republic-os/legislation/us/states/co/2021a/sb-21-072.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Public Utilities Commission Modernize Electric Transmission Infrastructure"
description: "Section 1 of the act authorizes the public utilities commission (PUC) to approve utilities' applications to build new transmission facilities if the PUC, consistent with its authority, finds that the new facilities would assist the utilities in meeting the state's clean energy goals established in 2019. In constructing or expanding transmission facilities, a utility must use its own employees, engage a contractor whose employees have access to federally approved apprenticeship programs, or both. Section 1 also requires the PUC to consider the ability of the proposed facilities to support future expansion as needed to enable the utility to participate in an organized wholesale market (OWM), which is defined in section 2 as an organization established for the purpose of coordinating and managing the transmission of electricity among multiple public utilities on a multistate or regional basis. An application for construction or expansion of transmission facilities is deemed approved if the PUC does not deny it within 240 days after the application is complete and public notice has been given.Section 6 imposes a 180-day deadline for approval by a local government if local government approval is required.Sections 4 and 7 create the Colorado electric transmission authority (CETA) as an independent special purpose authority, and section 4 specifies the composition and manner of appointment of the board of directors that governs the authority. CETA is authorized to select a qualified transmission operator to finance, plan, acquire, maintain, and operate eligible electric transmission and interconnected storage facilities (eligible facilities).Under sections 4, 8, and 9, CETA is granted various powers necessary to accomplish its purposes, including the power to:Issue revenue bonds;"
jurisdiction: "us/states/co"
legislature: "Colorado General Assembly"
session: "2021A"
identifier: "SB 21-072"
citation: "Colorado SB 21-072 (2021A)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Alex Valdez", "Chris Hansen", "Don Coram", "Marc Catlin"]
version_count: 11
action_count: 17
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2021-02-16T07:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-06-24T06:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d4e819df-cc92-482b-8f2b-a5b093a72e4b"
source_url: "http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-072"
source_hash: "994228d4286b4f713e11474a838e239a63479533e57a40858759d0a5d87c5afd"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-co"]
---

# Colorado SB 21-072 (2021A) — Public Utilities Commission Modernize Electric Transmission Infrastructure

Section 1 of the act authorizes the public utilities commission (PUC) to approve utilities' applications to build new transmission facilities if the PUC, consistent with its authority, finds that the new facilities would assist the utilities in meeting the state's clean energy goals established in 2019. In constructing or expanding transmission facilities, a utility must use its own employees, engage a contractor whose employees have access to federally approved apprenticeship programs, or both. Section 1 also requires the PUC to consider the ability of the proposed facilities to support future expansion as needed to enable the utility to participate in an organized wholesale market (OWM), which is defined in section 2 as an organization established for the purpose of coordinating and managing the transmission of electricity among multiple public utilities on a multistate or regional basis. An application for construction or expansion of transmission facilities is deemed approved if the PUC does not deny it within 240 days after the application is complete and public notice has been given.Section 6 imposes a 180-day deadline for approval by a local government if local government approval is required.Sections 4 and 7 create the Colorado electric transmission authority (CETA) as an independent special purpose authority, and section 4 specifies the composition and manner of appointment of the board of directors that governs the authority. CETA is authorized to select a qualified transmission operator to finance, plan, acquire, maintain, and operate eligible electric transmission and interconnected storage facilities (eligible facilities).Under sections 4, 8, and 9, CETA is granted various powers necessary to accomplish its purposes, including the power to:Issue revenue bonds;

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Committee Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2021a_sb072_h_app_003.pdf)
2. **Engrossed (04/13/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_072_eng.pdf)
3. **Final Act (06/11/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_072_enr.pdf)
4. **Introduced (02/16/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_072_01.pdf)
5. **PA1 (03/17/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_072stra_01.pdf)
6. **PA2 (04/01/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_072straapp.pdf)
7. **PA3 (04/30/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_072ene_01.pdf)
8. **Reengrossed (04/14/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_072_ren.pdf)
9. **Rerevised (06/03/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_072_rer.pdf)
10. **Revised (06/01/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_072_rev.pdf)
11. **Signed Act (06/24/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2021a_072_signed.pdf)

## Votes

- BILL — **28–6** (pass) · upper
- BILL — **49–15** (pass) · lower
- CONCUR — **34–0** (pass) · upper
- REPASS — **27–7** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Alex Valdez — primary (person)
- Chris Hansen — primary (person)
- Don Coram — primary (person)
- Marc Catlin — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-06-24T06:00:00+00:00** Governor Signed `executive-signature`
- **2021-06-11T06:00:00+00:00** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-06-11T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the Speaker of the House
- **2021-06-11T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the President of the Senate
- **2021-06-03T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
- **2021-06-03T06:00:00+00:00** House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-06-02T06:00:00+00:00** House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
- **2021-06-01T06:00:00+00:00** House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
- **2021-05-28T06:00:00+00:00** House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2021-04-29T06:00:00+00:00** House Committee on Energy & Environment Refer Amended to Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-16T06:00:00+00:00** Introduced In House - Assigned to Energy & Environment + Appropriations `introduction`
- **2021-04-14T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-13T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor `reading-2`
- **2021-04-06T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
- **2021-04-01T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2021-03-16T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Committee on Transportation & Energy Refer Amended to Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-16T07:00:00+00:00** Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Transportation & Energy `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d4e819df-cc92-482b-8f2b-a5b093a72e4b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Colorado legislature records).