It is a great day in the state of Colorado.  I am pleased to report that the signing of the Colorado Clean Air/Clean Jobs Act (HB 10-1365) into law is taking a core conservation value, clean air, and turning it into a priority for our state.

This legislation is a badly needed breath of fresh air in the effort to move Colorado away from coal and toward a cleaner and healthier energy future.

I grew up in Denver.  As a kid, I remember walking around the neighborhood or driving west toward downtown and seeing the brown cloud hanging over the city.  I also remember asking my parents why the air was brown.  They, of course, told me it was because our air was dirtier than it should be and that we needed to do more to clean it up.

Today, we are doing more to clean up our air.

Thanks to the vision of Governor Ritter and his hard-working staff, the leadership of Representatives Solano (D-Thornton) and Roberts (R-Durango) and Senators Whitehead (D-Hesperus) and Penry (R-Fuita), the creativity of Xcel Energy, and the determination of the natural gas industry, we have done something that no other state in the union has done.

Colorado is well positioned to take this bold step forward into a new energy future.  As a state, we are a national leader in using the sun, wind, and other renewable sources of energy to power our grid.  In addition, we have committed as a state to ensuring that when traditional energy development such as gas drilling takes place, it gets done in a way that protects public health and the environment.  That is a critical commitment without which this bill would not have been possible.

This bill was the result of the hard work of the broader conservation community. Without Vickie Patton from Environmental Defense Fund, John Nielsen of Western Resources Advocates, the team at the Sierra Club and the Colorado Environmental Coalition, and especially Pam Kiely of Environment Colorado, this bill would not have succeeded.

There is much to be proud of about this legislation.  We are striking a blow for clean air, beginning the journey away from coal, protecting public health from the effects of ozone, smog, and other pollutants, and helping our climate along the way.  People are too cynical these days about politicians’ and groups’ ability to rise above petty bickering and find areas of common ground that serve the public interest.  It feels good to know that we have defied stereotypes and come together to do something so important for our state and our kids.

Today, we can all breathe a little easier.