Hickenlooper Drafts Proposed Goal To Cut Greenhouse Gas

The Colorado governor's office is drafting goals for reducing greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, a few months after a confrontation with Republican lawmakers over the issue.

A proposed executive order directs state agencies to work on ways to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power generation by 35 percent by 2030 compared with 2012 levels.

A spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper said Tuesday the proposal is under discussion with stakeholders. She didn't identify them.

The proposal doesn't say whether or how the state would try to enforce the goals if power companies balk.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan sets similar goals for the state, but that plan is on hold because of lawsuits.

GOP lawmakers want Hickenlooper to wait for a verdict in those lawsuits before pushing ahead.