• Labor & Employment
• Professions & Occupations

This bill updates licensing, training requirements, and regulations for electricians and photovoltaic (solar) installers while also strengthening oversight of public works projects and photovoltaic electrical work.

• Journeyman Electrician License:
  • Applicants can now qualify with 8,000 hours of apprenticeship or practical experience (instead of the 4-year requirement).
• Residential Wireman License:
  • Applicants can now qualify with 4,000 hours of practical experience (instead of 2 years).
• Alternative Experience Substitutions:
  • Applicants may substitute photovoltaic (solar) installation training to meet licensing requirements.
  • However, the State Electrical Board (SEB) is no longer required to grant work experience credit for academic training, military training, or photovoltaic installation training—it is now discretionary.

• The SEB may, but is not required to, grant work experience credit for non-licensed electrical work if adequate supervision and experience can be shown.

• Employers (contractors, apprenticeship programs, or state agencies) must report only commercial, industrial, or similar work experience for apprentices who hold a residential wireman license.
• Exemption from Journeyman Exam:
  • Individuals with an active Residential Wireman or Master Electrician license do not have to take the Journeyman Electrician exam.

• Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) must uphold the latest National Electrical Code (NEC), including:

  • Ensuring safe clearances and working distances with utilities.
  • Allowing utilities to install their metering equipment with help from qualified electrical personnel.

• Public Works Contracts ($1M+) Must Use Qualified Contractors:

  • Firms must participate in a registered apprenticeship program.
  • Firms must have a record of graduating apprentices.
  • 3. Stronger Oversight & Licensing for Photovoltaic (Solar) Work (Sections 6-7)

• For small solar installations (<300 kW):

  • Installations can be supervised by a certified Photovoltaic Energy Practitioner but only if:
    • The contractor is not a registered electrical contractor.
    • The contractor registers with DORA as a photovoltaic installer by December 31, 2025.
    • The business is in good standing with the state.
    • The contractor employs a NABCEP PV Installation Professional.

• Eliminates Utility Exemptions from Oversight:

  • Removes language that said utilities and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) were not responsible for monitoring compliance with solar installation rules.
  • Retail utilities must now keep documentation on all solar installations.

• Defines "Photovoltaic Electrical Work":

  • This includes all electrical work on solar systems as defined by the National Electrical Code.

• Large-scale photovoltaic electrical work must:
  • Comply with electrical permitting laws.
  • Be performed by a licensed electrical contractor.
  • Be subject to contemporaneous review (inspection during the installation).
  • Be checked for compliance by state electrical inspectors or appointed officials.

• Eases licensing requirements for electricians by allowing hours-based qualifications instead of strict year-based apprenticeships.
• Gives the State Electrical Board more discretion in awarding work experience credits.
• Strengthens oversight of public works by ensuring contractors use registered apprenticeships.
• Increases regulation of photovoltaic (solar) installations, particularly large-scale systems (≥300 kW), by requiring licensed electrical contractors and inspections.
• Eliminates previous exemptions for utilities in monitoring solar installations.

This bill aims to modernize electrical licensing, improve solar installation oversight, and ensure quality training standards in Colorado's electrical and renewable energy industries.

Section 1 of the bill amends a definition and adds new definitions
under the electricians' practice act.
Current law requires an applicant for a journeyman electrician's
license or a residential wireman's license to provide evidence of having
certain minimum years of apprenticeship experience, accredited training,
or practical experience. For the purpose of these requirements, section 2
allows an applicant for a journeyman electrician's license to have a
minimum of 8,000 hours, as an alternative to 4 years, of certain
apprenticeship or practical experience and an applicant for a residential
wireman's license to have a minimum of 4,000 hours, as an alternative to
2 years, of certain practical experience.
Current law allows an applicant for a journeyman electrician's
license or a residential wireman's license to substitute for required
practical experience evidence of academic training or practical experience
in the electrical field. Section 2 also allows an applicant to also substitute
evidence of training in photovoltaic systems installation. However,
section 2 also states that the state electrical board (board) may, but is no
longer required to, provide work experience credit for academic training,
military training, photovoltaic systems installation training, or
substantially similar training.
Current law requires that, for all applicants seeking work
experience credit toward licensure, the board give credit for electrical
work that is not required to be performed by or under the supervision of
a licensed electrician if the applicant can show that the experience or
supervision is adequate. Section 3 allows the board to give the credit, but
it is not required to do so.
Section 4 requires that, for an apprentice who holds a residential
wireman's license, an electrical contractor, an apprenticeship program, or
a state apprenticeship agency that employs the apprentice must report
qualifying years or hours of work experience only for commercial,
industrial, or substantially similar work. Section 4 also allows an
individual who possesses an active residential wireman's or master
electrician's license to not take the journeyman electrician license
examination.
Section 5 requires the department of regulatory agencies to:
  • Uphold the rules and regulations of the current edition of
the national electrical code, including applying the code to
certain equipment;
  • Cooperate with utilities to maintain safe clearances and
safe working distances for the utilities based on the current
edition of the national electrical code; and
  • Allow each utility to install its proper metering equipment
with the assistance of qualified electrical personnel.
Current law requires that the contract for any public works project
that does not receive federal money in an amount of $1,000,000 or more
require the general contractor or other entity to submit documentation to
the agency that certifies that all firms identified:
  • Participate in an apprenticeship program registered with the
United States department of labor's office of apprenticeship
or a state apprenticeship agency recognized by the United
States department of labor (registered apprenticeship
program); and
  • Have a proven record of graduating apprentices.
Current law allows for photovoltaic installations with a direct
current design capacity of less than 300 kilowatts, the performance of all
photovoltaic electrical work, the installation of photovoltaic modules, and
the installation of photovoltaic module mounting equipment (applicable
work) to be subject to on-site supervision by a certified photovoltaic
energy practitioner designated by the NABCEP. Section 6 requires that
the photovoltaic energy practitioner is also working for a contractor that
is not a registered electrical contractor; is registered with the department
of regulatory agencies as a photovoltaic installer no later than December
31, 2025; is a business in good standing with the state; and employs a
NABCEP PV installation professional.
Section 6 also removes language:
  • Stating that neither the public utilities commission nor a
utility is responsible for monitoring or enforcing
compliance with statutory requirements concerning solar
photovoltaic installations (installations); and
  • Requiring a qualifying retail utility to obtain and retain all
documentation submitted in connection with an installation.
Section 6 also defines photovoltaic electrical work as electrical
work performed on a photovoltaic system that is covered electrical work
in accordance with the national electrical code.
Section 7 addresses photovoltaic electrical work for installations
of at least 300 kilowatts, requiring that the work must:
  • Comply with electrical permitting requirements and be
performed by an electrical contractor;
  • Include a contemporaneous review of the work; and
  • Be subject to compliance checks by state electrical
inspectors or individuals appointed by the director of the
division of professions and occupations in the department
of regulatory agencies.

• Past bill versions
• Past fiscal notes
• Committee activity and documents
• Bill History