Colorado

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This summary is part of Beyond the Beltway: A Report on State Energy and Climate Policies produced by the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at Berkeley Law

 

Colorado has an aggressive renewable energy goal: its 2020 RPS is set at 30% for investor-owned utilities, 20% for cooperative utilities, and 10% for large municipal utilities.[1] The state got 18% of its energy from renewables in 2015, but hit 24% by March 2017. The rest of the power in 2017 came from coal (50%) and natural gas (22%). The City of Aspen, in what it says is a demonstration of the potential for renewables, gets all of its energy from wind and hydro.

The state has already experienced the onset of climate change. According to the pre-Trump EPA, average temperatures in the state are up 2 degrees Fahrenheit, and April snowpack is down 20-60% in most locations.[2] Moreover, according to EPA, “[i]n the decades to come, rainfall during summer is more likely to decrease than increase in Colorado, and periods without rain are likely to become longer.”

These changes could have a big impact on the Colorado River – the source of water throughout much of the Southwest. According to a recent study, “continued business-as-usual warming will drive temperature-induced declines in river flow” of 20% to 30% by midcentury, and 35% to 55% by 2100.[3]

Fire is an additional problem:

“Higher temperatures and drought are likely to increase the severity, frequency, and extent of wildfires in Colorado, which could harm property, livelihoods, and human health. In 2013, the Black Forest Fire burned 14,000 acres and destroyed over 500 homes. Wildfire smoke can reduce air quality and increase medical visits for chest pains, respiratory problems, and heart problems. The size and number of western forest fires have increased substantially since 1985.”[4]

Given these impacts, perhaps it is not surprising that the state is planning to ramp up its efforts. In July 2017, Governor John Hickenlooper announced that the state was joining the U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition of governors seeking to commit their states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement. He also set some new targets for the state, seeking a statewide emissions reduction of 26% below 2005 levels by 2025 and electricity sector reductions of 35% by 2030, in addition to increased energy efficiency and new electric car charging infrastructure.[5] These do not seem to be enforceable goals absent actual legislation, but they may help accelerate the state’s carbon transition. Colorado has 2000 clean tech firms, which does not hurt either.

Colorado has divided government, with a Republican Senate (by a narrow majority), Democratic House, and Democratic Governor. Over the past 20 years, the state has shifted from strong Republican control to a strong Democratic lean. The state is the poster child for the New West Economy, with extractive industries playing a smaller role while technology and tourism are growing. Its renewable energy policies appear to be following these trends.

 

  1. Jesse Paul, “Extra-Windy March Boosts Wind, Solar Power’s Share of Colorado’s Energy to 24 Percent,” Denver Post (June 16, 2017), http://www.denverpost.com/2017/06/16/colorado-renewable-energy-improvement-march/.
  2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (January 19, 2017 Snapshot), “What Climate Change Means for Colorado” (August 2016), https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-co.pdf.
  3. Bradley Udall, “The Twenty-First Century Colorado River Hot Drought and Implications for the Future,” Water Resources Research (March 24, 2017), http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016WR019638/full.
  4. Ibid.
  5. Kurt Sevits, “Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper Announces New Climate Executive Order,” The Denver Channel (July 11, 2017), http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/colorado- governor-john-hickenlooper-announces-new-climate-executive-order.