State Sen. Chris Hansen, a Denver Democrat, brought forward a bill this year that, if passed, would add interim goals and a more stringent timeline for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, encourage people to buy electric lawn equipment, and focus state retirement decisions away from pollution, among other things.
The bill, SB23-016, already survived its first hurdle, passing along a party-line vote in its first committee, but drawing praise and concern along the way.
Hansen, who is running for Denver mayor, hasn’t shied away from the ambition of the effort. If implemented, it would “touch every part of the economy,” he said.
He posed its goals as a question: “Step by step and sector by sector, how do we move toward decarbonization and electrification?”
Some business groups and Republicans have expressed skepticism at the proposal.
“We’re moving the goalposts. The transition to green energy is happening in Colorado, and I want to be clear, no one opposes this,” Colorado Competitive Council Executive Director Rachel Beck testified. But she noted closures of power plants around the state and the need for economic transition. “We need to show these plans work before doubling down on them.”
The bill would set 2050 as the goal for a 100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, the state has a goal of a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by then, compared to 2005. The big current milestone is 50% by 2030. Hansen’s bill would add a 65% target for 2035, 80% by 2040, and 90% by 2045.
“I wouldn’t say (our climate goals are) aggressive, I would say necessary,” Hansen said. “We can all feel it, right? Wildfires, droughts, shorter ski seasons. It shows up in Colorado in a very pronounced way, in fact, a more pronounced than many other states because of our climate and geography.”
While the bill still needs to clear a couple more steps in the Senate, it has the backing of Democratic state Reps. Emily Sirota, also of Denver, and Karen McCormick, of Longmont, in the House.
“We’re in a climate emergency, and we need to ensure that our state goals are meeting what our scientists tell us we need to do to ensure a habitable planet,” Sirota said.
The bill includes provisions to move the state along that emissions reduction path. In what may be most immediately felt by consumers, it would create a 30% point-of-sale tax credit for electric lawn equipment and snowblowers. If fully implemented, it would cost the state about $11 million per year. Nonpartisan legislative staff analysis estimates it would apply to some 200,000 purchases per year.
It drew particular praise from the Colorado chapter of the Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocacy organization.
“Pound for pound, gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers result in a surprising amount of ozone pollution,” Kirsten Schatz, a clean air advocate for the organization, said.
Using a leafblower for an hour can equal the same amount of emissions as driving a car from Denver to Los Angeles, according to the California Air Resources Board.
Another bill with a similar intent died on the calendar last year, meaning it was never pulled back or voted down. It simply didn’t win approval before the constitutionally mandated end of the legislative year.
Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat, called this year’s effort “a big bill,” and one that could take a while to reach the governor’s desk. He noted that it has money attached to it, so it needs to go through the budget process.
“I think the goals are part of it, but there are other aspects of it that are more practical, more immediate,” Fenberg said. “Obviously goals are important, but I think progress towards those goals is the most important thing.”
Gov. Polis, through a spokesperson, did not endorse the renewed effort but highlighted past actions — and current goals.
“Governor Polis in partnership with the legislature has taken bold climate action with the goal to set Colorado on a path to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040 and the Governor will review bills as they move through the process,” spokesperson Melissa Dworkin said.
In his own budget proposal, Polis called for $120 million in tax credits for clean energy, which would include up to $10 million for electric lawn equipment, up to $75 million for clean transportation that includes tax credits for electric vehicles and bicycles and up to $30 million in incentives for manufacturer’s emission reduction projects and a transition to sustainable aviation fuels, among other things.
Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, said soon after the governor’s budget presentation that they expect the electric bike rebate to be of particular interest, given how quickly e-bike vouchers in Denver were snapped up. The electric vehicle rebate is also intended to build off prior efforts and money included in the federal Inflation Reduction Act.
In an interview, Hansen emphasized the alignment between his bill and the governor’s proposal on electric lawn equipment. He said science calls for a more urgent timeline — an urgency he argues voters have endorsed.
The bill would also potentially affect the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association or PERA. It would require the PERA board to vote in alignment with statewide greenhouse gas reduction goals when weighing in on policies in companies it’s invested in. PERA simply doesn’t want to be an instrument of policy implementation and wants to remain focused on its financial responsibilities for retirees, Executive Director Ron Baker said.
“Independent of what the policy goals are, PERA’s investment portfolio is not designed to be an instrument of public policy,” Baker said.
They are not denying climate change, and actively consider climate change and related policies when it comes to investments and votes, Amy McGarrity, the chief investment and operating officer, said.
Hansen argues the bill aims to make sure PERA’s policies are in line with the long-term interests of retirees.
“It is our fiduciary responsibility to adequately reflect climate risk in our investments,” Hansen said.
State Sen. Byron Pelton was one of two votes against the bill when it was heard by the transportation and energy committee, both from Republicans. The five Democrats on the committee voted for it. Pelton said he worried the bill would adversely affect people’s retirements, but also harbored overall concerns. He said he voted no out of concern the bill would move the state ahead of the technology to meet the goals and overregulate companies during a transition period.
“We need to move forward and keep oil and gas working because you’re going to need to have all-of-the-above energy,” Pelton, of Sterling, said. “We’re not going to be able to just move right into green energy and say, OK, there we go.”
The American Petroleum Institute is listed as wanting the bill amended — but not in outright opposition.
“API and our member companies continue to partner with the financial community on a diverse and broad set of energy solutions to achieve a lower-carbon future, including increased private sector investment in innovative technologies and market-based government policies to further mitigate emissions,” Lynn Granger, the Midwest/Mountain West region director for the trade organization, said. “We encourage continued partnership with industries like ours who are working to reduce emissions and to help create cutting-edge technology that solves the problems of our day.”
Hansen notes that a relatively unheralded part of the bill is aimed at speeding up the refurbishing of existing transmission lines to increase capacity.
“It is the quickest, easiest way to upgrade our grid,” Hansen said. “Everyone knows the problems when your grid fails. Just ask our friends in Texas, who had another set of failures recently.”
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