Climate Fix Blog

Table of Contents

Furthering the Clean Energy Transition   |   Load Growth and Data Centers

Funding Land and Water Conservation   |   Lessons Learned

Furthering the Clean Energy Transition 

One of WRA’s key legislative priorities in the 2026 session was to continue furthering our clean energy transition by focusing on the details that could either advance or derail our progress.  

A Nation-Leading Framework in Colorado for Recycling EV Batteries 

One of our biggest successes was in Colorado with the passage of Senate Bill 26-003, “End-of-Life Management of Electric Vehicle Batteries.” We know that the transition to electric vehicles is a critical part of our clean energy transformation, and WRA’s experts found a way to make this already climate-friendly technology even better for the planet.  

With proper handling, the critical minerals inside EV batteries can be recovered and reused almost indefinitely, but to do so safely and effectively, we need clear frameworks for the process. That’s exactly what SB 003 does. It creates a system that makes sure that EV batteries are collected when the original car reaches its end of life and then are properly reused, repurposed, or recycled.  

This new law will create a major impact by: 

• Requiring that all EV batteries be either reused, repurposed, or recycled so that minerals don’t go to waste.  

• Keeping EV batteries out of the landfill, where improper disposal can be costly and unsafe.  

• Reducing the demand for mining and preventing unnecessary damage to habitats, landscapes, and people.  

• Saving money and improving safety for local scrapyards by making car manufacturers responsible for picking up unwanted batteries.  

• Positioning Colorado as an innovator in the EV space and creating new jobs in a growing industry.    

Thanks to the joint efforts of WRA and the Union of Concerned Scientists, along with extensive stakeholding with the automotive industry, EV battery recyclers, vehicle scrappers, waste haulers, and government agencies, Colorado is the first state in the nation — and the first political body in the Western Hemisphere — to require specific recovery rates for critical minerals like cobalt and lithium.  

This framework can pave the way for other states to make driving EVs even more environmentally friendly. Studies show that using recycled instead of new minerals for EV batteries can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the production of EVs by up to 81% and water usage by up to 88%. WRA’s interest in this developing industry is ensuring that we reduce emissions, reduce the pressure on mining, and drive a cost-efficient transition to electric vehicles.   

Making Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission More Transparent, Efficient, and Equitable  

Public utility commissions are a cornerstone of the clean energy transition, and they are mission-critical venues for WRA — this is where decisions like whether our energy is clean and affordable are made.   

This year in Colorado, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which oversees the state’s electric, gas, water, telecommunications, and transportation services, needed to be reauthorized. WRA experts knew that this could be an opportunity to make the PUC more transparent, efficient, equitable, and better equipped to handle the complex and rapidly changing energy landscape. As emerging issues like large load growth from data centers, wildfire mitigation and liability costs, and energy equity issues loom large, WRA wanted to support and equip the PUC for the future. Utilities and business communities, however, saw this as an opportunity to undermine the commission, and WRA was prepared with a strong defense strategy.  

Ultimately, House Bill 1326, “Sunset Public Utilities Commission,” was passed by the General Assembly. Thanks to WRA’s advocacy, the bill takes steps to modernize the PUC, increases efficiency and transparency, and improves equity. The bill boosts transparency by requiring annual reports from utilities about upcoming proceedings. It sets the groundwork for streamlining regulatory efficiency by initiating a study at the PUC. It also enhances staffing and budget authority at the commission by placing clearer responsibility and accountability on the director of the agency, which can help ensure that the PUC has the staff and resources it needs to conduct its vital work. To improve equity, the bill requires the PUC to hire community engagement staff, establishes that the PUC must create an equity task force, and improves intervenor compensation processes.  

These small details will make a big difference in the transparency, efficiency, and equity of the decisions made around some of our most important resources.  

Defending Clean Energy Progress in Utah  

WRA’s work during Utah’s short legislative session illustrated how our teams not only advance new nation-leading policies, but how we defend attempts to weaken previous progress. 

As several energy bills made their way through the session, updates were proposed to House Bill 238 that would have effectively ended Utah’s Community Renewables Program, an effort WRA has worked on for more than a decade. The Community Renewable Program allows 16 communities in Utah — including Salt Lake City, Summit County, and Moab — to fund new renewable energy projects through a small fee on their monthly utility bills with Rocky Mountain Power. 

WRA worked with partner organizations and local leaders to reach out to legislators and the bill’s sponsor to advocate against the new language. Thanks to this work, the update was not added to the bill, and the Community Renewables Program is successfully moving forward.  

Staving Off Attacks and Championing New Mexico’s Clear Horizon’s Act 

WRA was instrumental in defeating several bills that attacked New Mexico’s Energy Transition Act this year, which sets a statewide renewable energy standard. One of these bills would have weakened emissions reductions requirements for utilities by changing the definition of renewables. WRA also worked with legislators before the session began to stop other anti-clean energy bills from even being introduced.   

One critical bill that WRA championed that would have solidified the clean energy transition in New Mexico, the Clear Horizons Act, made it fairly far through the legislative process. Unfortunately, it didn’t reach the governor’s desk despite the support of a bipartisan coalition of more than 42 organizations, healthcare professionals, parents, business leaders, and community advocates from across New Mexico. 

The Clear Horizons Act would have mandated climate pollution goals that were modeled in a 2019 executive order issued by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. The bill was strongly written to establish smart, transparent future planning that would improve our economic stability and our families’ well-being.  

The failure of the Clear Horizons Act is especially disappointing in the wake of the Trump administration’s move to rescind the EPA’s Endangerment Finding. By repealing this finding, the administration eradicated the scientific and legal basis for regulating climate pollution nationwide. The urgent need for long-term planning in the wake of climate change must now be met by the states. Not passing this legislation, which would have stepped into the gap, comes as a significant disappointment. This further emphasizes that even in states with progressive majorities and strong climate commitments, we cannot let down our guard and must continue to push for our clean energy future.  

Despite this setback, we are encouraged that a strong majority of New Mexicans (77%) support government action to reduce climate pollution. Lawmakers and communities are increasingly focused on the real and rising costs of climate inaction, and we will continue to champion legislation in New Mexico that addresses this. 

Load Growth and Data Centers 

As data centers rapidly expand across the West, states are sounding the alarm at the growing impacts on our grid, water use, and energy bills. Over the last two decades, data centers have powered our computing demands, and their slow and steady growth has been largely incorporated in utility forecasts with little fanfare. But with the rise of generative artificial intelligence, there has been an exponential rise in demand for data centers. This, in turn, drives extraordinary demands for energy to power those data centers — along with water to cool them — and creates the potential threat of the shifting costs to consumers already struggling with high energy bills and drought. WRA has been tracking these concerns since the publication of our report early last year, and we were on the frontlines this year in leading legislation to create common sense guardrails around their development.  

Transparency in Data Center Water Use in Utah 

To truly understand the amount of water that data centers use, we need transparent tracking and information. That’s why, this year in Utah, WRA worked to pass House Bill 76, “Data Center Water Transparency Amendments.” With this bill, Utah became the first state in the country to require data centers to disclose anticipated water needs and report annual water use.  

States need to know how much water and energy data centers really use to protect communities, but this information hasn’t been transparent. HB 76 is a critical step toward establishing robust guardrails around data center development — and WRA was involved at every stage of passing this legislation. We hope to use this momentum to advocate for additional guardrails to be passed into law that better protect communities from the harmful effects of data centers.  

Keeping Energy Affordable as Demands Grow in Colorado 

As energy demands grow across the nation and utility bills continue to rise, WRA is also dedicated to making sure that everyone can afford the electricity needed to live. That’s why WRA supported and testified in favor of Colorado Senate Bill 26-002, “Energy Affordability,” that helps standardize the framework for energy assistance programs across investor-owned utilities called Percentage of Income Payment Plans (PIPP). Historically, these programs have been inconsistent across companies with complicated application processes, confusing eligibility standards, and lack transparency.  

SB 26-002 requires utilities to clearly publish information on eligibility, application how-tos, and timelines. It also requires consistent program naming to reduce confusion, notification of applicants within 30 days, and expands the ways that customers can apply for assistance. 

WRA advocated for SB 26-002 because it supports Coloradans who may be in the precarious position of having to choose between paying their utility bills, putting food on the table, or buying life-sustaining medication. These are choices that no person should have to make. This bill is an important step toward ensuring that people on the lowest end of the income spectrum can more easily access affordable utility services and helps preserve Colorado’s progress toward a modern, cost-efficient, reliable, and safe electric system that serves all Coloradans. 

Aggressively Pushing for Data Center Guardrails in Colorado 

Despite months of negotiations and tireless advocacy from WRA and our partners, Colorado lawmakers failed to establish statewide guardrails for data center development. Championed by WRA, Senate Bill 26-102, “Large Load Data Centers,” was postponed indefinitely by the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee on the session’s final day.  

Data center development is accelerating at an extraordinary pace in Colorado, and we need responsible guardrails before large-scale projects move forward. Without protections in place, the state risks facing the same kinds of unchecked development, rising emissions, and utility cost concerns that other Western states are already experiencing. 

SB 26-102 would have: 

• Prevented everyday Coloradans from subsidizing the costs of data center development and operation.  

• Conserved water and energy by setting enforceable requirements around data centers’ resource use.  

• Required meaningful and transparent community engagement in proposed data center projects.  

• Made sure data center growth contributes to our clean energy goals.  

While WRA and our partners were disappointed with this outcome, we’re doubling down on our commitment to protecting our communities and our climate. Senator Cathy Kipp, the senate sponsor of SB 26-102, has already pulled a bill title for the 2027 legislative session, and we’re prepared to advocate for it again next year. Thankfully, we were also able to prevent House Bill 1030, “Data Center and Utility Modernization,” from advancing this session, which would have given a blank check to data center developers at the expense of Colorado’s environment and communities.  

Now more than ever, we know that the West needs protections in place from the data centers flocking to our states. WRA had some success this session and is poised to come back in 2027 with a clear vision for managing the growing impacts of data center development.  

Funding Land and Water Conservation   

Another major win in this year’s legislative sessions across our region was securing additional funding for land and water conservation. Climate change continues to put incredible stress on our natural resources and communities. Without conservation efforts and reliable funding, we are in danger of losing precious water, species unique to the West, and our majestic landscapes.  

Funding Public Lands and the Strategic Water Reserve in New Mexico 

In New Mexico, House Bill 2, “General Appropriations Act,” set the state budget for the 2026 fiscal year. Thanks to WRA’s advocacy, we were able to secure funding for public lands and water. The $70 million Public Lands Investment & Recovery Package includes funding that can expand affordable access to public lands, create new state parks and open spaces, and help provide state matching dollars to help communities recover economically from natural disasters. This funding will preserve New Mexico’s heritage, protect communities, and provide more affordable ways for New Mexicans to enjoy the outdoors. Another $15 million allowed the state to finalize the purchase of land outside Grant County, New Mexico, to create new public lands and connected, protected wildlife habitat. 

This budget also secured $13 million for the Strategic Water Reserve — a critical tool to protect New Mexico’s rivers. With an expected 25% reduction in streamflow in the state’s rivers over the next 50 years, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to meet water needs, protect fish and wildlife, and support outdoor recreation. The reserve was created 20 years ago to keep water in New Mexico’s rivers by allowing the state to buy, lease, or accept donated water. But without new funding, the reserve would have run out of money by 2027. This funding will allow the state to protect the health of our rivers and wildlife while also supporting outdoor recreation, helping deliver water to our farms and communities, and sustaining cultural and religious uses of water   

Wildlife Crossings and Conservation Funding Wins in Colorado  

WRA continues to push for more statewide funding to conserve land and wildlife habitat across the West. In Colorado we were able to launch a new conservation program and extend a wildly popular one.  

WRA was instrumental in passing Senate Bill 26-141, “Wildlife Collision Prevention.” SB 26-141 creates a new mechanism to fund wildlife crossings — proven, effective infrastructure to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. These incidents harm Coloradans, cost communities millions each year, and have significant impacts on wildlife populations and migration.  

The bill creates a new $5 opt-out fee on vehicle registrations that gives Coloradans the option to support the construction of wildlife overpasses and underpasses and the conservation of the land on either side of the crossings to protect connected wildlife corridors.  

Thanks to WRA’s advocacy, 25% of the funding generated from the fee will go to Colorado Parks and Wildlife to protect the habitat surrounding crossing structures from development. WRA will continue to engage in the program so that funds are implemented effectively to protect vital migration corridors and preserve habitat connectivity in our state, a benefit to both Colorado drivers and wildlife.   

Similarly, WRA worked with the Keep It Colorado coalition and the broader land trust community to support House Bill 26-1230, a bipartisan bill that extended the sunset date for Colorado’s conservation easement income tax credit through 2036. The program allows landowners to claim a credit for 80% of the value of a donated conservation easement from their income tax. It is one of the most effective tools in Colorado to conserve high-value habitat on private lands. 

Colorado’s program is the gold standard nationwide and is so popular that credits for donated conservation easements have already been reserved through the program’s previous 2031 sunset date. This bill extended the statutory deadline to ensure Coloradans who want to preserve intact landscapes have this tool available.  

Lessons Learned in 2026 

Progress isn’t a straight line. 

Some of the achievements WRA saw in 2026 came from years of dedication and work behind the scenes. It wasn’t an overnight success — legislative work never is. Getting the right policy in place in a transparent and collaborative way that considers all the impacts and outcomes can take years.  

Often, you need time to drive the conversation and generate awareness around the issue to build the political will to enable the right policies. When the federal government rolled back many of the EV standards and tax credits, WRA’s experts launched into action to create the Ambition Roadap report, showing how states could keep the EV transition rolling forward. Similarly, as the conversation around data center impacts was just bubbling to the surface, WRA developed our Data Center Impacts in the West report to begin driving thought leadership and awareness around the need for guardrails.  

Other times, you need time to get the policy just right. WRA worked with sponsors and stakeholders on an EV battery management bill in 2025 that ultimately did not pass. During the process, however, we learned a lot about the needs of all the stakeholders involved and refined the nuances of the policy. Because of this work, WRA was able to lead out of the gate as Colorado Senate Bill 26-003 became a Senate Democrat priority bill. And similarly, while we were unable to get Colorado Senate Bill 26-102 passed in this session, we know that all the hard work that went into this bill was not wasted. Our sponsors are ready to come back with legislation in 2027, and WRA will continue to work with stakeholders and raise awareness in the interim.  

Small details make a huge difference. 

Many of the seemingly small details in this work are not small at all. They can mean the success or failure of certain policies, systems, or commissions. That’s why WRA’s specialty is paying attention to the details — things like maximizing the life of EV batteries or ensuring that crossings are useable in perpetuity and do more than help wildlife safely traverse our roads but also create connected and protected migration corridors. It’s things like the makeup and structure of a public utilities commission or how to improve energy assistance programs so that more community members can benefit. When you partner with or support WRA, you can trust that we’re considering the finer details of a policy and its impact so that we can reap the most benefits for our communities and environment.  

Making bills better is a superpower. 

Some of the most arduous work that WRA experts do is behind the scenes every day at state capitols amending bills. Even well-intentioned bills can create unintended consequences for our communities and our progress. In other situations, harmful bills may have strong support, and WRA works aggressively to amend these policies to avoid their worst impacts. WRA’s experts work with decision makers, coalitions, and bill drafters to help think through the specifics and broader implications of proposed legislation and how we can better address these issues. Without WRA’s expertise and dedication to closely analyzing proposed legislation, many flawed bills would become laws that harm our land, air, and water, and burden our communities.  

We must adapt quickly to our rapidly changing world. 

As we have seen across the nation, data centers are coming, and quickly. That’s why WRA worked tirelessly for guardrails around their development this year. As legislators were learning just how vast the impacts of data centers could be, WRA was pushing legislation that would put safeguards in place. However, it can be challenging to draft leading, cutting-edge legislation on emerging issues, as there are no good policy road maps to follow and technology is evolving in real time. That’s why we’re continuing to educate decision makers on emerging issues across the region while advocating for nation-leading policies. Neither strategy can work without the other.  

The 2026 legislative session reminded us that we can’t rely on previous progress or strongholds.  

Progress made is tenuous, and we must fight to keep moving forward.  

While coal plants have been forced to stay open by the federal government and data center-driven emissions threaten to roll back the clean energy progress we’ve made, we also know that we can’t afford to go backwards. We’ve seen in even the most progressive states that it can still be incredibly difficult to get the right policies over the finish line. And even when we do secure a major win, we must stay vigilant to ensure that it is implemented in the right way. 

We will continue to aggressively push policies to transform our energy systems and conserve our land and water, while also protecting our previous wins.