Welcome to Powering Forward

From D.C. to Denver, energy and climate policy is moving fast, and not always in a straight line. We’re facing big challenges and lots of rapid change. Uncertainty abounds, especially in our approach to energy – how we should produce it, how we should use it, and how we should prepare for the future.

We’ve seen wildly different signals from Washington. Biden’s clean energy incentives gave way to Trump’s executive orders boosting fossil fuels and stalling offshore wind projects. Tax credits enacted just a couple years ago are likely to be repealed by the new Congress, upending new energy projects across the nation.

Meanwhile, Colorado is five years into its greenhouse gas reduction plan, marking steady progress but also raising concerns about grid reliability, electricity costs, and what comes next for energy-producing communities.

Powering Forward is about navigating changing conditions in these uncertain times. It’s human-focused and hopeful, a space where energy, climate, and community come together, told through the lens of Western Colorado and the policies that shape it.

You’ll find stories of new technologies and traditional energy, coal communities reinventing their role as energy producers, utilities making long term plans amid shifting policies, and citizens advocating for their future. You’ll hear about people across the political spectrum who are showing up, learning from each other, building coalitions, and trying to get it right.

For eight years, through groups like Club 20 and Citizens’ Climate Lobby, I’ve been part of conversations on how to transition to cleaner energy in ways that make sense – technically, economically, and politically.

I’ve talked with people who have vastly different opinions on energy and climate.  They’re from rural Colorado and the Front Range; Republicans and Democrats; energy workers and utility planners; farmers and ranchers; environmentalists; civic and business leaders; and politicians who represent us in Congress, the state legislature, and local government.

What unites us is the desire for a future we can count on: lights that come on, bills that don’t break the bank, and systems that can stand up to storms, droughts, and economic shocks.  I don’t know anybody who wants more pollution when we could have less.  I don’t know anybody who’s willing to accept a clean energy transition that can’t produce a reliable grid.

I don’t claim to be an expert, and I don’t know exactly how this energy transition will unfold. What I bring is curiosity and deep respect for the people doing the heavy lifting. Colorado is powering forward, forging a path despite policy uncertainty and real differences of opinion.

This blog is about our progress and the people making it happen. I’ll share updates and opinions, highlight voices from across the region, and explore how we move forward together.