A costly environmental bill is quickly making its way through the Senate that could have severe economic consequences for the state.
Senate Bill 200 would impose aggressive caps on greenhouse gas emissions and would give the state’s environmental regulators broad control over virtually any entity that generates greenhouse gas.
Greenhouse gasses – produced by cars burning fuel and generating the power required to supply businesses with electricity – trap heat from the sun and contribute to climate change, wildfires, and have been linked to abnormal weather.
This legislation completely upends a collaborative, ambitious clean energy bill passed two years ago that set greenhouse gas reduction goals for the state. That bill, dubbed the Greenhouse Gas Roadmap, provided flexibility to utility companies to meet these goals and made Colorado a national leader in emissions reduction efforts.
Colorado companies have worked hard to meet these reduction targets and have submitted concrete plans for achieving the future goals of the proposal. Many actions have been taken to reduce energy spending and wastage in the state. From the introduction of LED business signs and fuel-efficient vehicles, to the closure of coal mines. Many of these have been voluntary actions. The environmental bill argues that more needs to be done and to make many voluntary decisions compulsory.
SB 200 would accelerate the already-ambitious goals set forth in the Greenhouse Gas Roadmap and would impose hard emissions reductions caps instead of flexible targets. In the name of “increasing environmental justice,” this proposal puts the Colorado economy in the back seat.
This is not an effective or appropriate way to achieve emissions reductions targets. Improving our climate is a shared goal of all Coloradans and should be a collaborative effort with business and industry, lawmakers, and regulators – focusing on incentives and innovation rather than arbitrary, costly emissions caps.
If passed, SB 200 will kill jobs, stifle economic growth, and increase the cost of energy for consumers.
Click here to tell your legislators to OPPOSE Senate Bill 200.