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Tag: Energy Policy

The danger of smart without wise: Why Wilson’s ‘expert state’ still haunts America
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Substack, Approved, Commentary, National, Top Stories

The danger of smart without wise: Why Wilson’s ‘expert state’ still haunts America

By Michael A. Hancock | Commentary, Substack Woodrow Wilson’s Fallacy of the Expert State “Intelligence is theoretical math—brilliant, abstract, dazzling to the mind. Wisdom is applied math—the bridge that stands. A society that prizes smartness without wisdom risks mistaking cleverness for truth, and formulas for foundations.” A century ago, Woodrow Wilson bet the future of American governance on intelligence without wisdom. He called it the administrative state: a system where experts—smarter than the rest of us—would manage society with the precision of science. Politics, with its compromises and accountability, was to give way to bureaucracy, with its charts, models, and rules. It was a beautiful formula on paper. But like so many formulas, it mistook cleverness for truth and ...
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Air-quality politics put Denver first and rural Colorado last
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Colorado Politics, Approved, Commentary, State

Air-quality politics put Denver first and rural Colorado last

By Tony Olivero | Commentary, Colorado Politics  As former rural lawmakers, we’re no strangers to the state trying to squeeze us into the same box as the Front Range. But Colorado’s latest regulations take things to a new level: not only are they completely unworkable for our communities, but the rules also reveal a hypocritical double standard that puts rural Colorado last. Starting on Wednesday, Colorado’s air quality commission is holding hearings on their roll out of Regulation 31, a mandate that forces even the smallest landfills to install costly methane capture systems, regardless of whether those systems make scientific, environmental, or economic sense.   The process to get here was rushed and the new rules lack clear written implementation procedures and ignore...
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Denver City Council Pushes Back On Xcel Energy Franchise Extension
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Denverite, Approved, Local

Denver City Council Pushes Back On Xcel Energy Franchise Extension

By Denverite Staff | The Denverite The Denver City Council threw a curveball for Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration and the state’s most powerful utility on Monday night. Xcel Energy is seeking an extension of the franchise agreement that allows it to operate in Denver. The agreement, up for renewal after 20 years, requires the approval of Denver voters. But on Monday, the city council voted against placing the measure on the November election ballot. Council members raised a variety of concerns about Xcel’s service in the city, and said they wanted to take more time to talk with community members and negotiate the agreement. The city council may still have time to place a modified measure on this November's ballot, or it could wait for an election next year, but city leaders...
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Appliance Group Challenges Colorado Gas Stove Warning Labels In Court
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State, Approved, The Gazette

Appliance Group Challenges Colorado Gas Stove Warning Labels In Court

By Scott Weiser | The Gazette A trade organization representing gas stove manufacturers filed a request for a temporary restraining order against the state over a requirement that gas stoves sold at retail have a yellow sticker warning buyers of the purported health risks of using natural gas for cooking. The complaint, filed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, asserted a First Amendment violation over government-compelled speech and sought an injunction against the law. The trade association alleged HB25-1161’s labeling requirement unconstitutionally compels its members to convey a message they disagree with. The law went into effect Aug. 1. It requires the yellow label read: "Understand the air quality implications of having an indoor gas stove" and include ...
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Big Beautiful Bill Sparks Heated Debate Among Colorado Lawmakers
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State, Approved, KUNC

Big Beautiful Bill Sparks Heated Debate Among Colorado Lawmakers

By Lucas Brady Woods | KUNC All eight of the state’s U.S. House members shared a stage Tuesday at the Colorado Chamber of Commerce’s congressional luncheon in Denver, where they touted bipartisanship but remained divided over issues like health care and energy. The panel discussion spanned tariffs, the budget deficit, workforce challenges, the environment and energy policy, with much of it centered on the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” a sweeping federal spending measure passed earlier this year and signed into law by President Donald Trump, and how it will impact Colorado. Republican members praised the measure while Democrats criticized various parts of it, underscoring the partisan divides despite repeated calls for bipartisanship.The most significant partisan disagreements at ...
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ExxonMobil and Suncor to U.S. Supreme Court: Stop Boulder and San Miguel Co. climate change lawsuit
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Denver Business Journal, Approved, Local

ExxonMobil and Suncor to U.S. Supreme Court: Stop Boulder and San Miguel Co. climate change lawsuit

By Jackson Guilfoil | Denver Business Journal Story Highlights • ExxonMobil and Suncor petition Supreme Court to dismiss climate lawsuit. • Colorado Supreme Court allowed lawsuit to proceed in state court. • At issue is whether climate change impacts should be federal or state matter. Two oil and gas titans are again asking the U.S. Supreme Court t...
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The man Polis vowed to destroy: Kevin Kauffman’s final fight for truth and legacy
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

The man Polis vowed to destroy: Kevin Kauffman’s final fight for truth and legacy

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice They tried to bury him. He’s still standing—with the paperwork to prove it. On his 50th birthday, Kevin Kauffman stood waist-deep in the waters off Eilat, Israel. His son handed him a sealed envelope his accountant asked him to deliver on this day. He opened it, read what was inside and stood in silence. It wasn’t just a numerical milestone in that envelope—it carried the weight of a life built by a self-made man. Kauffman had earned every cent the hard way, guided by mentors, not inheritance.  What he saw didn’t make him feel powerful. It made him reflect. “The achievement led me to a deeply felt realization—I had a responsibility to my family and my community,” Kauffman said. “So I started thinking about how to give some of it ba...
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Going Nuclear: DIA Explores Modular Reactor to Meet Growing Demand
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Fox31, Approved, Local

Going Nuclear: DIA Explores Modular Reactor to Meet Growing Demand

By Heather Willard | Denver (KDVR) Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver International Airport is soliciting proposals for a feasibility study regarding the possibility of a small modular reactor, which is a type of nuclear reactor, on the campus. DIA said Wednesday that the project would help benefit its goal of becoming the world’s greenest airport and also be energy independent. The study is projected to cost up to $1.25 million and will take upward of a year to complete. “Denver leads with bold ideas, and our vision for the future of our airport is no exception,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in DIA’s announcement on Wednesday. “As we work to make DEN the greenest airport in the world, we must explore every innovative solution available to meet the demands of a growing city and ...
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Xcel’s costly coal exit: Public interest group warns plan could stick consumers with the tab
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Westword, Approved, State

Xcel’s costly coal exit: Public interest group warns plan could stick consumers with the tab

By Catie Cheshire | Westword One consumer protection group is calling for the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to shrink Xce's giant proposal. As Xcel Energy works to decommission coal plants across Colorado, one proposal is catching heat. Watchdog organization Colorado Public Interest Research Group believes Xcel’s proposal to replace the Comanche 3 coal plant in Pueblo will result in unnecessary costs to customers. The group's executive director Danny Katz, says the proposal is too big for southern Colorado as his organization calls on the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to pare back the proposal. According to Xcel’s filings with the PUC, the utility wants to replace energy production from Comanche 3’s coal units with a mix of wind, solar and natu...
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