Colorado is not just talking about environmental progress, it is actively delivering it. Through long-term planning, targeted action, and measurable goals, the state has made meaningful strides toward reducing emissions and modernizing its energy system.
At the same time, families across Colorado are navigating rising housing and living costs. That reality makes one thing clear: environmental progress must be paired with affordability and reliability if it is going to succeed over the long term. Cleaner energy works best when it strengthens communities without placing new financial burdens on households.
Colorado’s experience shows that environmental leadership and consumer protection can move forward together.
Colorado’s Environmental Progress Is Well Underway
Colorado’s emissions reduction strategy is built around clear, science-based goals. The state has committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions significantly over the coming decades, with steady progress already underway. Since the release of its first emissions reduction roadmap in 2021, Colorado has begun work on, or completed the vast majority of the actions identified to lower pollution and modernize the energy system.
An updated roadmap released in 2024 shows that, even without new laws beyond what is already in motion, Colorado is projected to be more than 80 percent of the way toward meeting its 2030 emissions reduction goal. That projection reflects real progress across multiple sectors of the economy.
This approach demonstrates that environmental gains are not theoretical, they are happening now.
Progress Across the Energy System
Colorado’s emissions reduction efforts take a comprehensive, sector-by-sector approach. Transportation, electricity generation, oil and gas production, manufacturing, and energy use in homes and buildings all play a role in the state’s emissions profile.
To address these sources, Colorado has focused on practical actions already underway: improving energy efficiency, modernizing electricity generation, reducing methane emissions, and encouraging cleaner technologies where they make sense. These efforts are designed to deliver emissions reductions while maintaining reliable energy service for homes and businesses.
Environmental progress works best when it reflects how people actually live, work, and move across the state.
Cleaner Energy That Works in the Real World
Achieving environmental goals requires more than ambition, it requires energy systems that perform under real-world conditions. Homes must stay warm during winter storms, businesses must stay powered during peak demand, and communities must be able to rely on consistent energy service.
Colorado’s progress has been supported by a diverse energy mix that balances cleaner technologies with dependable power sources. This balance helps integrate cleaner energy while avoiding disruptions that can lead to higher costs or reliability challenges.
Environmental progress is strongest when it is built on energy solutions that work every day, not just on paper.
Why Price Stability Protects Environmental Progress
As Colorado continues to reduce emissions, affordability remains a critical consideration. Sudden increases in energy costs can strain household budgets and weaken public confidence in environmental initiatives.
Price stability allows families to support cleaner energy solutions without facing unexpected financial pressure. It also helps ensure that progress remains durable and widely supported across communities.
Environmental gains are most successful when families can afford to live with them.
Reliable Energy Makes Clean Gains Possible
Reliable energy plays an essential role in sustaining Colorado’s environmental progress. Dispatchable resources such as natural gas and nuclear power provide consistent energy when demand is highest, helping stabilize the system and prevent costly disruptions.
Affordability is a key part of that reliability. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it costs about 42 percent more to heat a home with electricity than with natural gas, and natural gas is more than three times as affordable as electricity for household energy use. These differences matter for families already managing tight budgets.
Long-term stability matters as well. Natural gas prices have historically been less volatile and are projected to remain 30 to 50 percent lower than other fuel options through 2050, providing predictability that helps households plan and manage costs over time.
Nuclear power further supports cleaner progress by delivering steady, low-emission electricity around the clock. Together, these resources help ensure Colorado’s environmental gains are supported by a reliable and affordable energy foundation.
Looking Ahead
Colorado has demonstrated that environmental progress does not have to come with sudden price shocks. By building on existing actions, supporting reliable energy, and keeping affordability in focus, the state can continue lowering emissions while protecting families.
Cleaner energy without the cost shock is not just possible, it is essential. When environmental progress works for consumers, it earns lasting support, strengthens communities, and delivers results that endure.