The Colorado Energy Office has started ramping up a new program to assist local governments with climate action work.

The new division is being created as the result of a $60 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency awarded to the state agency in July.

Russ Sands, who was formerly with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, has joined the energy office to direct the new Local Government Climate Action Division. He will be joined by new and existing staff at the energy office.

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“Partnerships with local governments are essential to achieve our ambitious climate goals, and we are specifically focused on supporting local efforts to save Coloradans money, improve air quality, and protect the environment,” said Ari Rosenblum, the public information manager for CEO, in a written statement in response to Big Pivots questions.

“We will work with local communities to help plan and implement emissions reduction measures, leveraging federal, state, and local funding and innovative financing solutions, such as energy performance contracting, to achieve local goals.”

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State law requires Colorado to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through programs that support renewable energy development, electrification, and energy efficiency across many sectors.

The federal money resulted from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The law delivered $4.3 billion to the EPA, which has awarded it to 25 applicants across the country, including two in Colorado.

In July, the Denver Regional Council of Governments received $200 million for building decarbonization across a nine-county area.

The state energy office got $129 million. A portion of the grant will be devoted to monitoring and reducing methane from coal mines and landfills. Another portion will be devoted to large-building decarbonization.

The remaining $60 million will go to the local government climate action accelerator. To get the money, Colorado needed to create a Priority Climate Action Plan that conforms with the EPA-established measures. The 81-page document was informed by the state’s Roadmap 2.0.

What sorts of local policies and projects could get funded? The Local Climate Action Accelerator program says local governments will be able to apply for grants for work falling under the related headings of policies and implementation: The policy headings are:

Buildings: adopting state minimum energy codes but also those that exceed state requirements, and incentives and financing for energy efficiency, electrification, and renewables.

Land use: Encouraging accessory dwelling units and attached homes, policies that encourage multi-family housing and mixed-use development near transit and in commercial areas, implement policies to discourage greenfield development, and implementation of robust parking reduction policies, adopt best practices in EV charging permitting and reforming utility-scale renewable energy permitting.

Transportation: adopting plans for high-quality active transportation infrastructure, plans for bus rapid transit, policies to encourage transit and reduced parking.

Waste: adopt jurisdiction-wide waste policies and encourage adoption of zero-emission vehicles for hauling waste.

The Colorado Energy Office website says that hiring and procurement will occur during the autumn of 2024, while the program design will occur with stakeholder input through the winter. By next summer CEO expects to begin distributing grants to local governments.

Sands, the first director of this program, previously was with the Colorado Water Conservation Board for six and a half years, including for most of the last five as the section chief for water supply planning. Prior postings had been with the One World One Water Center at Metropolitan State College, the Brendle Group, and the City of Boulder.

For more information, visit energyoffice.colorado.gov/cprg.

Allen Best is a Colorado-based journalist who publishes an e-magazine called Big Pivots. Reach him at allen.best@comcast.net or 720-415-9308.