Public Policy Committee

We Advocate for Cleantech

Legislative Review

The Colorado Cleantech Public Policy Committee is open to all Colorado Cleantech members and meets regularly during the State Legislative session (January to May) to analyze, debate and consider supporting or opposing state and federal legislation impacting the cleantech business community. If you are a member of Colorado Cleantech and would like to participate in the Public Policy Committee, please contact Chris Votoupal with your interest.

Chris Votoupal

Votoupal Government Affairs

Colorado Cleantech History & Accomplishments

Colorado Cleantech has a long and successful history working to help the cleantech business community thrive in Colorado. We have had an active presence at the State Capitol since 2009 and I have had the privilege of working on behalf of Colorado Cleantech since 2012. Our first impactful bill was SB 11-047, which created a continual funding source for cleantech grants by taking a percentage of income tax growth in the cleantech and bioscience sectors depending on budget surplus years. This funding mechanism was folded into Colorado Cleantech’s showcase legislation – HB 13-1001 - Advanced Industries Acceleration Act.

Since the passage of HB 13-1001, and utilizing the innovative tax funding mechanism, 714 grants have been awarded, totaling over $128 million to cleantech companies, with an additional $2.5 billion in leveraged third-party capital. As of the 3rd Quarter of 2022, almost $29 million has been awarded to cleantech companies and projects. Two cleantech companies, eLightning Motors and Solid Power, received Early-Stage Advanced Industries grants at a critical time and went on to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The program was extended two times with bipartisan sponsors (SB 23-066 and HB 24-1396), and now the program will be fully funded until 2034.

Additional Bipartisan Legislative Victories

  • HB 17-1090 – Extends the Advanced Industries Investor Tax Credit for five years with $750K available per year.

  • 2020 – Successfully killed an attempt at the Joint Budget Committee to zero out the Advanced Industry’s Grant Program budget and essentially end the program during the budget uncertainty with Covid.

  • HB 22-1149 – Advanced Industries Investor Tax Credit – Extended the program four additional years until the 2026 tax year. The annual amount increased to $4 million per year.

  • SB 23-066 – Extended the Advanced Industries Export Grant Program & the Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant Program to 2034.

  • HB 24-1396 – Ensured the Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant Programs would be fully funded up to 2034.

  • HB 25-1040 – Adding Nuclear Energy as a Clean Energy Resource – Colorado Cleantech was proud to support this bipartisan bill to include nuclear energy within Colorado's definitions of "clean energy" and "clean energy resource." This inclusion would make nuclear energy projects eligible for clean energy project financing at the county and city levels and allow qualifying retail utilities to use nuclear energy to meet the state's 2050 clean energy target.