The Colorado Public Utilities Commission has scheduled six public meetings across the state to discuss the impact of the state’s clean heat program and the future of natural gas in Colorado.

A law passed in 2021 requires utility companies that distribute natural gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4% by 2025 and by 22% by 2030.

The utilities have to file “Clean Heat Plans” with the commission starting in 2023.

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“We do not know precisely what combination of clean heat resources utilities will propose,” the commission’s webpage says. “However, state law requires that utility plans be of the lowest reasonable cost, meaning a reasonable cost that still allows them to manage reliability and other state goals, like environmental justice.”

The demand-side plans may include energy efficiency programs for consumers such as adding insulation or electrification of homes and businesses to move away from using natural gas for space and water heating and cooking.

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On the supply side, companies have options such as recovering methane from sources like landfills and water purification plants or switching to green hydrogen.

Registration for the in-person workshops can be found here.

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