Luken's statement on new grants to promote job growth in Rangely

DENVER, CO – Rep. Meghan Lukens today made the following statements regarding the announcement of two new Coal Transition Community grants by Governor Jared Polis and the Office of Economic Development & International Trade:

Statement by Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs:

“I am thrilled that Rangely has received $500,000 in funding to support small business owners and create good-paying jobs in our community. From marketing training to local pitch competitions, these grants will give small business owners the tools to build on their successes and diversify jobs in rural Colorado as we transition away from the fossil fuel industry. This is a huge win for Rangely and I can't wait to see the impact of these grants on our community.”

The Town of Rangely received a $500,000 grant to fund the three-year Retain, Attract, Rebuild, Expand (RARE) business support program. The RARE program was created to promote the sustainability and expansion of existing businesses and job growth, including encouraging entrepreneurship in the local community as we transition out of the coal industry.

With this grant money, RARE will partner with Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC) and the Northwest Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to provide business, finance, and marketing training to local entrepreneurs and existing businesses. The program will also offer an annual small business grant program, with grants of up to $40,000 per grantee, and an annual pitch competition, both for the next three years.

The City of Rangely expects that the RARE program will create at least 15 full-time jobs, at least five of which will meet or exceed the average annual wage in Rio Blanco County.

In 2021, Rangely businesses received over $55,000 from the Main Street Open for Business Grant. A 2024 report found that the grant program helped Increase sales by an average of 25.4 percent and increase the number of jobs by over 20 percent.

Representative Lukens passed legislation Make the design and use of mountain railways more sustainable by encouraging freight transport by companies that locate in coal transition communities along the potential railway route. The law provides incentives for companies and operators to use freight lines that are at risk of closure due to declining use as a result of the transition away from coal.

For more information about Just Transition Community Funding, please visit Here.