Sam Brasch

1 month ago | ksjd.org | Sam Brasch |Megan Verlee

This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org. Since his first run for governor, Gov. Jared Polis has pledged to put Colorado on a path to rely on 100 percent clean electricity by 2040 — a decade sooner than currently required under state law. His administration is now pushing to introduce a bill to enshrine the campaign promise into statute a year before he leaves office.

1 month ago | durangoherald.com | Sam Brasch

An insect known for turning entire mountainsides the color of rust could be making a resurgence in Colorado. The pest is none other than the mountain pine beetle. After a roughly decade-long period of relatively lower populations, the bugs are rebuilding their numbers along the Front Range and in southwest Colorado, according to an annual forest health report published by the Colorado State Forest Service in late March.

1 month ago | durangoherald.com | Sam Brasch

Cities and counties worried software couldn’t handle building code, zoning regulations A plan to supercharge rooftop solar in Colorado has hit a snag: local governments like Boulder County and Larimer County known for backing ambitious climate policies. Last week, state lawmakers removed key provisions from HB25-1096, a bill initially designed to require large municipalities to adopt software to cut permit review times for residential solar systems.

1 month ago | durangoherald.com | Sam Brasch

For almost 150 years, visitors have ventured to central Colorado to soak in pools at Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort, a major tourist attraction benefiting from mineral-rich water heated deep underground. With temperatures surpassing 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the resort holds some of the hottest water out of Colorado’s roughly 400 known hot springs.

1 month ago | the-journal.com | Sam Brasch

A bill adding nuclear power to Colorado’s definition of “clean energy resources” won final approval in the state legislature last week. If signed by Gov. Jared Polis, the proposal, HB25-1040, wouldn’t greenlight the construction of any new nuclear power plants. It would, however, allow future nuclear projects to contribute to the state’s renewable energy goals and receive local grants previously earmarked for wind, solar and geothermal projects.