ASPEN, Colo. — Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, used an appearance at the Aspen Ideas Festival to defend data centers, praise oil and gas regulations and express concern about the impacts of climate change.
Why this matters
Colorado has long reflected national debates over energy, artificial intelligence and warming-driven risks. Polis, who must leave office in January because of term limits, has governed through nearly eight years of those fights.
What he said
Speaking onstage with Axios, Polis argued that much of the backlash against data centers is really aimed at AI rather than the infrastructure that powers it. “Of course there needs to be data centers,” he said. “As long as you can show me it’s going to reduce our utility rates and be consistent with our water use, then absolutely we want them here.” He added that a broader frustration over the rise of AI is making many people cautious.
Colorado’s energy mix
Colorado has become a clear example of an “all of the above” energy economy. Over the past decade renewable electricity generation has more than tripled even as natural gas remains a dominant fuel—an energy mix that has shaped Polis’s pragmatic approach.
Oil, gas and regulation
Colorado was a focal point for oil-and-gas fights in the 2010s. Polis supported ballot measures to limit drilling near homes before becoming governor, but as governor he pursued broad regulatory changes rather than outright drilling bans. In Aspen he said the state tightened rules while continuing to produce oil and gas.
Coal’s decline and policy tensions
Despite leading a state with a growing oil-and-gas sector, Polis criticized the Trump administration for keeping coal-fired power plants in Colorado operating past their scheduled shutdowns. Coal’s share of electricity generation in Colorado fell from 60% in 2014 to 27% in 2024. Polis said efforts to revive coal are likely temporary: “How long are you going to subsidize and how long will people put up with subsidizing the highest cost form of energy that’s on the grid? Not very long.”
Climate impacts and wildfires
Polis spoke most personally about how climate change is reshaping Colorado. “The way we did things 50 years ago simply won’t lead to the same positive outcomes of diverse wildlife and healthy landscapes that make Colorado special unless we are very thoughtful about how we do this for the future,” he said.
On the day of the interview, three firefighters were killed fighting a wildfire about three hours west of Aspen on the Utah border. Winds around Aspen gusted up to 35 miles per hour, and were stronger where the fire was spreading. Later that night and into the next day those winds carried smoke into Aspen, driving air quality down to levels comparable with the worst pollution days in major cities such as Delhi.
Polis pointed to Colorado’s investment in its own aerial firefighting fleet, arguing the state can no longer rely on neighboring states for aircraft because wildfires are worsening across the West. “The best thing to do is hit it quickly before it has a chance to become large,” he said.
What’s next
One of Polis’s last major challenges will be negotiating new operating rules for the Colorado River as the region’s megadrought stretches into a third decade. The seven states that depend on the river face an Oct. 1 deadline to reach an agreement before the federal government intervenes. Polis warned that if no deal can be reached, the dispute will not be resolved in a month or a year but could result in years of litigation from all sides.
A local touch
Wolves remain controversial in the region: conservationists have pushed for reintroduction, which Polis has carried out, while livestock producers have raised concerns about wolf attacks. Asked whether he would rather host a town hall on wolves or on data centers, Polis laughed and said he would probably choose a forum on wolves these days.
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