Colorado voters will decide on Initiative 177, "Right to Natural Gas," a constitutional amendment backed by conservative nonprofit Advance Colorado. The 60-word measure would enshrine the right of producers and utilities to sell methane gas, potentially overriding local building codes that promote electrification.

Environmental groups like Conservation Colorado, led by CEO Kelly Nordini, call it a "cynical attempt to lock fossil fuel industry profits into the state constitution." The amendment lacks public health or safety provisions. House Democrats tried to add protections but Republicans blocked the bill.

The measure mirrors efforts in 26 states that passed preemptive bans on gas transition policies since 2020, but Colorado's constitutional approach is unprecedented. Legal expert Michael Burger of Columbia University's Sabin Center calls it "uncharted terrain." Over $1 million was spent on signature gathering; conservative nonprofits have spent $8.6 million on ballot initiatives since 2023.

Colorado currently gets a third of electricity from gas; 70% of homes use it for heating. The state aims to cut building emissions 41% by 2035. Heat pump rebates from the Inflation Reduction Act proved popular, with $31.89 million nearly exhausted. The amendment could undermine these climate efforts.