Colorado's growing wind-power industry could provide jobs to former miners and other coal workers in the state, Gov. John Hickenlooper said after meeting with top Vestas turbine makers Wednesday.

In a telephone interview with The Pueblo Chieftain, the second-term Democrat said the cost of wind, solar and natural gas have made them the cheapest sources of future electric power and that Vestas officials said the wind industry could help employ former coal workers facing a declining industry.

President Donald Trump has promised to revive the coal industry, but Hickenlooper said the cost of mining the dirtier fuel means it will continue to diminish in use.

"Coal is no longer the low-cost fuel," Hickenlooper said, adding that top Vestas officials said they were interested in providing jobs.

"That's the growing industry," he said.

Hickenlooper will be in Pueblo at 6 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Union Depot for a town hall meeting. He will be bringing some senior department heads, including Reggie Bicha, executive director of the Department of Human Services.

The governor acknowledged the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo is struggling to keep enough qualified nurses and other staff to meet federal and state patient-care requirements. The federal Center for Medicare Services warned CMHIP in June it risked losing federal Medicare payments because of inadequate staff.

DHS officials got permission from the Legislature in November to give pay raises to nearly 200 nurses at the hospital, beginning this month.

"Part of our recommended budget for next year will be for pay increases," Hickenlooper said.

DHS is also in the process of hiring a new superintendent for CMHIP. Interim Superintendent Dr. Kim Nordstrom announced this week she will retire on Dec. 1. She stepped in after former Superintendent Ron Hale resigned in June after the CMS warning.

Asked about a range of issues, Hickenlooper said he doubts federal Attorney General Jeff Sessions will lead a crackdown on marijuana in states that have legalized it. Sessions has warned Congress against renewing legislative bans on federal enforcement.

"I have concerns, but I don't think he'll do it," Hickenlooper said. He met with Sessions earlier this year and was told the Justice Department has higher priorities.

"If you look at all the states that have (legalized) marijuana in one form or another, that's more than 60 percent of the nation's population," he said.

Hickenlooper made national headlines by partnering with Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich in creating a list of recommendations for modifying the Affordable Care Act to prevent higher health care costs. He said those recommendations have been rolled into the bipartisan Alexander-Murray health care plan in the U.S. Senate.

"I believe there are 30-35 governors in the country that would support those changes," he said.

Hickenlooper credits the ACA, or Obamacare, with broadening health care coverage to more than 95 percent of adults and children in the state.

While more people are covered, health insurance costs have jumped by more than 20 percent and are likely to keep going up. One reason is the Trump administration has said it will stop providing federal subsidies to health insurers, to force the ACA to "implode"from higher costs.

proper@chieftain.com