As if Colorado consumers weren’t already reeling from years of inflation, a federal regulation is about to raise what it costs to fill up your tank. By an estimated 60 cents per gallon.

Starting May 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will require northern Front Range gas stations to sell much pricier, reformulated gasoline all summer long. The premise for the higher-grade fuel — blended to reduce ozone-forming pollutants — is that our state has fallen short of meeting more stringent ozone restrictions imposed by the feds on nine Front Range counties, from Douglas County north to the Wyoming border.

As reported this week by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce news service Sum & Substance, Gov. Jared Polis has launched an eleventh-hour appeal to the federal agency to back off of its deadline for requiring the more expensive, reformulated fuel, or RFG. In an April 4 letter to the EPA, Sum & Substance reports, Polis tells agency chief Michael Regan he commissioned an analysis that has revealed “onerous and counterproductive impacts.”

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“RFG requirements threaten Colorado’s fuel supply, will raise prices and may result in shortages at the pump,” the governor wrote. “Moreover, this antiquated mandate creates an additional unintended consequence: We are seeing significant activity and requests to expand fossil fuel facilities such as terminals in the most polluted areas of Colorado in the ozone non-attainment area to supply RFG.”

The letter, which seeks a waiver from the mandate, continues, “These proposed projects from your elective enforcement of this requirement will increase emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other ozone precursor emissions in the community, and given the lack of supply in Colorado will increase intra- and interstate fuel delivery truck traffic resulting in more, not less, harmful air pollution in our most vulnerable communities…In short, forcing this requirement on Colorado will create more air pollution.”

It wouldn’t be the first time a federal regulation backfired — resulting in unintended consequences that are in fact the opposite of the mandate’s intent. But kudos to Polis for fighting the good fight on this one, wherever it leads. All the more so considering Polis’ own turnabout on the issue.

Several years ago, Polis was welcoming the pending mandate. He wrote the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2019, shortly after taking office, urging the agency to proceed with more stringent ozone standards.

Since then, he has seen the light — undoubtedly anticipating the likely public uproar at the EPA rule’s projected impact on the price at the pump. Colorado business leaders also reached out to the governor when the issue first came to light and pleaded with him to seek a waiver.

As we noted at that time, the EPA has been tilting at Colorado’s ozone levels for years. The Colorado Department of Health and Environment maintains that the state’s air quality actually has improved greatly over the past several decades. But, as a department official told The Denver Gazette in 2022, the state has had to “comply with increasingly stringent federal standards.”

As we also noted then, critics of the EPA policy contend a lot of the region’s ozone issues stem from uncontrollable, natural, out-of-state and even international sources.

“Most of our ozone, 60%, is naturally occurring, blows in from other states and countries, or is caused by wildfires,” Rich Coolidge of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association told The Denver Gazette.

The governor of course has been the driver of a green-energy agenda that has raised prices ever higher for Colorado energy consumers. It’s about time he tries to get them some relief, for a change.

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Michael Porter Jr. didn’t want the Nuggets to go back to Los Angeles for Game 6 of their Western Conference playoff series. He said it might’ve been spooky if they did.

So on Monday night when Denver faced a third-quarter deficit against the Lakers, Porter took it upon himself to make sure his team wasn’t preparing for another plane ride.

Down by four points, Porter drove to the rim for a layup. Moments later, he had the ultimate green light, catching a pass from Nikola Jokic and draining a corner 3-pointer that cut Denver’s deficit to one.

Jamal Murray’s game-winning jumper secured Denver a spot in the second round and continued the Nuggets’ dominance over Los Angeles. But Porter’s impressive shooting effort, which had been on display throughout the series, helped set Murray up to be the hero in the 108-106 victory in Game 5.

“I was knocking down shot (after) shot. I’ve done that my whole career,” Porter said.

As Denver struggled to find offense in the first round against the Lakers, Porter was a model of consistency. He averaged 22.8 points per game while shooting over 50% from the floor.

Against Los Angeles in Game 5, he scored 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Not only was he a sniper from the 3-point line, he attacked the rim and showcased his entire offensive bag.

“Michael Porter’s offense in this series was incredible,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. “Buckets were hard to come by but Michael hit some timely shots. And when he didn’t have his shot, he was able to get downhill and get pressure on the rim.”

Whenever the Nuggets struggled or were in a tight situation, they turned to Porter.

Denver was down by six in the first quarter when Porter’s 3-pointer ignited a 10-0 scoring run that gave the Nuggets a four-point lead at the end of the frame.

In the third quarter, as the Lakers attempted to grow a three-point halftime lead, Porter scored 12 points to push Denver ahead. With 1:35 left in the third, Aaron Gordon found Porter wide-open on the corner, where he buried a 3-pointer to give Denver a 74-69 lead.

In the fourth quarter when Lakers guard Austin Reaves scored a go-ahead basket, Porter answered by knocking down his fifth 3-pointer on the other end.

“Every time we needed a big shot (or) went on a drought, he was there,” Gordon said. “(He’s) so solid.”

The Nuggets’ two-man game of Murray and Jokic has been a driving force of their success. But in Denver’s quest to repeat as champions, it might require Porter to continue being a microwave scorer.

Up next is a second-round series against the Timberwolves, one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. Porter shot 46% from the floor and 38.1% from deep in four games against Minnesota during the regular season. His steady performance against the Lakers offers hope he’s ready to rise to the challenge.

“He settled us (down) all series long,” Gordon said.

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Denver Nuggets starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope departed the first quarter of the defending champions’ ongoing contest Monday night against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.

He appeared to turn his left ankle, and could not quite move off the court under his own power, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports. He departed the floor and made a beeline straight for Denver’s locker room.

As has been the case for much of this series, the Nuggets have struggled in all of their first quarters against Los Angeles. The team has already coughed up the ball for five live-ball turnovers just in this ongoing opening frame. That said, following a 10-0 Denver run to close the quarter, the Nuggets have a 28-24 edge after the first period.

Allie LaForce of TNT reports that Caldwell-Pope has suffered an ankle strain officially, and is questionable to return. Backup combo guard Reggie Jackson, who would have gotten the nod for major minutes behind Caldwell-Pope, is still dealing with his own major ankle injury and, though he is playing for Monday’s contest, is limited, per LaForce.

Losing one of their best two-way talents in Caldwell-Pope, Caldwell-Pope of course won his first of two titles (so far) with the Lakers in 2020 before being flipped to the Washington Wizards as part of the ill-fated Russell Westbrook trade. He later was shipped to Denver, with whom he won a title last year.

Caldwell-Pope currently has zero points on 0-of-3 shooting, plus one assist.

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