(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 section 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.