[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6100587,"mediaKeyId","2813067-6014a8cf76fd1cb13c3b1e47cb02effd","parentId",2813067,"title","Committee hears debate on on‑bill financing bill; sponsors seek $100M loan from unclaimed‑property trust","audioSeconds",4429,"startMs",2778000,"endMs",7207000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813067-6014a8cf76fd1cb13c3b1e47cb02effd&start=2778&end=7207","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813067-6014a8cf76fd1cb13c3b1e47cb02effd/thumbnail_2778000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6100587/Colorado/Committee-hears-debate-on-onbill-financing-bill-sponsors-seek-100M-loan-from-unclaimedproperty-trust","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100587-c6d209ed62bfa244df2fd78685103fd8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770909548&Signature=L5-U02xHZfgzfmztBzPBfRm4CQF502NxgsqDB5rBfgvGjC8~XMrR1jdPXHgANojq4TbIgjL2zERbHdFauAVHBL4Oikxoa8yFtQyn-YxNns-srskmTRxiKje4c9VIZuLavz8DlbWSgy1V5HZv24aL7t0s7R3d6OVQTE~WDNSYCAhudanXFo3yNp5BvbICeoUjVSxRpfjsYxAWTb1ZqURk3LzozETLHW-7w9I2Yn-Y8a-hDAIxKRMCet~e~OeRwJUGWBhnWn~RMBaeP76z8tuGOW2FngFg~n6Nf7SbUgI42WSftT4weLDwa9FzdEyeDxuj0VjgMPQXJNxF0qYOJ8pemA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Colorado Legislature","date","2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","article","House Bill 12‑68, a proposal to expand on‑bill financing for residential (and optionally commercial) energy upgrades, drew extensive testimony on Oct. 12 as sponsors described a plan to seed a statewide program with a $100 million interest‑free loan from the state’s unclaimed property trust fund.

Sponsor Representative Joseph told the House Finance Committee the bill would allow the Colorado Energy Office to contract with utilities to offer on‑bill repayment (OBR) programs that finance energy efficiency, electrification and home‑upgrade projects; customers would repay loans via their monthly utility bills. The bill directs the State Treasurer to make an interest‑free loan of $100 million from the unclaimed property trust fund to the Energy Office on Jan. 1, 2026; the loan must be repaid within 20 years.

\"OnBill Finance supports the economy by supporting investments in building upgrades and jobs for tradespeople,\" Colorado Energy Office Executive Director Will Toor said in support. He described OBR as a tried‑and‑true financing approach and noted several smaller Colorado utilities already operate similar programs.

Supporters — including Fort Collins Councilmember Tricia Canonico, Boulder County senior strategist Brett Fleischman and the Colorado Clean Energy Fund — testified OBR removes traditional credit barriers because repayment is attached to the meter rather than an individual’s credit profile, can attract private capital and can reduce monthly energy costs for participating households.

But key state agencies and consumer advocates raised significant concerns. Leah Marvin Riley, policy director for the Colorado State Treasury, said the Treasury is in an \"amend\" position and cautioned against using the unclaimed property trust fund for a $100 million loan without agreed‑upon safeguards; she warned of ongoing litigation in the Tenth Circuit about past transfers from the fund and said removing principal will reduce interest earnings for the trust. Treasury staff estimated the annual interest loss at several million dollars (fiscal note figures vary by methodology) and urged consideration of alternative funding tools, such as tax‑credit financing used in prior programs.

Xcel Energy described its own PUC filing to offer OBR and said it cannot be a lender on its balance sheet. Patrick Murphy, Xcel’s program policy manager, urged bill language that allows third‑party lenders to receive funds directly and requested explicit language that any program losses or risks be borne by the enterprise or third party, not by the utility or its ratepayers.

Consumer advocates raised consumer‑protection concerns. Andrew Bennett of Energy Outreach Colorado opposed the bill as drafted, arguing the current language lacks uniform statewide consumer protections and could expose low‑income households to unsustainable obligations or predatory contractors. The Land Title Association and the Colorado Association of Realtors urged stronger public‑record notice or payoff procedures at sale so buyers, lenders and title companies have clear notice of outstanding OBR debts attached to a meter.

The Colorado Clean Energy Fund and other program operators urged standardization: Paul Sharfenberger said a fragmented patchwork of utility programs with differing paperwork and rules would discourage contractors from using OBR and would limit program uptake. Several witnesses asked the committee to require or incentivize uniform contractor enrollment, paperwork, and technical standards to achieve scale.

Sponsors told the committee they are negotiating with the State Treasurer and utilities on language changes, and that multiple amendments are expected as the bill proceeds. Committee members asked detailed questions about repayment mechanics, consumer safeguards at property sale, whether programs would cover commercial buildings, and the length of program terms.

No final committee action on HB 12‑68 was recorded in the transcript excerpt; sponsors said they expect further amendments and negotiations with Treasury and utilities before a referral or floor action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Finance [Mar 27, 2025] Thursday, Mar 27, 2025 3:59 PM - 6:24 PM","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 12‑68 would seed statewide on‑bill repayment programs with a $100 million loan from the unclaimed property trust fund, enable utility‑administered loans attached to meters, and set consumer protection and disclosure requirements. Treasury, utilities and consumer advocates urged changes.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature CO, Colorado","taxId",77676,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6100592,"House panel advances bill to adjust Colorado building performance rules, create technical‑assistance enterprise",2678,50000,2728000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813067-6014a8cf76fd1cb13c3b1e47cb02effd&start=50&end=2728","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813067-6014a8cf76fd1cb13c3b1e47cb02effd/thumbnail_50000.jpg","/articles/6100592/Colorado/House-panel-advances-bill-to-adjust-Colorado-building-performance-rules-create-technicalassistance-enterprise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100592-aa4a83c6099cc35b0014716708a34919/orig.mp4?Expires=1770909548&Signature=XO9ZzRrAHIuwVMmSZ8kBjfO12vev6rfFi8eFuDIfGHV6HfjzEpG7S2zZ4BnIX74ezYMENEwkPGeK-Xwc4HkSamVgqb~go6DlfvUVsiQmH9xSWoiziOKuHeAhST1oInYi83xyR64gIljVzSkhuCGBDCtZQ11hZmTbM0QCMujPTdddnPontyDD~w7suaZbaTuyFiXqYHh72Vc28GCvdsREOvHzyOWp0NezANNaqNV4lf-mXp9KPua~z4S7BYx5neMdwbkHOVauiFiv4Xg6IQMJg8RGzVAmwK8wW73y3oqxS6dpxswElKgPN-i7roUhiJ0MR8V1VxsiTT0VuryxUsEt4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Colorado House Finance Committee on Oct. 12 advanced House Bill 12‑69, a measure that revises the state’s building performance standards and creates a fee‑funded Building Decarbonization Enterprise to provide technical assistance to owners of large commercial buildings.

Supporters say the bill eases near‑term compliance burdens while preserving longer‑term greenhouse gas reduction goals. Opponents — largely building‑industry trade groups — said the underlying regulatory program and some aspects of implementation remain legally and economically problematic.

The bill modifies the statutory and regulatory framework created in 2021 (House Bill 21‑1286 and the Air Quality Control Commission’s Regulation 28). Key changes adopted in committee amendments include returning civil penalties to the prior penalty structure (with inflation indexing), making the 2026 interim target a goal rather than an enforceable deadline in many cases, allowing use of a 2019 pre‑pandemic benchmarking year for buildings that saw reduced occupancy, and establishing a task force to conduct an economic impact analysis to inform 2040 targets.

\"My name is Will Toor, and I'm the executive director of the Colorado Energy Office. I'm here to speak in favor of House Bill 12‑69,\" Director Will Toor told the committee during the witness phase. Toor and Colorado Energy Office staff said they negotiated the amendments with a broad set of stakeholders and that the enterprise would provide technical assistance, financing support, and other programmatic services that building owners need to plan and implement energy upgrades.

Sponsors told the committee the bill is intended to reduce duplicate compliance requirements for buildings that are subject to local building performance standards (for example, the City and County of Denver) by allowing a local program to be deemed compliant at the state level. Dr. Sharon Jay, representing the City and County of Denver, said Denver supports the bill’s approach to allow local certification to eliminate duplicate compliance burdens.

Industry witnesses representing hotel, apartment and commercial‑building owners warned of large costs tied to technical studies and retrofit timelines under the existing regime. Paul Seabee, representing several associations including the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association and NAOP Colorado, told the committee that some retrofit pathways required under Regulation 28 could conflict with federal law and impose high replacement costs for covered products.

Advocates and local governments urged adoption, saying the enterprise and amendments will help smaller or under‑resourced building owners find the information and financing they need. Ben Goldstein and other Colorado Energy Office staff said the enterprise would be funded by an annual fee collected from covered buildings; sponsors noted a proposed $400 annual fee per covered building and estimated roughly 8,300 commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet statewide would fall under the program’s fee structure.

The committee adopted a package of technical and stakeholder‑driven amendments labeled L002 through L006. L002 adjusted civil penalties to match the prior structure with inflation indexing; L003 requires an economic analysis by the 2040 task force; L004 and L005 clarified performance‑standard and enterprise board composition language and harmonized bill text with related legislation; and L006 clarified considerations for the Air Division as it develops 2040 targets.

Several witnesses asked the committee for clearer technical guidance and stronger assurances that the enterprise’s funds would be used for technical assistance and financing programs rather than administrative overhead. Industry witnesses also asked for explicit off‑ramps and clearer timeline adjustments for buildings facing economic distress, historic‑preservation constraints or occupancy changes.

After debate and questions, the committee moved HB 12‑69 as amended to the Appropriations Committee with a favorable recommendation. The committee record shows members asked for continued stakeholder work as the bill proceeds.

The bill will now be considered in Appropriations; additional amendments and fiscal details are expected as the legislature considers program funding and fee mechanics.","The House Finance Committee advanced House Bill 12‑69 after amendments that soften near‑term compliance deadlines, align penalties with air‑quality enforcement and create a fee‑funded building decarbonization enterprise to provide technical assistance to covered buildings.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee hears debate on on‑bill financing bill; sponsors seek $100M loan from unclaimed‑property trust

House panel advances bill to adjust Colorado building performance rules, create technical‑assistance enterprise