People in Pueblo are at the forefront of an emerging partnership between activists, conservationists and a newly created state unit to quantify environmental justice hotspots in Colorado communities and the toxic pollutants that bedevil them.
Comanche Station
Posted inBusiness
The coal-fired power plant in Pueblo is seen as so unreliable one of its co-op owners wants out
CORE Electric says outages at the Pueblo plant increased the cost of electricity for 172,000 suburban and rural Colorado customers.
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News
Xcel Energy wants consumers to pay $1B to shut down 5 coal-fired power plants. Regulators want more study.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Friday balked at approving a billion-dollar price tag to shut down Xcel Energy’s five remaining coal-fired generating units — to be paid by customers — and instead is seeking more detailed financial analysis. The proposed closing costs were part of a settlement agreement between Xcel Energy, the state’s largest […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Colorado rejects Xcel Energy’s attempt to extend the life of Pueblo’s coal plant by 12 more years
An agreement that would have locked in 12 more years of life for Xcel Energy’s troubled Comanche 3 coal-fired power plant was rejected by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Monday. All three commissioners voiced opposition to the deal, citing concerns over the plant’s reliability, the fact that early closure might be cheaper for consumers […]
Posted inClimate, Energy, Environment, News
Colorado agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But first they exempted the biggest polluters.
When Colorado air pollution regulators started writing rules to cut 20% of the greenhouse gas emissions by heavy industry, the first thing they had to do was exempt the four largest polluters. The original law says that cement plants and steel plants, which in Colorado are currently emitting up to a million tons a year […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Closing a coal-fired power plant in Pueblo to meet Colorado climate goals is easier said than done
This much is certain: Comanche 3 — Xcel Energy’s $1.3 billion coal-fired power plant in Pueblo — is going to close. When and how are now issues of intense debate before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. The fate of the plant — the state’s largest single emitter of carbon dioxide — is key to Colorado […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News
Cost of wholesale electricity nearly doubled for Colorado co-op suing Xcel Energy, its partner in Comanche 3
A suburban Front Range electric cooperative is suing Xcel Energy, seeking millions of dollars for breach of contract and mismanagement of the Comanche 3 power plant, of which the two companies share ownership. CORE Electric Cooperative is seeking damages for repairs to the damaged plant it was forced to pay for and for the extra […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News
Xcel Energy needs a smarter, greener electric grid. But should Colorado customers foot the $344 million bill for it?
Xcel Energy is pushing for a record $344 million rate increase it says it needs to build a smarter, greener electric grid. But consumer advocates and state regulators are pushing back over the price tag. A major concern is that along with an earlier rate increase and other pending requests since the start of 2020, […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, Health, News
Some of the worst ozone pollution in the U.S. settles along the Front Range. New rules to fix it are ahead.
When it comes to oxygen, the Front Range sometimes has too much of a good thing. On many sunny, summer days the region has not only O2 in the air but also O3 – oxygen with an extra atom that transforms it into a corrosive gas — ozone. “The extra atom of oxygen turns it […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Politics and Government
How much damage does climate change cause in Colorado? Leaders are trying to put a price tag on it.
The East Troublesome fire, Colorado’s second largest ever, was sweeping across Grand County forests on Oct. 25, 2020, part of a record-breaking wildfire season that forced evacuations, destroyed homes and took lives. Half a world away, heavy rains were flooding the Bagerhat District in Bangladesh, in one of the worst monsoon seasons on record. And […]