Colorado Sun’s ‘Nonpartisan’ Case Against Natural Gas is Misleading
The Colorado Sun recently published an opinion article that diagnoses a real problem — rising energy costs — but misdiagnoses the cause. Policies forcing wind, solar, and batteries onto the grid and mandating electrification are raising costs for Colorado consumers, not natural gas. Set aside that the authors, Silvio Marcacci and Dan Esposito, work for […]
More energy bills with bigger stakes
In early February, Independence Institute’s Energy & Environmental Policy Center flagged the early energy bills introduced in the Colorado legislature. As we enter March, some bills have had hearings and their fates decided. Here’s where things stand. Early casualties in committee hearings include SB26-033, which would have added some pre-permitting requirements and grid reliability statements […]
Energy & Environmental Policy Center’s Testimony on Bill to Exempt Residential Customers from Clean Heat Plan Emissions Standards
On Thursday, February 19, 2026, Independence Institute Energy Policy Analyst Sarah Montalbano testified in the Colorado House Energy & Environment Committee. The bill would have exempted residential natural gas customers from the emissions calculations in gas utility Clean Heat Plans filed with the Public Utilities Commission. It would have been welcome relief for natural gas […]
Early Energy Rumblings from the Colorado Legislature
The Colorado legislature is putting some energy hearings on the board for February, and 13 energy bills have been filed so far. Here is what the Independence Institute is watching. SB26-028, “Removal of Wind Energy from State Energy Goals,” is going to be heard Wednesday, February 18, in Senate Transportation and Energy committee. The bill […]
Jake Fogleman Discusses the PUC’s Plan to Phase Out Natural Gas on Free State Colorado
Independence Institute Director of Policy Jake Fogleman appeared on the Free State Colorado podcast this week to talk about the Public Utilities Commission’s recent decision aimed at phasing out natural gas use in homes and commercial buildings. He discussed what the PUC’s new “clean heat” targets will mean in practice for gas utilities and ratepayers, […]
PUC Establishes New ‘Clean Heat’ Targets Designed to Crack Down on Natural Gas
The regulatory noose around Colorado’s natural gas utilities just got a whole lot tighter, and captive ratepayers stand to bear the brunt of the economic pain. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Monday issued a formal decision updating the state’s emissions targets under its first-in-the-nation “clean heat plan” law. The decision established by rule […]
Independence Institute Tells the Public Utilities Commission to Reconsider Forced Electrification Rulemaking
In the 2021 legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly passed SB21-264, a first-in-the-nation law requiring the state’s gas distribution utilities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 4% by 2025 and by 22% by 2030, from a 2015 baseline, by filing “Clean Heat Plans” with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Since then, Colorado gas utilities like […]
Independence Institute Tells the Public Utilities Commission to Pump the Brakes on De-Facto Gas Ban
The PUC is holding a Zoom public comment hearing on these rules on Monday, September 19th at 9am. People who wish to participate in that hearing can find more information here. They can also submit written comments referencing Proceeding No. 21R-0449G by clicking here. In the 2021 legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly passed SB21-264, […]
