About the Ballot Measure

Why a statewide ballot initiative?

1. Political Failures:  Governor Polis promised “bold” climate action.  Four years after declaring that “the oil and gas wars are over”, fracking is still harming our communities, with ~1,000 new wells being permitted every year.  Even with a “super majority” of Democrats in the Legislature, we’ve seen few substantial changes to the manner and rate at which the oil & gas industry has been allowed to operate.
2. Self Determination:  State ballot initiatives are the most powerful tool at our disposal to create meaningful change.  They give us the opportunity to enact new laws and protections and empower voters to overcome the lobbying and strong financial influence that special interests use to control our political systems.   
3. Movement Building & Ripple Effect:  A successful state ballot initiative is our greatest hope to transform Colorado from one of the nation’s largest GHG polluters to a global leader in the transition away from fossil fuels and toward a just, thriving Renewable Energy future.  A win here could potentially be one of the biggest victories to date for the climate movement and inspire people everywhere to follow our lead.

What would this ballot initiative do?

View the ballot language here  |   Endorse the ballot initiative language here

• This initiative would ensure that after 2030 no new permits for drilling would be approved.
• It would require COGCC to make rules by the end of 2025 to begin the process of gradually reducing the number of new permits given each year.
• It would require the COGCC to prioritize reducing or eliminating new permits in disproportionately impacted communities first.
• Once new permitting is stopped, oil and gas production in our state would naturally decline over time as the existing fracked oil and gas wells produce ~90-95% of their total fossil fuel production in the first three years. This would make room for a clean energy economy to flourish, and it would gradually eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution caused by burning the oil and gas Colorado produces.