EDF Applauds Colorado House Committee Passage of Landmark Climate Safety Bill

DENVER, Colorado, April 5 -- The Environmental Defense Fund issued the following news release:

A landmark bill to protect Coloradans from climate change passed a key committee vote today.

The Colorado House Energy and Environment Committee voted 7 -to-4 to pass House Bill 19-1261. The bill provides for the establishment of state climate pollution reduction goals anchored in science and climate safety.

EDF senior director of regulatory strategy Pam Kiely testified in support of the bill at the committee hearing today

"Climate change is the pivotal challenge of our time. How we respond to this challenge will shape our future, our children's future, and the future of our planet," said Kiely in her testimony. "Colorado has laid tremendous groundwork over the last decade driving investment and innovation in clean energy technologies. We have a strong foundation to build from, and to take the next step to secure the types of bold reductions in climate pollution necessary to avoid the most catastrophic effects of a changing climate."

Colorado faces severe threats from climate change, including intensifying and more frequent wildfires, worsening summer smog that causes asthma attacks and other serious health problems, catastrophic flooding, and prolonged drought that threatens our farmers and our national and state parks.

House Bill 19-1261 provides for Colorado to cut climate pollution by at least 26 percent by 2025, 50 percent by 2030, and 90 percent by 2050 (relative to 2005 pollution levels). It also directs the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment to take cost-effective action to achieve these reductions and to protect the health and well-being of all Coloradans from climate pollution.

Colorado has a strong foundation to achieve these vital climate pollution reduction goals:

* Xcel Energy, Colorado's largest power provider, committed to achieve an 80 percent reduction in carbon pollution by 2030 and to eliminate all carbon pollution from its power generation for Colorado by 2050.

* The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment recently adopted clean car standards that will save Coloradans hundreds of dollars at the gas pump annually and reduce dangerous climate and smog pollution.

* The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment has also required Colorado's oil and gas industry to achieve reductions in dangerous methane pollution. Those reductions will also reduce the unnecessary waste of Colorado's oil and gas resources. Under new legislation the department will work to modernize these important pollution limits to protect public health and the environment based on advances in technologies and common sense clean air solutions.

"This bill is a trifecta to protect Coloradans' health, to protect our environment, and to secure clean energy economic prosperity for all Coloradans," said Kiely. "EDF applauds the Colorado House of Representatives for today's vote - especially the bill's sponsors KC Becker, Faith Winter, Dominique Jackson and Angela Williams."