AGP Executive Report

Colorado Infrastructure: CDOT crews have started culvert upgrades on CO 172 near Ignacio, including a five-day, 24-hour closure Oct. 20–24 for a box culvert replacement, plus alternating traffic and a 10-foot width restriction; CDOT also finished a culvert replacement on Highway 318 at Browns Park. Transit & Jobs: Colorado Clean Transit Enterprise is awarding $44 million to RTD to expand Flatiron Flyer service between Denver and Boulder and add/boost routes to Denver International Airport, aiming for more frequency and longer hours. Agriculture Workforce: The Colorado Department of Agriculture opened 2027 Agricultural Workforce Development Program grants, reimbursing up to 50% of eligible internship costs (max $5,000) with applications due Nov. 2. Health & Life Sciences: Mineralys Therapeutics will present new lorundrostat Launch-HTN trial data at ASN Kidney Week in Denver. Legal/Policy: States and cities, including Denver, sued over the Trump administration’s rollback of EPA power-plant emissions rules; Colorado AG Phil Weiser also joined a fuel-economy standards challenge. Water & Climate: Lake Mead is adapting to declining levels with ramp and access work as projections point to continued drops into 2027.

Climate & Energy Law: Exxon and Suncor are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to toss a Boulder climate liability suit, a move that could reshape how Colorado cities and counties pursue oil-and-gas accountability. Water & Agriculture: Colorado growers are still absorbing the hit from an unusually warm spring followed by freezes, with early bloom and depleted snowpack driving crop failures and tougher planning. Local Power Rates: Colorado Springs Utilities says Energy Wise weekday on-peak electricity rates drop for winter starting Oct. 1, with guidance to shift usage to off-peak hours. Higher Ed & AI: EDUCAUSE’s Top 10 for 2026 urges universities to focus on where AI adds real value, keep human-centered experiences central, and tighten responsible governance. Public Safety & Infrastructure: Weld County approved a new fracking project near Severance despite resident concerns about traffic, proximity to homes and safety. Arts & Community Funding: Colorado Creates Grants awarded 187 arts grants statewide, including Western Slope recipients. Housing & Nonprofits: Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley promoted longtime leaders as it pushes toward building 200 homes by 2028. Transportation Tech: Robotaxis are moving from testing to everyday service, with Waymo expanding rides across major U.S. cities including Denver.

Airline Labor Fight: A Colorado federal court sent an airline industry group’s challenge to the state paid sick leave law to trial, citing disputes over whether the rule would raise absences and disrupt service. Energy & Climate Policy: Attorney General Nick Brown joined a coalition suing the EPA over the rollback of power-plant greenhouse gas limits, arguing it harms public health and community sustainability. Data Center Pushback: Weld County activists are collecting signatures to challenge commissioners’ approval of a massive Windsor-Greeley data center, seeking a public vote and limits on future occupancy permits. Solar Power Milestone: ContourGlobal and Platte River Power Authority completed Phase II of the Black Hollow Sun solar project near Severance, bringing Northern Colorado’s largest solar facility fully online. Food Safety: Sierra Nevada Cheese Company recalled all Graziers Raw Milk Cheese nationwide after a multi-state E. coli outbreak linked to the products sickened consumers. Workforce & Industry: STACK Infrastructure won SBTi validation for near-term and net-zero emissions targets, while a national skilled-trades alliance says the U.S. needs 1.7M workers annually through 2035.

Construction & Jobs: Hensel Phelps broke ground on a new 111,528-square-foot headquarters in Loveland, aiming to finish in 2027 and potentially bringing up to 400 jobs. Energy & Renewables: Hanwha Renewables is exploring a “Wrangler Energy Park” at Cheyenne’s Belvoir Ranch—up to 140 MW of solar plus energy storage—positioned alongside existing wind. Public Health & Food Safety: Mesa County’s restaurant inspection blotter highlights how local eateries are being scored and rechecked, with residents encouraged to file complaints. Chemicals & Health: New research flags PFAS “forever chemicals” as a possible skin exposure route, not just a food-and-water concern. Environment & Water: A new legal path for stream restoration in Colorado runs into old water conflicts, underscoring how hard it is to align conservation with existing rights. Local Schools: Lyons Elementary welcomes a new principal, while St. Vrain Valley’s superintendent lays out priorities for the 2026-27 school year. Aviation/Tech: A laser-based imaging study shows muons can help “see” through meters of concrete—promising uses for mining and security.

Colorado Climate Court Fight: Colorado is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to toss part of Nebraska’s South Platte River lawsuit, arguing its groundwater management isn’t barred by the 1923 compact. Energy & Industry: Amazon pledged $20M for Colorado River Basin water conservation and says it’s building a broader $100M collaborative with other firms. Quantum & Workforce: New Mexico opened a $25M state-backed Roadrunner Quantum Lab in Albuquerque, part of a wider push to grow quantum research and jobs. Local Construction & Agriculture: Peetz Farmers Co-op in Colorado added an 800,000-bushel grain storage expansion to keep up with rising corn production. Renewables in Northern Colorado: Black Hollow Sun, a 257-megawatt solar complex, officially completed after years of coordination across communities and energy partners. Public Health & Food: Edmonds Food Bank’s Empty Bowl fundraiser hit a record $335K to support local food security. Higher Ed (Vet Care): CSU unveiled its new $230M veterinary teaching hospital and educational complex in Fort Collins, expanding hands-on training and capacity. Consumer Tech: Poppins Payroll disclosed a data breach affecting Boulder-based customers, with a consumer-rights law firm investigating.

Airport & Consumer Disruption: A Denver International Airport traveler was handcuffed after a loud rant over a delayed flight, adding to a string of viral DEN incidents. Energy & Infrastructure: Lawmakers are pushing to deny permits for a major transmission line, while Colorado’s own grid upgrades are in focus after a $250M federal award for transmission improvements. Local Growth & Housing: Garfield County commissioner candidates spar over growth, South Bridge, and affordability, and multiple statehouse forums spotlight housing, energy, and immigration as voters head toward November. Oil & Gas Pressure: Windsor-area residents oppose a proposed oil and gas well site, and Weld County faces another fight over a 22-well project near Windsor. Water & Agriculture: A Colorado water economy op-ed argues the state needs an urgent structural overhaul as river conditions worsen, and a separate piece highlights mounting stress on cattle and the environment from a massive feedlot plan. Mining & Deals: Gold Fields is pitching Northern Star investors after a rebuff, and Barrick’s North American IPO timing may slip toward January. Health & Food Safety: Consumer advocates blame federal policy changes for a new jump in Colorado health insurance rates, and a nationwide raw milk cheese recall is tied to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened people including in Colorado.

Electric Infrastructure: Colorado will receive $250 million in federal funding to upgrade the state’s electricity grid, boosting transfer capacity and reliability as demand and data-center pressure grow. Water & Industry: Amazon pledged $20 million to Colorado River conservation, aiming to raise $100 million for leak repairs, canal lining, and precision irrigation—while still not disclosing how much water its operations use. Legal & Environment: Colorado AG Phil Weiser asked a federal judge to halt remodeling of a planned 1,200-bed immigration detention facility near Denver, arguing required environmental reviews weren’t completed. Energy Markets & Policy: The Supreme Court climate case involving Suncor v. Boulder was jolted by Justice Alito’s last-minute recusal. Local Construction & Mobility: CDOT and Tricon Construction will start work Sept. 16 on Fairplay’s mobility hub upgrades, adding a new transit stop, ADA access, parking, and traffic changes through late 2026. Arts & Workforce: Colorado Creative Industries awarded 187 grants across 33 counties to support arts operations and public programming, with a focus on rural recipients. Cybersecurity: CPI renewed its multi-year relationship with Vericast to support instant card issuance for banks and credit unions.

Sports betting + marijuana legalization: A new critique argues legalization hasn’t crushed black markets for either vice, and may have widened harm by spreading gambling culture and leaving illegal operators in business. Higher ed policy: The U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act, aiming to rein in athlete payments and transfers with new national rules. Public lands + staffing: Pitkin County approved a special-use permit to take over Maroon Bells Scenic Area operations as Forest Service budget cuts and staffing shortages strain management. AI + safety: A Bangladesh report warns that easier access to generative AI could worsen disinformation and manipulation, especially where literacy remains low. Colorado tech + security: StackHawk launched Wingman to help fix AI-coding security flaws before code reaches review. Local governance + data centers: Aurora residents packed City Council to oppose the Trident data center, urging health and environmental safeguards. Health + food industry: The FDA announced a nationwide recall of certain raw milk cheeses tied to an E. coli outbreak affecting Colorado among other states. Energy + finance: Rising Treasury yields pushed stocks further from records, with oil-price uncertainty also weighing on markets.

Supreme Court Watch: Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from Boulder County’s landmark climate lawsuit against Suncor and ExxonMobil, a move that could shape dozens of similar state-court climate cases nationwide as oral arguments are set for Oct. 5. Water & Energy: Colorado fired back at Nebraska in the South Platte River fight, arguing Nebraska is taking more than its share and seeking to defend Colorado water users under the compact. Construction & Risk: Colorado’s Construction Defect Action Reform Act gets a step-by-step refresher, including key deadlines for notice and filing. Consumer Protection: A bipartisan group of 44 state attorneys general reached a settlement over a Labcorp data breach, with injunctive relief focused on vendor security. Agriculture: USDA crop conditions held steady for corn and soybeans at “good” to “excellent,” with Colorado’s ratings slightly down week over week. Local Business Growth: Building While Giving expands to Littleton and launches a dedicated commercial construction division. Health & Safety: An E. coli outbreak tied to raw milk cheese prompted a recall, with illnesses reported in multiple states including Colorado. Education: Platte Canyon School Board highlights improved test scores, safety gains, and budget success.

Medical Innovation: Colorado-based TriSalus Life Sciences won FDA 510(k) clearance for TriNav Advance, a liver embolization device aimed at reaching smaller distal vessels with more precise, pressure-enabled drug delivery. Energy & Utilities: The U.S. Department of Energy renewed an emergency order keeping Colorado’s Craig Generating Station coal unit running through year-end, citing grid reliability amid storage delays and rising demand. Tech & Cybersecurity: EDUCAUSE 2026 is set to bring thousands to Denver as universities tackle AI governance and escalating ransomware and data privacy risks. Manufacturing & Batteries: GM is developing sodium-ion battery cells with Denver startup Peak Energy for domestic stationary storage supply chains, as automakers face pressure over China-linked tech. Mining & Critical Minerals: Octava Minerals is pushing fluorspar ambitions in Argentina’s Sierra Grande district via a conditional deal covering four historical mines. Business & Policy: A Senate permitting push is stalled, while GOP leaders tee up a data-center utility cost bill aimed at ratepayer protection. Colorado Economy: CSU will open a new herb garden as a living classroom tied to Colorado’s natural and organic products legacy.

Ski Industry & Water: Mountain West resorts are bracing for a rebound after a brutal 2025-26 season, with visits down about 25% and Colorado snowpack hit hardest—yet drought still threatens this winter’s recovery. Energy & Grid: A look at Texas’ 2026 heat shows how solar, wind, and battery storage helped the grid avoid blackouts during record demand. Agriculture & Local Economy: Colorado Proud is rolling out a single Fall/Winter Activity and Gift Guide to help residents find farm experiences and Colorado-made products, while making it easier for producers to list once. Health Insurance Costs: Colorado’s individual-market premiums are set to rise in 2027, averaging about 12% in the Boulder area and 10% in Greeley. Air Quality: Denver-area ozone this summer hit some of the worst levels in roughly 30 years, raising the odds of tougher federal oversight. Local Business & Real Estate: Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac are tightening condo mortgage rules, including higher reserve requirements, adding friction to an already strained condo market. Denver Infrastructure: Denver businesses are getting new waste diversion rules to follow, with compliance tied to the city’s updated recycling/compost ordinance. Utilities & Construction: Xcel customers are reporting more frequent and longer power outages, and regulators want answers. Tech & Environment: A DOE-backed study says AI fish monitoring can reconstruct fish species in hydropower settings with very high accuracy.

Power Reliability: Xcel Energy outages are hitting Boulder and other Colorado areas more often and for longer, and regulators want answers about aging infrastructure plus wildfire-related strain. Public Health & Cannabis Compliance: Colorado recalled Craft marijuana vape cartridges and disposables sold at 405 stores after officials found an ingredient containing methylene chloride; consumers are told to destroy or return products and report any illness. Water & Energy Infrastructure: Colorado River interim drought guidelines tied to the 2007 compact expire Oct. 1, as federal management steps in while states scramble over future allocations. Local Housing & Construction: Habitat for Humanity’s Griffith Station project is building 20 Denver-metro homes in Arvada, with city land donation and volunteer-and-future-homeowner construction. Agriculture Conservation: Eagle Rock Ranch in Park County won the 2026 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award for repairing a damaged working ranch and improving wildlife, soil, and water practices. Wildlife & Hunting Practices: A lead-ammunition push highlights how fragmented lead can contaminate game meat and the food chain, urging hunters toward lead-free rounds. Local Regulation Watch: Gilpin County commissioners discussed repealing and replacing short-term rental rules, including fee tiers, renewal timing, inspections, and wildfire/fire-safety limits.

Local Governance: Buena Vista mayor candidate Carlin Walsh says his brewery-and-economic-development background will shape how he runs the trustees board—pushing consensus and avoiding mayor tie-breaks that can make it look like one side “defeated” another. Energy & Reliability: The U.S. Energy Department renewed orders keeping two aging coal plants open after a federal appeals court limited its emergency power, a fight that also touches Colorado’s Craig Station. Agriculture: A USDA staffing crisis is leaving farmers and ranchers facing longer waits and program delays as local offices lose support staff, with Colorado’s Fort Collins among the hubs shifting resources. Public Health: Colorado regulators warned consumers to check marijuana vapes after products sold at 405 stores were found made with methylene chloride; no illnesses reported yet. Consumer Costs: Gas prices stayed volatile across Colorado in the week ending Sept. 19, with multiple counties reporting some of the lowest premium and diesel rates statewide. Community & Food Systems: Estes Park Farmers Market is inviting residents to shape its next chapter as it transitions to new management in 2027.

Data Centers & Land Use: Mesa County commissioners will consider a temporary moratorium on data centers for unincorporated areas, pausing applications and inducement talks while the county rewrites its Land Development Code and sets new rules for water, power, noise, and review steps. Power Grid Investment: The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Colorado and Xcel $250 million toward a $1.2 billion transmission upgrade linking Colorado to Texas, aimed at easing bottlenecks and boosting capacity to support more electricity demand. Public Health: The FDA and CDC are investigating a multistate E. coli outbreak tied to Sierra Nevada Graziers raw milk cheese; 13 people in nine states are sick, including Colorado, with a recall underway. Local Community & Recreation: Grand Junction’s long-awaited $82.1 million Community Recreation Center opened after years of ballot fights and fundraising, with free admissions kicking off the launch. Business & Innovation: RefinedScience announced a major expansion of a pancreatic cancer dataset in partnership with CU Anschutz and others, targeting access to 2,000+ consented samples by end of 2026. Local Economy & Housing: A Mesa County ranch in Montrose County—1,360 acres—was placed under a conservation easement to protect ranching and wildlife habitat from future development.

Highway Upgrades: CDOT wrapped safety and capacity work on over two miles of CO 67 in Woodland Park, adding lanes, signals, crosswalks, and a new stormwater system. Rural Road Resurfacing: CDOT also finished resurfacing about 11 miles of US 160 west of Walsenburg, including milling, new asphalt, bridge deck repairs, and updated striping. Safety Data: A new CDOT Driving Behavior Report says 73% of Coloradans speed on main highways and 69% on local roads, with speeding tied to 234 deaths in 2025. Energy & Power: Weld County approved a $1.67B wind-and-solar project (805 MW) spanning 25,000 acres, with construction starting in 2027. Water Infrastructure: MISCOwater will serve as ClearStream Environmental’s exclusive channel partner across 12 western states, expanding municipal water and wastewater process equipment and engineering support. Workforce Pipeline: Denver International Airport hosted Project Takeoff for 500 students, connecting them with aviation careers from piloting to engineering. Legal/Consumer Protection: Colorado-based Crocs sued Five Below in federal court over copied clog designs and charm accessories.

Energy & Power Reliability: Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission is drafting new rules for Xcel Energy’s planned power shutoffs after last December’s PSPS fallout, with a Nov. 23 public hearing on how utilities must communicate criteria, timelines, and restoration plans. Renewables & Land Use: Weld County commissioners approved a $1.67B Chalk Bluffs wind-and-solar project, backing 805 megawatts from 79 turbines and 2,200 acres of solar. Water Policy: Colorado Parks and Wildlife proposed updated Arkansas River water-temperature standards below Pueblo Dam for July–December to better match conditions while protecting the cold-water fishery. AI & Regulation: A Colorado-focused guest column argues the state should turn AI skills into apprenticeships, as national debate heats up over guardrails and accountability. Elections & Ballots: Colorado’s 2026 midterm ballot guide highlights 14 ballot questions, including competing tax measures and an outdoors package.