Senate Bill 25-163, concerning the establishment of battery stewardship programs for the disposal of certain batteries, created the 'Battery Stewardship Act', which requires the establishment of battery stewardship organizations and the submittal of battery stewardship plans to the executive director of the department of public health and environment (executive director) for the collection, transportation, processing, and recycling of certain batteries. The act expands the scope of the 'Battery Stewardship Act' to cover the end-of-life management of propulsion batteries, which are batteries that are primarily used to supply power to an electric or hybrid vehicle, and establishes requirements concerning propulsion batteries that differ from the requirements for the batteries currently contemplated by the 'Battery Stewardship Act'. On or before July 1, 2027, a person selling, offering for sale, or distributing propulsion batteries or vehicles containing a propulsion battery in or into the state (propulsion battery provider) is required to register with the department of public health and environment (department). On or before January 2, 2029, a propulsion battery provider or group of propulsion battery providers must submit to the executive director an education and outreach plan that contains certain information about the management of propulsion batteries. On and after July 1, 2029, the act prohibits a propulsion battery provider from selling, making available for sale, or distributing a propulsion battery in or into the state unless the propulsion battery provider has submitted an education and outreach plan that meets the requirements of the act. The act also requires a propulsion battery provider to develop and maintain at least one website that, among other things, includes the information in the propulsion battery provider's education and outreach plan. The act requires propulsion battery providers to collect certain unwanted propulsion batteries and ensure the responsible management of the unwanted propulsion batteries collected. In addition, the act requires a propulsion battery provider to, on and after July 1, 2029, label a propulsion battery and specifies the information that must be included on the label. On or before June 1, 2030, and on or before each June 1 thereafter, a propulsion battery provider is directed to submit an annual report to the executive director covering the preceding calendar year of the responsible management of the propulsion batteries collected by the propulsion battery provider. A propulsion battery provider is required to pay a program initiation fee to the department. The amount of the program initiation fee for each propulsion battery provider is based on each propulsion battery provider's percentage of all propulsion battery vehicles registered in the state. On or before July 1, 2030, and on or before each July 1 thereafter, a propulsion battery provider is also required to pay an annual fee to cover the department's cost of implementing, administering, and enforcing the act. The solid and hazardous waste commission is directed to establish the annual fee amount by rule on or before July 1, 2029. The act specifies how the department is required to implement, administer, and enforce the act. For example, the department is required to assess annual reports submitted by propulsion battery providers, compile a list of entities registered with the department, provide a digital registration form that an entity can use to register, and conduct an email survey with registered entities to request feedback on the functioning of the propulsion battery management program. The act also sets forth requirements for persons that remanufacture a propulsion battery; persons that use a propulsion battery for a different use than the use for which the propulsion battery was originally designed; commercial entities that take possession of a propulsion battery for the purpose of selling, dispositioning, repairing, reusing, or recycling the propulsion battery; and entities that conduct propulsion battery recycling. On and after July 1, 2029, the disposal of propulsion batteries at a solid waste disposal site and facility is prohibited.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, each subscriber to a community solar garden receives a net metering credit to their electric bill. The community solar subscriber organization can choose between a fixed bill credit or a bill credit that is adjusted annually. The act states that, on and after October 1, 2026, a subscriber organization may choose a fixed bill credit for the subscriber organization's income-qualified subscribers and a bill credit that changes annually for the subscriber organization's other customers. The public utility providing the bill credit must adjust the fixed bill credit annually to ensure that the credit remains aligned with changes in electricity rates over time. A public utility is permitted under current law to recover its prudently incurred costs to facilitate a timely interconnection of a distributed energy resource. The act prohibits a public utility from requiring an interconnection customer to pay the costs associated with interconnection facilities and upgrades until 30 days before the public utility incurs the costs. The act allows a public utility to require an interconnection customer to provide security for the estimated full costs of interconnection at the time of mutual execution of an interconnection agreement. The act requires a public utility with more than 500,000 customers in the state to, on or before August 15, 2026, convene a working group to accelerate distributed generation interconnection. The working group is tasked with discussing, if applicable, a cluster and batch study process for interconnection studies and a process for the public utility to accept a surety bond for interconnection upgrade work. The working group is also directed to discuss, and the public utility is required to implement, a process for third-party interconnection studies and upgrades. On or before December 15, 2026, the public utility is required to file a notice with the public utilities commission (commission) that includes a report on any recommendations of the working group. The public utility is directed to make appropriate filings to implement any recommendations of the working group that require commission approval on or before January 1, 2027. The act specifies that any interconnection upgrades and related utility construction work performed by a contracted third party must meet applicable safety, reliability, labor, and technical standards. The act amends the definition of 'dispatchable distributed generation' and requires the commission to evaluate the size of off-site renewable distributed generation or storage facility and installation limitations as part of a future renewable energy standard compliance plan.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill creates the Colorado nuclear workforce development and education council (council) in the Colorado school of mines to help meet growing workforce demand in the nuclear energy sector. The bill establishes a related grant program (grant program) to provide grants to institutions of higher education for the development or expansion of nuclear engineering degree or certificate programs or course offerings. The council shall convene advisory sessions with stakeholders from the nuclear, educational, and workforce development sectors; implement the grant program; and contract with one or more third-party entities for staffing and operational assistance. The council may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations for council-related purposes. The state treasurer shall credit the gifts, grants, and donations to the Colorado nuclear workforce development and education cash fund (cash fund), which is created in the bill. The general assembly shall not appropriate general fund money to implement or maintain council operations or grant awards. The council shall convene and begin awarding grants only after the balance of the cash fund reaches or exceeds $500,000 (threshold) . The bill imposes requirements to report to the Colorado commission on higher education and the general assembly about the council's funding sources, grant program implementation, and other uses of the grant program money. If the cash fund balance does not reach the threshold on or before September 1, 2027, the council is repealed and the money in the cash fund is refunded to the grantors or donors. Otherwise, the bill repeals the council, effective September 1, 2033, unless the council is extended following a sunset review.(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Section 2 of the bill allows local governments and certain special districts authorized to impose property taxes (local taxing entities) to tax certain land and improvements thereon at different mill levy rates, provided that the mill levy rate for the improvements is less than or equal to the mill levy rate for the land. A local taxing entity may not impose different mill levy rates for agricultural land, land used for renewable energy production, land subject to a perpetual conservation easement, leaseholds and lands producing oil or gas, producing mines or nonproducing mining claims, or state-assessed land. Nothing in section 2 allows a local taxing entity to impose property taxes on the assessed value of land and the assessed value of improvements thereon at different mill levy rates in a manner that is not consistent with section 20 of article X of the state constitution or any statutory limitation on the local taxing entity's mill levy rates or total property tax revenue. Section 3 requires boards of county commissioners and other local taxing entities to include with their certifications of all property tax levies the individual certification of any local taxing entity required by section 5 regarding the different mill levy rates used for land and improvements thereon by the local taxing entity. Section 4 updates the tax and levy rate information required to be made publicly available to include the specific, different mill levy rates used for land and improvements thereon, if applicable. Section 5 modifies the duty of local taxing entities to certify their property tax levy to the board of county commissioners to require any local taxing entity that imposes property taxes on the assessed value of land and the assessed value of improvements thereon at different rates, as allowed by section 2 , to specify those mill levy rates in the local taxing entity's certification of its levy.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
