When the legislature doesn’t listen, people go to the ballot. And that’s exactly where energy choice is heading in Colorado.

With a special session starting this week to address challenges to the state’s budget, it is odd energy policy is not part of the deliberations. Energy development is a major economic driver in Colorado that has an oversized effect on the state budget.

Colorado consistently ranks as a top-10 energy-producing state in the U.S. In 2023, Colorado produced 500,000 barrels of oil and 5 billion cubic-feet of natural gas every day. The energy sector creates nearly $2 billion per year in Colorado state and local taxes.

Based on these facts, you would assume state and local politicians would respect the substantial financial revenues originating from the oil-and-gas industry and prioritize keeping those revenues in Colorado. You’d think legislators would realize how lucky they are. But instead, the exact opposite is true. Colorado state and local leaders are pressing a regulatory environment methodically driving this industry out of Colorado.

This exodus of the energy industry will have an enormous effect on jobs and the cost of living in Colorado. The U.S. Department of Energy reports there are more than 153,000 energy workers in our state. This number balloons to more than 300,000 workers when you factor in jobs supporting the oil-and-gas industry in Colorado. And yet, instead of supporting this critical Colorado workforce, Colorado legislators prioritize policies to hurt this industry rather than support the industry. These legislators are in constant collaboration with far-left special-interest groups like Conservation Colorado, to create ill-conceived, extreme and unpopular policies that push oil and gas out of Colorado entirely. Ultimately, these policies make Coloradans pay more.

Colorado just reached an all-time low ranking in cost of living from CNBC — 47th-worst in the nation, making us the third-most expensive state. This is partly caused by energy regulations that drive down the values of businesses. One set of buildings in Denver was worth $200 million in 2019, but this year, it was sold for $3 million — a 90% reduction in value. Unreasonable energy mandates that businesses simply can’t comply with are a major reason for this incredible change. Think about what nosediving property values does to revenue for the City of Denver and the state.

Energy prices continue to rise in Colorado for the average consumer, too, due to constant state mandates. The average homeowner’s electrical bill rose by nearly 40% from 2019 to 2023. The Common Sense Institute states: “Currently low natural gas commodity prices should lower consumer gas bills, but electricity and utility prices are rising due to rate hikes and burdens placed on the consumer to pay for renewables and clean tech, infrastructure and decommissioning coal and natural gas power generation.” Basically, the state is failing to provide choices for the consumer — going so far as to penalize choices it doesn’t like — and then charging the consumer for state mandates and priorities.

The reality liberal politicians don’t seem to realize is one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to energy. The people want reliability. They want lower costs. And they want choice. When government tries to tell people what kind of energy sources they can use — to power their homes, their lawnmowers, and even their kitchen appliances — it’s simply gone too far. This is true in Colorado and across the nation. In blue Washington, voters in 2024 easily passed a measure to recognize a right to natural gas. There is a desire among consumers to tell the government to keep their hands off our energy choices.

In late 2024, Coloradans for Energy Access published study results showing a whopping 78% of citizens oppose government mandates telling them what form of energy to use. Seventy percent of Coloradans oppose mandates on homebuilders as well, preferring to extend energy choice even further. 80 percent were against laws that would require them to use government-preferred appliances.

Thankfully, there’s a way to provide just such a choice to Colorado voters. A ballot measure on “Consumer Right to Energy Choice” has been approved by the Title Board, and now voters should have a say. This measure would recognize government regulations restricting or banning common products and services — including gas-powered vehicles, stoves, heaters and lawnmowers — create burdens for working families. It would stop state and local governments from telling consumers they can’t use an energy source of their choice, provided the source is in common use. Polling for this measure shows it has broad support.

But it’s not enough to have the energy sector behind a measure like this. To pass it, it will take grassroots support from Coloradans across the state. When you listen to all the talk of “raising revenue” at the legislature but also see their mandates and penalties for the energy industry, it’s clear there is little chance politicians wise up. So, it’s time to put energy choice into the hands of the people.

Kristi Burton Brown is executive vice president of Advance Colorado.