A new report released by Advance Colorado Institute amid the final weeks of the legislative session offers a timely reminder of the Polis administration’s nonsensical war on natural gas.

Advance Colorado argues in the 27-page report that if Colorado wishes to pursue an energy policy that is both secure and sustainable — as well as environmentally friendly — then natural gas production must be increased, not decreased. Yep, increased. 

It’s a refreshing antidote to the head-in-the-sand policies peddled by the all-renewables-at-any-cost crowd. If they were to have their way, natural gas would be a relic of the past come 2050. In recent years the state legislature as well as the governor and his hand-picked Public Utilities Commission have targeted natural gas directly and indirectly with regulations that have created a domino effect for Colorado energy workers and consumers.

The report notes legislation like Senate Bills 19-181 and 21-264, and House Bills 19-1261 and 21-1266 already have constrained natural gas potential. And Senate Bill 24-159, though it failed to pass a couple of years ago, offered a glimpse into the legislative fringe’s ultimate goal — to drive the natural gas industry to effective extinction in just five years, ending new oil-and-gas permits by 2030.

Meanwhile, legislation that would have restored some balance to energy policy in the past several years has been blocked by ruling Democrats. That means no relief from climate rules that regulate Coloradans into a lower quality of life. Advance’s report says that’s a big mistake.

The oil-and-gas industry accounts for nearly 7.7% of Colorado’s total employment. Seventy percent of Colorado’s homes are heated by natural gas. Even the anti-fossil fuel Environmental Defense Fund’s own analysis has credited Centennial State natural gas with enabling Colorado to reduce emissions by 70% from 2010 to 2017, as 1.9 million Colorado homes (70%) are heated by natural gas generated by Colorado’s eighth-largest natural gas reserves in the nation. The American Gas Association reports Colorado natural gas customers save an average of 52% on their energy bills.

And as far as climate impact, get this: the Advance report points out natural gas is cleaner than all-electric. An independent analysis cited by Advance’s report shows a new Colorado home powered by natural gas emits 36% less carbon than an all-electric home. That’s because the use of natural gas to fuel appliances is 2.5 times more efficient than delivered electricity.

It all amounts to an inconvenient truth for all-electric crusaders at the Capitol: Energy prices only go down with wind and solar when they are paired with natural gas. It goes without saying during storms and other weather events, solar and wind generation become nearly unviable.

So why burden Coloradans already hard pressed by their energy bills — yet looking to buy their first home — with an “electric ready” building code that drives up their cost $15,000? Paradoxically many “electric-only” homes still rely on natural gas for a considerable portion of the utility company’s electricity generation.

“Moving too aggressively away from natural gas would result in substantial increases in energy costs for Colorado consumers, strain energy reliability, and place an unnecessary burden on families and workers across the state,” Advance’s report concludes. “A more balanced approach – one that recognizes the critical role natural gas continues to play in both economic stability and environmental improvement – is essential to ensuring Colorado’s energy future is both sustainable and secure.”

The report makes a compelling case. If only we can get our state’s lawmakers and governor to read it: https://www.advancecolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Natural-Gas-Clean-Affordable-Reliable-Energy-for-Colorado.pdf