By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff
After years of progressive opposition to nuclear energy, Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed House Bill 25-1040 into law, officially recognizing nuclear power as part of the state’s clean energy portfolio.
The move—driven by bipartisan support and grassroots pressure—marks a turning point for Colorado’s energy future, and a long-overdue recognition that nuclear energy must be on the table to meet rising power demands and stabilize the grid.
The new law adds nuclear energy to the list of technologies eligible for clean energy incentives and financing, aligning it with solar, wind, geothermal, and hydrogen. While HB1040 does not mandate nuclear projects, it opens the door for utilities and private companies to begin investing in advanced nuclear technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs)—a practical, zero-emissions energy solution long championed by conservatives.
“This doesn’t bring nuclear energy to Colorado,” said co-sponsor Rep. Alex Valdez (D-Denver), “but it designates it as clean energy.”
The bill was carried by a coalition of unlikely allies: Democrat Rep. Valdez, Republican Rep. Ty Winter, and Sens. Dylan Roberts (D-Frisco) and Larry Liston (R-Colorado Springs). Their message was clear—Colorado cannot achieve energy independence or economic stability without reliable baseload power. And nuclear energy is able to provide that without the same regulatory struggles that oil and gas producers face in the state.
“If Colorado wants to boost our economy, this is a serious conversation to have,” said Winter, whose rural district includes areas hit hard by coal plant closures. “We’re talking about real jobs and real power.”
The bill also earned the support of labor unions and business leaders who see nuclear energy as a job-creating force and a lifeline for communities impacted by the closure of fossil fuel plants.
In Moffat County, for example, the Craig Station coal plant provided 437 high-paying jobs and nearly half of the county’s tax revenue before its announced closure. “This is about more than energy. It’s about economic survival,” Winter emphasized in committee testimony.
While Gov. Polis signed the bill, it was Republican lawmakers who led the charge. Sen. Larry Liston has introduced similar measures twice before, only to see them blocked by Democrat-controlled committees.
This time, Liston and other conservatives found a growing number of Democrats willing to put politics aside to confront the reality: wind and solar alone will not meet the state’s growing energy needs. “We will never get to 100% carbon-free energy with just wind and solar,” admitted Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco.
With energy demand set to double by 2050–driven by data centers, electric vehicles, and advanced tech industries, the pressure is on lawmakers to pursue “all-of-the-above” strategies. As conservatives have long argued, nuclear is the only clean source capable of producing reliable, high-capacity power around the clock.
While Boulder activists warn of uranium waste and environmental risks, local governments across the Western Slope have already begun preparing for a nuclear future. The Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC), backed by federal and state grants, are researching SMR deployment and nuclear fuel recycling.
Initial findings show overwhelming public support for nuclear energy—especially among residents of communities facing job losses and energy instability due to coal plant retirements.
“Partisanship should not be part of the energy discussion,” said Matt Solomon, a leading energy advocate with AGNC. “This is about securing our future.”
Environmental groups—many of them tied to national lobbying outfits—opposed HB25-1040, calling it a “giveaway” to the nuclear industry. Critics cited uranium mining, waste storage, and high costs. But supporters pushed back, noting that modern reactors are safe, efficient, and already in operation in 94 U.S. facilities.
Even President Trump’s Department of Energy has called nuclear “critical to our national energy mix.”
“The truth is, climate alarmists want to shut down reliable energy and replace it with fairy dust,” said one Western Slope commissioner. “Nuclear power is here, it’s proven, and it’s time Colorado embraced it.”
With the bill now signed into law, Colorado utilities and private sector partners are free to explore nuclear as a viable part of their clean energy strategy. Although no reactors are currently planned, HB25-1040 gives energy providers the regulatory clarity and financial tools needed to invest in next-generation solutions.
And with rural communities, working families, and bipartisan leaders behind it, nuclear energy may finally get the foothold in Colorado it deserves.