Colorado’s energy future starts with distributed solar (Opinion)

By Tanner Simeon-Cox

I moved to Colorado because I wanted to live in a place where community, economic opportunity and the outdoors all come together. I’ve hiked across the Rockies, talked energy policy on front porches, and helped small business owners explore how solar might lower their operational costs. One thing is clear: Coloradans care deeply about where their energy comes from, and the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) right now has the opportunity to give Coloradans what they want.

Since 2022, rooftop solar has surged across the state. Thanks in part to federal tax credits that were expanded and extended in the Inflation Reduction Act, Colorado has deployed 4,508 MW of solar, powering over 900,000 homes. Jobs in the solar sector are growing — not just in big cities like Denver and Colorado Springs, but all over the state.

Now, with the elimination of solar tax credits in the recently signed “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” that federal support is gone. It’s a devastating blow to an industry that was just hitting its stride, made worse by the fact that four Colorado Representatives — Jeff Hurd, Gabe Evans, Lauren Boebert and Jeff Crank — voted to advance this legislation. They abandoned the very constituents who believed in their promises of energy independence and economic resilience.

But solar won’t stop here.

The elimination of federal incentives forces us to think bigger and act locally. This is Colorado’s moment to lead, and we can do that through community solar programs and decentralized electricity generation systems — what are known as Distributed Power Plants. These are proven solutions that can deliver the benefits of solar energy even without federal support.

Community solar allows renters, condo owners and anyone without suitable rooftops to access renewable energy, spreading costs and benefits across entire communities. Distributed power plants coordinate community solar and battery systems to respond to grid needs in real time, acting like a single large power plant — while reducing the need for expensive peaker plants.

Colorado already has a strong foundation for this work. In 2010, Colorado became the first state to enable community solar with the Community Solar Gardens Act, requiring the state’s two major utility companies — Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy — to purchase electricity from community solar gardens starting in 2026.

Now Colorado is ready to take the next leap forward with Distributed Power Plants. They can provide grid services, reduce peak demand and give homeowners new ways to earn money from their energy investments while making the entire system more reliable, and making solar more accessible to low- and moderate-income households. From Utah to Massachusetts, Distributed Power Plants are working hard for the grid in diverse locations around the country, and it’s time for Colorado to become a leader in pursuing this energy opportunity.

The details of how these programs will work are being decided right now. On August 26, the Colorado PUC held a virtual public comment hearing on Distributed Power Plant programs. This is our chance to ensure these programs are as accessible and beneficial as possible, serving those they stand to impact most — Colorado families and communities.

Colorado has always been ahead of the curve on clean energy — not because it’s trendy, but because it’s practical. In Boulder and Alamosa, on the Western Slope and in suburban Jefferson County, families go solar because it works — lowering bills, keeping dollars in local economies, and providing resilience during wildfires, heatwaves and winter outages. That demand hasn’t disappeared just because Congress failed to act.

It’s time for Colorado to show the nation what energy independence looks like: community-powered, locally controlled and resilient by design. Our representatives in Congress may have let us down, but our state and local leaders still have the chance to lead.

The solar revolution isn’t over. It’s just getting started — one community at a time.

Tanner Simeon-Cox is the Colorado Program Director for the national nonprofit Solar United Neighbors.