§ 24-46.3-501 — Legislative declaration

Colorado § 24-46.3-501

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 24: Government
• Art.: Work Force Development

Text

(1) The general assembly finds and
declares that:

(a) The state workforce development council selected energy as a target
industry for career pathway systems development;

(b) The selection of energy as a target industry for career pathway systems
development is in alignment with the statewide goal to position Colorado as a
leader in the clean energy economy by setting a path to reach one hundred percent
renewable energy for the electric grid by 2040;

(c) The federal government has indicated its intent to take aggressive action
on climate change by rejoining the Paris climate agreement, achieving a carbon-pollution-free power sector by 2035, and ensuring the United States is on a path to
a net-zero economy by 2050;

(d) In passing House Bill 19-1261, the general assembly established
statewide, science-based greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals of at least
twenty-six percent by 2025, fifty percent by 2030, and ninety percent by 2050, of
emissions levels from 2005;

(e) The Colorado energy office, Colorado department of public health and
environment, Colorado department of transportation, Colorado department of
natural resources, and Colorado department of agriculture released the
Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap in January of 2021 to establish a
statewide strategy for each sector to meet the greenhouse gas reduction targets
specified in House Bill 19-1261;

(f) The Colorado energy office released the Colorado Electric Vehicle Plan
2020 to guide a large-scale transition of the state's transportation system to zero-emission vehicles, including a goal of nine hundred forty thousand electric vehicles
on our roads by 2030 and nearly one hundred percent of all vehicles by 2050;

(g) The Colorado air quality control commission adopted the zero-emission
vehicle rule, establishing the Colorado zero-emission vehicle program to increase
the availability of electric vehicles in the state, which will require additional
investment in electric vehicle charging systems;

(h) Additionally, more than fifty local jurisdictions throughout the state have
adopted the 2018 international energy conservation code to help existing buildings
adapt to new technologies and improve energy efficiencies in new construction;

(i) These federal and state commitments to address the climate crisis will
lead to significant investments in the energy sector, which will require a diverse and
well-trained workforce;

(j) Further, launching regional energy partnerships will create a foundation
of strong industry leadership, collaboration, and investment to support an industry-driven energy sector career pathway;

(k) In 2019, there were sixty-two thousand four hundred twenty full-time
clean energy employees in Colorado. Between 2014 and 2019 there was a fifteen
percent growth in all energy jobs in Colorado, and these jobs are projected to grow
another nine percent from 2019 to 2024.

(l) The state median hourly earnings for clean energy occupations in
Colorado provides an above-average living wage;

(m) Money to provide training under the SPARC program should prioritize
individuals directly impacted by job loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic or due to an
industry decline since January 1, 2019;

(n) Further, Black communities, indigenous communities, communities of
color, and low-income communities have endured the environmental impacts of
polluting industries within their communities for many years; and

(o) Therefore, while Colorado begins to work toward equity and
environmental justice, these populations and communities should be prioritized for
training within the energy sector career pathway.

(2) Therefore, the general assembly declares that the creation of an
industry-driven energy sector career pathway pursuant to section 24-46.3-104,
implemented and supported through the SPARC program created in this part 5, is a
significant step toward establishing Colorado as a leader in the clean energy
economy, providing high-quality education and training, creating high-paying jobs,
and protecting Colorado's environment.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2021: Entire part added, (HB 21-1149), ch. 247, p. 1344, � 2, effective June 16.