2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 40 - UTILITIES (§§ 40-1-101 — 40-43-104) › PUBLIC UTILITIES (§§ 40-1-101 — 40-17.5-105) › GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE (§§ 40-1-101 — 40-9.8-104) › Article 3.2 - AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT COSTS (§§ 40-3.2-101 — 40-3.2-210) › Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 40-3.2-101 — 40-3.2-110) › Section 40-3.2-105.7 - [Effective 7/1/2025] Labor standards for state thermal energy network and thermal energy system projects - definitions

(1)
Any thermal energy network or thermal energy system project that an agency of government or a state institution of higher education procures and that is a public project must comply with:
(a)
Be performed by licensed plumbers, licensed electricians, or supervised apprentices at a ratio no greater than three apprentices for each licensed master or Journeyworker plumber or master or journeyman electrician, as required pursuant to section
12-115-115 (1)
or
12-155-124 (1)
; and
(b)
Part 2 of article
92
of title
24
concerning prevailing wages for public projects if the estimated contract cost for the public project is five hundred thousand dollars or more.
(2)
Any thermal energy network or thermal energy system plumbing and electrical work performed in the state shall:
(a)
Be performed by licensed plumbers, licensed electricians, or supervised apprentices at a ratio no greater than three apprentices for each licensed master or journeyman plumber or electrician, as required pursuant to section
12-115-115 (1)
or
12-155-124 (1)
; and
(b)
Be installed in compliance with the rules of the state electrical board or the state plumbing board and in accordance with the electrical and plumbing codes adopted pursuant to those rules.
(3)
For any thermal energy network or thermal energy system that a utility owns, the utility shall use utility employees or qualified contractors to perform any construction trade work deemed necessary to complete the project. A qualified contractor is a contractor with employees that have access to an apprenticeship program as defined in section
8-83-308 (3)(a)
. All mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractors and subcontractors must meet the apprenticeship utilization requirements of section
24-92-115
; except that the apprenticeship utilization requirements do not apply to:
(a)
The design, planning, or engineering of infrastructure;
(b)
Management functions for the operation of infrastructure; or
(c)
Any work included in a warranty.
(4)
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a)
"Agency of government" has the meaning set forth in section
24-92-201 (1)
.
(b)
"Licensed electrician" means an electrician licensed pursuant to section
12-115-110
.
(c)
"Licensed plumber" means a plumber licensed pursuant to section
12-155-108
.
(d)
"Public project" has the meaning set forth in section
24-92-201 (5)
.
(e)
"State institution of higher education" has the meaning set forth in section
23-18-102 (10)
.
(f)
"Thermal energy network" has the meaning set forth in section
40-3.2-108 (2)(s)
.
(g)
"Thermal energy system" has the meaning set forth in section
40-3.2-108 (2)(t)
.
Amended by 2024 Ch. 343,§ 29, eff. 7/1/2025.
Added by 2023 Ch. 166,§ 3, eff. 8/7/2023.
2023 Ch. 166, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.