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House approves measure designating nuclear energy as clean energy after heated debate
Summary
House Bill 10-40, which reclassifies nuclear energy as a clean-energy source in state law, passed on second reading after a contentious floor debate that included arguments about safety, waste disposal and economic development.
House members passed House Bill 10-40 on second reading after a lengthy and strongly worded floor debate about whether nuclear energy should be classified as a clean energy source in Colorado law.
Representative Valdez (sponsor) and Representative Winter (co-sponsor) presented the bill and an amendment (L012) that, according to sponsors, removed a previous committee study requirement. Valdez said the bill ‘‘does not bring nuclear energy to Colorado’’ but ‘‘just redesignates it in its own section as clean energy.’’ She and supporters said the classification could attract federal investment and advanced reactor technology development.
Proponents described potential benefits including reliable, low-carbon electricity to meet rising demand and economic opportunities for rural communities. Representative Winter called it a ‘‘cornerstone’’ for broader energy conversations and emphasized jobs. Several sponsors cited the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s treatment of nuclear energy as context.
Opponents argued the designation ignores the history of nuclear waste and the disproportionate impact on tribal and Western Slope communities. Representative Velasco and others cited contamination and remediation history in places like Rifle, Colorado, and raised concerns about locating waste-disposal facilities in already-impacted areas. Representative Froelich called the bill’s labeling ‘‘downright Orwellian.’’
An amendment, L012, was adopted on the floor to remove a committee-added study. The Energy and Environment committee report as amended was adopted, and the bill passed on second reading and was ordered to final passage.
The floor debate included technical arguments about small modular reactors, safety records, and how labeling a fuel source in statute interacts with federal incentives. The transcript shows the bill prompted testimony and comment across many members of the House; the bill passed second reading despite the recorded opposition on the floor.
