Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP)

Support SWEEP’s work for a cleaner, more affordable Colorado

✅ All gifts through December 31 will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $50,000, thanks to a generous anonymous donor.

For over 25 years, the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) has worked to help Coloradans save energy and money while building a cleaner, healthier future.

Our Colorado team works at the State Capitol, Public Utilities Commission, local governments, and communities across the state to advance energy efficiency, building electrification, clean transportation, smarter growth, and policies that keep energy affordable.

That work matters more than ever. Colorado is growing quickly, electricity demand is rising, housing and transportation costs remain high, and many families are already struggling with utility bills. And our state is experiencing increasing climate impacts like extreme heat, drought, wildfires, and low snowpack. SWEEP is focused on practical solutions that lower costs and climate pollution today while preparing Colorado for the future.

Here are some of the ways we’re making a difference — and with your support on Colorado Gives Day, we can do even more.

Helping Coloradans save energy and money at home

SWEEP has helped make Colorado a national leader in energy-efficient buildings and clean heating and cooling.

Through years of advocacy, collaboration, and work before state regulators, we have helped expand access to highly efficient electric heat pumps, improve utility rebates, strengthen building and appliance efficiency standards, and advance Colorado’s Clean Heat policies.

The results are becoming visible in homes across the state. Annual residential heat pump installations in Colorado increased from about 1,100 in 2021 to more than 14,000 in 2025, giving thousands more households access to highly efficient heating and cooling. SWEEP continues working to make these technologies more affordable and accessible, especially for households that have the most to gain from lower energy bills.

Protecting customers as Colorado’s energy needs grow

Colorado’s electricity system is changing quickly. New data centers and other large energy users are seeking to connect to the grid at the same time homes, vehicles, and businesses increasingly rely on electricity.

SWEEP is working to make sure that growth does not simply translate into higher bills for everyone else. We're pushing for legislation to ensure if any new data centers come to Colorado, they must run on clean energy, use minimal water, and without increasing costs for customers.

We advocate before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and state lawmakers for smarter grid planning, stronger energy efficiency programs, responsible investment, and policies that require large new customers to pay their fair share of the infrastructure needed to serve them.

We also continue pushing utilities to consider lower-cost solutions such as energy efficiency, flexible demand, and electrification before spending customer money on expensive new fossil fuel infrastructure.

Creating more affordable, connected Colorado communities

Housing affordability is also an energy and transportation issue. Through Housing Forward Colorado, a SWEEP project, we are working with state and local leaders to make it easier to build more housing in the places where people already live, work, and have access to transit and everyday services.

In 2026, Colorado adopted new policies to expand affordable housing opportunities and support more transit-oriented development. At the local level, Housing Forward Colorado continues helping communities modernize zoning, remove barriers to housing, and create more choices such as duplexes, townhomes, apartments, and homes near frequent transit.

Our team has also produced new research on inclusionary zoning, Colorado’s housing needs, and transit-oriented communities to help policymakers understand what's working and where improvements are still needed.

Making transportation cleaner and less expensive

Transportation is one of the largest expenses for many Colorado households. SWEEP works to make electric vehicles (EVs) easier and less expensive to own, expand access to charging, strengthen public transportation, and create communities where people have more options for getting around.

This year, Colorado protected important incentives for EVs, e-bikes, and other clean technologies. Lawmakers also approved a measure that will make it easier for people with older homes to install EV chargers without always needing an expensive electrical panel upgrade.

Over the longer term, SWEEP’s advocacy has helped shift more than $1 billion in Colorado transportation investments toward sustainable mobility and helped secure substantial new funding for transit and passenger rail.

Join us in driving change

Colorado has made tremendous progress, but there is much more work ahead. Support SWEEP this Colorado Gives Day and help us keep building a cleaner, healthier, and more affordable Colorado.