Governor Polis has unveiled his administration’s roadmap to 100% renewable energy by 2040. The roadmap involves promoting energy efficiency and community solar installations, putting more zero-emissions vehicles on the road, expanding Colorado’s electric vehicle recharging infrastructure, moving toward zero-emissions buildings, requiring the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to account for the social cost of carbon dioxide emissions in its decision making, and supporting local transitions to 100% renewable energy.
Fourteen Colorado towns and counties have already adopted the goal of getting 100% of their electricity from clean renewable energy, including Summit County, Frisco, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, and Breckenridge. The roadmap is intended to grow green jobs and save consumers money, while ensuring a just and equitable transition for all of Colorado. See the Governor’s press release for further details.
Governor Polis also approved a climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, HB19-1261, which sets statewide goals to reduce emissions by at least 26% by 2025, at least 50% by 2030, and at least 90% by 2050, relative to 2005 emissions. Governor Polis has also signed a suite of bills to encourage the use of electric vehicles. Other related bills include HB19-1231, which sets new appliance energy and water efficiency standards in Colorado, and HB19-1260, which updates building energy codes in Colorado.
Governor Polis has also approved HB19-1314, which aims to achieve a just transition from a coal-based electrical energy economy. The bill provides benefits to former coal workers, providing education and training for new jobs, and also provides grants to coal transition communities to create a more diversified, equitable, and vibrant economic future. The bill requires any electric utility that proposes to retire a coal-fired power plant to submit a workforce transition plan at least 90 days before shutting the facility.