Constitutional Right to Purchase and Sell Natural Gas
Writes a right to buy and sell natural gas into the Colorado Constitution.
Cheat sheet The whole measure in 30 seconds tap to open
Creates a state constitutional right to purchase and sell natural gas for use in homes and businesses.
Current laws and regulations on buying and selling natural gas stay as they are.
Strongest case for
Natural gas is affordable, widely available and reliably heats homes through extreme cold, and most Colorado households already depend on it - this guarantees continued access without state or local interference.
Strongest case against
Burning natural gas drives climate change and air pollution and should not be given constitutional protection, because that limits efforts to cut emissions, improve air quality and let local communities set their own public health and energy priorities.
Watch out: The measure is two sentences, but it goes in the constitution - so its real reach would be settled by courts. The Blue Book says only that it 'may limit' the ability to enforce existing and future gas regulations.
What this actually does
This puts a right to buy and sell natural gas for homes and businesses into the state constitution. Nothing changes the day it passes. What it does is make it harder for the state or a city to restrict natural gas later - for example, a building code requiring new homes to be all-electric, which a few Colorado towns have already adopted.
What your vote means
Creates a state constitutional right to purchase and sell natural gas for use in homes and businesses.
Current laws and regulations on buying and selling natural gas stay as they are.
On every measure, yes means change something and no means leave it alone.
Easiest thing to get wrong
Read this twice
The measure is two sentences, but it goes in the constitution - so its real reach would be settled by courts. The Blue Book says only that it 'may limit' the ability to enforce existing and future gas regulations.
The case each side makes
Straight from the state's official booklet, shortened. These are arguments as each side makes them — not findings of fact, and not our view.
Why people say yes
- Natural gas is affordable, widely available and reliably heats homes through extreme cold, and most Colorado households already depend on it - this guarantees continued access without state or local interference.
Why people say no
- Burning natural gas drives climate change and air pollution and should not be given constitutional protection, because that limits efforts to cut emissions, improve air quality and let local communities set their own public health and energy priorities.
Where this sits politically
high confidence Advance Colorado proponents. Opposed and outspent by Conservation Colorado and the League of Conservation Voters. Constitutionally protecting a fossil fuel against local electrification rules is a conservative energy position.
How we place the needle and why it is an estimate, not a measurement
We read four things, all of them public and documented:
- Who filed it and what they are affiliated with.
- The recorded party vote, where one exists. On this ballot only Proposition NN has one, because it is the only measure the legislature referred.
- Which side of the political infrastructure is paying for each campaign.
- Which direction the policy moves compared with current law.
Confidence is high when all four point the same way and low when they contradict each other. A low-confidence needle is telling you the measure genuinely does not sort neatly — Amendment 86 is the clearest case, with conservative sponsors and anti-gerrymandering content.
This is our editorial read, not a measurement. A citizen initiative has no party sponsor, so for 13 of these 14 measures there is no official partisan label to report — only inference. Use the needle to get oriented, then read the measure and decide for yourself.
What it costs
Little direct cost. Some added state agency legal and technical workload, and local governments with building codes that restrict gas may face legal costs to bring those codes into line.
Who it touches: Households and businesses that use gas appliances, gas utilities and distributors, and cities with electrification building codes.
Who put it on your ballot
Conservative
People who filed it
Campaigning for it
Campaigning against it
Both proponents are tied to Advance Colorado, the conservative nonprofit behind much of this year's initiative slate.
Who is paying for the ads
Money for it
Money against it
What the money tells you
Opponents are outspending supporters here. The only committee dedicated to this measure on the yes side had reported nothing as of late September.
Figures are a late-September 2026 snapshot from TRACER campaign-finance filings and will have moved since. A committee marked slate spreads one total across several measures — do not read its number as spending on this measure alone.
Questions people ask
Common questions (6)
The things people want to know before they vote, answered from primary sources where they exist. Every answer was drafted with AI assistance from retrieved documents, then read and approved by a person. Figures carry the year they refer to.
How many Colorado homes use natural gas, and which local governments have restricted new gas hookups?
About 70 percent of Colorado homes use natural gas for heating, while municipalities including Boulder, Crested Butte, and Denver have adopted building codes that restrict new gas hookups.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Colorado had roughly 1.9 million residential natural gas consumers in 2024, representing about 70 percent of households in the state.
In recent years, some local governments have restricted natural gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: * Crested Butte requires all new construction to be fully electric. * Boulder passed an energy code taking effect in December 2024 that requires new residential and commercial buildings to be gas-free, with exceptions for commercial kitchens and laboratories. * Denver adopted a 2022 policy requiring commercial and multi-family buildings to replace gas heating systems with electric heat pumps when the old systems fail.
Supporters of Amendment 82 argue that natural gas is an affordable, reliable energy source and that a constitutional guarantee protects consumer choice from local government bans. Opponents argue that the measure would undermine local climate goals, jeopardize environmental regulations, and force utility customers to pay for maintaining gas infrastructure as the state transitions to renewable energy.
How many Colorado cities currently have building codes that restrict or ban natural gas in new construction?
According to recent news reports and policy tracking, at least four Colorado cities currently have building codes that restrict or ban natural gas in new construction. Because Colorado allows local governments to set their own building codes, municipalities have taken different approaches to electrification:
- Crested Butte required all new residential and commercial construction to be fully electric starting in 2023.
- Lafayette enacted a natural gas ban for new builds as part of its updated building codes.
- Boulder mandated gas-free, all-electric construction for new buildings starting in December 2024.
- Denver banned natural gas furnaces and water heaters in new commercial and multi-family residential buildings starting in 2024, with a full ban on gas heating and cooling equipment in those buildings taking effect in 2027.
Supporters of Amendment 82 argue that these local bans limit consumer choice and increase housing costs. They note that natural gas is currently cheaper than electricity for home heating, and they want to prevent local governments from forcing residents to buy electric appliances like heat pumps.
Opponents, including environmental and public health groups, argue that local electrification codes are necessary to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals and reduce indoor air pollution. They say this amendment would override local control and lock in fossil fuel infrastructure.
What percentage of Colorado households and businesses currently rely on natural gas for heating and cooking?
About 70% of Colorado households currently rely on natural gas as their primary home heating source.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its 2025 state profile, 7 out of 10 Colorado homes use natural gas for heat. This makes Colorado much more reliant on gas than the rest of the country. For comparison, 2024 U.S. Census Bureau data shows that 47% of households nationwide heat with natural gas.
While the EIA does not break out exact household percentages for cooking, it notes that the residential sector overall consumes 31% of the natural gas used in Colorado. Businesses also rely heavily on the fuel. The commercial sector accounts for 14% of the state's natural gas use, and the industrial sector accounts for 22%.
Supporters of Amendment 82 argue that because so many Coloradans rely on natural gas, future local bans would force homeowners and businesses to pay for expensive conversions to electric appliances. Opponents argue that burning natural gas in buildings is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. They contend that cities need the authority to mandate electric appliances in new construction to meet long-term climate goals.
Have any other U.S. states added a right to purchase and sell natural gas to their state constitutions?
No other U.S. state has added a right to purchase and sell natural gas to its state constitution. If voters approve Amendment 82, Colorado will be the first.
While no state has a constitutional amendment, many have passed regular state laws, known as statutes, to protect gas access. These laws typically prevent city and county governments from banning natural gas in new buildings. According to a 2026 report by the Common Sense Institute of Colorado: * 27 states have laws that limit local restrictions on natural gas. * 23 states do not have these laws. * Six of Colorado's seven neighboring states have passed this type of legislation.
Supporters argue that putting this right in the constitution protects consumer choice. They say it will shield households and businesses from the costs of mandatory electrification. Opponents argue that locking a specific fuel source into the constitution is unnecessary because buying gas is already legal. They say the measure could trigger expensive lawsuits and block the state from meeting its emission reduction goals.
What are the estimated legal costs for local governments that would need to revise their existing building codes?
The state's official fiscal note does not provide a specific dollar estimate for the legal costs local governments might face if Amendment 82 passes. According to the 2026 fiscal impact statement prepared by the Colorado Legislative Council Staff, local governments with building codes that restrict natural gas will incur costs to conform their codes to the new state law. However, the state does not estimate these costs.
The exact financial impact is unknown because it depends on how courts interpret the new constitutional right and how many municipalities face lawsuits. Several Colorado towns, such as Crested Butte and Boulder, have already adopted building codes that require new construction to use electricity instead of natural gas for heating and appliances.
Supporters of the measure argue that it protects consumer choice and shields households from the costs associated with mandatory electrification. They say people should have the right to choose their energy source without local government interference. Opponents, including the Colorado Municipal League (an association of cities and towns), argue the amendment undermines local discretion to adopt energy-efficient building codes. They caution that adding this language to the state constitution could lead to expensive future litigation for local governments trying to enforce environmental or safety ordinances.
How would this constitutional amendment interact with Colorado's existing statutory goals for reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions?
Amendment 82 could make it harder for Colorado to meet its statutory greenhouse gas reduction goals by preventing the state and local governments from restricting natural gas use in buildings.
Under current state law, Colorado must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050, compared to 2005 levels. The state's official climate roadmap identifies fuel use in homes and buildings as one of the largest sources of these emissions.
Because Amendment 82 would place the right to buy and sell natural gas into the Colorado Constitution, it would overrule conflicting state statutes and local ordinances. The nonpartisan Legislative Council notes the amendment may limit the ability of the state or local governments to enforce existing or future natural gas regulations.
Supporters, including the measure's sponsor Advance Colorado, argue that natural gas is an affordable energy source used by more than 70% of Colorado homes as of 2026, and that consumer choice should be protected from government bans. Opponents, including environmental groups, argue the measure will prevent the state from enforcing the pollution rules necessary to meet its climate targets.
Go deeper, if you want
We had two AIs summarize this independently Minor differences
Both models got the same official text, the same instructions, and could not see each other's answer. Here is each one in its own words.
Claude
This puts a right to buy and sell natural gas for homes and businesses into the state constitution. Nothing changes the day it passes. What it does is make it harder for the state or a city to restrict natural gas later - for example, a building code requiring new homes to be all-electric, which a few Colorado towns have already adopted.
Flagged: The measure is two sentences, but it goes in the constitution - so its real reach would be settled by courts. The Blue Book says only that it 'may limit' the ability to enforce existing and future gas regulations.
Gemini
Right now, some cities in Colorado can ban natural gas in new buildings to help the environment. This measure would change the state constitution to give everyone the right to buy and sell natural gas for cooking and heating. If it passes, local governments and the state might not be able to restrict natural gas use in homes and businesses anymore.
Flagged: Because it amends the constitution, it requires 55 percent of the vote to pass and could override existing local bans on natural gas.
Where they came apart
- Gemini adds genuinely useful framing Claude did not lead with: that several Colorado cities already restrict gas in new construction, which is the concrete thing the measure is reacting to.
- Gemini says the measure 'could override existing local bans.' The Blue Book is more guarded — it says the measure 'may limit the ability' to enforce existing or future regulations. Gemini states as likely what the source states as possible.
- Gemini's 'watch out for' is the 55% passage threshold, which is a procedural fact rather than a trap. Claude's is that two sentences of constitutional text leaves the real scope to the courts.
The comparison notes were written by Claude — one of the two models grading the contest — which is exactly why both summaries are printed above them in full.
The other model's take on cost and reach second opinion
Cost: State and local governments may face increased legal and administrative costs to update building codes and regulations that currently restrict natural gas.
Who it touches: Homeowners, business owners, natural gas utilities, and local governments.
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Discussion
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Source: 2026 Colorado State Ballot Information Booklet (the "Blue Book"), Legislative Council of the Colorado General Assembly, Research Publication No. 842. Read the original.