Greenhouse Gas Reduction Policy Working Groups in Colorado

Center for Climate Strategies
Completed November 2007

Synapse facilitated two Working Groups of the Colorado Climate Action Panel (CAP) to develop state policies that will lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from the Energy Supply (ES) and Residential, Commercial, and Industrial (RCI) sectors in Colorado. The Working Groups included representatives from state and local governments, utilities, businesses, the building and green energy sectors, environmental groups, and the research community.

In addition to facilitating these Working Groups in the development of state policy proposals, Synapse analyzed the cost of and potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a number of policy mechanisms. For the energy supply sector, these include expanded use of renewable energy, recapture of waste energy, improved efficiency of new and existing power plants, and reduction of natural gas leakage. The workgroup also identified opportunities for the use of distributed renewable resources at customer sites, exploitation of small hydropower resources and other small renewables, and considered adoption of a carbon price. For the residential, commercial, and industrial sector, policies included expanded demand-side management, improved building codes and enforcement, combined heat & power, and other energy efficiency measures.

The workgroup identified a total of 15 policies for the energy supply sector and 11 policies for the residential, commercial, and industrial sector that offer the potential for significant greenhouse gas reductions in the state.