Making Bold Progress Towards 100% Renewable Energy by 2040: Governor Polis Signs Bills into Law 

GOLDEN - Today, Governor Polis is signing legislation into law to continue making bold progress toward achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040. 

“I was proud to welcome Secretary Granholm to Colorado this morning at NREL as we continue our nation-leading work to save people money on energy, create good-paying jobs, and achieve 100% renewable energy by 2040. From bold investments in emerging energy technologies from carbon capture to geothermal, we are making sure Colorado continues to lead on this important work,” said Gov. Polis. 

This morning in Golden, Governor Polis joined Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at a ribbon cutting for a campus expansion at NREL that will continue to cement Colorado’s role at the forefront of the clean energy transition.

At the Colorado School of Mines, Governor Polis signed the bipartisan SB23-285 Energy And Carbon Management Regulation In Colorado sponsored by Representatives Karen McCormick and Ruby Dickson, Senators  Kevin Priola and Chris Hansen to update the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to be named the Energy and Carbon Management Commission, giving the commission authority to regulate beyond oil and gas. This legislation creates a pathway for new state regulatory approvals including enabling expanded geothermal electric generation. 

Governor Polis also signed HB23-1210 Carbon Management sponsored by Representative Ruby Dickson, Senators Chris Hansen and Kevin Priola, and HB23-1281 Advance The Use Of Clean Hydrogen sponsored by Representatives Brianna Titone and Stephanie Vigil and Senators Lisa Cutter and Kevin Priola, taking bold action to save people money on energy costs, make bold progress towards achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040, and bring good-paying jobs to Colorado. Governor Polis issued a signing statement to accompany this legislation. 

At Dinosaur Ridge, Governor Polis signed SB23-145 Stegosaurus State Fossil License Plate, sponsored by Representatives Tammy Story and Brianna Titone, Senators Jessie Danielson and Lisa Cutter to create a new stegosaurus state fossil license plate that will support educational services about the science and history of dinosaurs, dinosaur fossils, and paleontology. Governor Polis also signed HB23-1198 Teacher Externship Program For Science Technology Engineering And Math Disciplines, Representatives Brianna Titone and Meghan Lukens and Senator Janice Rich, to provide teachers with opportunities to participate in externship programs focused on STEM fields and boost professional development for Colorado’s hardworking teachers. 

At the Globeville Landing Park, Governor Polis signed SB23-283 Mechanisms For Federal Infrastructure Funding sponsored by Representatives Shannon Bird and Emily Sirota, Senators Rachel Zenzinger and Jeff Bridges to support the Front Range Rail and make sure Colorado continues to maximize competitiveness to secure federal funding.