Colorado

Colorado Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap 2.0

Air Pollution Control Division and Air Quality Control Commission

26% by 2025 | 50% by 2030 | 65% by 2035 | 75% by 2040 | 90% by 2045 | net-zero by 2050

Relative to 2005 levels

The 2005-2020 Greenhouse Gas Inventory was published in December 2023.

Environmental Justice Advisory Board

Environmental Justice Action Task Force

CDPHE – Environmental Justice Ombudsman

CDPHE – Environmental Justice team

Office of Environmental Justice

"Disproportionately impacted communities" are census block groups where over 40% of households are low income or non-Hispanic White, 50% of households are housing cost-burdened, 20% are linguistically isolated, and/or those with a history of environmental racism or cumulative environmental health disparities, measured as the 20% highest scoring census tracts in Colorado EnviroScreen or federally-designated disadvantaged communities; the definition also includes all Tribal lands and Mobile Home Communities.

At least 40% of renewable energy programs, incentives, and direct investments must benefit low-income customers and disproportionately impacted communities.

Colorado EnviroScreen

Just Transition Advisory Committee

The Just Transition Cash Fund implements components of Colorado's Just Transition Action Plan.

Colorado Office of Just Transition

The Office of Just Transition created a Just Transition Action Plan in 2020. The plan provides a brief overview of the major challenges faced by fossil fuel communities and workers, followed by specific strategies and action steps to address these challenges.

Colorado Clean Energy Fund

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission must consider the social cost of carbon in utility resource planning.

30% renewable energy by 2020 for investor-owned utilities (IOUs) | 10% or 20% renewable energy by 2020 for munis and coops depending on size | 100% clean energy by 2050 for IOUs serving 500,000 or more customers

Regulated utilities are required to submit a Clean Energy Plan to reduce emissions 80% below 2005 levels by 2030 and supply 100% clean energy by 2050

46% reduction by 2027 | 80% by 2030 Relative to 2005 levels

The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.

The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.

The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.

Colorado received a C grade from Freeing the Grid.

Requires 100% renewable energy by 2040, and does not include energy derived from coal in its definition of renewable electricity.

Securitization is authorized for coal plant retirement

Any municipality that adopts or updates building codes is also required to adopt or exceed the 2021 IECC.

The Colorado Efficiency Standards for Appliances apply to 20 products.

The Building Performance Colorado program requires buildings greater than 50,000 square feet to reduce emissions 7% by 2026 and 20% by 2030 from a 2021 baseline.

The state requires gas distribution utilities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 4% by 2025 and 22% by 2030, relative to 2015 levels.

Electric utilities are required to reduce retail system peak demand by 5% by 2028 relative to 2018 levels, and achieve annual energy savings of 440 gigawatt hours (GWh) for 2024-2026.

Gas utilities are required to achieve annual energy savings of 814,000 dekatherms (Dth) in 2024, 860,000 Dth in 2025, and 903,000 Dth in 2026.

Colorado has enacted commercial PACE-enabling legislation and has active programs.

The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.

Colorado LEV Program

Model Year (MY) 2027: 43% of new passenger vehicle sales are ZEVs | MY 2030: 68% of new sales are ZEVs | MY 2032: 82% of new sales are ZEVs.

The Low NOx Omnibus Rule applies to Model Year 2027 onwards.

By 2035: 55% of Class 2b-3 truck sales are zero-emissions | 75% of Class 4-8 straight truck sales are zero-emissions | 40% of Class 7-8 tractor sales are zero-emissions.

The Innovative Truck Tax Credit provides up to $12,000 in a refundable income tax credit for new battery and plug-in hybrid EV trucks and hydrogen fuel cell trucks.

Requires that EVs are the default vehicle for all light-duty vehicle purchases by state agencies and departments

Requires the Energy Code Board to adopt a model electric ready and solar ready code that must include EV Ready and EV Capable requirements for residential and commercial buildings, and additional EV supply equipment (EVSE) installation requirements for multi-family and commercial buildings.

2023 Colorado Electric Vehicle Plan

Policy Directive 14.0 (PD-14) performance targets establish a target to reduce transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 60% by 2037, compared to 2005 baseline.

The GHG Pollution Reduction Planning Standard requires CDOT and the state’s five Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to determine the total pollution and GHG emission increase or decrease expected from future transportation projects and to take steps to ensure that GHG emission levels do not exceed set reduction amounts. The standards established 2025, 2030, 2040, and 2050 GHG reduction levels for each regional area.

Colorado is ranked 6th out of 50 in the 2022 Bicycle Friendly State rankings by the League of American Bicyclists.

Public construction projects must meet clear environmental criteria for the use of seven common construction materials, such as cement, glass, and steel.

Colorado also has a sales and use tax exemption for low-emission building materials, including green concrete, recycled steel and composite wood products.

The state prohibits certain HFCs in specific stationary refrigeration and air-conditioning end-uses.

The state requires a 20% reduction from 2015 levels by 2030 in industrial and manufacturing emissions, including SF6 emissions.

Methane emissions from oil and gas operations must be reduced 60% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Oil and gas companies must find and fix methane leaks, and, where necessary, install technologies to limit or prevent emissions. These rules also require semiannual leak detection, tank controls, and performance standards for transmission. Frequent leak detection and repair (LDAR) is also required, and routine methane flaring during maintenance is prohibited.

Oil and gas operators must also report their emissions under the Colorado Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule.

The Colorado Soil Health Program provides financial assistance to help producers improve their soil quality.

The Colorado Soil Health Program provides technical assistance to enable producers to improve their soil quality.