Polis Administration Awards $21.6 Million to Support Local Climate Action

Grants will support local governments in adopting policies and advancing programs that reduce pollution and boost local resilience

Statewide - Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026 - The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) announced $21.6 million in grant awards Wednesday to help local governments adopt policies that enhance resilience, reduce emissions, and advance other priorities such as clean air, lower energy costs, and affordable housing. These federally funded awards through the Local IMPACT Accelerator Grant program will support 17 projects that promote policies extending beyond state requirements in four categories: buildings, land use, transportation, and waste.

"Colorado is at the forefront in connecting local governments with the investments needed to boost our clean energy economy, and protect our air quality. Investments from the IMPACT Accelerator initiative assist Coloradans in transforming local communities by expanding housing options, creating clean transportation options, and responsible land use to keep our communities and environment healthy for generations to come," said Governor Polis.

Funding through the Local IMPACT Accelerator program focuses on local policy adoption, with funding also available to support policy implementation.

"Local Governments can make policy decisions with long-standing impacts that meet the needs and priorities of their communities, making them essential partners in our work to achieve net-zero emissions in Colorado by 2050," said CEO Executive Director Will Toor. "With a unique focus on policy adoption, these grants turn high-level state priorities into local realities, strengthening the long-term economic and environmental resilience of neighborhoods across the state."

CEO prioritized awards for projects across the state proposing policies with a high likelihood of success, existing stakeholder support, long-term impacts, and high emissions reduction potential, as well as projects in low-income communities. CEO awarded 17 policy adoption projects, with 16 of those projects also including funding to support implementation. These projects support increased resilience across Colorado from the West Slope to our Mountain Communities and from the Front Range to the plains. For example:

• The Town of Akron will use its award to adopt new land use, transportation, and waste policies that support clean energy adoption and to make building energy efficiency upgrades to its Town Hall, saving residents money on public energy costs.

• The City of Fort Collins received funding to adopt two new policies: one to improve street safety at intersections and another to implement more robust energy performance standards for buildings than the state requires.

• Winter Park is proposing policies related to thermal energy, net-zero bus stops, and fast electric car chargers, while also expanding transit services and creating local incentive programs.

For a full list and descriptions of awarded projects, see the Summary of Awards. CEO expects to award an additional $30 million to local governments from the second application round for this program, which closed applications in fall 2025.

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