Will Toor

E&E News: US insurance prices will rise if climate science center closes, actuaries warn An industry group told federal officials that losing the National Center for Atmospheric Research would weaken insurance “stability and affordability.”

The Trump administration's attack on atmospheric science has lots of collateral damage. Case in point- American Academy of Actuaries says shuttering NCAR will undermine the data insurers needed, likely leading to higher home insurance rates nationwide. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...

As Trump Obliterates Climate Efforts, States Try to Fill the Gap

"The end of federal greenhouse gas limits is an obstacle, but not a death knell, in the fight against climate change on the state level, experts said.

Colorado helps explain why."
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/c...

I am so grateful for the hard work of the outstanding team at the Colorado Energy Office +partner agencies, the leadership of Governor Polis and the legislature, + all of the local governments, businesses, community groups and individuals driving the the clean energy transition in Colorado! (17/17)

Trump administration orders aging Colorado coal plant to stay open, one day before closing The move continues the Trump administration’s support of coal, but drew a furious response from environmental groups and Colorado officials.

On a down note, the Trump administration ended the holiday season with a giant, expensive lump of coal in the stocking for ratepayers in CO –a ludicrous order to Tri-State to keep the unneeded, expensive, and currently broken Craig Unit 1 coal plant operational. (16/n)
www.cpr.org/2025/12/31/t...

Trump policies have set back Colorado’s greenhouse gas reduction goals, state says Federal repeals of environmental programs and polices are setting the state back about a year in achieving its emissions goals, said Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office.

In December, CDPHE released updated state GHG inventory. While the assaults from the federal government are slowing progress, the impact is limited. We had projected cutting GHG pollution by 50% by 2031; now it is pushed back 1 year to 2032. (15/n)
www.denverpost.com/2025/12/19/c...

In December, the PUC finalized a settlement agreement for the Xcel Energy mountain gas system. The innovative agreement will save customers $170 million by investing in alternatives to new gas pipelines, energy efficiency and electric heat pumps. (14/n) energyoffice.colorado.gov/press-releas...

Geothermal technologies, CO2 sequestration highlighted for potential in northwestern Colorado The Colorado Energy Office released on Friday, Dec. 19, the new study “Exploring Advanced Energy Solutions for Rural Colorado” that outlines the applicability of a variety of energy resources for powe...

In December, @COEnergyOffice released a study on clean firm generation options for rural Colorado, which assessed opportunities for geothermal, solar and wind + storage, LDES, advanced nuclear, hydrogen, and gas with CCUS. (13/n) www.steamboatpilot.com/news/geother...

Slashing Landfill Methane Emissions in Colorado - Eco-Cycle A statewide campaign to cut methane and its harmful impacts on communities, led by Eco-Cycle, Industrious Labs, and America's All in.

In December, the Air Quality Control Commission approved methane regulations to reduce pollution from landfills, an important step forward for air quality and climate action. (12/n) ecocycle.org/our-programs...

A new state report takes stock of Colorado’s climate workforce The Colorado Climate Workforce Analysis & Plan is the first comprehensive accounting of the workforce needed to carry out the state’s climate action plans.

In November COEnergyOffice released a climate workforce study to help guide the training partnerships needed to preprare the clean energy workforce of the future. (11/n)
www.cpr.org/2025/11/19/c...

Colorado opens program offering up to $14,000 per household for heat pumps, stoves and home energy upgrades Here’s who qualifies the discounts and how to get them.

In November we launched home energy rebates of up to $14,000 for high efficiency electric appliances like heat pumps and heat pump water heaters for low and moderate income households. (10/n) www.cpr.org/2025/11/13/c...

In October, Colorado announced the highest EV market share any states has ever seen with over 32% of quarterly sales being BEV or PHEVs! (9/n)
colorado.auto/wp-content/u...

In October @COEnergyOffice awarded $7.3 million for four innovative thermal energy networks across the state.(8/n)
energyoffice.colorado.gov/press-releas...

Colorado steps into federal gap with boosted cash-for-clunkers EV incentives Colorado is boosting its cash-for-clunkers EV trade-in program as a key federal subsidy for EVs drops off.

In October we increased state low income EV incentives by $3,000 to help offset the shortsighted end to federal tax credits for EVs. (7/n) coloradosun.com/2025/10/02/c...

In September COEnergyOffice and CODNR released a study of enewable energy and transmission siting, to help accelerate efficient siting to allow the state to affordably, reliably and cleanly meet energy demand and maintain economic growth. (6/n)
energyoffice.colorado.gov/siting-study

Colorado goes big on clean energy before tax credits vanish States are under pressure to expedite wind and solar projects before GOP policies make them more expensive. Colorado is leading the way.

In September state agencies joined with Xcel Energy to fast track up to 4,000 MW of clean energy, to save ratepayers billions of dollars by accessing federal tax credits before they expire. (5/n)
www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...

Colorado launches new building code designed to encourage efficient, all-electric homes Critics, meanwhile, warn the regulations could make housing even less affordable across Colorado.

In September, state agencies published the new Low Energy and Carbon building code, which will improve affordability, reduce energy costs and reduce pollution – a win-win-win for Coloradans. (4/n) www.cpr.org/2025/09/02/c...

Colorado further expands EV charging network with $5 million in grant awards - Aftermarket Matters In total, these additions will increase Colorado’s existing public fast-charger network of more than 1,400 ports by approximately 4%.

In August @COEnergyOffice awarded $5 million in awards for DC fast charging plazas, bringing 56 new charging ports to 9 locations across the state.(3/n)
www.aftermarketmatters.com/regions/rock...

In August the PUC rolled out the Colorado Energy Savings Navigator, to make it easier for residents to access energy upgrades and low income bill assistance. (2/n) puc.colorado.gov/energy-savings

Continuing thread on climate/clean energy action in Colorado in 2025 (1/n)

Next thread will cover the rest of the year! (21/21)

States Race to Help Renewables Beat the Tax Credit Clock Governors, legislators, and regulators are all mustering to help push clean energy past the starting line in time to meet Republicans’ new deadlines.

Gov Polis responded in August by directing state agencies to accelerate clean energy permitting to speed up projects and capture federal tax credits. (20/n) heatmap.news/politics/sta...

President Trump promised to cut energy costs in half. In July he signed a bill that raises energy costs $28 billion annually by 2030. He also unleashed a storm of red tape to try to stop solar and wind – the fastest and cheapest sources of new electricity. (19/n) zenodo.org/records/1580...

Boulder to end parking mandates for new developments in major shift The changes are intended to lower the cost of building housing and shift away from a car-centric urban design.

We continued to see the fruits of the big 2024 land use legislative reforms. One change- more cities completely eliminating parking mandates that drive up housing costs and greenhouse gas pollution. (18/n) boulderreportinglab.org/2025/06/26/b...

SB25-182 expands access to low-carbon construction materials by making the use of lower carbon materials eligible for property-assessed clean energy financing (known as CPACE), and utilizing industrial decarbonization tax credits to invest in low-carbon material production. (17/n)

Legislators fix bill to help commercial buildings meet emissions-cut mandates | The Sum and Substance Under the rewritten bill, commercial buildings face lower fines for not meeting decarbonization goals and have more say in future rules.

HB 25-1269 improves the statewide energy performance standards for buildings over 50,000 ft. This bill simplifies compliance, creates a building enterprise to provide technical assistance and sets the process to create 2040 standards.(16/n)
tsscolorado.com/legislators-...

Nuclear power is officially a clean energy source in Colorado. Not everyone is pleased. The official clean energy resources for the state now include nuclear, but opponents warn of toxic legacy.

HB 25-1040 amends statutory definitions of "clean energy" to include nuclear energy. This change makes nuclear energy eligible for local financing + makes it clear that utilities may use nuclear energy to meet the state's clean energy targets. (15/n)
coloradosun.com/2025/04/01/h...

Gov. Jared Polis signs bill to boost geothermal energy production in Colorado Gov. Jared Polis visited Colorado Springs Monday to sign a bill aimed at bolstering the state’s geothermal energy production. Polis signed House Bill 1165, sponsored by Reps. Amy Paschal, D-Colorado S...

HB 25-1165 expands efforts to enable effective and safe carbon sequestration and geothermal development. It creates a process for long-term stewardship of CO2 storage and streamlines geothermal permitting.(14/n)
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/05/27/g...

Colorado Legislature Passes NextGen Highways Bill, Unlocking More Transmission Development in the State The Colorado Legislature has officially passed HB 25-1292, known as the “NextGen Highways” bill, marking a major step forward in modernizing Colorado’s electric transmission infrastructure.

HB 25-1292 facilitates use of existing road right of way for building transmission lines needed to achieve the state’s climate goals, and expand access to affordable electricity. (13/n) blog.advancedenergyunited.org/articles/co-...

A new era of single-stair apartment buildings is coming to Denver and other Colorado cities Under House Bill 1273, cities with more than 100,000 residents must revise their building codes by Dec. 1, 2027, to allow for a single stairway exit in apartment buildings of up to five stories, with ...

HB 25-1273 requires cities to allow five stories of a multifamily residential building to be served by a single stairway. This will give flexibility for more housing to be built in smaller infill lots, driving density, and walkable development. (11/n)
coloradosun.com/2025/05/14/s...

The legislative session that ended in May made it easier to expand multifamily housing and transmission lines, advance geothermal energy, CCUS, + nuclear energy, +low carbon building materials, improve our building performance standards and more. (10/n) energyoffice.colorado.gov/press-releas...