First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 25-0666.01 Christopher McMichael x4775
HOUSE BILL 25-1096
House Committees Senate Committees
Energy & Environment
Finance
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING AUTOMATED PERMITTI NG FOR RESIDENTIAL CLEAN101
ENERGY TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS .102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov
.)
The bill requires counties with a population of more than 5,000
residents in unincorporated areas and municipalities with a population of
more than 5,000 residents to adopt an ordinance or resolution that would
implement an automated residential solar permitting platform (platform).
The platform would automatically review an application for a residential
solar panel installation and issue a permit for the residential solar panel
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 31, 2025
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 27, 2025
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Smith and Brown, Bacon, Boesenecker, Froelich, Rutinel, Titone, Valdez
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Ball and Kipp,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. installation project if the project is code-compliant and meets certain
criteria.
The platform utilized by a county or municipality must be used for
at least 75% of the residential solar panel installation permit applications
submitted to the local jurisdiction. The platform will only be used for
solar panel installations that will be installed on existing residential
buildings, have a maximum capacity of 200 amperes main service
disconnect, and provide electrical power to single-family or 2-family
residential property.
A county or municipality required to implement the platform must
notify the Colorado energy office (office) of its compliance with the
requirements of the bill and submit an annual report to the office related
to the use of the platform and the type of software used.
Counties and municipalities are also eligible to receive funding
and technical assistance from the office to implement platforms.
The office is required to submit a report to the general assembly
related to the use of automated permitting software for other residential
electrification projects, such as electric vehicle charging stations and heat
pump space heaters, and the costs and benefits of implementing the
automated software. The office must submit the report by July 1, 2026.
The state electrical board in the department of regulatory agencies
is also required to implement a platform for use in its issuance and review
of electrical permits related to residential solar panel installations. The
board must also notify the office of its compliance with adopting the
platform and submit an annual report to the office related to the board's
use of the platform.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
2
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-38.5-119, amend3
(2)(b), (3)(b), (3)(c), and (4) as follows:4
24-38.5-119. Streamlined solar permitting and inspection5
grant program - creation - eligibility - fund created - gifts, grants, or6
donations - reporting - legislative declaration - definitions - repeal.7
(2) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:8
(b) "Automated permitting and inspection software" OR9
"AUTOMATED PERMITTING SOFTWARE" means a web-based portal that10
1096-2- implements automated plan review, verifies local code compliance, and1
issues permits for electric power systems that is developed by a national2
organization focused on clean energy research, development, and3
deployment in collaboration with building and safety industry experts.4
(3) The grant program is created to allow an authority having5
jurisdiction to apply to the office for a grant to help provide6
implementation support to the authority having jurisdiction for7
implementation of automated permitting software. In administering the8
grant program, the office shall:9
(b) Develop procedures to award a grant to an authority having10
jurisdiction for expenses expected to be incurred in adopting automated11
permitting software, including necessary expenses for staff time,12
information technology, training, installation, third-party consulting,13
ongoing maintenance for up to three years AFTER THE GRANTEE14
IMPLEMENTS THE AUTOMATED PERMITTING SOFTWARE, and hardware or15
equipment;16
(c) Not award money to an authority having jurisdiction for:17
(I) Expected costs associated with software other than automated18
permitting software;19
(II) Activities occurring before being awarded grant program20
money; or more than one hundred eighty days after receiving grant21
program money,22
(III) Food and OR beverage costs;23
(IV) Fines OR penalties;24
(V) Advertising; or25
(VI) Permit processing fees, including fees charged by the26
operator of automated permitting software;27
1096
-3- (4) (a) The office may use up to nine percent of the money in the1
fund to cover PAY FOR the direct and indirect costs that the office incurs2
in administering the grant program.3
(b) THE OFFICE MAY USE UP TO NINE PERCENT OF THE MONEY4
REMAINING IN THE FUND AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2025, TO PAY FOR THE5
DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS THAT THE OFFICE INCURS IN ADMINISTERING6
THE GRANT PROGRAM.7
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act8
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the9
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except10
that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V11
of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this12
act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take13
effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in14
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the15
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.16
1096
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