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House passes emissions-limits bill after heated debate over coal, costs and reliability
Summary
HB 12-26 would require emissions limits for older coal-fired power plants and set compliance deadlines; the bill passed after extensive floor exchanges in which supporters warned of federal overreach and opponents raised concerns about costs, jobs and grid reliability.
The House passed House Bill 12-26 on April 21 after a several-hour debate that pitted climate and air-quality concerns against arguments about reliability, jobs and costs in coal communities.
Sponsor Representative Froelich said HB 12-26 protects Colorado’s ability to set emissions limits for nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide from certain electric generating units, and to maintain the state’s clean-energy transition against federal orders that could force utilities to keep older plants operating longer: "This house bill will protect Colorado utility customers, air quality, and clean energy plans," Froelich said.
Representative Wolford urged support, warning that federal 202(c) orders could require utilities to retain aging coal and gas units beyond planned retirement dates and that doing so would jeopardize the state’s climate goals and raise costs for ratepayers.
Opponents, including Representatives Brown, Bottoms and Slaw, argued the proposal would increase costs for ratepayers, threaten local jobs in coal-dependent communities, and potentially reduce grid reliability. Representative Brown summarized the opposition viewpoint by urging caution about the pace and cost of transitions away from legacy generation.
Floor exchanges also covered policy specifics: the bill requires the Air Quality Control Commission to adopt emissions limits by Dec. 31, 2029, with compliance scheduled after 2030; debate addressed potential scrubber installation costs (cited in the chamber as an example of a multi-million-dollar compliance cost) and the potential for increased rates if costs are passed to ratepayers.
During debate, members discussed workforce transition and aid for coal-impacted communities, the proper role of federal orders, and the relative lifecycle costs of coal versus renewable resources. Representative Wolford and Representative Froelich emphasized negotiated committee amendments and that the appropriations committee eliminated the fiscal note during mark-up.
The bill passed on the floor; supporters said it preserves state control over emissions and long-term planning, while opponents signaled concerns that will likely be raised in downstream stakeholder discussions.
What happens next: HB 12-26 proceeds through the legislative process for enrollment and any necessary technical adjustments, and stakeholder groups on both sides of the debate are expected to continue engagement.
