After years of being a national leader on climate and clean energy, thanks to landmark policies championed by Gov. Jared Polis and legislative leaders, Colorado has built a strong reputation for advancing innovative solutions to support affordable clean energy. 

In 2004, Colorado became the first state in the nation to pass a renewable portfolio standard by popular vote. More recently, the legislature last year passed Senate Bill 218, a first-of-its-kind law to modernize Colorado’s electricity grid through smart distribution system planning and the use of virtual power plants, making it easier and more affordable for consumers to connect advanced energy resources, like rooftop solar and electric vehicles, to the grid.

To preserve Colorado’s leadership in the clean energy transition, we must take additional steps to make our electricity grid work even better, starting now, by using proven technologies that help our grid operate more efficiently and planning smartly for the long term. Updating our grid is critical for keeping energy affordable and reliable, managing new energy demand from data centers, and unleashing even more clean energy in Colorado.

For several reasons, the 2025 legislative session stood apart from previous years and underscores why this urgency is needed. Faced with new complexity in the state’s energy landscape, budget constraints, uncertainty and looming funding freezes at the federal level, lawmakers had to make tough decisions. Though this year was an outlier, understandably so, important policies that would have accelerated clean energy deployment, improved energy affordability, and advanced timely grid upgrades failed to move forward.

Coloradans now face overlapping challenges of rising energy costs, grid reliability concerns and an outdated electricity system. Without action from state leaders, these risks will compound and increase the chances of not meeting our energy needs, ultimately costing us more in the long run.

We’ve come too far to stall now, and the stakes are high. All corners of Colorado’s government must stand together with a shared clarity of vision and urgency of purpose to meet these challenges — and unrealized opportunities — head-on.

To remain a leader for years to come, Colorado must double down on modernizing our electricity grid, starting with near-term actions that ensure we continue down the right path. One step we can take is to upgrade our existing electricity grid using advanced transmission technologies, or ATTs, which can double the capacity of existing electricity lines. 

These technologies relieve grid congestion, reduce costs and deliver clean power to homes and businesses more efficiently. Deploying these technologies would make it easier to keep the lights on, all without having to wait decades for new electricity lines to be built.

ATTs are a no-regrets solution, as these technologies deliver nearly immediate benefits while laying the groundwork for more robust and resilient energy infrastructure. These technologies are key for rural regions, including the San Luis Valley, where the economic potential of solar and wind projects are currently limited by transmission bottlenecks. ATTs can unlock this potential without delay and at a fraction of the cost of building new infrastructure, which is also needed.

At the same time, Colorado must plan ahead if we are to reach the governor’s goal of 100% clean energy by 2040. The legislature can do its part to provide a North Star for getting there by codifying this target into law, while requiring a comprehensive approach that enables better planning processes that build more wind, solar, energy storage, geothermal and other zero-carbon resources in coordination with the transmission infrastructure to deliver that power where it’s needed. 

This means leveling up the state’s framework for how we proactively plan for new energy projects and grid updates simultaneously, preparing for big increases in electricity demand from data centers, and supporting bringing new, diverse advanced energy resources online.

Maintaining Colorado’s clean energy leadership also means continuing to push forward new, innovative solutions.

One of the biggest emerging opportunities Colorado can lead on is coordinated gas-electric system planning. This innovative approach would allow the state to evaluate gas and electric infrastructure together, preventing wasteful spending and leveraging data to better guide decisions on building out infrastructure that maximizes reliability and affordability. 

With thoughtful leadership, Colorado can again lead and plan an energy system that works more efficiently, costs less and can benefit everyone.

The good news is that Colorado doesn’t need to start from scratch — we already have robust and well-vetted ideas in place that will enable an affordable and smart clean energy transition. What we need is strong political will and leaders to follow through on the promises we’ve made to ensure households, businesses and communities across the state are able to receive clean, affordable and reliable energy.

Emilie Olson of Vancouver, Washington, has been leading Advanced Energy United’s policy and advocacy work in Colorado for more than six years.

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