Colorado Legislature Makes Sweeping Changes to the Energy and Climate Landscape in 2019
Colorado’s 2019 legislative session, which ended May 3, was perhaps the state’s most active ever in the areas of energy and climate change. The two most notable bills that passed this session are HB19-1261, which sets a statewide greenhouse gas reduction target of 90% below 2005 levels by 2050, to be implemented by the state’s Air Quality Control Commission; and SB19-181, which allows local governments to oversee many aspects of oil and gas extraction in Colorado for the first time and requires the consideration of environmental and health impacts when approving new operations.
Overall, Colorado’s legislature indicated strong commitments towards tracking, accounting for, and reducing climate pollution; promoting the adoption of electric vehicles; planning for the transition away from coal-fired electricity generation; and protecting disadvantaged communities during the transition to a cleaner energy economy.
Summaries of the key energy and climate legislation from this session are included in our 2019 Year in Review.
For more information about 2019 legislation or other energy and climate change related issues, please contact Tom Bloomfield, Sarah Keane, or Bob Randall.
Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell publishes Energy + Climate Law Alerts to announce late-breaking developments in legislation, regulation, and policy for our clients and colleagues. Nothing in our Alerts is intended as legal advice, and readers are reminded to contact legal counsel for legal advice on the matters that appear in our Alerts.