Colorado lawmakers and Gov. Jared Polis’ office are weighing legislation that would require 100% of the state’s energy to come from clean sources by 2040 — 10 years earlier than the current target.
The proposal is still being drafted and has not yet been introduced in the state House; its details were described to The Denver Post by supporters and opponents Thursday. Broadly, the plan would speed up the state’s timeline to shift to renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, and away from traditional, greenhouse gas-emitting power plants that contribute to climate change. Current state planning calls for hitting 100% clean energy by 2050.
Supporters cautioned that the legislation may not be introduced this year, given that the legislative session has roughly five weeks left and a number of significant bills still to debate. But the proposal is backed by Democratic legislators and environmental groups as a way to ratchet up Colorado’s clean energy offerings, particularly in the face of President Donald Trump’s efforts to slash environmental regulations and instill a “drill, baby, drill” mantra.
“With the federal government prioritizing fossil fuel interests over people and the environment, state climate action is more crucial than ever,” Paul Sherman, Conservation Colorado climate campaign manager, said in a statement Thursday. “Colorado has the power to lead the nation by embracing clean electricity solutions like solar and wind. We need to cut power plant pollution, invest in clean, reliable energy and protect public health, so our communities — not polluters — come first.”
Supporters said the proposal would provide a level of flexibility to utilities who couldn’t hit the new 2040 target. The proposal would also seek to limit those companies’ ability to grow their budgets — by raising rates on Colorado consumers — to adapt to the new targets.
The state has long sought to lower its greenhouse gas emissions and to improve Colorado’s air quality, with mixed results. A November report from the Colorado Energy Office and the state Department of Public Health and Environment showed that the state was not on track to meet its near-term goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But the gap had narrowed from previous estimates, thanks in part to recent legislative efforts to change land-use policy and encourage denser housing development.
Legislative leadership was not immediately available to comment Thursday, and the governor’s office declined an interview request. In a statement, Polis spokeswoman Shelby Wieman said the state was already on track to “reach more than 85% emission reductions in the power sector by 2030 and on a path to nearly decarbonize the power sector by 2040.”
“As we look to expand on this successful framework to move us closer to our goals and reduce energy costs for consumers, we will continue to engage in a robust conversation with all those who have an interest in this policy, always putting consumers first,” Wieman wrote.
But the proposal has raised alarm bells among the business community and energy industry, who had been operating under the longer timeline established by the 2050 targets.
“This is moving the goal posts, no matter how you slice it,” said Meghan Dollar, the Colorado Chamber of Commerce’s senior vice president of governmental affairs.
A coalition of energy, business and some labor groups sent a joint letter to legislative leaders last week, asking them not to introduce legislation that would change the 2050 target. Because of the late hour of the legislative session, any new bills require special permission from leadership before they can be introduced, and opponents have pressed Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate to hold off on granting that permission.
The different groups have not traditionally agreed on energy transition goals, the letter states, but they united against this one because “we have to build out the framework thoughtfully, and with intention, to ensure that the energy transition doesn’t needlessly result in soaring energy costs.”
The signees included pipefitters unions, several electrical cooperatives, Xcel Energy and chambers of commerce and some county governments. It also drew condemnation from Action Colorado, which represents southern and rural parts of Colorado.
“This is a sweeping, complete 180 on energy policy in Colorado,” said Sara Blackhurst, the CEO of Action Colorado, said. She said utility providers and businesses have “poured their heart, soul and guts into” hitting the 2050 goal.
“To change that to 2040,” she said, “would be absolutely devastating.”
Matt Gerhart, a lawyer with Sierra Club, said the proposal would give more flexibility to energy providers. It would have them achieve 95% decarbonization by 2035 and 100% by 2040 — if they can do so within cost and reliability parameters.
“Everyone recognizes that affordability and reliability are the cornerstone of making the energy transition sustainable over the long run,” Gerhart said. The governor’s office echoed that sentiment, adding that the proposal would seek to cut the state’s emissions load as much as possible while seeking to balance affordability.
The proposal would serve as a vital bridge between the state’s 2030 and 2050 goals, he said, and would represent “meaningful progress” — without tying the hands of electricity producers if decarbonization efforts prove too expensive or unreliable to make the final push toward clean energy.
He said it would not be prescriptive or prioritize certain technologies, such as wind and solar energy generation, over other potential sources of clean energy. Blackhurst, however, said an early bill draft appeared to give preference to solar and wind sources.
“This bill is basically taking the clean energy framework (for 2030 emission goals) and extending it outward,” Gerhart said.
He could not predict if the bill would be introduced this year or not, however, given the ongoing discussions and ever tightening calendar before the legislature must adjourn on May 7. He also took umbrage at characterizations that the proposal would put parameters on what utilities can do.
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