SB 82 CO
Local Government Renewable Energy Development Fee
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Summary
This Colorado bill establishes authority for local governments to set fees and timelines for renewable energy project applications. The bill allows local governments to offer two application tracks: a standard track with a lower fee and no guaranteed timeline, and an expedited track with a higher fee and a 120-day decision timeline, with partial refunds if the timeline is exceeded. The bill authorizes local governments to contract with third-party technical reviewers to evaluate applications. Upon project approval, facility owners must pay a success fee to the local government based on the approval timeline. The collected fees are designated for local government expenses related to renewable energy regulation and maintaining roads impacted by facility construction.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill (from the OpenStates abstract — no full text available yet) — neutral, and may be imperfect.
Official abstract
A renewable energy project developer (facility owner) that intends to undertake a project to build a renewable energy facility (renewable energy project) may currently submit an application for land use approval from the renewable energy project to a local government. However, current law does not specify what process a local government may use to charge fees or set a timeline for the local government to make a final decision regarding land use approval for the renewable energy project. The bill specifies that control over the specifics of the application process rests with the local government. The local government may establish fees for an application for a renewable energy project and may offer two independent tracks for the application based on the fee the facility owner pays. The standard track allows a facility owner to pay a lower fee, but does not guarantee a specific timeline for the local government to issue a final decision on the application. The expedited track allows a facility owner to pay an additional fee, with an agreement that if the local government takes longer than 120 days, minus any permitted tolling periods, a percentage of the higher fee will be refunded. The bill gives local governments authority to contract with third-party technical reviewers to review the application for a final decision. The bill also requires a facility owner to pay a success fee to the local government upon final approval of the project, based on the amount of time between receipt of the application and when the project is approved, to be used by the local government for expenses related to regulating renewable energy facilities and maintaining local roads impacted by facility construction.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Sponsor (1)
- B. Pelton Republican · sponsor
Action history (6)
- May 12, 2026 Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 05/14/2026 - No Amendments · upper
- May 8, 2026 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over to 05/12/2026 - No Amendments · upper
- May 6, 2026 Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 05/08/2026 - No Amendments · upper
- May 4, 2026 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments · upper
- Apr 29, 2026 Senate Committee on Transportation & Energy Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole · upper
- Feb 6, 2026 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Transportation & Energy · upper
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