Nuclear power is now considered clean energy in Colorado under a new law. Here's why

In The NoCo

Nuclear power is now considered clean energy in Colorado under a new law. Here's why

By In The NoCo,

Ariel Lavery, Erin O'Toole, Brad Turner

Published April 14, 2025 at 5:35 AM MDT

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Craig Station, a coal-fired power plant, dominates the horizon in much of Craig, Colorado, in November, 2024. Signs of an energy transition in the area are already visible, with solar installations on the outskirts of the city. Now, a group in the region is exploring whether the dying coal industry could be replaced by nuclear.

Nuclear energy is now clean energy in Colorado. That鈥檚 recently signed by Gov. Jared Polis.

The law adds nuclear power to a list of clean energies like wind and solar. Colorado leaders have set a to power the state by 2040.

The law didn鈥檛 pass without pushback from critics who point out that nuclear energy produces radioactive waste. But in the end, the Democratic-controlled state legislature approved it.

So, what鈥檚 behind these shifting attitudes toward nuclear power in Colorado 鈥� which ?

Parker Yamasaki wrote about this for . She joined Erin O'Toole to explain how the new law could change Colorado鈥檚 energy sources in the decades ahead.

This isn鈥檛 the only recent development in nuclear energy in Colorado. 皇冠网址 investigative reporter Scott Franz has reported extensively on a proposal to store the nation鈥檚 nuclear waste near Craig, in northwest Colorado. You can find his series here.

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In The NoCo

皇冠网址's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University鈥檚 NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family鈥檚 financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of 皇冠网址鈥檚 new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in 皇冠网址's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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