Amendment 82 would give Coloradans a constitutional right to natural gas – Denver7

Amendment 82 would give Coloradans a constitutional right to natural gas  Denver7

Amendment 82 is on Colorado's November ballot. The measure would give consumers the right to purchase natural gas and distributors the right to sell it to homes and businesses.The proposal has drawn support from energy advocates who say it protects affordability and choice for Coloradans. Opponents — including community members and legal experts — warn it could override local government authority and open the door for corporate developers to bypass communities.Andrew Pinkowitz, a Centennial resident, said his concerns start close to home.Watch Ethan's report breaking down Amendment 82 below:"I'm a dad to a soon-to-be three-year-old. Every day, I'm thinking about his future and the future of his classmates," Pinkowitz said.Pinkowitz lives 10 minutes from an Aurora neighborhood where a data center has been proposed.

He said data centers often use natural gas and believes Amendment 82 could allow developers to circumvent local decision-making."This could effectively override their decision-making and supersede that, and really give data center developers carte blanche to develop fields right next to homes," Pinkowitz said.K.K. DuVivier, a professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, said Colorado would be in uncharted legal territory if the measure passes."It would be unique in the whole country to create a constitutional right to use natural gas," DuVivier said.She said enshrining that right in the state constitution would have