New Report Highlights Polis Administration’s Continued Progress Toward Climate Goals While Making Colorado Healthier for All

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DENVER - Despite federal challenges, the Polis Administration is continuing to make headway in developing and delivering innovative policies, programs and initiatives aimed at cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution, according to the newly released Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Implementation Report. This is the report's seventh update in compliance with the Governor's executive order.

"This report makes it clear that Colorado is delivering on our promises to expand transportation options, improve Colorado's air quality, and expand investments in clean energy technology, including advancements in Geothermal energy, and augmenting our work to deliver clean energy to stabilize energy costs and drive investment in Colorado communities," said Governor Polis.

Established in 2021, this report, which was biannual until June 30, 2024, covers the period from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. This edition highlights work achieved across a broad range of sectors and addresses planned actions outlined in key documents such as the first and second Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmaps (January 2021 and February 2024, respectively) and the Colorado Transportation Vision: 2035 (November 2024).

This report was jointly drafted by the Colorado Energy Office (CEO), Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), Department of Labor and Employment (Office of Just Transition), the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), and the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).

"With this report representing the work Colorado did in the final six months of the Biden Administration and the first six of the Trump Administration, one important fact jumps out when you read it: Regardless of the federal landscape, we are charging forward in ensuring that all Coloradans have clean air and cost-efficient clean energy and transportation options," said Colorado Energy Office Executive Director Will Toor. "This report is also a valuable reminder that we are committed to an all-of-government approach in this work. We will not stop until we reach the ambitious climate goals that Governor Polis and the legislature have set for Colorado."

One of the most notable findings during this period came from the state's updated GHG Inventory, which was released in November 2024. Overall, the update indicated the state is closer to its future greenhouse gas reduction targets than previously estimated. Modeling projects that Colorado is 87.5% of the way toward achieving its 2030 GHG emissions reduction goal, with just the actions completed by the end of 2023. With the additional Near Term Actions from Roadmap 2.0 – and without any additional action – Colorado is currently projected to achieve the goal before the end of 2031.

Using the same modeling platform, the state further assessed Colorado's expected progress against 44 other U.S. states and found that Colorado will soon lead the pack in terms of percent reductions relative to a common baseline year of 2005. The modeling also indicated Colorado is projected to be the first state to achieve a 50% reduction in emissions (2031) from its 2005 baseline.

Other sector-by-sector highlights from the past year include:

Transportation
  • Colorado surpassed California to lead the nation in EV sales percentages in the third quarter of 2024, with new EV purchases exceeding 30% of all Colorado light duty vehicle sales in the fourth quarter of 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, EV sales remained strong at 26%.
  • Coloradans purchased more than 10,000 new electric bicycles (e-bikes) from July 2024 to June 2025 with support from various state-funded incentives and grant programs.
  • Through the Transportation Network Company (TNC) Grant Portfolio, Lyft and Uber received a total of $3.1 million to make it easier and cheaper for TNC drivers to use electric vehicles for rideshare trips. (August 2024)
  • CDOT's Office of Innovative Mobility announced its fourth round of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Innovation Grant awards, offering $446,000 in funding for nine projects. These grants support and demonstrate creative solutions that address gaps in existing TDM approaches and programming. (August 2024)
  • The Clean Transit Enterprise (CTE) approved applications for $15 million in capital grants. These included one facility project, one infrastructure project, and nine vehicle projects that will result in, among other outcomes, 28 new zero-emission transit vehicles on Colorado roads. (September 2024)
  • The state completed its Electric Vehicle (EV) Fast Charging Corridors program, which has invested more than $10 million to install DCFC (direct current fast charging) stations at 33 locations along six major transportation routes, including interstates and state and U.S. Highways. (December 2024)
  • CEO and CDOT supported the installation of 172 fast-charging ports at 29 locations across Colorado through $17.3 million in grant funding from a combination of state and federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program funds. (December 2024)
  • CDOT implemented the final phase of the Bustang expansion. It more than doubled service on the North and South Lines and more than tripled service on the West Line compared to a pre-pilot project baseline. (December 2024)
  • Colorado joined with 10 other states to launch the Affordable Clean Cars Coalition. This new multi-state effort underscores a commitment from governors across the country to expand access to increasingly affordable makes and models of electric vehicles and provide more certainty for U.S. automotive manufacturers to continue investing in electric vehicle capabilities, despite a series of destabilizing actions from Congress and the federal government. (May 2025)

Residential, commercial and industrial fuel use
  • Colorado jumped six spots in the rankings to achieve 7th in the nation for energy efficiency, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) 2025 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, which cited Colorado's policies and programs that advance smart energy use and save Coloradans money.
  • The Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) adopted nation-leading rules to reduce more than one million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) by 2030 (from 2015 levels) from the midstream oil and gas sector from combustion sources, such as engines, turbines, heaters, and boilers. (December 2024)

Utilities
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $2.5 billion in grants and financing to help Tri-State Generation and Transmission support rural economies and invest in a diverse portfolio of new electric generating resources. (October 2024)
  • The USDA awarded more than $500 million to six rural utilities and electric cooperatives through the New ERA (Empowering Rural America) program to reduce pollution, upgrade rural America's power grid, and strengthen America's energy security. Together, these projects will keep electricity costs affordable for rural families, communities and businesses. (December 2024)
  • The ECMC completed the Class VI Rulemaking through which it adopted regulations that will govern geologic carbon storage operations in Colorado. This is a critical step towards enabling carbon capture and storage. (December 2024)

Oil and Gas
  • The Orphaned Wells Mitigation Enterprise adopted a new fee imposed on oil and gas operators to fund this work. Additional resources to plug orphaned wells will reduce emissions, improve air quality, and advance community safety. (November 2024)
  • The ECMC completed and implemented its Cumulative Impacts and Enhanced Systems and Practices rulemaking. They provide a framework to address many climate-related impacts from the extraction and development of oil and gas. (December 2024)
  • The EPA and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a combined total of nearly $350 million to Colorado State University and Pioneer Energy to help reduce methane pollution from the oil and gas industry. (December 2024)

Local government action
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded Colorado $129 million from the competitive Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program to electrify buildings, reduce methane pollution, improve commercial building efficiency, and launch a local government climate action accelerator. (July 2024)
  • In June 2025, CEO launched the Local Implementation, Mitigation, and Policy Action (Local IMPACT) Accelerator grant program. It will provide a total $50 million in grants to support local governments with policy adoption and related local projects that help bolster community resilience and reduce emissions.

Internal State Action
  • The Colorado Office of Sustainability released a Statewide Sustainability Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from state operations and lead by example of the state's stewardship of taxpayer dollars and use of natural resources. It outlines a strategy to cut emissions from state government operations by at least 50%; reduce energy use per square foot in state facilities by at least 20%; lower GHGs from state vehicles by at least 32%; and decrease potable water consumption by at least 20%. (March 2025)

Industry and Manufacturing
Carbon Management
  • CEO released the state's first Carbon Management Roadmap. It outlines nearly 70 policy recommendations developed with input from 15 state agencies and numerous stakeholders. It prioritizes high-quality, durable carbon removal and industrial point-source carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), as well as direct air capture. (February 2025)

Geothermal
  • Deep geothermal rules from the Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) went into effect. These rules include streamlined reasonable protections for public health, safety, the environment, and wildlife resources. This is an important step toward enabling deployment of geothermal electricity generation in the state. (September 2024)
  • CEO announced $14.4 million in funding awards to support geothermal heating projects across Colorado. This funding from the Geothermal Energy Grant Program (GEGP) and Geothermal Energy Tax Credit Offering (GETCO) will enable awardees to plan and install geothermal heat pumps and thermal energy networks that deliver low-cost, energy-efficient heating and cooling to homes and buildings around the state. (April 2025) The GEGP awarded an additional $1.6 million to 16 geothermal projects in its third round of funding applications. (June 2025)
  • Homebuilder Lennar and geothermal installer Dandelion Energy broke ground on a 1,500-home development in Jefferson County exclusively heated and cooled with ground-source heat pumps (April 2025)

Environmental justice/equity

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