Committee advances bill to classify nuclear as clean energy after lengthy hearing; vote 8‑5

The House Energy & Environment Committee voted 8‑5 to send a bill redefining Colorado’s statutory clean‑energy list to include nuclear power to the committee of the whole, following nearly nine hours of testimony and roughly 90 witnesses.

The measure would amend the state definition of “clean energy” to explicitly permit electricity generated by nuclear fission to be treated as a clean resource under state law. Sponsors said the change does not itself authorize construction of any plants or alter federal licensing; it allows nuclear projects to compete for state and local incentives, be considered in planning, and be treated like other carbon‑free sources in local and municipal clean‑energy programs.

Supporters argued the change is an option‑keeping step: small modular reactors (SMRs) and other advanced designs are evolving, federal incentives…