As the nation struggles through grim economic times, hope is found in the promise of the New Energy Economy. Colorado is held up as the example of the economic boon that clean renewable energy can bring. It is no accident that we have become one of the leaders in renewable energy production. Through years of wise environmental leadership from our elected officials, we positioned ourselves to be at the forefront of the New Energy Economy. And encouraging wise environmental policy is what Colorado Conservation Voters is all about.
Colorado Conservation Voters (CCV) works to turn conservation values into Colorado priorities. Our mission is to make protecting Colorado’s environment a top priority for voters, political candidates, and elected officials in Colorado. CCV educates the public about the conservation positions of candidates and elected officials, and holds elected officials accountable for their environmental records.
Through Colorado Conservation Voters’ work, Coloradans have won major environmental victories. Since 2007, with conservation majorities in the House, Senate, and Governor’s office, landmark conservation policy passed and was signed into law including:
- ensuring our air quality by adopting a 20% renewable energy portfolio standard; meaning utilities must get 20% of their energy from renewable sources;
- a balanced oil and gas commission that includes representation from conservationists, sportsmen, and local communities instead of a commission that only worked for the industries;
- better protection of our drinking water by allowing the water courts to consider water quality when making decisions.
These sound conservation policies were won by helping legislators understand the importance of conservation to our state’s future. Through our work with our colleagues in the conservation community to be more strategic and effective in the legislature, the political landscape has shifted dramatically when it comes to finding lawmakers who consistently vote to protect Colorado’s environment. In 2003, there were just 33 pro-environment legislators out of 100 in the General Assembly. Pro-conservation bills were defeated quickly in committees and environmental advocates spent their time working to defeat rollbacks to existing environmental protections.
After hard fought elections in 2004, 2006 and 2008, we now have conservation majorities in the House, Senate and Governor’s office for the first time in history.
These recent victories represent policies that conservationists have been working to achieve, in the case of the oil and gas commission reform, for seventeen years. What made the difference in the eighteenth year was that there was the political will to take on this important issue. That is the role that CCV plays – making protecting Colorado’s environment a top priority for voters, political candidates, and elected officials in Colorado.
