What is Mitigation?
Mitigation refers to efforts to prevent further climate warming by eliminating greenhouse gas emissions. Colorado’s main mitigation strategy is shifting from fossil-based energy — such as coal, natural gas and oil — to clean energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro power. Mitigation can also include energy efficiency, conservation, methane emissions reduction from agriculture and other sectors, and other policy changes that reduce the need for fossil fuels.
Reducing energy use can also save money and improve air quality. For example, switching from a gasoline-powered car to an electric vehicle saves a driver money on fuel and maintenance and reduces tailpipe emissions.
Explore Colorado's Three Climate Pillars: Mitigation - Adaptation - Equitable Transition
Mitigation Goals
Mitigation efforts focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating new jobs and business opportunities, and reducing negative impacts of fossil energy use as well as costs to Colorado residents and businesses.
Colorado is:
- Making the swift transition away from coal-fired power plants to carbon-free electricity by 2040.
- Achieving deep reductions in methane pollution from oil and gas development.
- Accelerating the shift to electric cars, trucks, and buses.
- Reducing the need to drive by making changes to transportation and land use planning.
- Increasing building efficiency and use of high-efficiency electric appliances and heating systems.
- Supporting improvements to Colorado’s industry and manufacturing.
- Reducing methane waste from landfills, wastewater, and other sources.
Explore Colorado’s Efforts to Mitigate Climate Change Across Sectors
Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Colorado
Mitigation Policies Save Money
We’ve provided more than 2,000 no-cost energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements in homes through the Weatherization Assistance Program, saving over $350 in energy costs for each home each year.
We’ve saved taxpayers more than $40 million per year every year by improving the energy efficiency of our schools, colleges and universities, and local government buildings.
We’ve helped 280 farmers in more than 41 counties save $2.8 million each year in energy costs through renewable energy and energy efficiency.
We’ve reduced the costs of installing electric vehicle charging stations by more than 80% for those who participate in the Charge Ahead Colorado program.
We’ve helped more than 99 commercial buildings save over $68 million through energy upgrades financed with the Colorado Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program.