DENVER—Business leaders said Wednesday they now realize something must be done to curtail global warming, but they urged Gov. Bill Ritter and lawmakers not to take unilateral action that could drive up costs and hurt their competitiveness.
Peter O’Connor, a board member of the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, which bills itself as a statewide chamber of commerce, said business leaders are worried that lawmakers will set tougher standards than other states, which could raise energy costs and other expenses.
He said some companies could be forced out of business.
O’Connor said many companies have already taken the initiative and set their own goals for reducing greenhouse gases and cutting carbon production.
“The early actors should be taken into account and given credit for what they have done,” he said at a forum for other business leaders.
House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, said Colorado cannot afford to wait for Congress to take action. He said about two dozen bills dealing with climate change are expected to be introduced when the Legislature convenes in January.
Romanoff said global warming could ruin the state’s ski industry, and bark beetles are already devouring and killing trees in resort towns.
“I think global warming will have catastrophic consequences for Colorado, and Colorado needs to take steps to solve it,” he said.
He said Colorado has already taken the lead in renewable energy and climate change, passing bills this year require major utilities to get 20 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020, providing incentives for renewable energy producers and new transmission lines and promoting environmentally friendly power plants.
He said bills being considered next year include a plan that would allow companies to buy credits from farmers who reduce carbon emissions, a proposal to require stricter standards for vehicle emissions than those set by the federal government and plans to promote cleaner energy.
Romanoff said it may cost more in the short term, but it will pay off in the longer term, providing more jobs as the state makes the switch.
“Colorado will be a world leader in renewable energy, and that’s good for business,” Romanoff said.
