Control Strategy Blueprint Development Process

The RAQC explores potential new air pollution control strategies in coordination with stakeholders. In 2025, the RAQC is developing a Control Strategy Blueprint that will be put before the RAQC Board for endorsement in fall 2025. The blueprint is a strategic framework to develop control strategy options and plan implementation timelines over the next few years, aligned with attainment planning milestones and to achieve critical air quality improvement as soon as possible for human health and environmental benefits.

Please see the most recent version of the draft Blueprint here (updated October 31, 2025): Control Strategy Blueprint – November 7th version. Previous drafts are linked towards the bottom of this page.

RAQC will be accepting comments on the most recent version of the blueprint until October 24th, 2025. Please send all comments to emissioncontrols@raqc.org.

Supporting Documents

Strategy Overviews

The RAQC has developed overviews for each control strategy concept as brief documents designed to provide clear, high-level information about the strategies included in the Blueprint for a variety of audiences, at a greater level of detail than is in the Blueprint itself. Overviews are linked in the Blueprint and also below.

Bucket 1

1. Assess Effects of Wellsite Venting & Blowdowns Regulation
2. Assess and Later Implement Tightened Permit Limits for Largest Stationary Sources
3. Implement Indirect Sources Data Reporting
4. Landscape Maintenance Equipment: Evaluate Ozone Reduction Benefits of Expanded Requirements
5. Implement Summertime Free Fare Transit

Bucket 2

1. Adopt Wellsite Venting & Blowdowns regulation
2. Assess Changes to Electric Drill Rig and Hydraulic Fracturing (Frac’ing) Engine Requirements
3. Assess and Later Implement Daily Emission Limits for Large Point Sources During Ozone Season
4. Assess Efficacy of Implementing Indirect Sources Voluntary Facility Emission Reduction Plans from Best Management Practices
5. Landscape Maintenance Equipment: Assess Options for Additional Reductions by 2028
6. Adopt Non-Road Engines Emissions Targets
7. Assess and Recommend Options to Enhance Vehicle Registration/Emissions Testing Compliance and Increase Emission Reductions
8. Assessment of Continued Light Duty Vehicle Electrification Incentives
9. Assess Commercial Cooking Requirements
10. Implement Existing Regulations After Assessing Additional Options to Reduce Consumer Products VOC Emissions

Bucket 3

1. Assess the On-the-Books Effects of AQCC’s Upstream Oil & Gas NOx Intensity Rule
2. Implement Electric Drill Rig and Frac’ing Engine Requirements
3. Assess On-the-Books Effects of EGU operators Clean Energy Plans (no paper available at this time, please see the main Blueprint for more information)
4. Implement Indirect Source Regulatory Facility Emission Reduction Plans
5. Assess On-the-Books Effects of Colorado Clean Vehicles Regulations
6. Adopt Zero-Emission Forklifts Regulation
7. Assess and Quantify Ongoing Emissions Reductions from Changes in Design and Operation of Commercial Buildings

Stakeholder Engagement Information

To supplement the information on stakeholder and public outreach and input available in the Blueprint and in the strategy overviews, additional details on stakeholder engagement in the Blueprint development process and on providing feedback on the strategies within it is available in the supplemental Stakeholder Engagement Information document. This document also contains a comprehensive list of written comments received and links to each comment, as well as a summary of responses to comments from members of the public and detailed responses to comments from RAQC Board members.

Blueprint Development Policy

At its September 2025 meeting, the RAQC Board approved a Blueprint Development Policy that lays out an overview of the process for creating the Blueprint and for the Board to consider the Blueprint going forward.

Control Strategy Blueprint Workshops

The RAQC hosted two workshops to gather stakeholder input on the draft Control Strategy Blueprint. Materials and meeting summaries are available below.

1. July 22, 2025 – Denver 
2. August 18, 2025 – Fort Collins

A Control Strategy Blueprint Workshops Final Report and Recommendations for Moving Forward was also prepared by the meeting facilitator.

Previous Blueprint Versions & Related Control Strategy Exploration Efforts

Earlier drafts of the Blueprint are linked here:

• Control Strategy Blueprint – Version for July 22nd Workshop
• Control Strategy Blueprint – Version for August 18th Workshop
• Control Strategy Blueprint – September 5th Version
• Control Strategy Blueprint – October 3rd Version

RAQC Blueprint reports – January 1999

• Blueprint for Clean Air – Executive Summary
• Blueprint for Clean Air – Summary Report
• Blueprint for Clean Air – Recommendations for Public Input

At an earlier stage in the air quality planning process, the RAQC presented information on several of the strategies included in the Blueprint at Control Strategy Committee and Board meetings in the first half of 2025. These strategies, along with others, are incorporated into policy recommendations in the Control Strategy Blueprint. More information and documentation from this previous process can be found on the 2024-2025 Control Strategy Exploration webpage.