AGP Executive Report

Emergency Animal Health: Colorado state officials announced an emergency rule to stop New World screwworm spread after detections in Texas and New Mexico, tightening entry rules for livestock. Wildfire Readiness: Summit County residents were reminded how fast small roadside fires can grow as the area enters higher fire danger, with local crews urging early action. AI & Jobs: Colorado’s AI law was repealed and replaced before it took effect, shifting employer obligations toward narrower automated decision-making transparency and human review. Energy & Electrification: Solar surpassed coal for the first time in U.S. electricity generation in May, while home electrification provider Jetson expanded across California—building on its Colorado footprint. Transportation & Construction: CDOT scheduled major closures for Santa Fe Drive/C-470 flyover repairs and planned weigh-in-motion upgrades near Platteville, with lane impacts and detours. Data Centers: Longwoods reported steady Pikes Peak tourism, while separate coverage highlighted mounting data center power demand pressures elsewhere. Tech & Research: CU Boulder and CU Anschutz launched hands-on human spaceflight education, blending engineering and medicine.

Fusion Energy & Nuclear Policy: DOE approved Xcimer Energy’s “Athena” fusion plant preconceptual design, a step toward continuous, industrial-scale power. Defense & Aerospace: Lockheed Martin won a $154M Pentagon F-35 production contract for 11 jets, with work spread across multiple states and the UK. Energy Reliability Debate: A new “social cost of blackouts” framework is being floated as Colorado and other states weigh clean-energy plans against grid reliability risks. Real Estate & Construction: A Cherry Creek office tower at 255 Fillmore sold for $92.5M as vacancy rates stay tighter than downtown. Local Infrastructure: Colorado Springs closed two eastbound Circle Drive lanes through mid-July for waterline work tied to bridge replacements. Transit & Cost Pressure: Colorado Springs bus ridership rose as inflation squeezes budgets and agencies add service. Water & Recreation: Crews are repairing North Cheyenne Cañon Park trail-area damage ahead of Pikes Peak APEX, with road reopening timelines unclear. Community & Housing: Littleton approved nearly $6M in incentives for the 1st Street Farms development. Consumer & Finance: A study highlights how lower-income Coloradans are getting squeezed by credit cards as everyday costs rise. Legal & Tech: Colorado’s life insurers face a new requirement to prove pricing algorithms aren’t penalizing people by race, even as the testing method is still being worked out.

Road & Construction: CDOT crews will start replacing drainage and later resurface CO 52, with a full weekend closure east of WCR 21 (June 12–15) and alternating lane impacts tied to the broader nine-mile project. Road & Construction: US 350 resurfacing begins June 15 southwest of La Junta, with alternating single-lane closures and an 11-foot width limit through early August. Weighing Trucks, Faster: Platteville’s Weigh-In-Motion upgrades begin June 15 at the US 85 weigh station, with short-term lane closures and reduced speeds expected through June 19. Mining Safety Training: Industrial Consulting & Training expanded MSHA certification courses across Houston and mining states including Colorado, offering live online and in-person options for surface and underground workers. Energy & Weather Risk: Estrella Insurance is pushing early hurricane prep as CSU forecasts 11 named storms, including five hurricanes and two major hurricanes, with inland flooding and outages a growing concern. Local Business Growth: Enstrom Candies completed a 50,000-square-foot expansion in Grand Junction to expand warehouse, distribution, and shipping operations. Agriculture & Community: Fruita Farmers Market returns June 13 with a family-focused opening day and weekly runs through Oct. 31. Water & Infrastructure Focus: Mesa County released its 2026 State of the County video, spotlighting transportation upgrades, western water protection, and services via Grand Valley Connects.

Colorado River Crunch: With Upper and Lower Basin states still deadlocked, a “no deal” federal plan could cut Arizona’s Colorado River share by up to 77% over the next decade, while other states face far smaller impacts—pushing Arizona to seek voluntary, compensated conservation. Drought Emergency: Colorado has declared a statewide drought emergency after record-low snowpack and historic heat, with Western Slope communities feeling it through water stress, mental health strain, and rising needs for food relief. Wildfire Readiness: Firefighters in Summit County are running home-by-home wildfire survivability drills, using structure triage to decide where they can actually make a difference. Aviation & Infrastructure: Greeley-Weld County Airport won $3.5 million for new taxiways, building on prior hangar and ramp upgrades. Health & Food Safety: The FDA expanded a pet food recall over nutritional deficiency tied to low thiamine levels. AI & Data Centers: A CU Boulder professor warns Colorado’s biggest data-center risks are grid reliability and power demand, not just water use.

US 160 Signal Upgrades (Cortez): CDOT and Morton Electric will improve two US 160 Main Street intersections at Mildred Road and Harrison Street, adding crosswalks, curb ramps, audible signals, and LED tech; work runs June 15–August. Identity & Fraud Tech: Aware says it expanded its biometric orchestration platform with new decisioning, configurable workflows, and partners ROC and Mitek to help stop deepfakes and synthetic identity fraud. Colorado River Risk: A new report warns Lake Mead and Lake Powell could lose key storage function soon, pushing the Southwest toward a potential “system crash” without major cuts. Drought Emergency: Colorado has declared a statewide drought emergency as record-low snowpack tightens water supplies. Public Safety Hiring: Estes Valley Fire Protection District named four finalists for fire chief. Agriculture Worker Safety: NIOSH is again running its H5N1 dairy worker safety campaign in states with confirmed cattle activity, including Colorado. Local Business & Data Rules: Denver Metro Chamber thanked Gov. Polis for vetoing HB26-1210, arguing it would have raised legal risk for common discounts and loyalty pricing. Wildfire Watch (Montrose): The Beehive Fire, sparked by lightning on BLM land near Paradox, is burning about 100 acres with no reported containment and visible smoke affecting recreation areas.

Bourbon Theft: A Noble Oak shipment worth $500,000+ was stolen in broad daylight from a Philadelphia-area depot, with 10,800 bottles loaded onto a truck before anyone realized the pickup was bogus. Insurance Courts: Colorado Supreme Court ruled judges can require insurers to produce documents beyond what was available at the time of an accident in uninsured-motorist breach cases. Livestock Health: USDA confirmed two more New World screwworm cases—one in Texas and one in New Mexico—while Colorado officials say the risk remains low and monitoring continues. Energy Grid Readiness: A new look at U.S. power planning says extreme heat is shifting from “tail risk” to a design baseline as drought, demand growth, and fuel concerns pile up. Workforce Immigration: Federal judges struck down Trump’s $100,000 H-1B fee as an unlawful tax, setting up appeals and a major test for tech and healthcare hiring. Community Housing: Englewood’s Simon Center library reopened after costly meth mitigation, with nonprofits donating replacements after contamination forced discarding the collection. Local Business & Infrastructure: Denver’s City Park bandshell is set for rebuilding after a fire destroyed the structure, with demolition planned for fall. Fuel Prices: GasBuddy reports diesel prices in Adams County at $4.67 (week ending May 30), while Colorado averages remain higher but trending down.

Wildfire Preparedness: Colorado’s Wildfire Resiliency Code is set to kick in July 1 for Mesa and Montrose Counties, pushing new fire-resistant building standards for homes in Wildland-Urban Interface areas. Public Safety Tech: Flash selected EVPassport as its preferred EV charging solution across its 17,000+ connected locations, aiming to bundle charging into commercial parking and mobility operations. Animal Wellness Manufacturing: KND Labs president Nicholas Wilson was elected to the National Animal Supplement Council board as the Colorado-based company expands beyond hemp-derived products into broader animal and human wellness contract manufacturing. Local Food Economy: Palisade’s Sunday Farmers Market returned with strong turnout, highlighting locally made goods and long-running growers as the Grand Valley’s community hub. Drought & Water Pressure: Arizona signed an MOU with California to explore a desalinated ocean-water exchange, as Colorado River managers warn the basin is shrinking and new supplies are increasingly urgent. Healthcare Innovation: CureDuchenne invested again in Tevard Biosciences to advance a Duchenne therapy targeting a specific mutation subgroup.

Energy & Cost Pressures: Gov. Polis declared a statewide drought emergency and activated Phase 3, setting up possible emergency funding and pushing agencies to cut water use as Colorado’s dry conditions worsen. Fuel Prices: GasBuddy reports show Colorado drivers still feel volatility tied to global oil markets and refinery outages, with Park County regular hitting $4.45 and several other counties posting the week’s lowest diesel and premium prices. Small Business Relief: The SBA opened low-interest disaster loans for drought-hit small businesses in Wyoming, with Colorado counties Larimer and Weld included. Transportation & Safety: CDOT and partners launched the Drive Safe Colorado Summer campaign, urging motorists to plan around construction and reduce wildfire risk during peak travel. Local Business Impact: Colorado Springs’ Dublin Boulevard closure has some shop owners worried about surviving the disruption, even as officials say the work is meant to be fast. Defense Tech: A report says the U.S. Army ran an “Operation Jailbreak” effort that kept sales teams out and pushed engineers to directly connect siloed systems. Rare Earths & Industry: A Utah mill is positioned as a potential U.S. rare-earth processing boost, aiming to reduce dependence on China’s dominance in processing.

Energy & Jobs: A new report says Colorado–Utah natural gas basins could add nearly $93B a year to U.S. GDP and support about 433,000 jobs if proposed pipeline export projects move forward, with LNG markets framed as a climate-leaning opportunity. Power Reliability: Researchers propose a “social cost of blackouts” to force regulators to weigh outage risks alongside emissions goals, warning that Southwest Power Pool shortages could erase emissions benefits. Housing & Construction: Colorado homebuilders are trying to ease the first-time buyer affordability crunch as prices and carrying costs keep pushing buyers into longer renting timelines. Transportation Infrastructure: Colorado Springs is advancing the next expressway phase on Powers Boulevard (CO-21), with utility relocations starting this month and construction targeted for completion by 2030. Water Security: Colorado River experts warn Lake Powell and Lake Mead are sliding toward a “system crash” scenario, with recovery likely to last only a couple years after wet periods. Business/Finance: Liberty Energy’s CFO sold about 16,665 shares in early June, according to an SEC filing. AI & Tech: Microsoft data finds Vermont near the bottom for AI tool use, while counties tied to manufacturing and oil-and-gas show lower adoption—an angle that matters for Colorado’s workforce planning.

SNAP Funding Fight: A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from enforcing new conditions on billions in USDA nutrition funding, including SNAP, after a coalition of 20 Democratic-led states argued the requirements could disrupt food help for low-income families. Agriculture & Biosecurity: Colorado is on high alert for the return of New World screwworm after Texas detections in calves, with the state rolling out education, movement restrictions, and a One Health response plan. State Politics: Colorado Democrats packed Denver’s DemFest to hear from top primary candidates, including U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and AG Phil Weiser, as races heat up for governor and other statewide offices. Local Governance: Bozeman trustees will weigh drought preparedness, a short-term rental process update, and a data center moratorium at their June 9 meeting. Food Access & Local Farms: Colorado’s SNAP Produce Bonus is expanding fresh fruit and vegetable access by reimbursing eligible shoppers up to $60 per month via automatic EBT credits. Transit & Commuters: RTD is rolling out rail and bus changes starting June 7, with some service improvements and others tied to Downtown Rail Reconstruction work. Energy & Industry: Weld County broke ground on a new energy storage project, adding to Colorado’s push for grid resilience. Community Spotlight: Denver-based Harmony Painting donated to Treeline Pass and Ember Center, backing programs for adults with disabilities and survivors of domestic violence.

Energy & Power Infrastructure: Xcel Energy’s electric service deal with Google is projected to cut Minnesota residential and small-business costs by up to $1.5B over 15 years, with Google footing major buildout and clean-energy/storage funding—an unusual model that could spread to other data-center projects. Grid Reliability in Colorado: Platte River Power Authority and NextEra broke ground on the Weld Energy Storage facility in Weld County, a 100-megawatt battery project aimed at balancing renewables and strengthening reliability. Water & Drought Risk: New expert analysis warns the Colorado River system could face a “system crash” if another warm, dry winter hits, with Lake Mead and Lake Powell hovering near critical thresholds. Public Health & Retail Compliance: Denver investigators seized PolkaDot-branded mushroom chocolate bars and gummies after tests found illegal psychoactive ingredients, highlighting ongoing supplement loopholes and labeling problems. Local Governance & Schools: A Denver Public Schools advisory committee is recommending a November mill levy override totaling $44M, prioritizing mental health, special education, and CTE hubs. Tech Security: Colorado MSP XimpleIT replaced legacy VPNs with SonicWall Cloud Secure Edge for law firms, moving to identity- and policy-based access to reduce credential-based attacks. Natural Resources & Land Use: The Bureau of Land Management is set to offer tens of thousands of acres in northwestern Colorado for oil and gas leasing, raising concerns about impacts on the nation’s largest elk herd and dark-sky tourism.

Energy Costs & Grid Pressure: Xcel’s summer rates are now in effect, with electric bills expected to jump about 25% to 33% as temperatures climb, and the utility is urging customers to cut usage with shade, thermostat tweaks, and sealing drafts. Power Affordability & Customer Friction: A Colorado Springs-area report highlights how electricity price growth is outpacing many household budgets, while an Aurora man says opting out of Xcel smart meters could cost $10,000 to $20,000. Transit & Construction Impacts: RTD’s downtown rail reconstruction moves into midblocks and the Colfax alignment with lane reductions and closures starting Sunday, targeting track and station electrical work through early 2027. Housing & Development: In RiNo, Formativ Real Estate Group is breaking ground on a new 358-unit apartment project near the A-Line, betting demand will absorb new supply. Rural Health Access: Sunshine Rides says it’s suspending Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation statewide by month’s end unless reimbursement changes, warning of reduced access for dialysis, chemo, and surgery patients. Colorado Industry & Jobs: FlackTek named sales and marketing leader Dustin Becker to expand reach across advanced manufacturing markets. Space & Tech: Golden’s Lunar Outpost won a $220 million NASA contract to build a lunar terrain vehicle, aiming for moon surface transport as early as 2028.

Energy & Industry: Trump’s $700M push to revive and upgrade coal plants would fund modernization of 13 facilities and new builds, with critics warning of higher costs and health risks—Colorado businesses and utilities will be watching how it reshapes regional power markets. Agriculture & Biosecurity: Colorado activated its New World Screwworm response plan after Texas confirmed the parasite in a calf, with state and federal teams stepping up surveillance and sterile fly releases while urging ranchers to monitor wounds. Construction & Infrastructure: Denver-area projects keep moving—CDOT launched Drive Safe Colorado Summer and scheduled overnight I-25 lane closures for bridge repairs near Garden of the Gods Road. Local Business & Community: Suttons Bay Public Schools kicked off demolition and upgrades for a new middle school athletic facility and campus improvements. Public Policy: Polis vetoed a Colorado payment-card fee bill that would have changed how interchange fees apply to taxes, citing legal risk to the business climate. Workforce/Tech: York Space Systems shipped a second production lot of tactical communications satellites for launch this summer, signaling continued momentum in Colorado’s defense space supply chain.

Energy Storage & Grid Resilience: A new battery energy storage project for Platte River Power Authority broke ground at Weld Energy Center, signaling continued buildout of dispatchable capacity. Drought & Water Management: Gov. Jared Polis declared a statewide drought emergency and activated Phase 3 as record-low snowpack and warm temperatures strain supplies for farmers, ranchers, and public lands. Housing Costs & Rental Market Pressure: Research and local reporting point to a messy rental picture where rent concessions may be weakening overall, but discounts still persist in supply-pressured pockets. Insurance Affordability: Polis signed a bill creating grants to fortify roofs against hail and wind to help stabilize homeowners insurance premiums. AI Guardrails in Healthcare: Colorado signed legislation limiting AI’s role in mental and behavioral health care, requiring licensed professionals for therapy. Immigration Detention Oversight: A new law adds oversight and inspection guardrails for immigration detention facilities. Consumer Data & Screening: New scrutiny is landing on rental application fees and data security as screening reports and disposal practices come under pressure. Wildfire Prevention: A wildfire protection firm relocated its HQ to Greenwood Village, pitching environmentally safer fire defense products. Transportation Safety: Colorado’s Summer Blitz DUI enforcement kicks off, with more checkpoints and patrols through June 17. Local Governance: Photo-radar rules were tightened statewide, including stronger warning periods and limits on how vendors profit. Defense & Directed Energy: NUBURU announced a laser arm initiative and a head-of-terms agreement with an Italian laser wireless power tech developer, aiming at directed-energy and counter-UAS markets.

Colorado Energy & Infrastructure: CDOT is starting intersection improvements on US 287 near Livermore (June 10), with shoulder and daytime lane closures through fall 2026. Road Work: A full southbound closure on CO 157 (Foothills Parkway) between CO 119 and Valmont Road runs Friday night through Monday morning for concrete rehab. Mining & Permitting: CJK Milling’s Colorado tailings transport permit timeline was extended to Aug. 3 after CDRMS asked for more time to review the company’s April responses. Tech & Power: Quantinuum, based in Broomfield, is set for its Nasdaq debut after an upsized $1.68B IPO, as quantum computing bets intensify. Policy & Business Climate: Gov. Polis vetoed a bill aimed at limiting credit-card interchange fees on taxes, warning it could create “chaos” and legal risk for Colorado consumers and small businesses. Drought Watch: The latest drought monitor shows abnormal dryness affecting 77.6% of the U.S., with corn and soybean areas still in D1–D4 conditions. Construction/Real Estate: B-Side Builders launched in Colorado with a focus on custom homebuilding in Boulder County and nearby communities.

Energy & Data Centers: TransAlta will buy two Blackstone-backed Colorado gas-fired peaking plants near Denver for about $1 billion, adding 318 MW of long-term contracted capacity as power demand rises with data centers. Water & Agriculture: A new Colorado River water exchange framework signed this week is raising questions for Imperial Valley agriculture, while Colorado farmers face record-low snowpack impacts as Gunnison Tunnel flows are cut in half. Local Industry & Permitting: More details emerged on a proposed $6 billion data center near Pumpkin Center, including plans to use reclaimed wastewater—plus uncertainty over the end user. Retail & Consumer Costs: Gov. Polis vetoed bills that would have cut credit card swipe fees tied to sales tax, keeping pressure on restaurants and small businesses. Workforce & Tech: Boise State was named lead for a regional semiconductor workforce pipeline (PINES), linking universities and industry partners across nine states including Colorado. Local Governance: Mesa County commissioners plan to join an amicus brief in a Supreme Court climate accountability case targeting oil and gas companies. Business Operations: Erie reached a tentative mineral-rights deal tied to the Draco oil and gas project, drawing resident concerns about property values and health. Public Space & Mobility: Denver’s car-free Wynkoop Street pilot outside Union Station boosted foot traffic and drew support for more people-first downtown planning.