In North Denver and Commerce City, we live beside the "inland port" that powers Colorado's economy. But our communities also hold the power to shape what comes next.
That's why GreenLatinos stepped up. We advocated for Colorado's Advanced Clean Trucks rule and co-hosted community events so residents and the trucking sector could be heard. When the ACT and Low NOx rule passed in 2022, Colorado became a regional leader. That was a win worth celebrating.
But we didn't stop there. A rule on paper only changes lives when it's implemented well, so we proactively partnered with the Dickinson Lab at CU and CU Denver's Community Collaborative Research Center to learn what small businesses need to go clean.
The good news: the transition is already underway. Even as federal support recedes, states, utilities, nonprofits, and companies keep building the tools this shift requires. But that momentum centers on individual consumers and large fleets. The small businesses in between are largely missing from the marketing, incentives, and planning models.
And they're ready. Most small-business fleets here are light-duty and return-to-base, making them among the best candidates for electrification. They stand to gain the most from lower fuel and maintenance costs, and their overnight charging can use existing grid capacity. Nearly half of the firms we surveyed would consider switching.
The gap isn't willingness. It's access, information, cost, and fit. Few owners know about the programs built to help them, and they're twice as likely to replace a vehicle with diesel or gas as with an EV. Without targeted information, aging fleets will default back to ICE vehicles.
These barriers are answerable. We're asking Colorado to prioritize:
- Consolidated, trusted information on incentives, delivered through intermediaries small businesses already rely on
- More vehicle options, including lower-cost used EVs
- Shared, utility-supported charging that fits return-to-base routines
- Programs that ease capital constraints and operational disruption
Small businesses are one of the most actionable near-term opportunities in the clean-trucking transition, and cleaner vehicles mean healthier air for owners, employees, and neighbors alike.
We helped build the policy. Now let's make sure it reaches everyone.
