colorado Matters public affairs producer Carla Jimenez.