Governor Polis Awards $30.1 Million to Help Local and Tribal Governments Achieve Climate Goals

Grants will support local land use, building, transportation, and waste efforts and more to reduce emissions

Statewide - Thursday, Jun. 18, 2026 - Governor Polis and the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) announced $30.1 million in grant awards today for 18 local and Tribal government efforts to adopt and implement policies that reduce emissions, improve air quality, lower energy costs, and promote energy-efficient housing people can afford. This is the second and final round of awards through the federally funded Local IMPACT Accelerator Grant program ("Accelerator"). CEO previously announced $21.6 million in awards from the first round, investing a total of $51.7 million to support local and Tribal government efforts to reduce emissions from buildings, land use, transportation, and/or waste.

"Local and Tribal governments are important partners in protecting our clean air and reducing emissions. These funds will support local efforts to make our communities more sustainable and affordable by embracing lower-cost clean energy solutions. In Colorado we value the environment, and that's why we have set bold climate goals. Partnering with local and tribal governments to reduce emissions and protect our air is an important step in meeting those goals," said Governor Polis.

The Local IMPACT Accelerator Grant focuses on helping local governments establish locally driven, locally aligned, long-term plans to lower emissions, save money on energy, and protect the environment.

"Local and Tribal governments play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas pollution, improving air quality, and increasing affordability in their communities," said CEO Executive Director Will Toor. "Adopting and implementing policies at a local level allows communities to do their part to help achieve our climate goals using tailored strategies that work for them. We are pleased to see so many communities committed to climate action that goes above and beyond what the state has required of them."

CEO prioritized awards for initiatives across the state proposing policies with a high likelihood of success, existing stakeholder support, long-term impacts, and high pollution reduction potential, as well as efforts in low-income communities. Awarded projects represent policies in each of the four sectors this grant covers, including several awards to adopt policies in more than one sector.

• Buildings: Three projects address emissions from buildings. For example, The City of Aspen is leading a cohort of 10 jurisdictions that will use Accelerator funding to adopt advanced building energy codes that promote all-electric new construction. This includes developing codes, coordinating workforce training, and creating incentives for developers focused on affordable housing.

• Land Use: Seven projects have a land use component, such as infill development, accessory dwelling unit (ADU) supportive land codes and incentives, and clean energy siting. For example, Alamosa County is looking to update its land use rules to pave the way for large and small-scale clean energy development, including solar and geothermal, and will conduct a study exploring opportunities for farmers to add clean energy production on their land.

• Transportation: Seven projects have transportation components, including increasing EV adoption, improving transit, and expanding access to multimodal transportation options. For example, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe will use this funding to improve transit service access and reduce emissions through a transit assessment, fleet vehicle electrification, and regional transportation coordination efforts.

• Waste: Five projects address waste diversion, including policies that restrict single-use plastic, mandate to reuse and recycle building construction materials, and adopt volume-based waste pricing. For example, both the City of Lakewood and the Town of Silverton are using this funding to develop Pay-As-You-Throw policies that incentivize reductions in waste.

For a full list and descriptions of awarded projects from both the first and second round of IMPACT Accelerator funding, see the Summary of Awards.

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