A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning the process to allow a transmission developer
Page 1, Line 102to locate high voltage transmission lines within a
Page 1, Line 103state highway right-of-way.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill allows a transmission developer to locate high voltage transmission lines within a state highway right-of-way, according to a process developed by rule by the department of transportation (department). The department may impose surcharges on a transmission developer for its co-location of high voltage lines in a state highway right-of-way, including a one-time surcharge to cover the costs of a permit for the use of the state highway right-of-way and an annual use surcharge. Upon the request of a transmission developer, the department is required to provide to the transmission developer the best available information on potential future state highway development projects that could impact the placement of a high voltage line within a state highway right-of-way. In assessing potential sites for the placement of high voltage lines, a transmission developer is required to consider development sites in the following order of priority: First, existing utility corridors; second, state highway rights-of-way; and last, new utility corridors.
The bill also requires the Colorado energy office and the Colorado electric transmission authority, through a public-private partnership and in collaboration with the department, the Colorado public utilities commission, and other state agencies, to study state highway corridors to identify potential corridors that may be suitable for high voltage transmission line development.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly finds and declares that:
Page 2, Line 3(a) Colorado will need to expand electric transmission to meet its
Page 2, Line 4clean energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets and reliability and affordability obligations;
Page 2, Line 5(b) It is the policy of the state that high voltage transmission lines
Page 2, Line 6may be constructed or maintained within the access control lines of
Page 2, Line 7highway, freeway, and interstate highway rights-of-way unless the
Page 2, Line 8executive director of the Colorado department of transportation,
Page 2, Line 9consulting with appropriate state agencies, disapproves of this co-location
Page 2, Line 10to protect public safety, communities, and wildlife habitat, crossings, and
Page 2, Line 11migratory corridors or to ensure the proper functioning of a state
Page 2, Line 12highway, freeway, or interstate highway. If the installation is on an
Page 2, Line 13interstate highway, the express approval of the federal highway
Page 2, Line 14administration is required and the project may be required to undergo the
Page 3, Line 1review process required by the federal "National Environmental Policy Act of 1969", 42 U.S.C. sec. 4321, et seq.
Page 3, Line 2(c) Co-locating transmission lines along highways can
Page 3, Line 3significantly reduce impacts on wildlife and habitat compared to building
Page 3, Line 4new lines through greenfield areas. The impacts on communities,
Page 3, Line 5including disproportionately impacted communities, must be evaluated
Page 3, Line 6and mitigated through the use of approaches like those outlined in the
Page 3, Line 7Colorado electric transmission authority's 2024 "Principles of Community
Page 3, Line 8Engagement" and the Colorado environmental justice action task force's 2022 "Final Report of Recommendations".
Page 3, Line 9SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 43-1-228 as follows:
Page 3, Line 1043-1-228. High voltage lines in state highway right-of-way -
Page 3, Line 11development projects and priorities - surcharge - study - rules -
Page 3, Line 12definitions. (1) Definitions.As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 3, Line 13(a) "High voltage line" has the same meaning as set forth in section 29-7.5-103 (1).
Page 3, Line 14(b) "Rule" has the same meaning as set forth in section 24-4-102 (15).
Page 3, Line 15(c) "State highway" means any highway owned,
Page 3, Line 16controlled, or maintained by the state, including federal-aid
Page 3, Line 17primary or secondary systems or the interstate system. "State
Page 3, Line 18highway" does not include a public highway operated by a public
Page 3, Line 19highway authority in accordance with the "Public Highway Authority Law", part 5 of article 4 of this title 43.
Page 3, Line 20(d) "Transmission developer" means:
Page 4, Line 1(I) A transmission utility, as defined in section 40-5-108 (1)(b);
Page 4, Line 2(II) The Colorado electric transmission authority created in section 40-42-103;
Page 4, Line 3(III) A generation and transmission cooperative or association; and
Page 4, Line 4(IV) Any of the following entities that have voted to
Page 4, Line 5exempt themselves from the "Public Utilities Law", articles 1 to 7 of title 40, pursuant to section 40-9.5-103:
Page 4, Line 6(A) A municipally owned utility;
Page 4, Line 7(B) A power authority established pursuant to section 29-1-204 (1); or
Page 4, Line 8(C) A cooperative electric association, as defined in section 40-9.5-102 (1).
Page 4, Line 9(2) State highway high voltage line co-location projects.
Page 4, Line 10(a) (I) Upon the request of a transmission developer, the
Page 4, Line 11department shall provide to the transmission developer the best
Page 4, Line 12available information on potential future state highway
Page 4, Line 13development projects, as included in the statewide
Page 4, Line 14transportation plan, that could impact the placement of a high voltage line within a state highway right-of-way.
Page 4, Line 15(II) The department shall process such a request for
Page 4, Line 16information in the order that it was received, in accordance with the department's special use permitting process.
Page 4, Line 17(b) (I) If the department and a transmission developer
Page 4, Line 18agree that an identified site may be suitable for development or
Page 4, Line 19construction of a high voltage line within a state highway
Page 5, Line 1right-of-way, the department shall develop a preconstruction
Page 5, Line 2plan review schedule that includes all applicable sections of
Page 5, Line 3the state highway utility accommodation code, 2 CCR 601-18, or any successor code.
Page 5, Line 4(II) Upon approval of the preconstruction requirements
Page 5, Line 5outlined in a preconstruction plan, the transmission developer
Page 5, Line 6shall provide a constructability, access, and maintenance
Page 5, Line 7report to be utilized when transmission line co-location projects
Page 5, Line 8in a state highway right-of-way are being planned and approved.
Page 5, Line 9The constructability, access, and maintenance report must
Page 5, Line 10outline mitigation strategies needed to effectively avoid or
Page 5, Line 11address potential impacts to communities, including
Page 5, Line 12disproportionately impacted communities, and to habitats, wildlife, and wildlife crossings.
Page 5, Line 13(III) A constructability, access, and maintenance report
Page 5, Line 14must be approved by the department before the department issues a permit for the use of a state highway right-of-way.
Page 5, Line 15(3) High voltage line or facility site priorities and evaluation by
Page 5, Line 16public utilities commission. (a) (I) In the construction or
Page 5, Line 17development of high voltage lines or facilities necessary for
Page 5, Line 18high voltage transmission, a transmission developer shall consider development sites in the following order of priority:
Page 5, Line 19(A) First, existing utility corridors, with a preference for
Page 5, Line 20using advanced transmission technologies, including
Page 5, Line 21grid-enhancing technologies; reconductoring with advanced
Page 5, Line 22conductors; or making other improvements to existing
Page 5, Line 23infrastructure that achieve expanded electric capacity at the lowest possible cost;
Page 6, Line 1(B) Second, state highway rights-of-way; and
(C) Last, new utility corridors.
Page 6, Line 2(II) In assessing potential high voltage transmission line
Page 6, Line 3development sites in accordance with this subsection (3)(a), a
Page 6, Line 4transmission developer shall evaluate the economic impacts,
Page 6, Line 5engineering considerations, and reliability of the electric system.
Page 6, Line 6(b) (I) If required to file an application for a certificate of
Page 6, Line 7public convenience and necessity with the public utilities
Page 6, Line 8commission created in section 40-2-101, a transmission developer
Page 6, Line 9shall demonstrate that it has considered potential sites for
Page 6, Line 10high voltage transmission line developments in the order of
Page 6, Line 11priority listed in subsection (3)(a) of this section. The
Page 6, Line 12transmission developer shall include its assessment of potential
Page 6, Line 13sites and the underlying data used in the assessment as part of
Page 6, Line 14its application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity.
Page 6, Line 15(II) In evaluating an application for a certificate of public
Page 6, Line 16convenience and necessity from a transmission developer, the
Page 6, Line 17public utilities commission shall assess whether the
Page 6, Line 18transmission developer has provided the information required by subsection (3)(b)(I) of this section.
Page 6, Line 19(4) Surcharges for right-of-way access for transmission
Page 6, Line 20developer. (a) The department may impose surcharges on a
Page 6, Line 21transmission developer for its co-location of high voltage lines
Page 6, Line 22in a state highway right-of-way, including a one-time surcharge
Page 7, Line 1to cover the costs of a permit for the use of the state highway
Page 7, Line 2right-of-way and an annual use surcharge for the use of the state highway right-of-way.
Page 7, Line 3(b) (I) The department shall establish the surcharges by rule pursuant to subsection (6) of this section.
Page 7, Line 4(II) The surcharges for a transmission developer's use of
Page 7, Line 5a state highway right-of-way must be in addition to amounts
Page 7, Line 6payable by the transmission developer under the terms of a
Page 7, Line 7public-private initiative, as defined in section 43-1-1201 (3), entered into according to part 12 of this article 1.
Page 7, Line 8(5) State highway corridor study - report. (a) Through a
Page 7, Line 9public-private partnership, where funding is provided by private
Page 7, Line 10partners, the Colorado energy office created in section
Page 7, Line 1124-38.5-101 and the Colorado electric transmission authority
Page 7, Line 12created in section 40-42-103, in collaboration with the
Page 7, Line 13department, the Colorado public utilities commission created in
Page 7, Line 14section 40-2-101, and other state agencies, shall study state
Page 7, Line 15highway corridors to identify potential corridors that may be suitable for high voltage transmission line development.
Page 7, Line 16(b) The Colorado energy office and the Colorado electric
Page 7, Line 17transmission authority shall complete the study required by
Page 7, Line 18this subsection (5) no later than eighteen months after the date that funding is secured from private partners.
Page 7, Line 19(c) The Colorado energy office and the Colorado electric
Page 7, Line 20transmission authority shall publish a report on the findings of
Page 7, Line 21the study required by this subsection (5) on their websites and
Page 7, Line 22shall share the report with the department, the Colorado public
Page 8, Line 1utilities commission, the division of parks and wildlife in the
Page 8, Line 2department of natural resources created in section 33-9-104, and, as appropriate, other state agencies.
Page 8, Line 3(6) Rules. (a) The department shall update its rules
Page 8, Line 4concerning access to state highway rights-of-way to
Page 8, Line 5accommodate high voltage lines pursuant to the state highway
Page 8, Line 6utility accommodation code, 2 CCR 601-18, or any successor code.
Page 8, Line 7(b) The executive director may adopt rules as necessary to implement this section. The rules must:
Page 8, Line 8(I) Clarify that longitudinal high voltage lines may be
Page 8, Line 9permitted in state highway rights-of-way if identified criteria are met;
Page 8, Line 10(II) Create a process through which a transmission
Page 8, Line 11developer must submit a request to the department for a permit
Page 8, Line 12for the use of a state highway right-of-way to construct a high voltage line;
Page 8, Line 13(III) Establish criteria for the denial of a permit request
Page 8, Line 14submitted by a transmission developer for a high voltage line if
Page 8, Line 15the proposed project presents a risk to public safety or prevents the proper functioning of the state highway; and
Page 8, Line 16(IV) Set the surcharges as described in subsection (4) of this section.
Page 8, Line 17(c) The department shall update its rules as required by
Page 8, Line 18subsection (6)(a) of this section and adopt the rules required by subsection (6)(b) of this section no later than January 1, 2027.
Page 8, Line 19SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 9, Line 1takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 9, Line 2ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 9, Line 3that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 9, Line 4of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 9, Line 5act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 9, Line 6effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 9, Line 7November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.