Here the client is more than just a number and you will not get lost in the shuffle. We take pride in being proactive and communicating directly with our clients. Whether you need help at the State Capitol, with the Governor’s office, a state agency, political and policy strategy or Colorado’s Congressional delegation, we are here to help you achieve your goals.
Who We Are
Chris is a government relations professional, registered Colorado Lobbyist, and business development consultant specializing in cleantech, innovative technology, finance and renewable energy business and policy issues. Additionally, he has represented clients in the cannabis industry both at the State Capitol and in the rulemaking process.
Education
- University of Colorado Denver, MA / Political Science
- Northern Illinois University, BSN / Nursing
- National Renewable Energy Lab – Executive Energy Leadership Program – 2011
Background
- 2012 – 2015 – Deputy Director – Colorado Cleantech Industries Association (CCIA). Ran the association’s government relations, policy and political program on a state and federal level. CCIA is a statewide business trade association for a variety of innovative business sectors.
- 2006 – 2012 – Deputy Press Secretary & Congressional Aide – U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07). In addition to press duties, he focused on a variety of policy areas including energy, environment, water and foreign policy
State Legislative Experience
At the State Capitol, Chris is highly regarded for building coalitions among competing interests. His pragmatic, bi-partisan approach has generated legislative successes for the growing Colorado cleantech, solar, electric vehicle and marijuana business ecosystem. Chris has worked with a variety of clients, environmental groups, utilities, state agencies and other stakeholders to pass legislation in the following areas:
Transportation
- HB 12-1258 – Streamlines regulations for alternative fuel vehicle fueling stations and clarified a business can have on site renewables and sell alternative fuels and not be regulated as a public utility. Successfully passed this bill while coordinating utility, natural gas, cleantech and environmental groups.
- HB 13-1110 – Reconfigured and streamlined the natural gas, propane and electric vehicle decal, permitting and Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF) system. Authored the amendment to ensure electric vehicles paid into the HUTF while also creating an electric vehicle charging grant fund – currently known as the Charge Ahead program with the Colorado Energy Office.
- SB 18-216 – Allows Investor Owned Utilities to invest in alternative fuel vehicle infrastructure (electric vehicle & natural gas). Specifically worked on language to protect private third party alternative fuel vehicle companies.
- HB 23 -1233 – Provides improved EV charging standards and protections for parking, condominiums, multi-family housing. Created a business personal property tax exemption for EV charging equipment.
- Closely involved in several bills to create Colorado’s various alternative fuel vehicle tax credits. Successfully introduced an amendment to include hydraulic hybrid vehicle technology into the program. Colorado has the largest and simplest Electric Vehicle tax credit in the nation. Effectively worked to defeat multiple attempts to repeal the tax credits.
- HB 24-1161 – Motor Vehicle Access Individuals with Disabilities. Successfully worked with the bill sponsors and members of the EV charging and disability rights communities to ensure state standards for accessibility are flexible and implementable by not adhering to incomplete federal guidelines.
Renewable Energy
- SB 15-046 – Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Distributed Generation (DG) Carve-out Adjustment bill. Worked with rural electric cooperatives, small wind business community and environmental groups to move forward on a legislative compromise to amend the current DG carve-out statute for rural electric cooperative utilities.
- HB 15-1377 – Renewable Energy Garden Regulations for rural electric cooperative territory – worked closely with rural utilities, solar and environmental groups to allow any approved renewable energy technology to qualify as a “community renewable garden” and apply for the DG carve-out requirement.
- SB 17-179 – Continued and strengthened fee caps ($500 for residential & $1,000 for commercial projects up to 2 megawatts) that cities and counties can charge for solar arrays.
- HB 18-1270 – Requires the PUC to evaluate the merits of storage technologies during the Energy Resource Plan and other procurement processes.
- SB 18-009 – Established the nation’s first “Right to Storage” for distributed battery storage systems. This bill also defined “distributed storage” for the first time in statute.
- 2020 – Successfully fought against a repeal of the funding stream for all 7 Advanced industries but most importantly – cleantech’s annual carveout – due to pandemic state budget cuts.
- HB 22-1149 – Extended the existing Advanced Industries Investor tax credit for 4 additional years and increased the annual amount available by over 5X.
- SB 23-066 – Successfully passed legislation to extend the funding sources for the Advanced industries Accelerator grant program for 2 years – securing millions for start-up and early stage cleantech companies.
- HB 23-1137 – Gives Community Solar Garden developers and customer more choices and stability in the bill credit they receive each month to help offset their energy costs.
- SB 24-207 – Modernized and expanded opportunities for community solar gardens and battery storage by creating 200 megawatts projects over the several years. This bill will help vault Colorado back to a leadership position in both community solar and battery storage projects.
Local Government
- 2016 – Successfully lobbied Arapahoe County’s Board of County Commissioners to pass a resolution to “opt-in” to Colorado’s Commercial PACE program. This allows energy, water efficiency and renewable technologies to be incorporated in the financial “stack” to utilize this innovative project-financing tool.
- 2022 – Organized the marijuana industry to stop a ballot initiative to raise taxes on retail sales. If enacted, it would have made marijuana taxes in the City & County of Denver among the highest in the nations.
HB 24-1173 – Requires the Colorado Energy Office to create model building codes to assist local governments with a permitting template and consulting resources to allow for a smoother process for EV charging permits.
Cannabis
- HB 16-1261 – Retail marijuana rules and statutes sunset review.
- SB 18-105 – Technical clean up bill related to a prior year’s drafting error that would negatively impact marijuana testing labs.
- HB 18-1422 – Requires marijuana testing labs to be “ISO” accredited.
- HB 21-1317 – Increased regulation around concentrates while fighting against provisions to ban products and impose a potency cap on marijuana.
- SB 23-271 – Creates Colorado’s first regulatory framework for intoxicating hemp products which includes robust testing and manufacturing practices.
- SB 24-076 – Colorado’s first bill to start cutting unnecessary red tape in the regulated cannabis space including allowing for biennial license renewals, clarifying that seeds, clones and genetic material can be bought and sold, and clarifies whether an infraction was technical or public safety related.