Colorado energy agency debuts public-friendly website

DENVER — The Energy and Carbon Management Commission has launched a new website aimed at improving public access to information and encouraging greater participation in the state’s energy regulation process.

The website, located at ecmc.colorado.gov, is based on extensive stakeholder input and user testing. It is designed to translate the commission’s complex and technical work into plain, everyday language.

The site plays a key role in supporting the commission’s implementation of the 2024 cumulative impacts and enhanced systems and practices rulemaking. Cumulative impacts refer to the combined effects on public health and the environment from the ongoing and past development of oil and gas operations. The new rules aim to provide a more realistic picture of the effects of overlapping exposure to chemicals and other stressors such as noise, odor and socioeconomic disadvantages, particularly in disproportionately impacted communities.

“People told us loudly and clearly that our former website created barriers to participation,” said Julie Murphy, director of the commission. “I struggled to navigate it myself when I joined the agency a decade ago. This new site is grounded in user feedback, and while I am proud of what we have built, it is only one of many steps we are taking to increase public engagement.”

The commission’s broader efforts to reach communities include the addition of its first environmental justice community liaisons, Steven Arauza and Yesica Chavez. Arauza supports communities on the Western Slope, while Chavez focuses on the Front Range. Both attend and host community meetings, share information about commission events and complaints processes, and evaluate the quality of industry outreach.

The cumulative impacts rules adopted in October 2024 reflect a major shift in Colorado’s energy policy. Following Senate Bill 19-181, the commission’s mission changed from promoting oil and gas development to prioritizing the protection of public health, safety, welfare, the environment and wildlife.

In recent years, lawmakers have expanded the commission’s authority. Senate Bill 23-285 made it the lead agency for geothermal and underground gas storage. Senate Bill 23-016 allowed it to seek regulatory primacy over Class VI carbon storage wells. In 2024, new laws mandated tougher rules on emissions and electric submersible pumps and gave the commission the authority to finalize cumulative impact standards.