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Inflation Reduction Act funding is helping leading electric cooperatives, which serve one in five rural Americans, to accelerate the adoption of affordable and reliable clean energy, lowering costs for their members. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Tri-State to lower customer energy costs by $400 million over 20 years

Colorado's second-largest electricity provider, the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, projects new federal clean energy funding will …

Colorado residents and out-of-state visitors spent an estimated $10.8 billion on outdoor recreation within Colorado's river basins in 2019. About a quarter of this came from participants in water sports such as rafting. (Adobe Stock)

Polis taps nation’s strongest water-quality protections for 15 CO rivers

Nearly a year after the U.S. Supreme Court left key watersheds unprotected by the Clean Water Act, the Polis administration has designated new …

Colorado is investing in key infrastructure to power and maintain electric vehicles, including connecting new solar canopies to the electric grid, and adding more charging stations. (Adobe Stock)

Clean buses coming to Colorado transit systems

The Colorado Department of Transportation is investing nearly $32 million to help local governments and other stakeholders transition to electric vehi…

As Colorado experiences more extreme heat due to climate change, upgrading to efficient, all-electric appliances can reduce indoor air pollution and provide cooling for Denver's income-qualified residents. (Energy Outreach Colorado)

Colorado's first multifamily housing units upgraded to all-electric

A coalition effort led by Energy Outreach Colorado has completed a first-of-its-kind multi-family electrification project, replacing gas-powered …

Exposure to smoke from wildfires has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, lung cancer and a decline in cognitive function. (Adobe Stock)

Tips for breathing easier during Colorado’s bad air quality days

Wildfires are becoming bigger and more frequent in Colorado and across the Mountain West, and health experts are offering tips to breathe easy even …

Lowry Ranch is important habitat for several Tier 1 species from the State Wildlife Action Plan, including the burrowing owl, northern leopard frog and swift fox. (Adobe Stock)

Aurora residents to continue opposition to fracking near reservoir, Superfund site

Aurora residents and environmental groups said they will continue to oppose fracking near the Aurora Reservoir, thousands of homes and 13 schools …

$Most methane pollution comes from the drilling and processing of fossil fuels, and has been on the rise since the introduction of hydraulic fracturing technology. (Adobe Stock)$

Colorado, nation face public health, climate risks as methane pollution soars

Methane pollution is increasing at the fastest rate in decades, according to a new report, and that's making it harder to turn the tide on climate …

New EPA rules on tailpipe pollution are expected to lead to $62 billion in reduced annual fuel costs, and maintenance and repair costs for drivers. (Adobe Stock)

EPA clean-car standards projected to bring $100B annual benefits

Clean-air advocates in Colorado are celebrating new EPA standards, which they believe can play a major role in reducing air pollution impacting …

Colorado has been a leader in prioritizing intact habitat and migration corridor conservation, most recently through an executive order by Gov. Jared Polis and in new guidelines for the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission. (Adobe Stock)

BLM moves to sync oil and gas management with state big-game protections

The federal Bureau of Land Management has published a new plan for managing public lands which will put oil and gas management in sync with Colorado's…

Colorado gets $156M from Inflation Reduction Act for 'Solar for All'

Colorado is calling on solar energy entrepreneurs to put $156 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding to work accelerating rooftop and community-ba…

Utilities are shutting off power in an effort to keep downed and damaged power lines from sparking blazes and fueling the West's more frequent and intense wildfires. (Adobe Stock)

CO Nursing homes left in dark as utilities cut power to prevent wildfires

By Kate Ruder for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service…

Oil companies have publicly championed tech-based carbon-capture solutions in part because it would allow them to continue selling fossil fuels. (Adobe Stock)

Tech-based carbon-capture projects making headway in local governments

By Ysabelle Kempe for SmartCitiesDive.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pu…

The top eight oil and gas corporations alone are set to burn 30% of the world's remaining global carbon budget, the total amount of climate pollution scientists said can be released during a transition to clean energy. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Big oil continues to resist, block fast transition to clean energy

Big oil is dropping the ball when it comes to meeting the companies' public pledges to help avert catastrophic climate change, according to a new …

A new Colorado law provides local and tribal governments with science-based resources for siting and permitting new renewable-energy projects, including maps identifying sensitive wildlife habitat. (Adobe Stock)

New resources available to site CO clean-energy projects, protect wildlife

To reach 100% clean energy by 2040 - a move seen as critical for averting the worst impacts of climate change - Colorado must generate five times more…

Methane emissions for oil and gas wellheads have accounted for roughly 30% of global warming since pre-industrial times, and are proliferating faster than at any other time, according to a United Nations study. (Adobe Stock)

CO methane verification protocol seen as 'major breakthrough'

Environmental groups are calling Colorado's new rules to measure methane pollution a "major breakthrough" in curbing it. The Greenhouse Gas …

The United States must double its existing regional transmission capacity to meet its clean energy goals by 2035, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Energy. (Adobe Stock)

New FERC transmission rules to benefit CO environment, ratepayers

New power transmission rules from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are aimed at states like Colorado, which is seeking a shift to renewable …

One of the historic roadblocks to helping consumers and businesses embrace energy efficiency and beneficial electrification has been securing access to the capital needed to make improvements to reduce energy costs. (Adobe Stock)

New program aims to help rural Coloradans pay less on monthly energy bills

Coloradans living in rural parts of the state tend to pay a lot more for their monthly energy bills than metropolitan customers but a new Biden admini…

Fungal decay and fire both break down hydrogen and carbon bonds, a process that releases energy. But while fire releases heat, mushrooms absorb that energy like people do when digesting food. (Adobe Stock)

Mushrooms can help prevent mega-wildfires

By Stephen Robert Miller for the Food and Environment Reporting Network.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for t…

More than 80 national park units, including Rocky Mountain National Park, sit next to public lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. (Adobe Stock)

New BLM rule could help protect America's national parks

As critics work to roll back new Bureau of Land Management rules, public lands advocates are defending the agency's move to put conservation uses on …

$A fracking operation is shown on Colorado's front range east of Denver. The state had more than 12,000 hydraulic fracturing well operations in 2023. (Adobe Stock)$

Film documents environmental battle with Colorado oil, gas industry

A new film documents the 2018 battle between Colorado environmentalists and the oil and gas industry over proposed fracking regulations. The film …

Colorado is the fourth largest oil producing state in the country and eighth largest gas producing state. (Adobe Stock)

Study: Methane pollution from oil and gas production greatly underestimated

Data from new satellite-based technology show that the amount of methane pollution impacting communities living near oil and gas facilities is far gre…

Decades of policies like redlining, that forced people of color into neighborhoods surrounded by industrial polluters, have led to a host of negative health outcomes, including cancers and premature death. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado lawmakers eye ways to reduce pollution in vulnerable communities

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers took a first step toward addressing decades of toxic pollution disproportionately impacting low-income neighborhoods and …

Supporters of Colorado's House Bill 1379 said it will help protect Coloradans from flooding, help ensure safe and sufficient drinking water and help preserve fishing, boating, and other recreational opportunities across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Restoring protections for Colorado endangered waters and wetlands

Colorado lawmakers are considering legislation to restore protections to key waters and wetlands struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last year in a …

A wide body of research has linked traffic pollution to premature death, lung cancer, asthma and other negative health impacts. (Adobe Stock)

Nurses, environmental groups welcome Biden's clean car standards

On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced new tailpipe pollution standards that will give automakers more time to ramp up production of zero-…

In November 2023, the Financial Times reported that Trump was

Report: Second Trump term would add 4 billion tons of climate pollution

As Coloradans begin to weigh their options in this year's presidential election, a new Carbon Brief analysis projects that a second Biden term would …

The Colorado Avalanche and Xcel Energy are helping fundraise for Energy Outreach Colorado, a nonprofit that in 2023 helped more than 38,289 Colorado households through energy efficiency gains, connecting with community solar gardens and crisis-intervention services. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Avalanche scores an assist on energy bills

The Colorado Avalanche has teamed up with Xcel Energy to generate funds to help people struggling to pay their energy bills this winter. Every time …

Nine in 10 voters across eight Mountain West states including Colorado want oil and gas companies, not federal and state governments, to pay for cleanup and restoration costs. (Adobe Stock)

West's Latino voters want conservation over development on public lands

Voters, including 74% of Republicans, 87% of Independents and 96% of Democrats, would support candidates in elections who prioritize conservation on …

The U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision held that the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns by corporations. (Adobe Stock)

Tracking foreign interests in Colorado political campaigns

Despite federal laws that prohibit campaign contributions by people who are not United States citizens, foreign-influenced corporations and their …

In 2015, more than 1,230,000 visits to areas of public lands now protected by the BLM for non-motorized recreation resulted in $54.3 million in spending to the local economy. This ultimately supported 693 jobs and generated $40.1 million in personal income. (Vitaliy_melnik/Adobe Stock)

Eastern Colorado BLM plan protects future oil and gas leasing on public lands

The Bureau of Land Management has released its final Eastern Colorado Resource Management Plan, which will guide the use and management of over 658,00…

The rule only indirectly affects consumers when they purchase a new vehicle starting in 2027, as it will likely impact the type of vehicle that is available for purchase, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute. (Adobe Stock)

CO Rep. and local leaders advocate for strong federal clean car standards

A Colorado state representative and local leaders are advocating for the Environmental Protection Agency to enact strong federal clean-car standards f…

In 2019, Colorado adopted requirements for the state to cut climate-warming emissions in the near term at least 26% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

PUC scales back renewable electricity, adds new natural-gas plants

Even though 2023 was the hottest year on record, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is adding more fossil fuel-generated power and scaling back …

Oil and natural gas operations are the source of nearly 30% of all methane emissions in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

New methane rule promises public health benefits

Methane, the primary component of natural gas, has become a global target in efforts to blunt the worst impacts of climate change. The Biden …

In 2022, Craig Unit 3 in Colorado emitted over 2.8 million tons of CO2, more than 1,700 tons of acid rain-causing SO2, and more than 2,900 tons of ozone-causing NOx. (Adobe Stock)

Tri-State's plan would close two coal-fired power plants

Colorado's second-largest electricity provider is leaning into federal Inflation Reduction Act dollars to retire two coal-fired power plants…

Nearly half of people living in Alamosa, where Xcel Energy plans to build one of three new natural gas power plants, identify as Hispanic or Latino according to U.S. Census data. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental justice and Xcel plans for new fossil fuel power plants

Xcel Energy says its latest proposal before the Public Utilities Commission will help Colorado reach it's clean energy goals - by adding more wind and…

Colorado rate payers are still on the hook for $500 million after grid failures in Texas created a spike in natural gas prices in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Coloradans brace for winter heating bills

After Coloradans cranked up the heat to welcome family members for Thanksgiving dinner, many are worried about the price they will pay when their …

Solar canopies are expected to produce nearly 10 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, and eliminate 70,000 metric tons of climate pollution over the next decade. (Adobe Stock)

Solar canopies throw shade on Colorado school parking lots

Colorado schools are joining the struggle to hold off the worst impacts of climate change and lower their energy bills by installing solar canopies on…

September marked the planet's fourth-hottest month in a row, and 2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record. (Adobe Stock)

Surge in renewables keeps hopes of averting worst climate impacts alive

Record growth in wind and solar energy, battery storage and electric vehicle sales have kept the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 within …

For every $1 invested in conserving Colorado's prime wildlife habitat, lands along streams, lakes and rivers, and farmlands -- such as the Avant Vineyards in Palisade -- through tax credits, Coloradans receive up to $12 in economic benefits. (Colorado West Land Trust)

Colorado land trusts get $1 million in lottery proceeds for conservation

Great Outdoors Colorado, the lottery-funded program to preserve natural resources, has awarded a second $1 million grant to fuel conservation efforts …

Data show people in rural communities are more likely to live in poverty, have higher mortality rates, and have higher rates of incarceration. (Adobe Stock)

Rural America Organizes to Create More Opportunities

Overall, Colorado has been on the rebound since COVID-19 affected supply chains and shook economies across the globe. But many of the state's rural …

Regulation 28 is a result of a Colorado law aiming to reduce climate pollution from buildings by seven percent by 2026, and to reduce energy use by 20% by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

CO Targets Apartment, Commercial, Industrial Building Climate Pollution

Colorado wants to reduce climate pollution from apartments and commercial buildings 50,000 square feet and larger, but there is growing concern …

So far, 283 projects in Colorado have been identified as priorities under the Inflation Reduction Act. (Adobe Stock)

IRA Funding Set to Boost Colorado's Clean Energy Economy

This month marks one year since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the nation's first significant investment in addressing climate change…

U.S. oil producers are projected to hit an all-time high output, rising by 850,000 barrels per day, reaching 12.8 million barrels a day in 2023. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Rule Challenged by Oil Allies in Congress

Two bills making their way through Congress could throw out more than 216,000 public comments on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's new Public …

Greenhouse gas emissions from homes and buildings are responsible for an estimated 20 percent of the nation's total energy-related climate pollution, and are the third-largest contributor of emissions in Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

Xcel Plan to Reduce Emissions Includes Untested Technologies

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers required utilities supplying natural gas for heating homes and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4% by 2025…

Colorado has been a leader nationally on protecting wildlife migration corridors, including vast tracts of grasslands key for wildlife connectivity. (Adobe Stock)

Impact of Lost Grasslands on Rural Economies and Carbon Sinks

More than 300 ranchers, tribal members, conservationists, researchers, federal and state agency officials gathered in Cheyenne last week to find ways …

Fossil fuel pollution needs to be cut by 45 percent by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050, to avoid catastrophic impacts of a warming planet. (Adobe Stock)

Methane Rule Sets Colorado on Course to Cash in on New Detection Tech

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission has adopted a new rule requiring direct measurement of methane emissions at oil and gas sites, a move …

Credit unions are lending to households and small businesses to install solar and other improvements, which are costly up front, loans frequently considered too small by bigger banks. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Credit Union Helping Decarbonize Homes

July was the hottest month in recorded history, and a Colorado credit union is finding creative ways for low-income and other vulnerable residents to …

In 2015, 1,230,000 visits to areas within the ECRMP planning area for non-motorized recreation resulted in $54.3 million in spending to the local economy and supported 693 jobs. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Plan for Public Lands Along Arkansas River Heads to Gov. Polis

The Bureau of Land Management's plan for managing 658,000 acres of public lands in central Colorado includes new protections called for by community m…

Some crops beneath solar panels only need watering every couple of days, compared with every few hours for those grown in direct sunlight. (Adobe Stock)

Solar-Farming Combos Reducing Water Usage

By Jane Palmer for Ensia.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Ser…

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CO: Energy Policy