Editorial: Local decisions should be made locally

Published on February 11, 2026

We’ve all been there — successfully making decisions about your projects and your business and, without prompting or consultation, someone shows up and assumes they know how to better make those decisions for you.

There’s a word for that: arrogance.

Merriam-Webster defines the word arrogance as “an offensive attitude of superiority shown especially by excessively confident or rudely dismissive behavior.”

It’s a word that describes the overarching theme coming from some state legislators this session. It’s a word Weld County Commissioners use to describe proposed Senate Bill (SB) 26-033.

SB 26-033, “Concerning clean energy permitting processes, and in connection therewith, created the Colorado Clean Energy Permitting Coordination Office,” is gold-dome arrogance at its most pronounced: It grows government and aims to erode local control in permitting energy projects.

It’s an ironic example of the administration saying they know better as to how to develop and manage the parts of the state they regularly ignore in all other instances. Ag counties, rural counties, counties outside the Denver Metro area — this means you.

Weld County has prided itself on being an all-above energy county, and while most Coloradans are aware of the oil and gas production in Weld County, few know that wind and solar are also a successful part of our energy portfolio.

In fact, to date, 46 building permits have been issued for solar projects in Weld County, which will equate to 8,841 acres and produce 1,185 megawatts of energy; six building permits for wind projects have been approved, equaling 106,467 acres and 1,210 megawatts of energy.

Weld County is doing just fine when it comes to knowing how to best permit and plan for energy projects. Why? Because the most effective form of government is local government: Local government is directly accountable to residents in a way state government is not. We hear from residents directly: their concerns, their goals, their wishes. We have staff who work with residents and industry alike to find meaningful ways to move projects forward in a timely and thoughtful fashion.

We know what works for Weld County: relationships with and accountability to residents.

We also know what works for Colorado: less government bureaucracy and more local control.

Here’s what we know won’t work when it comes to SB 26-033:

• It creates another state-level office, which means it GROWS GOVERNMENT. More government means more tax dollars and less efficiency.
• It aims to serve as a single point of contact for project owners, local governments, and state permitting authorities, which means it REMOVES LOCAL CONTROL, DIALOGUE, AND DECISION-MAKING WHILE ADDING BUREAUCRACY AND DELAY.
• It requires a community engagement plan, which IS A WAY FOR THE STATE TO INJECT POLITICAL PRESSURE ON LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO ADD ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS TO AN APPLICATION THAT AREN’T NECESSARY.

Furthermore, the Colorado Energy Office and Department of Natural Resources, itself, published a white paper (“Evaluation and Assessment of Local Government Processes for Siting of Commercial Clean Energy and Energy Transmission Projects”) highlighting the success several counties, including Weld County, have achieved through their own local permitting of energy projects.

Pg. 24, Energy Developers: “Many developers commended Mesa, Routt, Pueblo, and Weld Counties for their codes, which are noted for clarity, conciseness, and completeness …”

Pg. 28, Utilities: “…has generally experienced success with Boulder, Gilpin, Jefferson, Adams, Broomfield, and Weld Counties, which tend to favor less burdensome regulatory frameworks.”

Pg. 104, Energy Organizations: “Weld County is cited as the "gold standard" for decommissioning, with an approach developed over 8-10 months.”

In other words, counties are doing a successful job of handling county projects. We don’t need the state to come in and “fix” things that aren’t broken.

Commissioners are opposed to SB 26-033 and will take the trip to the state capitol to make that opposition known on the record: Local control on local projects is crucial for the success of Weld County and is in the best interest of county residents.