Grand Junction Area Chamber Energy Summit on Colorado’s Rising Power Demands

On August 19, 2025, the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce convened business leaders, policymakers, and industry experts for the daylong Grand Junction Energy Summit, tackling one of Colorado’s most pressing challenges: meeting rising electricity demand while sustaining economic growth.

The summit underscored how quickly global energy dynamics are shifting—recently driven by the shale revolution, geopolitical tensions, and the meteoric rise of AI and data centers. In 2024 alone, electricity demand grew 60% faster than historic averages.

Speakers stressed the urgent need to expand the grid, build new energy infrastructure, and streamline permitting, noting that years-long delays for projects like transmission lines threaten Colorado’s ability to keep pace with demand.

The economic importance of the energy sector was another key focus. Dr. Nathan Perry of Colorado Mesa University noted that energy jobs account for 5.7% of Colorado’s workforce. In Mesa, Garfield, and Rio Blanco counties, electricity demand is projected to grow 50% by 2040—growth that will require a steady pipeline of skilled workers.

Reliability and regulation also dominated discussion. Xcel Energy reaffirmed its pledge to cut carbon emissions 80% by 2030 and achieve 100% clean energy by 2050, while emphasizing that natural gas remains essential for grid stability. Other panelists raised concerns that state policies are driving energy jobs to neighboring states.

Breakout sessions allowed attendees to dig into issues from minerals re-shoring and EV charging infrastructure to methane capture technologies, Inflation Reduction Act incentives, and updates to Mesa County’s energy code.

By convening diverse voices—from national policy experts to local economic and regulatory stakeholders—the Chamber created a forum for solutions-oriented dialogue. “The Chamber's role as conveyor is critical. By bringing leaders from every energy sector to the table, we drive the candidates' dialogue and collaboration needed to strengthen our economy, protect our communities, and secure Western Colorado's place at the forefront of energy's future,” said Candace Carnahan, Grand Junction Area Chamber President and CEO. 

The summit underscored both the scale of the challenge and the opportunities ahead, positioning the Grand Junction Chamber as a hub for collaborative planning to meet Colorado’s growing energy demand needs.

Overview
On August 19, 2025, the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce convened for a daylong Energy Summit, bringing together business leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to tackle one of Colorado’s most pressing challenges: balancing growing electricity demand with economic development and regulatory realities.

Context
Marty Durbin, Senior Vice President for Policy and President of the Global Energy Institute at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, delivered the keynote, framing the agenda around what he termed the nation’s “energy reality.” He emphasized the need for more electrons, more transmission lines, more factories, and an “all of the above” energy portfolio: oil, gas, nuclear, renewables, hydro, all are essential to meet surging demand.

The summit underscored how quickly global energy dynamics can evolve, prompted, in recent years, by the shale revolution, geopolitical tensions, and the meteoric rise of AI and data centers driving electricity consumption. Notably, Durbin highlighted that in 2024, electricity demand growth was 60% higher than historic averages.

Summit Highlights

• Keynote Insights
  Durbin called for streamlined permitting, warning that delays, from four-and-a-half years just to get a federal “yes or no,” up to ten years for transmission lines, are stalling essential infrastructure expansion.

• Workforce & Energy Mix Discussions
  Laura Hickernell (Colorado Cleantech) and Dr. Nathan Perry (Colorado Mesa University economics professor) tackled emerging technologies and regional energy job trends. Perry noted that energy jobs comprise 5.7% of employment statewide and locally, with expectations of a 50% increase in electricity demand by 2040 in Mesa, Garfield, and Rio Blanco counties.

• Balancing Reliability & Regulation
  At lunch, panelists including representatives from Xcel Energy and the Colorado Oil and Gas Association discussed the challenge of ensuring clean energy transitions without sacrificing grid reliability. Xcel reaffirmed its commitments, 80% carbon reduction by 2030, 100% clean energy by 2050, but warned natural gas remains critical for baseload power. The Oil & Gas Association criticized new electrification mandates as unrealistic and noted that restrictive policies are pushing energy jobs out of Colorado to neighboring states like Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Texas.

• Breakout Sessions
  A range of timely topics was covered:

• Minerals re-shoring to bolster U.S. energy security

• EV infrastructure expansion to meet growing charging demand

• Methane capture technologies from Mesa County Landfill and Grand Valley Instrumentation

• Transitioning projects from planning to construction

• Incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act and how businesses can leverage them

• Updates to Mesa County’s energy code from Commissioner Cody Davis, implications for builders and developers.

A Model for Chamber Leadership
By convening diverse voices, from national policy experts to local economic and regulatory stakeholders, the Grand Junction Chamber created a vital forum for actionable dialogue. The summit served as a launchpad for collaborative problem-solving, aligning energy reliability, economic resilience, and regional workforce development. “The Chamber's role as conveyor is critical. By bringing leaders from every energy sector to the table, we drive the candidates' dialogue and collaboration needed to strengthen our economy, protect our communities, and secure Western Colorado's place at the forefront of energy's future.” - Candace Carnahan, President and CEO, Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce. 

Impact & Next Steps
While attendee numbers weren’t specified, the caliber of speakers and breadth of topics demonstrated the summit’s importance as a regional convening. It spotlighted critical energy infrastructure needs, policy reform, and the imperative for an inclusive energy future in Western Colorado. The event positioned the Chamber as a nexus for strategic energy planning and community engagement.