Colorado residents did not pass Ballot Initiative 177, also called Amendment 82, which would have created a constitutional right to sell and purchase natural gas for cooking and heating.
The Associated Press called the race at 3:21 pm ET on Nov. 4, announcing that 53.9% of Coloradans voted against this potential amendment.
The rejection means state agencies and local governments will not have to adjust building codes that impact the purchase or sale of natural gas. State and local jurisdictions' building codes designed to prohibit or restrict natural gas in buildings are unchanged unless regulations are modified.
This does not help the case of gas ban opponents who are pursuing a lawsuit in the state against Colorado and Denver policies that discourage natural gas use in existing buildings. The lawsuit is moving forward after US District Court Judge Regina Rodriguez adopted a recommended decision by US Magistrate Judge Kathryn Starnella rejecting motions to dismiss the case.
Opponents of the initiative said it could have delayed the state's long-term decarbonization goals.
Conservation Colorado, which opposed the ballot initiative, previously told Platts that Amendment 82 is incredibly broad, so the effect on Coloradans could be widespread. Platts is part of S&P Global Energy.
While the Colorado ballot initiative had been brewing for years and a similar initiative narrowly passed in Washington in 2024 — Initiative 2066 — a state superior judge found that the Washington initiative was too broad and violated the constitution. The Washington Supreme Court on Sept. 17 upheld that ruling. Unlike 1-2066, which was a statutory law, Amendment 82 was a constitutional measure, which would have made the Colorado initiative much harder to challenge or change if it passed.
Neighboring states Arizona, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska have passed similar legislation aimed at preventing restrictions on natural gas. New Mexico introduced a bill with similar proposals, but it died in committee.
