Rising utility bills are top of mind for many Coloradans this year. Major utilities in the state are proposing rate increases, the reasons for which are complex and varied. Those reasons include the need to upgrade our aging electric grid, the need to harden the grid to resist climate-fueled storms and wildfires and the need to build new electricity resources.
Meanwhile, demand for electricity is soaring. Increased manufacturing, accelerated household electrification and the potential for energy-intense data centers to come online are growing electricity demand for the first time in decades.
No single electricity generation resource can meet this growing demand alone. A diverse, homegrown clean energy mix including solar, wind and battery storage can help stabilize energy bills and increase reliability. In fact, clean energy resources are often the most affordable and quickest energy sources we can bring online today.
Yet communities that may host these new large-scale projects still have concerns about building them. Some opposition to clean energy may stem from misinformation. Other concerns are rooted in legitimate questions about how project development may affect agriculture, wildlife, and the cultural fabric of their community — or their ability to be part of the decision-making.
Local governments that make siting and permitting decisions about where to build renewable energy development in Colorado have responded with a range of policies, some providing clear guidance on balancing multiple goals and some of which limit or ban new projects altogether.
A recent poll shows Coloradans want their elected officials to craft fair, consistent policies that keep energy bills low and increase reliability in ways that protect natural and working landscapes. The bottom line is that accelerating an affordable and reliable clean energy build-out in Colorado starts with smart siting and strong community engagement.
We know that policy shapes conservation outcomes, and that policies supporting smart siting for clean energy can benefit people and nature. To that end, a new report from The Nature Conservancy, A State Policy Roadmap to a Faster Clean Energy Buildout, can help our decision-makers adopt smart siting policies to help meet our rising energy demand while balancing Coloradans’ values.
The report provides practical, field-tested solutions. For example, the report identifies Colorado Senate Bill 212 from 2024 as an important step toward supporting smart siting by local governments through additional resources within state agencies. Consistent, transparent and efficient local permitting processes benefit everyone, and the state legislature, local governments, the clean energy industry and nonprofit advocates have clear opportunities to collaborate on win-win-win solutions right now.
Additionally, the report identifies promising opportunities to build more clean energy on former mines, closed landfills and brownfields, repurposing degraded land for a new and important use. Only a small number of these projects have been built in Colorado. Independent analysis by a nonpartisan nonprofit, RMI, estimates that recycling land in this way could support dozens more, powering up to 1.4 million homes with clean energy generated in both urban and rural communities across the state.
Another dual land use strategy that can have multiple benefits is co-locating solar panels with growing crops or grazing livestock, an approach called “agrivoltaics.” Colorado is a national leader in this space, with early efforts involving TNC leading to bipartisan legislation in 2023 that created a state grant program to spur even more innovation.
TNC is talking to state leaders again this legislative session about additional ways to advance dual-use clean energy policy opportunities.
No matter how we choose to advance smart siting for clean energy in Colorado, TNC believes that communities must remain central to siting and permitting decisions. State and local policies that result in fair, inclusive and transparent decisions can help maximize benefits for host communities while minimizing impacts to natural and cultural values.
As we face rising bills and increasing demand, we need more energy on our grid, and we need it quickly. Clean energy is our most affordable and reliable solution — but we need thoughtful policies in place to build it at the pace and scale our economy is demanding.
We urge our state legislators and local decision-makers to learn more about proven clean energy siting approaches and adopt policies with tangible benefits for the people, landscapes and wildlife of our beautiful state.
Carlos Fernández, of Boulder, is The Nature Conservancy’s state director in Colorado.
Bill Ritter Jr., of Denver, served as Colorado governor from 2007 to 2011 and serves as vice chair of The Nature Conservancy Colorado board.
The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.
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