FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2025

Contact:
Josh Valentine, jvalentine@swenergy.org

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[DENVER, CO] – Colorado’s 2025 General Assembly concluded on Wednesday, May 7. The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), a non-profit working to save people energy and money, issued the following evaluation: 

“Colorado’s 2025 legislative session is marked by modest wins and missed opportunities,” said Elise Jones, SWEEP’s Executive Director. “Nonetheless, lawmakers do deserve credit for advancing notable buildings, transportation, and housing policies, especially in the face of such tight budget constraints and a volatile federal landscape.”

The organization counted the following bills as modest wins:

• House Bill 25-1269 updates the existing Building Benchmarking and Performance Standards program to better assist building owners in complying with energy reporting and emission reduction requirements. The bill also establishes a process to set 2040 performance goals, and creates a new enterprise to help fund building decarbonization efforts, including energy efficiency.
• Senate Bill 25-161 seeks to improve transit service in the Denver metro area by requiring RTD to set performance targets for ridership, service, workforce and safety, improve the efficacy of its Ecopass program, and study options for improved governance and system expansion.
• Senate Bill 25-030 requires Colorado’s Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (such as the Denver Regional Council of Governments, or DRCOG) to create “Transit and Active Transportation Project Inventories” that identify gaps in transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure. These will inform state and regional planning, with the goal of expanding transportation options, cutting pollution, saving people money, and improving public health.
• The Legislature also took additional action to address Colorado’s housing shortage and affordability crisis by passing House Bill 25-1273, also known as the “single stair” measure, which will make it easier and less expensive to build smaller, more affordable apartment buildings.

“Achieving Colorado’s affordability, climate, and air quality goals will require a combination of smarter land use, better transit service, and more transportation choices to reduce traffic and the need for daily driving,” said Matt Frommer, Transportation & Land Use Policy Manager with SWEEP. “Coloradans deserve the opportunity to live in climate-friendly, walkable, and transit-rich communities.”

The General Assembly also adopted several other climate-related measures, including:

• Senate Bill 25-182 to stimulate investments in climate-friendly building materials by making low embodied carbon construction materials eligible for the state’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing program and Industrial Clean Energy Tax Credit.
• House Bill 25-1267 to support electric vehicle (EV) use in Colorado by directing the development of statewide rules for retail EV charging and expanding the allowable uses of EV grant funds.
• House Bill 25-132 appropriates $4 million to support efforts by the Governor and the Attorney General to challenge federal actions that harm the interests of the people of Colorado. If the Trump Administration continues to ignore federal laws or withhold congressionally approved funding, such as clean energy grants under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or Inflation Reduction Act, this bill will help the state continue to vigorously respond.  

Unfortunately, the 2025 legislative session was marred by the failure to approve a number of other important policies to secure cost-effective climate solutions, including measures to create on-bill financing opportunities for home energy upgrades, establish environmental and consumer standards for new electricity-intensive loads such as data centers, set in statute a state goal to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2040, and create a funding mechanism to pay for local safety improvement projects to reduce pedestrian and cyclist accidents and fatalities on our roadways. Facing a $1.2 billion budget gap, the Legislature was also forced to cut important programs, including a $70 million reduction to the Multimodal Transportation Options Fund, among other cuts that will slow progress towards a more efficient transportation system and overall economy.

“Colorado has a long list of unfinished business waiting for it in the next legislative session to continue our role as a climate and clean energy leader,” said Justin Brant, SWEEP’s Utility Program Director. “At the top of the 2026 “To Do” list will be embracing forward-thinking solutions that secure a clean and resilient electric grid, enable Coloradans to make home improvements that reduce their utility bills, ensure that any new data centers in Colorado are not being subsidized by energy customers or impeding the state in meeting its environmental commitments, and address new challenges arising from federal rollbacks.”

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The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is a public interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency, clean transportation, and beneficial electrification in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. swenergy.org