Colorado voters block gas utility rights amendment
Amendment 82 failed to reach the 55% threshold needed to change the state constitution, with 54% of counted ballots opposing the measure.
By Salma Farouk ·
Colorado residents voted on Wednesday to keep natural gas regulations in the hands of state and local governments. The rejection of Amendment 82 means existing laws requiring utilities to cut emissions and allowing localities to limit gas sales in new buildings will remain in effect without a constitutional override.
The Associated Press projected the amendment would fail once approximately 46% of counted ballots supported it. Because the proposal sought to amend the state constitution, it required at least 55% of the vote to pass. The final tally stood at 54% opposition.
Advance Colorado, a conservative political nonprofit that does not disclose its donors, drafted the measure. The group argued that natural gas is a reliable and affordable energy source used by more than 70% of Colorado homes. Campaign advocates stated that the right to use this fuel should be protected in the state constitution.
A coalition of environmental groups, including the Colorado Sierra Club and Conservation Colorado, campaigned against the amendment. They argued the measure would give monopoly utilities the legal power to challenge vital environmental regulations. The coalition said the amendment would tie regulators' hands on issues like pipelines and air quality while forcing families to pay for infrastructure that benefits data centers and other large users.
Money flowed to both sides of the debate from political groups that do not publicly reveal their donors. Brighter Colorado, which supported Amendment 82, raised approximately $6.1 million. No Pollution in the Constitution, the leading committee opposing the measure, raised about $5.75 million. Major donors to the opposition included the League of Conservation Voters, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, and the Green Advocacy Project.
The vote fits into a long-standing conflict between state officials pushing for cleaner electric sources and oil and gas interests. Gov. Jared Polis issued a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Road Map in 2021 with a goal of cutting emissions 50% below 2005 levels by 2030. In 2024, the state adopted a law requiring natural gas utilities to develop plans to cut their emissions 22% by 2030, in part by reducing sales.
Democratic state legislators previously attempted to introduce a bill to neutralize the amendment if it passed, citing concerns that the text was poorly drafted. They abandoned that effort before the election. The Sierra Club said the result affirms the state's direction toward cleaner energy sources and local decision-making.
