Denver Power Ahead Colorado: $200 Million for Clean Energy Upgrades

The Denver area just launched a huge program to help homeowners and businesses go green. Power Ahead Colorado has nearly $200 million to spend over the next four years.

What Is The Goal?

The program wants to reduce pollution and improve air quality. Buildings create the most pollution in Denver. They burn natural gas for heat and use old, inefficient systems.

Denver sometimes has the worst air quality in the world. Bad air causes asthma and other health problems.

What Are Heat Pumps?

Heat pumps are electric appliances that both heat and cool your home. They work better than furnaces or air conditioners. They are more efficient and create less pollution.

Money For Homeowners

Low-Income Upgrades: $50 Million

Almost $50 million will pay for complete upgrades to affordable housing and low-income homes. This includes:

• Heat pump installation
• Weatherization upgrades
• Other efficiency improvements

Low-income homeowners can get around $20,000 worth of upgrades on average. Some will get more, some less, depending on what their home needs.

Best part: These upgrades are completely free for qualifying homeowners.

Building Owner Incentives: $40 Million

Another $40 million provides incentives for building owners to buy heat pumps. The incentives start at $1,000 for homes. Commercial and apartment buildings can get much larger rebates.

You can stack these incentives with other rebates from:

• Xcel Energy
• State of Colorado
• Other utility companies

Help Finding Contractors

The program launched the Colorado Contractor Hub. This connects qualified contractors with homeowners who want upgrades.

You can also call a hotline. Program staff will answer questions about quotes and installation.

Training New Workers

The program will train nearly 5,000 workers and contractors to install heat pumps. They partner with Denver Workforce Development.

The program also provides training to "justice-impacted" residents. This includes:

• Electrician training
• Pipe-fitting training
• Other skilled trades

City Building Code Updates

More than $30 million will help Denver-area cities update their building codes. Right now, rules about heat pumps vary from city to city. The grants provide:

• Dedicated staff
• Legal support
• Model codes

This makes codes more uniform across the region.

Marketing and Education

The program is spending millions on marketing to spread the word about heat pumps. Many people do not know about them or how they work.

Where Does The Money Come From?

The Environmental Protection Agency provided the grant. The funding was briefly frozen in 2025 but is now fully available.

How To Get Started

Visit PowerAheadColorado.org to learn more. The website has:

• Contractor finder
• Information about incentives
• Application details

You can also use other tools like Rewiring America calculator to see what rebates you qualify for.

Want to save money and help the environment? Check what energy grants you qualify for.