Transportation
Vehicle emissions are one of the largest sources of air pollution in our state, making it harder for Coloradans — especially frontline communities — to breathe and lead healthy lives. Colorado’s leaders worked this year to electrify Colorado’s transportation fleet and improve our air.
Charging Ahead
Our state’s transportation system is a central part of everyday life, as Coloradans travel not just to work but to the mountains and other landscapes to escape and play. And as Colorado continues to grow and invest in our transportation system, we have an opportunity to reconsider how we connect our state.
Transportation is a key cause air pollution because vehicles emit dangerous toxins like ozone, nitrous oxides, and volatile organic compounds. This pollution affects frontline communities -- including young people, the elderly, and communities of color -- the most. And, transportation is the number-one source of carbon pollution in the country.
In 2019, Colorado’s leaders took major steps to clean up our transportation system. The year began with Governor Polis issuing his first executive order, which will result in more electric vehicles on the road as well as funding from the VW settlement to go towards cleaner buses. And our legislature passed a suite of important transportation policies, including funding for multimodal transportation infrastructure, allowing utilities to invest in electric vehicle infrastructure, and making electric vehicles cheaper to purchase. Together these policies will help all Coloradans breathe easier.
While Colorado has previously been called one of the best states in which to own, drive, or ride in an electric vehicle, now it’s even better.
Bills Tracked
House Bill 1159 | Electric Vehicle Tax Credits (Modify Innovative Motor Vehicle Income Tax Credits)Colorado is one of the best states in the country to buy an electric vehicle thanks to tax credits that make them more affordable. This bill extends these tax credits to 2025, continuing to help Coloradans save money on fuel, transform our economy, and clean up our air.
Sponsors: Representatives Sonya Jaquez Lewis and Matt Gray, Senator Jessie Danielson
House Vote: Passed 40-25
Senate Vote: Passed 20-14
Signed by Governor: May 31, 2019
Pro-Environment Vote: Yes
Senate Bill 77 | Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (Electric Motor Vehicles Public Utility Services)Getting more electric vehicles on the road — be they buses, trucks, or cars — is crucial to reducing carbon pollution and accelerating Colorado’s transition to a clean energy future. This bill expands Colorado’s electric infrastructure by allowing utility companies to own and operate charging stations as part of their regulated services, making electric vehicles more accessible to everyday Coloradans and cleaning up air pollution, which disproportionately impacts frontline communities.
Sponsors: Senators Kevin Priola and Angela Williams, Representative Chris Hansen
House Vote: Passed 39-26
Senate Vote: Passed 20-15
Signed by Governor: May 31, 2019v
Pro-Environment Vote: Yes
