Alliance members are working to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius by reducing emissions, accelerating action, centering equity, and tracking progress. 

Explore Colorado's policies and actions across the Alliance's 10 key policy areas. Numbers presented below only reflect the number of policies in this database and thus may not reflect all climate policies pursued.

colorado

GHG Targets + Governance

Just Transition + Equity

Industry

Pricing Carbon + Valuing Damages

Electricity

Transportation

Resilience

Natural + Working Lands

Climate Finance

Buildings

total

 SB25-182: Embodied Carbon Reduction

Adds embodied carbon improvements to (1) the list of new energy improvements that are eligible for property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing and (2) the state's industrial clean energy tax credit. "An embodied carbon improvement is one or more installations or modifications to real property using eligible materials that result in the reduction of the installation's or modification's embodied emissions."

This law will help bolster the market for construction materials produced with lower GHG emissions.

HB 23-1272, Tax Policy That Advances Decarbonization

Concerning tax policy that advances decarbonization, and, in connection therewith, extending tax credits for the purchase or lease of electric vehicles; creating tax credits for industrial facilities to implement greenhouse gas emissions reduction improvements, for expenditures made in connection with geothermal energy projects, for production of geothermal electricity generation, for the deployment of heat pump technology, for retail sales of electric bicycles, and for construction of sustainable aviation fuel production facilities; creating a temporary specific ownership tax rate reduction on a portion of the sale of electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks; temporarily decreasing the severance tax credit for oil and gas production, requiring the revenue that is attributable to the decrease be deposited in the decarbonization tax credits administration cash fund, and creating the cash fund; and making an appropriation.

The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) will provide refundable, merit-based tax credits to support eligible geothermal projects in Colorado,  including developing and producing geothermal electricity, installing a thermal energy network, or conducting a thermal energy network study. CEO will award the Geothermal Energy Tax Credit Offering (GETCO) through a competitive process, providing a total of $35 million in state investment tax credits (ITC). A production tax credit (PTC) is also available for electricity production.

Geothermal Energy Tax Credit Offering

The Colorado Industrial Tax Credit Offering (CITCO) is a competitive, refundable tax refund administered through Colorado Energy OFfice. A total of $168 million in tax credits will be available over the program’s nine-year duration, through December 31, 2032.

Industrial facilities may apply for this refundable tax credit to conduct industrial studies, such as energy and emissions audits, feasibility studies, or front-end engineering and design studies; or implement improvements that reduce emissions, such as electrification, carbon management, hydrogen utilization, and waste heat recovery. CEO will award up to 30% of approved costs for selected projects, not to exceed $1 million for studies or $5 million for improvements.

Colorado Industrial Tax Credit Offering

Thanks to the passage of SB22-193, Colorado is implementing statewide e-bike rebates available to low- and moderate-income Coloradans.

Community Access to Electric Bicycles Rebate Program

Colorado taxpayers are eligible for a state tax credit of $5,000 for the purchase or lease of a new EV on or after July 1, 2023 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) up to $80,000. Lease agreements must have an initial term of at least two years. Beginning January 1, 2024, Coloradans purchasing an EV with an MSRP up to $35,000 will be eligible for an additional $2,500 tax credit.

Colorado Electric Vehicle Tax Credit

The EV Grant Fund was established in 2009 through Senate Bill 09-075 to provide grants to local governments to install EV charging stations. The CEO administers the program under the name Charge Ahead Colorado. Initially, the Colorado Energy Office was limited to funding stations through gifts, grants, donations, or other existing funds. In 2013, the General Assembly provided funding through House Bill 13-1110, which created a $50 annual EV registration fee on EV owners, $30 of which goes to the Highway Users Tax Fund, and the remaining $20 of which provides funding to the grant program. In 2013 and 2014, SB 13-126 and SB 14-028 expanded eligible recipients of the EV Fund beyond local governments.

The competitive grant process takes place three times per year. Grants are made for installation at workplaces, parking lots and garages, multi-family dwellings, and municipal facilities. Grants cover up to 80 percent of project costs up to a cap based on charging station type.

Electric Vehicle Grant Fund

transportation

buildings

HB25-1165: Geologic Storage Enterprise & Geothermal Resources

The law creates the geologic storage stewardship enterprise within the Department of Natural Resources and makes updates to laws concerning the administration of underground geothermal resources. 

HB25-1292: Transmission Lines in State Highway Rights-of-Way

The bill requires the Department of Transportation (CDOT) to provide transmission developers the best available information on potential future state highway development projects that could impact the placement of a high voltage line within a state highway right-of-way. If CDOT and the transmission developer agree that a site may be suitable for a high voltage line, CDOT must develop a preconstruction plan review schedule, and, upon approval of the requirements in the preconstruction plan, the developer must provide a report on mitigation strategies needed to avoid potential transmission line impacts to certain communities. CDOT must approve this report before it issues the developer a permit for the use of a state highway right-of-way.