Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

Despite support from the Urban Trails Committee, the City of Grand Junction confirmed it is not pursuing a state-run climate grant that could have required new local policies, including a potential “vehicle climate fee.”

At its July 9 meeting, the Urban Trails Committee, chaired by City of Grand Junction Mobility Coordinator Henry Brown, listed “support for Local IMPACT Accelerators grant” as its No. 1 action item. The grant is funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program and administered by the Colorado Energy Office.

The grant encourages local governments to adopt “transformative” policies that go beyond current state standards in areas such as transportation, building codes, land use and waste management.

But in response to questions about the committee’s action, the city said: “The City is not pursuing that grant at this time.”

What the Grant Would Require

The Local IMPACT Accelerator is not a typical infrastructure grant. Instead, it funds policy development and enforcement, rewarding local governments that agree to adopt new emissions-related regulations.

In the transportation category, eligible actions include:

• Prioritizing transit over personal vehicle traffic.
• Expanding bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
• Transportation demand management strategies.
• Fee-based vehicle registration incentives.

One example from Boulder proposed a “Vehicle Climate Fee” that would add $10 to $50 to annual vehicle registration based on fuel efficiency, exempting electric vehicles entirely.

The grant also targets:

• Building departments, which would be asked to adopt stricter energy codes and performance standards.
• Planning and zoning, through policies that discourage suburban expansion and promote compact housing and EV infrastructure mandates.
• Public works and fleet services, which could be required to transition city vehicles to zero-emission alternatives.

According to the State of Colorado Local IMPACT Accelerator page on the State website these policies must be backed by elected leaders, and a letter of support from city council is a required step in the application process.

Regional Organizing and Political Pressure

The grant program in Mesa County is coordinated by CLEER (Clean Energy Economy for the Region), a Carbondale-based nonprofit organization that works with local governments and grassroots organizations to build “political will” for climate-related policies.

CLEER’s strategy includes educating the public, advising local staff and facilitating regional partnerships, often with the goal of turning pilot programs into permanent local regulations.

Timeline at a Glance

Although the city is not applying at this time, the grant program allows future participation. The deadline for first-round letters of intent is Aug. 1, 2025, with a second-round application window open from Nov. 1, 2025, to Jan. 1, 2026.