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Amendment 82: Constitutional Right to Purchase and Sell Natural Gas

Statewide — all of Colorado

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

  • Placed on the ballot by citizen initiative. The Blue Book lists 14 statewide measures on the November 3, 2026 ballot.[1][2]

The question on the ballot

Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution creating new law granting the right for consumers to purchase natural gas for cooking or heating in homes or businesses and for distributors and utilities to sell natural gas to consumers?[1]

Establishes in the state constitution a right for consumers to purchase natural gas for cooking or heating and a right for distributors and utilities to sell natural gas for use in homes and businesses. The Blue Book says this may limit the ability of state or local governments to enforce existing or future natural gas regulations, such as local building codes restricting gas appliances. Passes with 55 percent of the vote. Fiscal impact: may minimally increase state agency expenditures (chiefly the Department of Local Affairs) and legal workload; local governments with gas-restricting codes may have added legal and permitting costs.[1]

A YES vote means

Establishes a state constitutional right to purchase and sell natural gas for use in homes and businesses.

A NO vote means

Maintains current law and regulations related to the purchase and sale of natural gas.

The law today

Per the Blue Book: the state regulates investor-owned natural gas utilities through the Public Utilities Commission (rates, safety, clean heat plans); in December 2025 the PUC issued a rule requiring those utilities to submit plans for a 41 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 versus 2015, in line with state law. The Department of Public Health and Environment sets emissions standards for gas appliances. Local governments may regulate installation and repair of gas service and appliances; several municipalities have restricted gas appliances in new construction or some renovations, for example Crested Butte's building code requiring electric heating and water heaters in new residential buildings.[1]

Official fiscal estimate

Per the Blue Book: the measure may minimally increase state expenditures, mainly in the Department of Local Affairs, to revise technical assistance to local governments about building codes that conflict with the right, and may increase workload and legal services for the PUC and the departments of Natural Resources and Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Energy Office. Local governments with codes that regulate or restrict natural gas may face added legal, permitting and inspection costs to conform those codes.[1]

Read the full text of the measure ↗

Arguments made for

  • Blue Book argument for: "Natural gas is an affordable and widely available energy source that reliably heats homes and businesses…" It adds that the measure "will ensure continued access to natural gas without interference from state or local governments."[1]
  • Advance Colorado president Michael Fields, in a statement reported by the Colorado Sun: “Natural gas is a clean, reliable and affordable form of energy that more than 70% of Colorado homes use today. That right should be protected,”[3]
  • Advance Colorado executive vice president Kristi Burton Brown, in a video presentation reported by the Colorado Sun: “This is a major assault on the rights of Coloradans to choose the form of energy that best works for us,”[3]

Arguments made against

  • Blue Book argument against: "Using natural gas contributes to climate change through emitting greenhouse gases, leads to air pollution, and should not be protected in the state constitution." It adds that local communities "should have the ability to make decisions about public health priorities, energy needs, and climate goals."[1]
  • Conservation Colorado CEO Kelly Nordini, quoted by the Colorado Sun: “Given the risks to utility bills and safety regulations from placing vague and misleading preferences for natural gas profits into the state constitution, our top priority will be educating voters about the dangers of Initiative 177,”[3]

On record in support

  • Advance Colorado: sponsor; its president Michael Fields and executive vice president Kristi Burton Brown have publicly supported the measure.[3][4]
  • A Brighter Colorado: registered supporting issue committee (Secretary of State list).[4]
  • Energy Freedom Alliance of the Rockies: registered supporting issue committee (Secretary of State list).[4]
  • Affordable Colorado: registered supporting issue committee (Secretary of State list).[4]

On record in opposition

  • No Pollution in the Constitution: registered opposing issue committee, formed by Conservation Colorado and Western Resource Advocates (Colorado Sun).[4][3]
  • Conservation Colorado: CEO Kelly Nordini said educating voters about the dangers of the initiative is its top priority.[3]
  • Vote Common Sense: registered opposing issue committee (Secretary of State list).[4]
  • People for a Fair Colorado: registered opposing issue committee (Secretary of State list).[4]
  • Make Good Change: registered opposing issue committee (Secretary of State list).[4]

Campaign money

Opposing: No Pollution in the Constitution had raised more than $2 million through Oct. 13, including $600,000 from the Utility Action Alliance, $500,000 from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, $250,000 from the League of Conservation Voters, $250,000 from the Green Advocacy Project and $125,000 from Aspen One (Colorado Sun). Supporting: A Brighter Colorado, which also supports it, had raised nearly $3 million through Oct. 13 across all measures it takes a side on (Colorado Sun); Colorado Politics reported on Sept. 25 that Energy Freedom Alliance of the Rockies, which had just filed, had reported no contributions.[5][6]

Research notes & limits

Source: the official 2026 Blue Book (Legislative Council Staff, nonpartisan), which gives the ballot title, the 'what your vote means' text, an analysis with arguments for and against, and the fiscal impact. Its 'for' and 'against' arguments are the staff's own summaries of the main arguments on each side, not statements from named campaigns; the booklet points to the Secretary of State's page for supporting and opposing organizations, which was not reviewed here. Ballotpedia is cited only for the certified-measure count. Ballotpedia notes a separate road-funding initiative was certified but withdrawn after its proponents reached an agreement with the state, so it is not on the ballot. Argument items 2 added from the Colorado Sun's Sept. 30 explainer (statements by named officials of each side; quotes checked against the page text). See the Amendment 81 note on finance sourcing.

Sources · 6

Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.2026 State Ballot Information Booklet (Blue Book) · Colorado Legislative Council Staff · 2026-09-10 Official record
  2. 2.Colorado 2026 ballot measures · Ballotpedia · 2026-10-18 Reference
  3. 3.Amendment 82: Colorado voters will decide whether to put right to natural gas in state constitution · The Colorado Sun · 2026-09-30 News report
  4. 4.Amendments and Propositions on the 2026 Ballot: information and contacts (certified measures, registered issue committees) · Colorado Secretary of State · 2026-10-19 Official record
  5. 5.Millions in untraceable conservative money flooding into Colorado election · The Colorado Sun · 2026-10-14 News report
  6. 6.Colorado ballot measure committees raise more than $20 million for 2026 election · Colorado Politics · 2026-09-25 News report