A pro-fossil fuel group says it’s close to getting two measures it’s pushing onto the fall ballot.
One, currently known as Initiative 284, is designed to counter attempts to ban new construction from being served with natural gas.
Called the Consumer Choice Measure, it is being pushed by Protect Colorado, a nonprofit issue committee that opposes limitations on fossil fuel development, such as hydraulic fracturing.
“If 284 doesn’t pass, the next time you buy or remodel a home in Colorado, you may not have the option to install or use a gas range, gas fireplace, gas heat or other gas appliances,” the group said in a statement.
“Government should not be allowed to take away our ability to choose an affordable, clean-burning, reliable and convenient energy source for heating our homes and cooking our meals.”
During this year’s session, the Colorado Legislature passed and Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law that requires homebuilders to offer buyers the option of having only an electrical heating system.
That measure, which passed on nearly party-line voted in the Democratic-controlled Legislature, does not ban the installation of gas lines.
The group, however, says such bans are becoming increasingly popular in some parts of the country.
The other measure pushed by the group is Initiative 304, a measure that would attach a new fiscal impact statement on future proposed ballot measures.
Current law already requires fiscal impact statements to be attached to ballot measures while signatures are being collected to allow signers to see a proposal’s revenue impact to state and local governments.
This new fiscal statement would include things those statements don’t, such as an increase or loss in jobs.
That measure is primarily aimed at an opposing group’s effort to impose stricter setback rules for oil and gas drilling, one Protect Colorado says would virtually put that industry out of business and eliminate thousands of jobs.
Both measures, to date, have collected about 140,000 signatures, the group says.
To qualify for the ballot, each needs to have at least 124,632 valid signatures from registered voters.
The group has until Aug. 3 to collect them.
Read More: Pro-oil and gas group nears signature goal for ballot measures
