Senator Janice Marchman represents portions of Larimer and Boulder counties as the senator from the 15th state senate district, having served in that role since 2023.
Senator Marc Catlin has represented the West Slope in the state Legislature since 2017, serving now as the senator for the 5th District, which covers Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, and Pitkin counties.
Electric cooperatives serve as a lifeline for rural Colorado, delivering reliable and affordable power while managing increasing wildfire risks. State Senators Janice Marchman and Marc Catlin are spearheading bipartisan legislation to incentivize wildfire mitigation planning and protect their communities. In a recent interview with Taylor Ward, the senators explained why this legislation is urgently needed and how empowering utilities in wildfire mitigation efforts will keep Colorado’s power safe, reliable, and affordable.
What experiences in your personal and professional life most influence how you approach public policy?
Marchman: I teach middle school math and have a background in systems engineering. Both shape how I look at policy. I test ideas, measure results, and fix what is not working. In the classroom, I see how state decisions touch families every day. That keeps me focused on what helps people.
Catlin: I take it seriously that the people in my district are the ones who sent me to the Capitol. I’m there to do my best for them and my focus is on my district. A lot of times I find out that things good for my district end up being good across the state.
What is your connection to rural Colorado? How has that impacted or influenced your work in the legislature?
Catlin: I was born in Montrose and have lived most of my life on the Western Slope. When you grow up and raise your family in rural Colorado, you get a real sense of what makes these communities work — and what they need to survive. I’m always mindful of that when I’m at the Capitol. I try to carry bills that have a direct impact on the people back home, the ones who will actually feel the results of what we pass.
Marchman: My district bridges suburban and rural Colorado. We are the fourth-largest oil and gas producing area in the state and home to farms, ranches, and small manufacturers. That range keeps me grounded. I see how policy affects both the classroom and the combine. I look for balance that supports growth while protecting what makes our region work.
You both represent areas served by electric cooperatives. What role do co-ops play in your communities? How do they stand out compared to other types of utilities?
Catlin: Before serving in the legislature, I worked in a number of different water organizations across the West Slope. I know the values our local water utilities bring to serving their communities are the same as those that rural electric co-ops bring. They value service, adapt to local needs, and keep costs down.
Marchman: I recognize that there truly is a cooperative difference. Co-ops are owned by the people they serve; members have a real voice. It fits communities where accountability is personal and close to home.
When you talk with your constituents, what do you hear about the value co-ops bring — whether it’s affordability, reliability, or local accountability?
Marchman: Affordability and reliability always come up. People like that co-ops do not have outside shareholders, so money stays in the community. They also see the personal side. When power goes out, they often know the person who shows up to fix it.
Catlin: I know my constituents value that the people who work at their co-ops are their friends and neighbors, that the values of the co-op are the same as the communities they serve.
We’ve seen an increase in both the frequency and cost of wildfires across the state. How are these risks impacting your constituents, the rural utilities, and the people they serve?
Catlin: I represent one of the most rural and forested districts in the state, so every summer my constituents hold their breath, hoping for good moisture and low winds, because fire is an ever-present threat. I know West Slope co-ops take fire mitigation work very seriously, because that’s how they protect their communities.
Marchman: After the Marshall Fire, people in my district saw how fast a blaze can move from grassland to homes. With dry plains and foothill winds, prevention is essential. Utilities here use infrared photography, drones, and AI tools to find problems early. It is careful, practical work that protects both people and property.
What do you want Coloradans to know about the work electric cooperatives are doing to protect their communities and keep the lights on safely and affordably?
Marchman: This summer I met with co-ops and utilities across Colorado. What stood out was their teamwork and openness to new technologies like automated switching, remote sensing, and real-time monitoring to make the grid safer. They plan ahead and focus on prevention while keeping rates fair for rural customers. It is preparation, not profit, that drives their choices.
Catlin: My constituents are proud that co-ops focus on community. They know the co-op is making smart investments to benefit the whole community.
You are both planning to introduce legislation that addresses how utilities in Colorado plan for wildfire mitigation efforts and the liability associated with wildfires. What inspired you to take on the issue of wildfire liability, and why is this such an important topic for Colorado right now?
Catlin: My co-ops are in areas that are highly vulnerable to wildfire risks, and these communities deserve to know their co-ops will always be there and always keep the lights on. The legislation we’re planning will help spread out some of these risks so rural communities and the co-ops that serve them are protected.
Marchman: I want to support policies that reward prevention instead of reaction. Rural co-ops face the same fire threats as large utilities but without the same financial cushion. Our proposal encourages more mitigation and better risk-sharing, so no community faces ruin from one spark.
Your bill proposes a framework to address those risks. How would it help protect consumers and keep energy affordable in rural Colorado?
Marchman: Insurance costs for some co-ops have doubled in only a few years. This bill would help them manage that risk by spreading costs more fairly and recognizing the value of early prevention like vegetation clearing, stronger poles, and upgraded technology.
Catlin: All Colorado communities deserve to know their power will be on tomorrow, but not-for-profit co-ops are most at risk of bankruptcy in the case of a major wildfire. This bill would provide more certainty for utilities so they are able to continue to serve their communities.
What would happen if the Legislature doesn’t act? What’s at stake for rural communities and ratepayers?
Catlin: Rural communities deserve to know that their lights will always be on and power will always be affordable. They absolutely deserve it. I don’t want the state to look back after any future wildfire and say, “We could have done more to protect this community.”
Marchman: If we wait, we will be reacting to disasters instead of preventing them. Other states already share wildfire costs and reward prevention. Colorado should do the same before we face another big loss.
Looking ahead, what’s your broader vision for how Colorado should balance affordability, reliability, and wildfire resilience in its energy future?
Marchman: These priorities depend on one another. Energy cannot stay affordable if wildfire risk drives costs up. Reliability requires prevention. Our goal is to bring them together so every community, from Denver to Delta, can count on safe and steady power.
Catlin: Now is the time to act so that we protect our communities and consumers before an extreme event happens.
This article originally appeared in Colorado Country Life.