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Second Regular Session | 75th General Assembly
Colorado General Assembly

CLICS/CLICS2026A/commsumm.nsf
PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For HB26-1337

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Date Apr 30, 2026       Location Old State Library

HB26-1337 - Amended, referred to House Appropriations
03:32:52 PM  
Reps. Valdez and Winter, co-prime sponsors, introduced and explained House Bill 26-1337 Facilitating Nuclear Energy Development. The bill establishes the Colorado Energy Office as the state’s permitting coordinator for nuclear energy projects and requires the state’s largest utility to take steps towards developing a nuclear energy project.
03:47:02 PM  
Kristy Hartman, representing Nuclear Energy Institute, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Alisha Kasam-Griffith, representing NANO Nuclear Energy, testified in support of the bill.  Fereshteh Bunk, representing Mothers for Nuclear, testified in support of the bill. Dan West, representing Clean Air Task Force, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Matt Solomon, representing NCEI, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Pamala Gorman, representing Xcel Energy, was available to answer committee questions. Mr. Patrick Murphy, representing Xcel Energy, was available to answer committee questions. The committee asked the panel of witnesses questions.
04:23:34 PM  
The committee continued asking the panel questions.
04:28:54 PM  
Dominique Gomez, representing Colorado Energy Office, testified to amend the bill. Lori Saine, representing themself, testified to amend the bill. Mr. Daniel Price, representing themself, testified to amend the bill. Mr. Wendell Koontz, representing Delta County, testified to amend the bill. Richard Orf, representing Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado, testified to amend the bill. Mrs. Erin Meschke, representing themself, testified to amend the bill. The committee asked the panel of witnesses questions.
04:44:08 PM  
Julian Aguilar, representing IBEW and UA, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Madison Schroder, representing Generation Atomic, testified in support of the bill.
04:47:57 PM  
Ellen Buckley, representing Women's Lobby of Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Mx. Ronald Booth, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Jazzel Gardea Pinera, representing Mi Familia Vota/Mi Familia en Accion, testified in opposition to the bill. Dr. Diane Mitsch Bush, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Jan Rose, representing CCLC - CO Coalition for a Livable Climate, testified in opposition to the bill. Megan Kemp, representing Earthjustice, testified in opposition to the bill. The committee asked the panel of witnesses questions.
05:05:47 PM  
Giselle Herzfeld, representing Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Christopher Allred, representing Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, testified in opposition to the bill. Josh Kuhn, representing Conservation Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Kristi Douglas, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Lauren Swain, representing PSR Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Rachael Lehman, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Nicole Shea Niebler, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. The committee asked the panel of witnesses questions.
05:33:00 PM  
Ms. Ann Sutton, representing league of Women Voters of Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Emily Tracy, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Clare Valentine, representing Western Resource Advocates, testified in opposition to the bill. Ramesh Bhatt, representing Colorado Sierra Club, testified in opposition to the bill. Dr. Charles Kutscher, representing Colorado Renewable Energy Society, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Nicholas Lenssen, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Morey Wolfson, representing Colorado Renewable Energy Society, testified in opposition to the bill.
05:50:05 PM  
The committee asked the panel of witnesses questions.
06:04:39 PM  
Dr. Velma Campbell, representing Roots to Resilience, testified in opposition to the bill. Ean Tafoya, representing GreenLatinos, testified in opposition to the bill. Ciara Guerrero, representing 350 Colorado Springs, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Barbara Donachy, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Heidi Leathwood, representing 350 Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Michael Neil, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Jeany Rush, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Gina Hardin, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.
06:25:10 PM  
Ms. Ell Rose, representing Colorado Nuclear Alliance, testified in support of the bill. Mark Hinaman, representing Fire2Fission, testified in support of the bill. The committee asked the panel of witnesses questions.

Additional written testimony is included as Attachment A.
06:39:19 PM  
The sponsors introduced and explained amendments L.003 and L.004 (Attachments B and C).
06:43:34 PM  
The committee asked questions regarding amendment L.004.

06:46:33 PM
 Motion Adopt amendment L.004
Moved Valdez
Seconded Winter T.
Barron
DeGraaf
Goldstein
Jackson
Joseph
Paschal
Rutinel
Smith
Willford
Winter T.
Woog
Velasco
Valdez
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
06:49:20 PM  
The committee asked questions regarding amendment L.003.

06:54:15 PM
 Motion Adopt amendment L.003
Moved Valdez
Seconded Winter T.
Barron Yes
DeGraaf Yes
Goldstein No
Jackson Yes
Joseph No
Paschal Yes
Rutinel Yes
Smith Yes
Willford Yes
Winter T. Yes
Woog Yes
Velasco No
Valdez Yes
YES: 10   NO: 3   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  PASS
06:55:39 PM  
The sponsors gave closing comments on the bill. The committee gave closing comments on the bill.

07:21:49 PM
 Motion Refer House Bill 26-1337, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
Moved Valdez
Seconded Winter T.
Barron Yes
DeGraaf Yes
Goldstein No
Jackson No
Joseph No
Paschal Yes
Rutinel Yes
Smith No
Willford No
Winter T. Yes
Woog Yes
Velasco No
Valdez Yes
Final YES: 7   NO: 6   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  PASS