The City of Boulder is opposing a Colorado bill that would require cities to adopt an automated online platform for approving residential solar and battery permits, arguing it could override local zoning.
House Bill 25-1096, sponsored by Rep. Lesley Smith of Boulder and Rep. Kyle Brown of Louisville, aims to streamline permitting for solar and other renewable energy projects.
Carl Castillo, the city’s chief policy advisor, said Boulder supports faster permitting but that the bill was developed without local government input and could conflict with zoning rules.
More than 90% of residential solar permits in Boulder are already approved within three days, Castillo said. He warned the bill could force the city to approve permits in cases where zoning restrictions or property history would normally prevent installation.
“Without the city being allowed to conduct a zoning review and an in-person inspection as necessary, SolarApp could result in a permit being issued for a system installed on a previously unpermitted structure or one otherwise restricted,” Castillo wrote in an email to Boulder Reporting Lab.
He cited concerns about floodplain regulations, historic districts, wildfire-resistant roofing and energy efficiency standards. If a permit were mistakenly issued, he said, some property owners could face the costly burden of removing the solar system.
Boulder’s position has drawn criticism from environmental advocates who argue that streamlining solar permitting statewide is essential for accelerating the transition to renewable energy.
“While our city may have good and fairly quick permitting processes for solar installations, this is not the case for the rest of the state, and we should be doing all we can to promote a more rapid transition to renewables statewide,” Micah Parkin, executive director of 350 Colorado, told the Boulder City Council earlier this month.
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