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The PUC Needs to Hear from YOU!
Okay, friends, here’s the deal: the federal government is actively working to drag us back into the fossil fuel dark ages. That’s the bad news. The good news? In Colorado, we still have a chance to keep moving forward… but only if we demand it NOW. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is in the middle of a rulemaking that will decide how much our gas utilities have to cut their climate pollution by 2035, and whether we set ourselves on a real path to zero emissions by 2050.
This “Clean Heat” rulemaking is one of the most crucial climate fights happening in the state right now. It will determine whether utilities:
- continue with weak targets and false solutions, OR
- get serious about cutting pollution, electrifying homes and businesses, and protecting Coloradans from climate chaos and high energy bills.
So… What’s Clean Heat Again?
Back in 2021, Colorado passed the first-in-the-nation Clean Heat law, requiring gas utilities to create Clean Heat Plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The first targets were 4% cuts by 2025 and 22% by 2030 (compared to 2015 levels). These first steps forward helped turn gas utility emissions from an upward trend to a decreasing one, and they led to approval of a landmark plan directing Xcel energy to invest $440 million in emission reduction strategies like beneficial electrification.
Now, the PUC has to set the 2035 target. State agencies have proposed a 41% cut, which is not nearly strong enough. The math says we need at least 55% reductions by 2035 to stay on track with our state’s own climate laws. We also need the PUC to set ambitious targets for 2040, 2045, and 2050 so Colorado utilities have a clear path that gets us to zero emissions by mid-century.
And while we’re at it, we need to keep the lid on “recovered methane,” which includes expensive, limited, and still-polluting biogas that utilities love to pitch as a clean energy solution. Why waste time and money on false solutions when electrification is cleaner, cheaper, and actually cuts health-harming pollution by simply not burning stuff?
Why This Matters.
As I mentioned at the top, we cannot count on Washington to protect Colorado’s climate future. The Trump administration is currently gutting environmental protections and giving polluters a free pass to pollute. If we wait for the feds to lead, we’ll be twiddling our thumbs while wildfires rage, extreme heat becomes the norm, and ozone alerts choke our communities.
I don’t know about y’all, but I am ready for Colorado to chart its own path forward. The PUC can set Clean Heat targets that push utilities to keep us on track, which means no delays, no weak targets, and no false solutions.
Your Voice Really Does Matter
The PUC needs to hear from regular Coloradans, not just utility lawyers and fossil fuel lobbyists. That’s where you come in. On Thursday, September 18 starting at 10 AM, there’s an online public comment hearing where you can tell the Commission to set strong Clean Heat targets and keep Colorado moving forward. You don’t have to be a policy expert. Just share your story. Talk about why clean air matters to you, the difference that support from your utility would make in enabling you to electrify or increase your home’s efficiency, or why you want a future not reliant on fossil fuels.
Fill out our registration page for the hearing to get text updates, hearing details, helpful talking points, and support to help you share your story.
This is our chance to demand bold 2035 targets and a clear path to zero emissions by 2050. Colorado can be a climate leader even while the feds try to drag us backward.
Check out our toolkit to get talking points and more information on why this hearing is so important!