Lawmakers demand Polis reverse electrification push after shutoffs

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice

Colorado lawmakers are pressing Gov. Jared Polis to reverse course on electrification after recent power shutoffs raised fresh concerns about grid reliability and public safety.

“We write to express grave concerns over your administration’s aggressive push for statewide unfunded electrification mandates,” the lawmakers wrote in a Dec. 23 letter. “This agenda, driven by crony politics and excused by nonscience climate alarmism, favors select industries at the expense of Colorado families and businesses.”

They warn the state’s energy agenda “is economically harmful and endangers lives by further straining an already fragile electric grid.”

The letter was signed by Reps. Ken DeGraaf (HD-22), Brandi Bradley (HD-39), Scott Bottoms (HD-15), Max Brooks (HD-45), Larry Suckla (HD-58) and Sen. Linda Zamora-Wilson (SD-9).

The governor’s office was contacted for comment. As of publication, RMV had not received a response. Polis has repeatedly emphasized electrification and emissions reduction as priorities of his administration.

“As the Governor who appoints the commissioners of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and Department of Regulatory Agencies, we urge you to reverse this reckless course,” the letter states.

Reliability and public safety concerns

The lawmakers tie their objections to recent Public Safety Power Shutoffs, which they say show how much stress the electric system is already carrying.

“Planned shutoffs reveal how the grid cannot operate safely under stress,” the letter states. “Stressing it farther is either foolish, malevolent, or both.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Regulatory Agencies said PSPS events operate under PUC-approved wildfire mitigation plans and confirmed that the PSPS playbook on file with the Commission “is filed as a confidential document” and “is not publicly available.”

Beyond the shutoffs themselves, the lawmakers warn that electrification is advancing as the grid faces more frequent stress events.

“Diversifying away from resilient natural gas toward a single, weather-dependent electric system leaves homes, businesses, hospitals, and critical services vulnerable to blackouts,” the letter states.

They also caution that risks do not end when power is restored. Re-energizing lines after extended outages, they wrote, can surface equipment problems that were not visible before and requires careful coordination to avoid new failures. The letter notes that medically vulnerable residents can lose access to powered devices during outages, while essential facilities face heightened risk.

The lawmakers link recent shutoffs to the planned closure of coal-fired plants, arguing the loss of dispatchable power adds to grid fragility.

“Planned shutoffs and fragility—acknowledged by PUC leadership—already impose heavy costs,” the letter states, characterizing the delayed shutdown of Pueblo’s Comanche Generating Station Unit 2 as “a thinly veiled means of buffering the danger of your imposed unfunded electrification mandates until after the mid-term elections.”

Colorado House Republican leaders criticized the PUC’s Clean Heat Plan earlier this month as a costly electrification mandate. No public statements from Democrat House or Senate lawmakers responding to the Commission’s December energy decisions were identified during that period.

The letter comes as the PUC advances decarbonization rules, including a December decision requiring natural gas utilities to cut emissions by 41% by 2035 under the state’s Clean Heat Plan. The PUC has said the Clean Heat Plan is needed to meet statutory emissions targets, though critics argue the timeline and costs remain unresolved.

The dispute is unfolding as the PUC prepares to take public comment in January on natural gas plans, transmission line appeals and other energy-related rules. A schedule of upcoming hearings and comment periods is posted on the PUC’s public calendar.

Economic impacts cited

Alongside reliability concerns, the lawmakers point to economic consequences tied to electrification mandates and power outages for households and businesses.

They warn that replacing gas appliances and upgrading electrical panels could add substantial costs for homeowners, while outages carry immediate financial consequences for employers.

“A recent short-lived outage caused $145,000 in spoiled inventory, $1.3 million in lost revenue, and $240,000–$250,000 in lost wages,” the lawmakers wrote.

They argue those impacts do not end when power is restored, warning that deferred investments in grid resilience can shift long-term costs onto ratepayers.

“Deferred resilience investments externalize losses to ratepayers,” the letter states.

Climate benefit questioned

The lawmakers also dispute whether Colorado’s electrification push would produce meaningful climate benefits when measured against its costs and risks.

“Electric heating has a higher carbon footprint than natural gas under Colorado’s current grid mix and transmission losses,” the letter states, adding that gas appliances often deliver “lower near-term lifecycle emissions.”

They question the global effect of Colorado’s climate targets.

“Colorado’s net-zero goals provide sub-negligible global climate benefit,” the lawmakers wrote.

“This de minimis effect cannot justify the immense expense and risks imposed on Coloradans,” the letter states. “The economic burden on families and businesses will be devastating.”

Their critique follows a recent federal court ruling that blocked enforcement of Colorado’s gas stove warning-label law, with a judge finding the state was likely to have violated the First Amendment by compelling speech on a scientifically contested issue.

Request to governor

The lawmakers close by urging the governor to intervene and refocus state energy policy.

“Colorado pays the price either way, and there is one wallet: the taxpayers’,” the letter states.

They ask Polis to direct the PUC and other agencies to stop imposing unfunded mandates and to prioritize reliability, affordability, safety, and consumer choice.

The letter ends with an appeal to principles of governance and public consent.

“Your ‘just powers’ are those ‘derived from the consent of the governed,’ making your mandates not only reckless but also unjust. Please refocus your efforts and appointees on genuine reliability and affordability rather than an unfounded ‘green’ agenda that harms the environment while it prioritizes profits and ideology over Coloradans’ well-being.”