Opinion: Implementing Project 2025 would harm Colorado’s climate and economy

More than $22 million to manufacture aluminum with 70% less air pollution in Fort Lupton. Another $50 million to build electric vehicle batteries in Thornton. And $1.1 billion to help Colorado utilities replace dirty coal-fired power with cheap renewable energy.

The common thread is support from the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA. It is the Biden administration’s signature climate legislation, and was accompanied by Environmental Protection Agency regulations encouraging utilities to cut smokestack emissions and automakers to cut tailpipe pollution. 

These policies are creating jobs, generating tax revenue and cleaning our air: Colorado has secured $1.7 billion in clean energy investments that added 4,900 new jobs since August 2022, and America is now on pace to cut the greenhouse gas emissions accelerating climate change twice as fast this decade compared with the 2010s.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ administration augmented federal success by enacting some of America’s strongest climate policies, cutting GHG emissions 11% and putting us on track to hit Colorado’s 2030 goal of halving its climate pollution. 

Their combined effect is significant: Renewable energy provided 40% of statewide electricity in 2023, and electric vehicles composed 22% of statewide car sales in 2024.   

But a threat looms in Project 2025, the fossil fuel-funded Heritage Foundation’s regressive manifesto stuffed with plans like repealing the IRA, stripping EPA’s ability to protect clean air, and blocking states’ rights empowering Colorado to set ambitious electric vehicle policies. Right-wing influencers now admit it is their roadmap, and several of its authors are taking senior positions in Trump’s administration. 

Modeling by Energy Innovation, the non-partisan think tank where I work, estimates Project 2025’s plans would cost Colorado 140,000 job years from 2025-2035, equal to laying off the combined populations of Pueblo and Wheat Ridge, and increase household energy bills $6.5 billion — $280 per family in 2030 and $470 in 2035.

Project 2025 would increase Colorado’s GHG emissions more than 8 million metric tons in 2030 primarily by burning more fossil fuels and slowing deployment of renewable energy and electric vehicles — equal to building two new coal-fired power plants, roughly 10% forecast statewide emissions that year.

Why increase climate pollution when we’re already sweltering under 90-degree weather in October and choking on wildfire smoke all summer and fall? 

Colorado’s leaders can prevent a future where we’re forced to breathe dirty air, watch our communities burn in wildfires, and pay volatile fossil fuel prices. 

Repealing IRA or stripping EPA’s ability to protect clean air requires Congressional action — presidents cannot unilaterally repeal existing laws or change federal agency authority. Colorado’s U.S. senators and representatives can hold the line by working with conservatives who value clean air, a safe climate and good jobs: 18 Republicans who asked House Speaker Mike Johnson to protect the IRA or Utah’s Senator-elect John Curtis, the Conservative Climate Caucus founder.

Our state government also has an important role. Colorado joined nine other states adopting California’s Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks policies to accelerate electric vehicle deployment. Now state officials must fully implement them so drivers can continue accessing electric vehicles that clean our air and cut fuel costs.

The Clean Air Act underpins both via California’s waiver to adopt tailpipe pollution standards stronger than federal standards, which allows other states to follow its lead. If the waiver is revoked, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser must join other states suing to preserve it, and must also join other states in lawsuits protecting EPA’s rules to cut smokestack pollution and tailpipe pollution.

This strategy works — state attorneys general sued the first Trump administration 138 times on everything from immigration rights to environmental protections, winning 83% of those cases. Polis recently announced a group of governors protecting state rights, and those efforts should extend to protecting our clean air.  

Colorado’s government can also enact new policies to cut emissions and insulate consumers from inflation. 

Our state requires utilities to develop “clean heat plans” reducing the amount of fossil gas we burn. Gas generates methane emissions, which increase global warming 90 times faster than carbon dioxide, and volatile prices have increased utility bills. Colorado’s regulators must now ensure all utilities file stringent plans, then enforce them.

While Project 2025 proposes selling federal lands for oil and gas drilling, state air regulators can blunt that impact by approving proposals to prevent fracking projects from leaking methane and volatile organic compounds into the air.  

Colorado can cut GHG emissions from manufacturing by promoting heat pumps to clean up industrial heating. Breweries are the perfect application — a heat pump is helping New Belgium’s Fort Collins brewery slash its GHG emissions.

Project 2025 would suffocate policies cleaning our air, cutting our energy bills and creating good jobs. Colorado’s federal and state officials have the power to stand up for our climate, consumers and children.

Silvio Marcacci, of Denver, is the senior communications director at nonpartisan think tank Energy Innovation and board advisor at The International Council on Clean Transportation.

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.

Follow Colorado Sun Opinion on Facebook.