Colorado has set the ambitious goal of achieving 100% carbon-free electricity generation by 2040 while simultaneously encouraging the electrification of the state’s transportation, home heating, and manufacturing sectors to drive down emissions even further.

But to have a realistic shot of meeting these goals, the state must depart from its myopic focus on intermittent generating sources and instead look to include clean, firm electricity to maintain grid reliability.

Fortunately, the best technology for the job already exists.

Americans have enjoyed carbon-free electricity from nuclear fission since the 1950s, when the first nuclear power plant went online. As it stands today, 20 percent of the country’s total electricity and 52 percent of its clean electricity is supplied by 93 operational nuclear reactors. In addition to being completely emissions-free, the country’s nuclear fleet has proven to be the most reliable energy source on the grid today.

According to the US Department of Energy, nuclear has the highest capacity factor of any other energy source—producing reliable, carbon-free power more than 92% of the time. That’s nearly twice as reliable as a coal (48%) or natural gas (57%) plant and almost three times more reliable than wind (35%) and solar (25%) plants.

Colorado has not generated any nuclear power since the Fort Saint Vrain plant was decommissioned in 1989, but recent developments have left the door open for a possible nuclear resurgence in the Centennial State.

Senate Bill 3, signed into law by then-Governor Hickenlooper in 2018, directed the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) to “work with communities, utilities, private and public organizations, and individuals to promote cleaner energy sources such as biogas, biomass, and nuclear” (emphasis added).

Furthermore, nuclear enjoys broad popularity among Colorado residents. According to recent polling, likely general election voters across Colorado favor nuclear energy more than 2:1 (53% support, 25% oppose). 54% said they favor including nuclear power in Colorado’s clean energy mix by 2040, with support crossing partisan lines to include 65% of Republicans, 52% of Unaffiliated voters, and a plurality (48%) of Democrats.

The people of Colorado already understand that an energy transition focused solely on marginalizing fossil fuel plants in favor of wind and solar is not a sustainable strategy. If we’re ever to achieve maximum buy-in from the public in the quest to confront climate change, people must be assured that their quality of life will not suffer as the grid gets cleaner.

These next few years will be a time for choosing for Colorado lawmakers, PUC regulators, and the state’s electric utilities. Do we place a premium on grid reliability, or are we beholden to just two renewable resources? Do we proceed with caution in the energy transition, or do we go forth with reckless abandon?

We can have our cake and eat it too. We can gradually meet the challenge of climate change by tactfully decarbonizing the economy with minimal disruptions to the quality of life that Coloradans have become accustomed to.

All that is required is for the state to fully embrace the country’s largest source of clean power.