SB26-182 • 2026

Updated Clean Energy Plan Municipally Owned Utility

Current law requires certain entities to file, or allows certain entities to voluntarily file, a clean energy plan to achieve an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions caused by the entity's electr

Energy

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Sen. C. Simpson, Sen. M. Snyder, Rep. J. Caldwell, Rep. A. Paschal, Sen. J. Carson, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. L. Frizell, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Sen. L. Liston, Sen. B. Pelton, Sen. R. Pelton, Rep. C. Barron, Rep. M. Bradfield, Rep. C. Clifford, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. R. English, Rep. A. Flanell, Rep. R. Gonzalez, Rep. R. Keltie, Rep. B. Marshall, Rep. S. Slaugh, Rep. R. Weinberg, Rep. T. Winter
Last action: 2026-05-21
Official status: Governor Signed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Updated Clean Energy Plan Municipally Owned Utility

What This Bill Does

Current law requires certain entities to file, or allows certain entities to voluntarily file, a clean energy plan to achieve an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions caused by the entity's electricity sales in Colorado by 2030, relative to 2005 levels (2030 emission reductions).
The act repeals current law stating that clean energy plans submitted by a cooperative electric association or a municipally owned utility under certain circumstances are deemed approved by the public utilities commission (commission) and requiring the division of administration in the department of public health and environment (division) to consult with the commission in verifying a clean energy plan submitted by a cooperative electric association or a municipally owned utility.
The act also repeals current law stating that voluntary submission of a clean energy plan by a cooperative electric association or a municipally owned utility does not alter the entity's regulatory status with respect to the commission.
A municipally owned utility that has encountered challenges in achieving the 2030 emission reductions may submit to the division, no later than December 31, 2026, an updated clean energy plan that demonstrates achievement of the 2030 emission reductions by the earliest date possible on or after December 31, 2029, but no later than December 31, 2032.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.001

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: SB182_L.001 Amendment No.

SB182_L.001 Amendment No.
___________ SB26-182 SENATE FLOOR AMENDMENT Second Reading BY SENATOR Snyder 1 Amend printed bill, page 2, line 3, strike "portion;" and substitute 2 "portion and (1)(e)(VIII)(F);".
3 Page 2, after line 10 insert: 4 "(e) (VIII) (F) A clean energy plan voluntarily filed by a 5 cooperative electric association that has voted to exempt itself from 6 regulation by the public utilities commission pursuant to article 9.5 of title 7 40 or by a municipal utility shall be deemed approved by the public 8 utilities commission as filed if: The division in consultation with the 9 public utilities commission, publicly verifies that the plan demonstrates 10 that, by 2030, the cooperative electric association or municipal utility will 11 achieve at least an eighty percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions 12 caused by the entity's Colorado retail electricity sales relative to 2005 13 levels; and the clean energy plan has previously been approved by a vote 14 of the entity's governing body.
Voluntary submission of a clean energy 15 plan by a cooperative electric association or municipal utility does not 16 alter the entity's regulatory status with respect to the public utilities 17 commission, including under article 9.5 of title 40.".

Bill History

2026-05-21 Governor
Governor Signed
2026-05-12 Governor
Sent to the Governor
2026-05-12 House
Signed by the Speaker of the House
2026-05-12 Senate
Signed by the President of the Senate
2026-05-07 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-05-06 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2026-05-05 House
House Committee on Transportation, Housing & Local Government Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-05-04 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Transportation, Housing & Local Government
2026-05-04 Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-05-01 Senate
Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
2026-04-29 Senate
Senate Committee on Transportation & Energy Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-04-28 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Transportation & Energy

Official Summary Text

Current law requires certain entities to file, or allows certain entities to voluntarily file, a clean energy plan to achieve an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions caused by the entity's electricity sales in Colorado by 2030, relative to 2005 levels (2030 emission reductions).
The act repeals current law stating that clean energy plans submitted by a cooperative electric association or a municipally owned utility under certain circumstances are deemed approved by the public utilities commission (commission) and requiring the division of administration in the department of public health and environment (division) to consult with the commission in verifying a clean energy plan submitted by a cooperative electric association or a municipally owned utility. The act also repeals current law stating that voluntary submission of a clean energy plan by a cooperative electric association or a municipally owned utility does not alter the entity's regulatory status with respect to the commission.
A municipally owned utility that has encountered challenges in achieving the 2030 emission reductions may submit to the division, no later than December 31, 2026, an updated clean energy plan that demonstrates achievement of the 2030 emission reductions by the earliest date possible on or after December 31, 2029, but no later than December 31, 2032.
A municipally owned utility that submits an updated clean energy plan to the division must:
Provide a detailed generation and transmission plan to the division with the updated clean energy plan;
Provide an annual report to the division beginning January 1, 2028, and continuing each year until December 31, 2033, that contains certain information related to the updated clean energy plan;
Cease burning coal by December 31, 2032; and
Seek to achieve certain additional reductions in greenhouse gas emissions without impairing the municipally owned utility's ability to maintain certain electric reliability standards.
The updated clean energy plan must be verified by the division.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 26-182
BY SENATOR(S) Snyder and Simpson, Carson, Frizell, Kirkmeyer, Liston,
Pelton B., Pelton R., Coleman;
also REPRESENT ATIVE(S) Caldwell and Paschal, Barron, Bradfield,
Clifford, Duran, English, Flanell, Gonzalez R., Keltie, Marshall, Slaugh,
Weinberg, Winter T.
CONCERNING AN UPDATED CLEAN ENERGY PLAN FROM A MUNICIPALLY
OWNED UTILITY.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 25-7-105, amend (1)
introductory portion and ( 1 )( e )(VIII)(F); and add ( 1 )( e )(VIIl.5)(I),
(l)(e)(XI.l), and (l)(e)(XI.2) as follows:
25-7-105. Duties of commission - technical secretary - rules -
report -legislative declaration -definitions - repeal.
(1) Except as provided in sections 25-7-130 and 25-7-131, the
commission shall promulgate ADOPT rules that are consistent with the
legislative declaration set forth in section 25-7-102 and necessary for the
proper implementation and administration of this article 7, including:
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
the act.
( e) (VIII) (F) A clean energy plan voluntarily filed by a cooperative
electric association that has voted to exempt itself from regulation by the
public utilities commission pursuant to article 9.5 of title 40 or by a
municipal utility shall be deemed approved by the public utilities
commission as filed if: The division in consultation with the public utilities
commission, publicly verifies that the plan demonstrates that, by 2030, the
cooperative electric association or municipal utility will achieve at least an
eighty percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions caused by the entity's
Colorado retail electricity sales relative to 2005 levels; and the clean energy
plan has previously been approved by a vote of the entity's governing body.
Voluntary submission of a clean ene1gy plan by a cooperative electtic
association 01 municipal utility does not alte1 the entity's I egulatory status
with respect to the public utilities commission, including under article 9.5
of title 40.
(VIIl.5) (I) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER REQUIREMENT OF THIS
SUBSECTION (l)(e), A MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY THAT HAS
ENCOUNTERED CHALLENGES IN ACHIEVING THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION
REDUCTION PERCENT AGES IN A PREVIOUSLY FILED CLEAN ENERGY PLAN MAY
SUBMIT TO THE DIVISION, NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 31, 2026, AN UPDATED
CLEAN ENERGY PLAN THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY A VOTE OF THE
MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY'S GOVERNING BODY AND THAT
DEMONSTRATES THAT THE MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY WILL ACHIEVE AN
EIGHTY PERCENT REDUCTION IN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS CAUSED BY
THE MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY'S COLORADO RETAIL ELECTRICITY SALES,
RELATIVE TO 2005 LEVELS, BY THE EARLIEST DATE POSSIBLE ON OR AFTER
DECEMBER 31, 2029, BUT NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 31, 2032.
(Xl.1) A MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY THAT SUBMITS AN UPDATED
CLEAN ENERGY PLAN PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION ( 1 )( e )(VIIl.5)(I) OF THIS
SECTION MUST:
(A) ENSURE THAT THE UPDATED CLEAN ENERGY PLAN SUBMITTED TO
THE DIVISION CONTAINS A DETAILED GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION PLAN
THAT IS NOT GENERICALLY CLASSIFIED AS "TO BE DETERMINED", BUT THAT
INCLUDES THE AMOUNT AND TYPES OF RESOURCES ANTICIPATED TO BE
NEEDED TO ACHIEVE AN EIGHTY PERCENT REDUCTION IN GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS, THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERY AREAS WHERE NEW GENERATION
WOULD BE PROCURED, AND THE ANTICIPATED LOCATION AND CAPACITY OF
PAGE 2-SENATE BILL 26-182
ANY NEW TRANSMISSION THAT WOULD NEED TO BE BUILT OR ACQUIRED
THROUGH THE REGIONAL TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION OF WHICH THE
MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY IS A MEMBER;
(B) BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2028, AND CONTINUING EACH YEAR
UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 203 3, ANNUALLY REPORT TO THE DIVISION AND MAKE
PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON THE MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY'S WEBSITE: THE
MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY'S PROGRESS IN PLANNING FORAND ACQUIRING
THE NECESSARY GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION RESOURCES IDENTIFIED IN
ITS UPDATED CLEAN ENERGY PLAN, THE MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY'S
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTIONS RELATIVE TO 2005 LEVELS, AND AN
UPDATED LOADS AND RESOURCES TABLE THAT INCLUDES ANY CHANGES TO
FORECASTED DEMAND FROM THE FORECAST USED IN THE UPDATED CLEAN
ENERGY PLAN; AND
(C) NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 31, 2032, AND NOTWITHSTANDING
ANY OTHER RULES OF THE COMMISSION SETTING A TIMELINE FOR CESSATION
OF BURNING COAL, CEASE BURNING COAL AT ANY COAL-FIRED GENERA TING
UNIT OWNED, OPERA TED, OR BOTH BY THE MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY.
(Xl.2) (A) AN UPDATED CLEAN ENERGY PLAN SUBMITTED BY A
MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (l)(e)(VIll.5)(1)
OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE PUBLICLY VERIFIED BY THE DIVISION CONSISTENT
WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION ( 1 )( e )(VIII)(F) OF THIS SECTION.
(B) THE DATES ASSOCIATED WITH THE REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN
SUBSECTIONS (l)(e)(VIII)(C), (l)(e)(VIII)(F), AND (l)(e)(VIll.3) OF THIS
SECTION MUST BE CONSTRUED TO ALIGN WITH THE REVISED DATES IN
SUBSECTION (1 )( e )(VIll.5)(1) OF THIS SECTION FOR ANY UPDATED CLEAN
ENERGY PLAN SUBMITTED BY A MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY PURSUANT TO
SUBSECTION (l)(e)(VIll.5)(1) OF THIS SECTION.
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 31-15-707, add (2) as
follows:
31-15-707. Municipally owned utilities - powers of a
municipality -greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
(2) THE GOVERNING BODY OF A MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY THAT
SUBMITSANUPDATEDCLEANENERGYPLANPURSUANTTOSECTION25-7-105
PAGE 3-SENATE BILL 26-182
(l)(e)(VIll.5)(1) SHALL INSTRUCT THE MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY TO
SEEK TO:
(a) ACHIEVE A NINETY-FIVE PERCENT REDUCTION IN GREENHOUSE
GAS EMISSIONS CA USED BY THE MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY'S COLORADO
RETAIL ELECTRICITY SALES BY DECEMBER 31, 2039, RELATIVE TO 2005
LEVELS, WITHOUT IMPAIRING THE MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY'S ABILITY
TO MAINTAIN THE ELECTRIC RELIABILITY STANDARDS OF A REGIONAL
TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION OF WHICH THE MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY
IS A MEMBER; AND
(b) REDUCE, BETWEEN THE DATE AN EIGHTY PERCENT REDUCTION IN
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IS ACHIEVED AND DECEMBER 31, 2035, ANY
CUMULATIVE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS RES UL TING FROM THE UPDATED
CLEAN ENERGY PLAN RELATIVE TO THE MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY'S
ORIGINAL CLEAN ENERGY PLAN, WITHOUT IMPAIRING THE MUNICIPALLY
OWNED UTILITY'S ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE ELECTRIC RELIABILITY
STANDARDS OF A REGIONAL TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION OF WHICH THE
MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY IS A MEMBER.
SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
PAGE 4-SENATE BILL 26-182
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state
ins ti tuti ons.
James Rashad Coleman, Sr.
PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE
ther van Mourik
SECRETARY OF
THE SENATE
~~e
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
V~ ~ ssa Reilly
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
APPROVED Oh \\'l~Jt{ l'V\1 2-\ <' 202-h 1Lf ( I :3<7oii,,,,
(Da e and ime)
PAGE 5-SENATE BILL 26-182