Why it matters
A yes vote would write natural gas use and sales into the state constitution, which city leaders say could limit local building code choices. Opponents also warn ratepayers could pay for excess pipelines, even though gas is already legal to buy, sell and use.
Gas use and sales would gain constitutional protection
Amendment 82, a proposed change to the state constitution, would enshrine Coloradans' right to use natural gas for heating and cooking in homes and businesses and give oil and gas companies and utilities such as Xcel Energy the right to sell it.
Advance Colorado, a conservative political group, drove the effort to put the amendment on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. If voters approve it, cooking with a gas stove would become a state constitutional right alongside voting, owning guns and protesting in the streets.
Oil and gas industry stays on sidelines
The oil and gas industry is staying out of the Amendment 82 fight and choosing not to pick a side as the Nov. 3 vote approaches.
Carly West, executive director of the American Petroleum Institute Colorado, referred to as API Colorado, said in a statement to The Denver Post that her association has not taken a position. "The measure was not proposed by API Colorado or our members, and we have not contributed to the campaign," West said.
That hands-off approach comes after a 2024 agreement among lawmakers, oil and gas industry representatives and environmentalists to pause new legislation to regulate the industry.
Cities warn amendment would limit local building codes
In early October, the Colorado Municipal League, a group representing nearly 270 cities and towns, announced its opposition to Amendment 82, arguing the measure would undermine local discretion to adopt and enforce energy-efficient building codes.
Critics have also argued the amendment would take decision-making out of local hands, especially as technology develops. The building codes at issue are local rules for how much energy buildings use.
Emma Pinter, an Adams County commissioner, said in a news release from Vote No on 82 that buying and selling natural gas is already legal in Colorado. "Amendment 82 could stick ratepayers with the bill for excess pipelines they never asked for," Pinter said.
No Colorado ban on gas stoves or heaters exists
No elected body in Colorado has banned gas stoves or natural gas heaters in homes so far, and both are sold in stores across Colorado.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston talked about banning natural gas hookups in new homes during his campaign, but that has not happened. Denver has adopted energy codes, rules for how buildings use energy, that encourage commercial buildings to move away from natural gas to reduce carbon emissions, but natural gas boilers and other appliances are not prohibited in the city.
Voters will make the final call on Nov. 3, deciding whether a fuel that remains legal to buy, sell and use should also be written into the state constitution.
Sources
Colorado Voters Will Decide Whether Natural Gas Is a Constitutional Right
