[{"_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",6200552,"mediaKeyId","3813369-f2306ee952909ef96b53020db5e78f25","parentId",3813369,"title","DRCOG staff proposes DORA sunrise review to evaluate statewide HVACR license to reduce local licensing burden and improve consumer protections","audioSeconds",276,"startMs",2604940,"endMs",2881588,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3813369-f2306ee952909ef96b53020db5e78f25&start=2604&end=2881","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3813369-f2306ee952909ef96b53020db5e78f25/thumbnail_2604940.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6200552/Colorado/DRCOG-staff-proposes-DORA-sunrise-review-to-evaluate-statewide-HVACR-license-to-reduce-local-licensing-burden-and-improve-consumer-protections","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200552-747272b59b7704713baafc2188a3e76b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770989239&Signature=WS3nOen3csFT56xGHoBxep9R-N~yEwxroQTwX0rzrMtu9D9mYhjVPlAJKEMMNhXudtwGt8h6WRud1VoszMSGtPu~nvH1SVtjeJPoTd4DyL9pYe6xNFHjS~NhrHhjpEbI7In5WHgSjA95K5rbhUL9r4GeJmPt1QYWY6tsTBLgsEVrS5Q7Zewy5UdQhGchTnmx~FEkoFr6s-WdPNyRnTFsEnbHHJ~eXxeBz8AmcZgsLl1ybgfis7Htygg1YOrpaStDeHDoRbof5TsQ7Za4Gwhp2CiCbLC-ym88h7neeK5oTA0dQrTkDXZXd37fxFXiASI3vDCAzs82~dUzTzahtMTmHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Denver Regional Council of Governments","date","2025-06-13T20:31:06Z","article","Clay McComb, a program manager at the Denver Regional Council of Governments, asked the committee for feedback on whether DRCOG should lead outreach and request a sunrise review from the Colorado Department of Regulatory Affairs (DORA) to evaluate creating a statewide HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) license.

\"Colorado is 1 of 17 states, that does not have a statewide HVAC license,\" McComb said in the presentation. He told the committee that the lack of a statewide license means mechanical/HVAC licensing is handled locally and that requirements vary across jurisdictions, creating administrative burden for contractors and potential consumer-safety and environmental risks.

McComb described two main options: continue the current patchwork of local licenses and reciprocal arrangements, or ask DORA’s Colorado Office of Policy and Regulatory Reform (COPR) to undertake a six-month sunrise review to determine whether state-level regulation is warranted. He said that, if DORA recommends regulation, the matter could proceed as legislation in the 2026 session.

McComb and others on the call described specific risks tied to current practices: limited jurisdictional capacity to verify reciprocal licenses; examples of unpermitted work; and environmental risk from refrigerant leaks. \"Refrigeration leaks are 10 times worse for the environment than carbon emissions,\" McComb said, noting that incorrect heat pump installs with leaks could create outsized greenhouse-gas impacts. He also recounted a small-business example: a Broomfield contractor who holds more than 20 local licenses and struggles with renewals and administrative burden.

McComb said a state license would not replace local permitting or inspection authority; rather it would establish a state floor for training and consumer protections while allowing local jurisdictions to add requirements or retain enforcement responsibilities. He described reciprocity as a current mitigation approach but said verification challenges and inconsistent standards persist.

DRCOG staff outlined potential implementation details discussed with stakeholders: a multi-month phase-in period, consideration of grandfathering or reciprocity for currently licensed contractors, use of ICC (International Code Council) mechanical exams as a potential testing standard, and inclusion of local building officials and industry representatives on any state licensure board.

Committee members offered questions and suggestions: several flagged the need for outreach to chambers of commerce and trade associations to understand business impacts; others suggested ensuring interstate reciprocity and careful phasing so existing contractors are not unduly burdened. Xcel Energy staff and other partners were mentioned as supportive voices in related workforce development work.

Next steps: DRCOG staff will present the proposal to their board the following week to gauge interest and determine whether to submit a sunrise review application to DORA. McComb asked local jurisdictions to share reactions and noted that the proposal would proceed only if the DRCOG board supports it.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DRCOG| Regional Building Decarbonization oversight committee June 13, 2025 meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Clay McComb, a program manager at the Denver Regional Council of Governments, asked the committee for feedback on whether DRCOG should lead outreach and request a DORA sunrise review to evaluate a statewide HVACR license.","taxTitle","Denver Regional Council of Governments, Governor's Boards and Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Colorado","taxId",27825,"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},6200554,"Colorado Energy Office unveils $50 million Local Impact Accelerator to fund local climate policy adoption",881,308615,1189629,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3813369-f2306ee952909ef96b53020db5e78f25&start=308&end=1189","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3813369-f2306ee952909ef96b53020db5e78f25/thumbnail_308615.jpg","/articles/6200554/Colorado/Colorado-Energy-Office-unveils-50-million-Local-Impact-Accelerator-to-fund-local-climate-policy-adoption","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200554-c9a752f493f011504afb6c031e573c07/orig.mp4?Expires=1770989239&Signature=PQ14WzN-dY2XMlS3RPhT9ujp0Q-9DU6QEQIoD2hsXZdmJtUP522XJ2ym7A5x5hh5MlOZnnjFkVq3nDNicpQZ8m6ufhH0ZjASnswuFVS5klycUfpXIUFzzW-oZNlcu96oh~46th~gt8f173BGD7SEChaH2ArOn6Yn-XdmuYqVTR5lUxcH4Wgn9aUUvNZLNUKYYxBrG2FcnroPJe~KaRXugNXX0wrx~FI9RJ62Kpjc-mqFNBHAInUNrZK3Xo6cNQ9hacMbXhHUSB~PxcjGGmzZPKh--JNDFpbAA7XDnb3b~19kJIo~~hgsz0pVvEx8xr6NRFVU9QdwkBMDRMPKEgjGZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Russ Sands, director of local climate solutions at the Colorado Energy Office, briefed the Denver Regional Council of Governments' regional decarbonization program oversight committee about a new $50 million Local Impact Accelerator program that will support local governments in adopting climate policies and, where appropriate, funding projects tied to those policies.

The Local Impact Accelerator is designed to prioritize policy adoption while allowing combined policy-and-project awards. \"Our efforts are really focused at kind of a balance between that geographic representation and, also trying to kind of get absolute emissions reduction,\" Sands said during the committee meeting. He described the program as a response to Colorado’s greenhouse gas roadmap and as an effort to scale policy adoption statewide.

The program will target four sectors: buildings, transportation, land use and waste. Eligible lead applicants must be local governments (cities, counties or tribes). Sands said the office expects to distribute $50 million across multiple awards and used a 25-grant example to illustrate scale: \"if we hand that out across 25 grants, that would look like $2,000,000 each,\" he said. However, he also told the committee many awards will be smaller and that applicants may request more or less than that example amount.

Sands emphasized that policy adoption is required: applicants cannot receive project funding alone; they must either apply for policy-only funding or for combined policy-and-project awards. He explained the program will ask applicants to submit three budget versions (standard, fiscally constrained at roughly 25% and a vision budget) so the office can adjust awards if the program is oversubscribed.

On cost match, Sands said the program’s work plan requires a general 5 percent cost match, but he described multiple pathways to reduce or eliminate that match for qualifying applicants. \"So, yes, we put in our work plan that we would have a cost match ... The general cost match is 5%.\" He added the match may be met with a mix of cash and in-kind contributions and outlined 0-match options: federally recognized tribes; using CDPHE’s EnviroScreen to show a high-low-income concentration; or dedicating 40 percent or more of proposed funding to eligible low-income census block groups.

Sands laid out the application process timeline: a letter of intent (LOI) step intended to capture about half of the information required in the full application, a period in which staff will meet with LOI applicants, a shortened full-application window, and awards announced in 2026. He said contracting with awardees is expected after the awards are announced—round 1 contracting may occur at the end of first quarter 2026 and round 2 contracting at the end of second quarter 2026. He described a staggered two-round approach intended to let the office balance funding across statewide applicants.

The office intends to prioritize applications that demonstrate long-term impact and plans for sustaining policy or program elements after grant funding ends. Sands said the guidance and a detailed appendix listing eligible projects and policies are posted online, and that the office will host an initial webinar followed by a Q&A period during the application window. He encouraged applicants to use the LOI to frame their intent and said the new online form would be available immediately or by the following Monday.

Committee members asked practical questions about timing, LOI rounds and how communities with concentrated pockets of low income could qualify for reduced matches. Sands responded with concrete instructions about how applicants could document eligibility and use EnviroScreen or GIS outputs to demonstrate coverage of qualifying census block groups.

Sands and several committee members noted the office will be deliberate about avoiding duplicate funding in areas where other programs operate; they described coordination with other state and regional programs to reduce overlap. Sands also said the office is cautious about funding long-term construction or staff-hiring through this grant because of federal contracting and workforce risks for projects that would continue across multiple years of the grant period.

The office will accept formal questions during an initial launch window, publish answers publicly and use regional coordinators to help applicants answer questions that the Energy Office cannot respond to outside formal windows. Sands provided a contact for follow-up and the committee signaled support for the coordination between the Energy Office and regional partners.

Next steps: the Energy Office will open the LOI window as posted in its guidance, host the planned webinars and begin meeting with LOI applicants after the submission window closes. Awards are expected to be announced in 2026 with contracting to follow.

","Russ Sands, director of local climate solutions at the Colorado Energy Office, briefed the Denver Regional Council of Governments' regional decarbonization program oversight committee about a new $50 million Local Impact Accelerator program that will support local governments in adopting climate policies and, where appropriate, fund projects tied to those policies.","actionData","errors"]

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DRCOG staff proposes DORA sunrise review to evaluate statewide HVACR license to reduce local licensing burden and improve consumer protections

Colorado Energy Office unveils $50 million Local Impact Accelerator to fund local climate policy adoption