Colorado to streamline clean energy projects before federal cuts

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced plans to accelerate clean energy projects in the wake of coming federal funding cuts.

This comes as the state looks to maximize federal resources to reduce the costs while they are still in place.

“Coloradans know that expanding clean energy and good jobs is a no-brainer,” said Conservation Colorado CEO Kelly Nordini. “The time to act is now — whether it’s buying an EV or installing a heat pump — while incentives are in place.”

Polis agreed, issuing an executive letter Aug. 1 committing all of the Colorado State Government to prioritizing clean energy projects and supporting infrastructure.

“We must provide confidence to the clean energy industry that Colorado is open for business as tariffs, shifting federal rules, supply chain crunches, and market uncertainty risk delaying investment in these affordable domestic energy resources,” Polis said in the letter. “Getting this right is of critical importance to Colorado ratepayers.”

Because of the time-limited window for tax credits for clean energy projects, the letter commits the state to eliminating “administrative barriers and bottlenecks for renewable projects.”

In conjunction with this order, Colorado also launched the Colorado Energy Savings Navigator, which is designed to help consumers search more than 600 energy rebates and 18 different energy bill assistance programs for eligibility.

“The CESN tool was developed by multiple state agencies, to offer a one stop solution to connect Coloradans with the benefits that can save them money and energy,” said Colorado Public Utilities Director Rebecca White.

The CESN will also include a number of federal tax credits expiring later this year in an effort to have more Coloradans utilize them before it is too late.

“Colorado is helping lead the way in making clean energy upgrades more accessible and affordable for households across the state,” said Rebecca Curry, Rewiring America’s senior manager of western regional policy. “With some federal incentives set to phase out or decline in the coming years, a tool like this is arriving at a pivotal moment and gives households the chance to maximize their savings while these programs are still available.”

This comes as a statement from Polis’ office claims new federal policies are projected to increase average Colorado household energy costs by as much as $500 per year by 2035.

Colorado’s August electricity rate at 13.14¢ per kWh is just slightly higher than the national average 12.89¢ per kWh, according to data from Electric Choice.

Colorado has long made it a goal to be a leading state in renewable energy.

“Working together, these actions will help ensure expedited and cost-effective deployment of new clean energy infrastructure, support Colorado’s growing economy, and enable Colorado energy consumers to invest in energy-saving technologies utilizing federal and local, state, and utility resources,” Polis said in his letter.

The state has long had a clean energy goal of 100% clean electricity generation by 2040 and net-zero pollution by 2050.

The state hopes these initiatives will help achieve those goals, which Amy Oliver Cooke, director of the Energy and Environmental Policy Center at the Independence Institute, labeled “impractical” and “mindboggling” expensive.