business
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Xcel franchise renewal clears first Denver City Council committee hurdle
More than $180 million a year in franchise fees, infrastructure relocation savings and undergrounding funds would continue flowing to Denver under a proposed 20-year franchise agreement with Xcel Energy. It cleared a major City Council hurdle Tuesday, while adding new shareholder-funded bill assistance and requirements for neighborhood-compatible substation design. The current agreement, in place since…
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Elbert County takes transmission dispute with Xcel to court
Elbert County filed a lawsuit in Elbert County District Court to challenge the state’s approval of Xcel Energy’s preferred route for a major transmission line, marking the latest escalation in a dispute over how much weight local land-use decisions should carry when they conflict with statewide transmission needs. The Thursday court filing comes after Elbert…
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Colorado’s haze lawsuit tests coal plant closure | ANALYSIS
Colorado is asking a federal appeals court to overturn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to reject the state’s plan to reduce haze at national parks and wilderness areas. At the center of the fight is a straightforward but difficult question: Can the federal government use air quality rules to force a power plant to…
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Colorado chamber: 2026 legislative session marked ‘significant progress’ for business
This year’s legislative session produced some big wins for the state’s business environment, according to the Colorado Chamber of Commerce’s annual report. The report measured the progress in the chamber’s legislative agenda across policy areas like labor and employment, technology and health care. Among the chamber’s top priorities for this year’s legislative session was Senate…
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Polis administration awards $30 million for local climate policy projects
Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Energy Office announced $30 million in grants Thursday to 18 local and tribal governments for projects to reduce emissions, improve air quality and promote energy efficiency. This second and final round of the federally funded Local IMPACT Accelerator Grant program brings the total spending to $51.7 million. The first…
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Fight over Colorado and Denver building energy standards gains federal attention
The U.S. Department of Justice notified the U.S. District Court in Denver that it is considering filing a Statement of Interest in a lawsuit challenging Colorado’s and Denver’s building energy performance standards on federal preemption grounds. The notice says the federal government has questions about the preemptive scope of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act…
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A graduated tax plan could undercut Colorado’s business competitiveness, analysis warns
A proposal to move Colorado to a graduated income tax — taxing individuals and businesses at different rates based on their earnings — could generate more than $2 billion in its first year, but it could also weaken the state’s business climate and cause corporations to flee, according to a new analysis from the Common…
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Grand Junction roundtable spotlights public access while Interior faces scrutiny over targeted land sales
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum joined Bureau of Land Management Director Steve Pearce in Grand Junction Wednesday for a roundtable focused on linking public land access to improved physical activity and public health outcomes. The officials promoted new initiatives including GetActive.gov, a website aimed at…
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Flat or graduated income tax? Colorado groups push dueling measures for November election
Colorado voters could face two opposing income-tax measures on the November ballot, with the dueling campaigns seeking to advance proposals that would take the state in sharply different fiscal directions. One initiative seeks to replace Colorado’s flat income tax with a graduated system, while the other aims to lock in the current rate. Both measures…
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Colorado governor signs bill requiring pollution controls, cost reporting for extended coal operations
Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a bill in reaction to orders from the U.S. Department of Energy to keep older coal units online. The federal government’s instructions applied to Craig Unit 1 in Colorado, one of five coal units affected nationwide. The state legislation requires installation of modern pollution controls and cost reporting for…