Colorado panel approves education bill to seed nuclear workforce training

Sponsors presented Senate Bill 45 as an education measure to create the Colorado Nuclear Workforce Development and Education Council, anchored at the Colorado School of Mines. Representative Pat Paschal said the council would award grants to colleges and technical programs to create degree and certificate programs, modular training and apprenticeships aimed at preparing workers for advanced nuclear and related clean‑energy jobs.

Co‑prime sponsor AML Winter described early private commitments from regional project proponents and Xcel Energy and said the bill includes a repealer: if the council does not raise $500,000 by September 2027, the statute will repeal automatically. Sponsors framed the measure as an education and workforce bill rather than an authorization to build reactors in Colorado.

Opponents flagged timing, cost and opportunity‑cost concerns. Rachel Layman, a higher education academic, questioned whether higher education resources are best directed to nuclear instruction now and raised decommissioning and waste management concerns. Supporters ranged from the Colorado School of Mines, labor unions and Clean Air Task Force to nuclear advocacy groups and energy‑industry representatives, who said Colorado needs local training so workers do not leave the state to take nuclear industry jobs elsewhere.

Committee members asked about major donors and the makeup of the 11‑member council; sponsors said the School of Mines would administer funds and mentor other institutions while industry and federal grants are expected to supplement private fundraising. The committee adopted amendment L3 to ensure a worker/labor seat on the council.

Vice Chair Martinez moved SB 45 as amended to the Committee on Finance with a favorable recommendation. The roll call vote was 11 to 1 in favor. Sponsors and witnesses said the bill is time‑sensitive for workforce development tied to advanced nuclear interest in the region; the committee record notes the built‑in fundraising repeal as a fiscal guardrail.

Next steps: SB 45 will be considered by the House Committee on Finance.