Gov. Polis: Improving Energy Efficiency in State Facilities & Operations will Save People Money & Raises Bar on Bold Climate Goals

DENVER - Governor Polis and the administration continue to take bold climate action, improve energy efficiency and deploy more affordable renewable energy that will save taxpayers money. In celebration of Earth Day Governor Polis today signed an Executive Order building upon previous directives to ensure State buildings are energy efficient and sustainable, and to allow the State’s workforce to continue to provide efficient, high-quality services to Coloradans while protecting our environment.

“We are raising the bar on our pollution reduction goals and leading by example with our top-achieving State operations. Along with saving taxpayer money and improving efficiency by reducing the square footage of state government offices by over 1,000,000 square feet over the next three years, today, I am proud to reduce the State’s energy bills and do our part for clean air, water conservation, and recycling,” said Gov. Polis. 

The action builds upon a previous Executive Order signed by Governor Polis that directs State agencies to develop and implement plans to expand the State’s use of renewable energy, increase the number of electric vehicles in the State fleet, ensure efficient water use, and pursue energy efficiency improvements for State buildings. 

“This Executive Order shows Colorado’s leadership on pollution reduction. Not only are we taking bold action through our policies and programs to reduce our emissions from electricity use, transportation, and other sources statewide, we are also leading in efficient state operations,” said Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office. “Colorado agencies have already made huge strides in electrifying our State fleet and improving energy efficiency in our buildings, and with this EO Governor Polis is laying out clear focus areas where we can do more.”

“Thanks to the bold action of the Polis Administration over the last several years, Coloradans have access to the latest EV models as they move from development concepts to vehicles we can buy,” said Shoshana Lew, executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). “This means that CDOT can bring cutting edge new vehicles into our fleet and take advantage of their performance capabilities as soon as they are available.  For example, we are looking forward to welcoming 37 new Ford F-150 Lightning pickup trucks onto our light fleet within the coming months.”

“The directives laid out in this executive order represent big steps in our journey to make this the greenest administration in Colorado's history,” said Tony Gherardini, executive director of the Department of Personnel & Administration. “By reducing our carbon footprint and water consumption, electrifying our State fleet, and pursuing ways to make our buildings more efficient, we have the opportunity to lead by example and be a model for a green State government.”

The Executive Order is the latest in a series of steps Governor Polis has taken to make the State a leader in energy conservation and reduce the impact of State operations on the environment and public health.

The full text of the executive order is available here.