Protect Colorado from a nuclear boondoggle: Oppose HB 26-1337

Colorado is at a crossroads in its clean energy future, and HB26-1337 would take us in the wrong direction. This bill pushes the state toward developing nuclear energy by setting aggressive timelines to identify reactor sites and begin construction, while requiring utilities to pursue nuclear development and allowing them to recover millions in costs from ratepayers.

At a time when Colorado should be investing in safe, affordable, and truly renewable energy, this proposal diverts resources toward an energy source that is expensive, risky, and slow to deploy. Nuclear energy projects take decades to build, routinely go over budget, and leave behind dangerous radioactive waste with no permanent disposal solution. HB26-1337 even allows utilities to charge customers upfront for speculative nuclear development costs, putting financial risk directly on Colorado families.

This bill also attempts to fast-track nuclear development by coordinating permitting and encouraging siting across communities, which raises serious concerns about environmental justice, community consent, and long-term safety. Colorado communities should not be pressured into hosting hazardous facilities that carry unresolved risks for generations.

We need climate solutions that are clean, equitable, and cost-effective now, like wind, solar, storage, and energy efficiency, not a costly gamble on nuclear energy.

Take action today: Contact your state legislators and urge them to VOTE NO on HB26-1337.

32

signatures of 0 goal

Continue

Title

First Name

Last Name

Street Address

City

State

Zip

Phone

Your Message

Subject

Please vote YES on SB26-148 to support affordable energy improvements for Coloradans!

Add a Personal Message

Personal messages make a big impact on decision makers. Please add a note about why this issue matters to you!

1000 characters remaining

Message

Dear Representative, I am writing as a concerned constituent to respectfully urge you to oppose Colorado House Bill 1337. While I strongly support Colorado’s transition to a clean energy economy, this bill moves the state in a direction that is financially risky, environmentally unsound, and inconsistent with proven climate solutions. HB26-1337 establishes a policy framework to facilitate nuclear energy development, including requiring utilities to identify reactor sites, pursue project development, and recover up to $20 million in preliminary costs from ratepayers. This approach shifts significant financial risk onto the public for projects that are historically prone to cost overruns, delays, and cancellation. Nuclear energy remains one of the most expensive forms of electricity generation, and investing in it may crowd out more cost-effective and rapidly deployable renewable resources. In addition to economic concerns, nuclear energy presents unresolved environmental and safety challenges. The long-term storage of high-level radioactive waste remains an unsolved issue in the United States, and expanding nuclear infrastructure increases the burden on future generations. Furthermore, efforts to streamline siting and permitting could limit meaningful community input and raise environmental justice concerns for communities asked to host these facilities. Colorado has made significant progress in advancing renewable energy, storage technologies, and energy efficiency. These solutions are safer, faster to deploy, and aligned with the state’s climate goals. I urge you to prioritize these resources rather than committing the state to a costly and uncertain nuclear pathway. For these reasons, I respectfully ask that you vote NO on HB26-1337. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

By taking this action to protect the planet, you are affirming you want to receive regular Sierra Club communications and may vote on policy designated by the Sierra Club Board.