Colorado, it seems, really is becoming a renewable energy mecca. The latest indication is SunPower Corp.’s announcement that it is seeking to build a gigantic photovoltaic solar power plant for Xcel Energy Inc. in the Alamosa area, near the New Mexico border, writes The Associated Press. The 17-megawatt plant, which is big enough to power 15,000 homes, will be the second largest of its kind in North America when completed sometime next year–as long as the Public Utility Commission approves the project (via Reuters and The Wall Street Journal). The plant should help Xcel achieve a legal obligation to provide up to 20 percent of its electricity from renewable energy such as wind and solar power by 2010, according to The Denver Post. Meanwhile, in a semi-related story, at dawn this morning, devout Jews in Colorado and around the world celebrated Birkat Hachamah–the Blessing of the Sun (via 9News).