Lawmakers Put Reliability And Energy Costs Ahead Of New Climate Mandates In 2026

By: Ed Sealover | Commentary, The Sum & Substance

This legislative session was supposed to be a defining one for the utility and energy sectors — one in which legislators would debate and pass a long-discussed plan to move up the net-zero emissions deadline by 10 years and also remake the Public Utilities Commission.

But the story of the 2026 session for energy advocates instead turned out to be all about what didn’t happen. No 2040 net-zero plan got introduced. No radical changes came through the extension of the PUC. And for the first time in over a decade, no existential threats to the oil and gas sector received debate in the 75^th General Assembly.

The topics that took center stage instead were reliability and affordability of energy sources. Legislators held a hearing on power shutoffs implemented by Xcel Energy on dangerously windy days, and they opted against introducing a last-minute measure that could boost the cost of natural gas. Environmental goals took a back seat to legislators’ desire to protect working-class families from further spikes in energy costs caused in part by regulations.

Carly West, executive director of the American Petroleum Institute Colorado, admitted after the May 13 adjournment of the session that she’s not sure whether this is a blip or a permanent redirection of a conversation that’s focused solely on emissions for many years. But she said she was “encouraged” by the willingness of majority Democrats this year to pause efforts that have led to 50 new rulemakings on the sector since 2021 and discuss the bigger picture of how people can afford to keep the lights on in their homes.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE SUM & SUBSTANCE