2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 24 - GOVERNMENT - STATE (§§ 24-1-101 — 24-116-102) › GOVERNORS OFFICE (§§ 24-37-101 — 24-38.9-101) › Article 38.5 - COLORADO ENERGY OFFICE (§§ 24-38.5-101 — 24-38.5-507) › Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 24-38.5-101 — 24-38.5-122) › Section 24-38.5-102 - [Effective 8/7/2024] Colorado energy office - duties and powers - definitions

(1)
The Colorado energy office shall:
(a)
Work with communities, utilities, and private and public organizations to:
(I)
Support achieving legislative goals to reduce statewide greenhouse gas pollution, as defined in section
25-7-103
(22.5);
(II)
Make progress toward eliminating greenhouse gas pollution from electricity generation, gas utilities, and transportation;
(III)
Implement the renewable energy standard established in section
40-2-124
;
(IV)
Support the deployment of renewable energy, such as wind, hydroelectricity, solar, clean hydrogen, and geothermal;
(V)
Evaluate, and when appropriate, support the deployment of cleaner energy sources such as clean hydrogen, geothermal, recovered methane, recovered heat, and advanced nuclear;
(VI)
Support the deployment of energy efficiency and energy load management technologies and practices;
(VII)
Evaluate, and where appropriate, support the deployment of innovative energy technologies as described in section
40-2-123
;
(VIII)
Support the deployment of energy storage systems, including both long-duration and short-duration energy storage;
(IX)
Support the implementation of clean heat plans pursuant to section
40-3.2-108
;
(X)
Support widespread transportation electrification;
(XI)
Support beneficial electrification, as defined in section
40-1-102
(1.2) in the building, industrial, and oil and gas sectors;
(XII)
Support industrial emissions reductions;
(XIII)
Support pollution reduction through carbon capture and sequestration and other forms of carbon management; and
(XIV)
Support sustainable land-use patterns that reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas pollution.
(b)
Develop programs to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas pollution from buildings in commercial and residential markets;
(c)
Support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by state government through energy efficiency, load management, renewable energy, transportation electrification, and cleaner procurement;
(d)
Promote technology transfer and economic development;
(e)
Support the adoption and implementation of advanced energy codes that reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and provide information and technical assistance concerning the implementation and enforcement of energy codes to both counties and municipalities, including as specified in sections
24-38.5-103
,
24-38.5-401
,
24-38.5-402
, and
31-15-602 (7)
;
(f)
Collaborate with the state board of land commissioners regarding renewable energy resource development as specified in section
36-1-147.5 (4)
;
(g)
Provide home energy efficiency improvements for low-income households, including through the weatherization assistance program, as specified in section
40-8.7-112 (3)(b)
;
(h)
Collaborate with stakeholders to develop and encourage increased utilization of energy curricula, including science, technology, engineering, and math curricula, that will serve the workforce needs of clean energy industries. Such collaboration may include executive departments, research institutions, state colleges, community colleges, industry, and trade organizations in an effort to develop a means by which the state may address all facets of workforce demands in supporting a clean energy future. Institutions may also partner in the development of curricula with organizations that have existing energy curricula and training programs.
(i)
Annually report to the senate transportation and energy committee and the house energy and environment committee, or their successor committees;
(j)
Administer the electric vehicle grant fund created in section
24-38.5-103 (1)(a)
and the community access enterprise created in section
24-38.5-303 (1)
;
(k)
Assist the executive director of the department of local affairs in allocating revenues from the geothermal resource leasing fund to eligible entities pursuant to section
34-63-105
;
(l)
Develop basic consumer education or guidance about leased solar installation and purchased solar installation in consultation with industries that offer these options to consumers;
(m)
In consultation with the appropriate industries, develop basic consumer education or guidance about purchased or, if available, leased installation of a system that uses geothermal energy for water heating or space heating or cooling in a single building or for space heating for more than one building through a pipeline network;
(n)
Develop and publish an EV charger permitting model code that contains guidelines for the adoption of EV charger permit standards and permitting processes for counties and municipalities in accordance with sections 30-28-213 (3) and 31-23-316 (3); and
(o)
Provide assistance and support to a board of county commissioners or the governing body of a municipality in developing ordinances or resolutions for the permitting of electric motor vehicle charging systems in accordance with sections 30-28-213 (6) and 31-23-316 (6).
(2)
Repealed.
(3)
The Colorado energy office shall notify the house of representatives and senate committees of reference to which the office is assigned pursuant to section
2-7-203 (1)
, C.R.S., as part of its "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" hearing required by section
2-7-203 (2)
, C.R.S., if it has made any changes to:
(a)
Any performance plans and performance evaluations required pursuant to section
2-7-204
, C.R.S.;
(b)
Office policies related to energy transmission; and
(c)
Office policies that positively or negatively impact the energy sector.
(3.3)
As part of the hearing required by section
2-7-203 (2)
, for hearings held on or after January 1, 2025, but before January 1, 2034, the Colorado energy office shall report on the estimated impact of greenhouse gas emissions reductions attributable to the tax credits created in sections
39-22-551
,
39-22-552
,
39-22-553
,
39-22-554
,
39-22-555
, and
39-22-556
.
(4)
The Colorado energy office may update the greenhouse gas pollution reduction roadmap, published by the office and dated January 14, 2021, or as amended thereafter, to expressly include geothermal energy as a renewable energy resource that qualifying retail utilities may use to achieve the electric utility sector greenhouse gas pollution reduction goals set forth in the greenhouse gas pollution reduction roadmap.
(5)
(a)
As used in this subsection (5), unless the context otherwise requires:
(I)
"Decarbonization tax credits" means the tax credits created in sections
39-22-551
,
39-22-552
,
39-22-553
,
39-22-554
,
39-22-555
, and
39-22-556
.
(II)
"Standards" mean the standards or guidelines the office is authorized to adopt to implement the decarbonization tax credits.
(b)
Notwithstanding 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), beginning on and after January 1, 2024, but before January 1, 2033, the Colorado energy office shall annually report to the transportation and energy committee of the senate, the energy and environment committee of the house of representatives, and the finance committees of the senate and the house of representatives, or any successor committees, the following:
(I)
Standards adopted in the preceding year;
(II)
Amendments, modifications, changes, or repeals to previously adopted standards in the preceding year; and
(III)
Information on any public comment solicited or received pursuant to the adoption of standards or to the amendment, modification, change, or repeal of previously adopted standards.
(c)
The Colorado energy office may include the information required in subsection (5)(b) of this section in its annual presentation to its joint committees of reference pursuant to section
2-7-203
.
(d)
If in the preceding year the Colorado energy office does not adopt new standards or make any changes or modifications to adopted standards, then it is not required to report in that year pursuant to subsection (5)(b) of this section.
(e)
This subsection (5) is repealed, effective December 1, 2033.
Amended by 2024 Ch. 215,§ 4, eff. 8/7/2024.
Amended by 2023 Ch. 165,§ 2, eff. 8/7/2023.
Amended by 2023 Ch. 167,§ 16, eff. 5/11/2023.
Amended by 2022 Ch. 335, § 1, eff. 8/10/2022.
Amended by 2020 Ch. 193, § 1, eff. 9/14/2020.
Amended by 2019 Ch. 359, § 27, eff. 5/30/2019.
Amended by 2018 Ch. 359, § 5, eff. 6/1/2018.
L. 2008: Entire article added, p. 66, § 1, effective March 18; (1)(l) amended, p. 1871, § 5, effective June 2. L. 2009: (1)(s) added, (HB 09-1298), ch. 2317, p. 2317, § 5, effective June 4; (1)(q) added, (SB 09-075), ch. 2319, p. 2319, § 2, effective August 5; (1)(r) added, (HB 09-1312), ch. 1145, p. 1145, § 3, effective August 5. L. 2010: (1)(t) added, (SB 10-174), ch. 811, p. 811, § 4, effective August 11. L. 2012: IP(1), (1)(a), (1)(e), and (1)(o) amended, (1)(s) and (2) repealed, and (3) added, (HB 12-1315), ch. 963, p. 963, § 17, effective July 1. L. 2013: (3)(a) amended, (HB 13-1299), ch. 2244, p. 2244, § 7, effective June 5. L. 2016: (1)(h) repealed, (SB 16-189), ch. 767, p. 767, § 51, effective June 6. L. 2018: (1)(a) and (1)(o) amended and (1)(f), (1)(g), (1)(i), and (1)(r) repealed, (SB 18-003), ch. 2132, p. 2132, § 5, effective June 1. L. 2019: (1)(n) amended, (SB 19-236), ch. 3333, p. 3333, § 27, effective May 30. L. 2020: (1)(u) added, (HB 20-1155), ch. 895, p. 895, § 1, effective September 14.
Section 31 of chapter 359 (SB 19-236), Session Laws of Colorado 2019, provides that the act changing this section applies to conduct, including power purchase agreements entered into and utility rate-based property development, occurring on or after May 30, 2019.
2024 Ch. 215, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
2023 Ch. 165, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
2022 Ch. 335, 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.