Special to The Colorado Sun
Closing all of Xcel’s coal-fired power plants will cost Colorado consumers $1.4 billion
Shuttering plants to meet the state’s greenhouse gas emissions goals carries a hefty price tag, including costs of bonds to finance the wind down
This Erie neighborhood is ground zero for Colorado’s collision of fracking and housing
Families who bought in Colliers Hill thought they were moving to an outdoor paradise. But the fine print in Colorado’s oil and gas regulations has rattled their lives.
Colorado gave local governments more power to regulate oil and gas. And some are using it.
The legislature’s 2019 overhaul of drilling rules through Senate Bill 181 empowered some cities and counties to prioritize safety. But other energy-friendly areas have held back on flexing their new muscles.
Colorado Democrats want to accelerate the governor’s emissions reduction roadmap. Polis says he’s not on board.
Climate goals and deadlines to reach them would be set in state law under Senate Bill 200. Some of the work would be funded by charging polluters a fee for each ton of carbon dioxide they release.
Co-ops trying to leave Tri-State say the electric utility is “stonewalling” by refusing to calculate the price to exit
Tri-State is cleaning up the way it generates electricity, but 7 members, including United Power in Colorado, want to know if they can afford a greener deal outside the partnership.
Xcel Energy floats “Power Pathway” plan to bring wind, solar power to cities from rural Colorado
Xcel still needs the blessing of state regulators and the agreement of other Colorado utilities before the $1.7 billion project to build 560 miles of transmission lines proceeds.
Breakdowns, shutdowns and cost overruns plague Xcel’s Comanche 3 coal-fired power plant, investigation finds
Electricity from the state-of-the-art coal-fired power plant near Pueblo costs 45% more than forecast, Colorado Public Utilities Commission reports. Xcel says Comanche will be used as a backup to renewable generation after 2030.
Xcel plans to double its renewable energy generation by 2030. It’ll cost consumers $8 billion to do it.
Big new solar and wind projects are planned to get Xcel Energy to 80% renewable generation in Colorado, but fossil fuels still will be needed to balance the system.
Wind power cut Xcel Energy’s carbon emissions last year. But is the utility moving fast enough to meet goals?
Colorado’s largest electricity provider expects to have 4,400 MW of wind power by the end of the year. Details are expected in Xcel’s resource plan Wednesday.
First-in-the-nation rule to slash methane emissions from Colorado oil and gas operations relied on compromise
Industry and environmental groups worked out a way to reduce emissions from new wells and old ones that contribute to Colorado’s ozone problem.
Colorado regulators target tiny oil field device that’s a big contributor to greenhouse gas, ozone pollution
Even major oil companies admit that tens of thousands of pneumatic controllers should be upgraded to prevent natural gas from seeping out
Colorado governor releases final plan to reduce emissions by 90%. It’s still too vague, environmentalists say.
The Air Quality Control Commission is responsible for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from millions of vehicles and industrial and office buildings
An environmental group claims 70% of Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions come from oil and gas. But that’s in dispute.
350 Colorado’s worst-case scenario modeling suggests oil and gas should be gone from the state by 2030 to slow climate change.
Colorado is behind on targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions. How far should the state push industry to get there?
Critics say the governor's roadmap is guided by "wishful thinking" rather than binding mandates to cut emissions blamed for climate change.
Xcel Energy moves up closure dates for coal-fired power plant near Steamboat Springs
Hayden Generating Station units 1 and 2 will be closed without layoffs of 75 people who work there, utility giant says as it moves toward 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.
Colorado regulators hit brakes on Xcel Energy’s plan for a $30 million electric vehicle rebate program
The Public Utilities Commission pared back the plan to $5 million and limited it to income-qualified buyers. But one commissioner would prefer the money be spent on “societal programs, like school bus electrification.”
Order to close three Colorado coal-fired power plants early reversed, regulators cite “incomplete” information
Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission said issues around closing plants a year early were too complex
It will take $130M to get more EVs on Colorado roads. Xcel wants its customers to cover the cost.
Consumer advocates and the PUC staff are troubled by how much influence Xcel Energy had in developing a $30 million rebate program funded by electric customers
Ambitious plan to reduce CO2 emissions still leaves Tri-State getting 23% of electricity from coal plants
The state’s second largest electric provider plans to spend $21 billion to add renewable sources and battery storage. Natural gas is in the mix.
Three coal-burning power plants in Colorado face orders to close early. Their owners aren’t happy about it.
Tri-State, Xcel and Platte River Power had the closures slated for 2030. But Colorado air quality regulators say it must be done earlier to meet greenhouse gas targets.
