Guv seeks 35% drop in carbon emissions

Gov. John Hickenlooper says climate change is hurting the state economy while the clean technology sector is helping it, and he is poised to order a 35 percent cut by 2030 in greenhouse gas pollution from power plants.

A draft order, Hickenlooper staffers said Wednesday, is meant to spur discussion.

Environment advocates exulted. Energy industry leaders favored a more cautious approach.

More cautious tack

Hickenlooper’s five-page “Mitigating and Adapting to Climate Change” order anticipates an average temperature spike by 2.5 to 5 degrees by 2050, following a 2.5-degree spike since 1966. It points out that “globally the last two decades have been the warmest ever recorded and nine of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2002.” Rising temps and violent weather linked to warming threaten economically-essential agriculture, skiing and other recreation, the draft order says.

“Colorado’s changing climate presents potential risks for all Coloradans,” it says.

Clean energy industries in Colorado — 2,070 companies giving 25,260 jobs — grew by 29 percent since 2009, ahead of the national pace. The order also pointed to “nearly 30 federal labs and research institutions that provide opportunity for partnership and collaboration on energy innovation.”

This order, if finalized, would direct state agencies to compel utilities to cut pollution, while keeping energy affordable, with an interim target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent before 2025.

A national Clean Power Plan already commits states including Colorado to cut carbon emissions, and Colorado plans to close or upgrade coal-fired power plants are considered a long step toward compliance. That plan is on hold pending judicial review.

Colorado has adopted a state climate plan to guide adaptation to climate change. State lawmakers have set a target of having utilities generate 30 percent of energy using renewable sources by 2020 — by phasing out coal-fired plants.

Conservation Colorado director Pete Maysmith welcomed Hickenlooper’s draft order.

“The fact they’re talking about science-based metrics and target dates to cut carbon pollution is terrific,” he said.

Colorado has tried to be a leader, Maysmith said, “but you don’t get to be a leader and just stand still. You have to keep charging forward. We want to do more wind, more solar. More installers.”

Colorado Oil and Gas Association president Dan Haley hadn’t reviewed the draft order but said the national plan “has been officially stayed by the Supreme Court for a reason. So it might be prudent to wait for the process to work its way through the courts before pushing forward.”

Industry leaders “are always willing to talk to the governor about how our state can best utilize the affordable and abundant wealth of cleaner burning natural gas that we’re blessed with in Colorado,” Haley said.

Rural residents hurt

Colorado Mining Association president-elect Stan Dempsey said current policies discouraging coal production are hurting rural Coloradans.

“We’re looking at this and have sent it to our members, looking at the impact it would have on clean, abundant Colorado coal as well as what impact it would have on rates,” Dempsey said. “What is the policy goal here?”

State agency leaders could not be reached to discuss the draft order. Political observers speculated Hickenlooper may be posturing for a presidential cabinet appointment as interior secretary, a job he’s said he doesn’t want.

The draft order “is a working document that was created for discussion,” Hickenlooper spokeswoman Kathy Green said. “No decisions have been made.”