Xcel Energy was awarded a $41.5 million rate increase Tuesday by state regulators, but one item the utility was denied was charging customers $11.7 million for repairs to the troubled Comanche 3 coal-fired power plant in Pueblo. In its written decision on the Xcel rate request, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission said Xcel’s subsidiary Colorado […]
Xcel Energy
Posted inColoradans, Energy, News
An army of Xcel workers — pilot light by pilot light — work to reheat a tiny San Luis Valley town
DEL NORTE – A major equipment failure on a natural gas line early Saturday morning left about 800 households without heat as a major snowstorm began to hammer the San Luis Valley. The outage lasted about 18 hours, ended by an army of 170 Xcel Energy emergency workers from across Colorado who descended on the […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: In Colorado, conservative and pro-oil and gas communities support renewables, too
If you believe some politicians and media pundits, the way we produce energy in the United States is extremely controversial. To hear them tell it, some people are wedded to fossil fuels and other people only want renewables. The two sides are locked in vicious political combat and the idea of them ever working together […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
More Colorado coal-fired power plants could be closing, but the timing depends on some complex deals
A plan by PacifiCorp to retire its coal-fired power plant assets to save money and speed its transition to wind and solar sources could shutter plants in northwest Colorado. But the fate of those units will depend on negotiations with Xcel Energy, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and other utilities. In its integrated resource plan […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government
Lobbying spending sets new record in Colorado, as interests shift to influence Democratic-controlled Capitol
The aggressive agenda pursued by Colorado’s Democratic-controlled legislature this year – including bills on oil and gas regulation, family leave policies, climate change and health care – contributed to record spending on lobbying. Business interests, associations, nonprofits and other groups spent more than $36.4 million on lobbyists in fiscal year 2019 to influence Colorado lawmakers […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Climate action requires smart growth, not Lakewood’s plan
On Sunday, Dr. Gary Wockner published an opinion piece in this publication claiming Lakewood’s recent “Slow Growth” ordinance — capping residential development to 1% and requiring council approval for 40+ unit developments — is not only a smart move to tackle the explosion of growth but also an effective climate action plan. He’s simply wrong […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government, Technology
Bold $500 million offer to replace 3 coal-powered plants with renewables, gas met by reluctance from Tri-State
Guzman Energy made the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association an offer that it apparently could refuse. The Miami-based energy contractor is ready to pay about $500 million to buy three coal-fired power plants and a coal mine near Craig from Westminster-based Tri-State with plans to close them. In their place Guzman would build a combination […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Xcel wants to hike your electricity bill to cover the cost of new customers, prevent wildfires and boost returns
Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest utility, is asking regulators to sign off the its first electricity rate hike in five years — one that would allow the company to increase its profit margins and pay for the cost of increased wildfire mitigation and the state’s explosive growth. If approved by the Public Utilities Commission, the increase […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, Growth, News, Politics and Government, Technology
Colorado is overhauling climate goals with an eye on scrubbing carbon from its electricity
Colorado energy policy is undergoing a major overhaul with four transformative bills working their way through the legislature and the state’s Public Utilities Commission embarking on the revision of six sets of rules. “It is an exciting time,” said Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office. “The political leadership, the economics and the […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, Growth, Politics and Government
Climate change is a priority at the Capitol. These charts show how far Colorado needs to go.
Colorado needs to do its part to avert the worst-case scenarios of global climate change. That premise is at the heart of a bill introduced by House Speaker KC Becker to establish ambitious pollution-reduction goals. But meeting the targets will be a big ask. House Bill 1261 would commit Colorado to the short-term targets of […]