President Barack Obama chose to sign the stimulus bill in Colorado because he wanted to tout renewable energy.

But why did he chose Colorado when the state is not No. 1 in renewable energy?

“California is probably the leader in policy,” said Phil von Hake, of Colorado Renewable Energy Society. “Texas is the leader in wind resources and the Southwest more so with solar resources.”

According to von Hake, Colorado may not be number one now, but the state stands to be the hub of the new energy economy for three main reasons:

Colorado has an abundance of natural resources, such as sun and wind

Colorado has some of the greatest research facilities

Colorado has the political will to go green

“Political will is a huge one,” said von Hake. “When your governor, state legislature, mayors, chambers of commerce and other business leaders in the state are that on board with an agenda like new energy economy, the resources and research institutions may not matter as much.”